CONTEST: Have what it takes to be the next great author? Enter the 2009 ESSENCE Short Fiction Contest
FICTION
Hardcover
1. Waking With Enemies by Eric Jerome Dickey (Dutton, $24.95) (1)
2. Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey (Dutton, $24.95) (2)
3. Something On The Side by Carl Weber (Dafina, $24) (5)
4. Them by Nathan McCall (Atria, $25) (3)
5. Sweeter Than Honey by Mary B. Morrison (Dagina, $24)*
6. The Last Street Novel by Omar Tyree (Simon & Schuster, $24) (8)
7. Sin No More By Kimberla Lawson Roby (William Morrow, $23.95) (7)
8. The Tempest Tales by Walter Mosley (Black Classic Press, $19.95)*
9. Seen It All and Done the Rest by Pearl Cleage (One World/Ballantine, $25)*
10. Deliver Me From Evil by Mary Monroe (Dafina, $24) (10)
Paperback
1. Payback With Ya Life by Wahida Clark (Grand Central Publishing, $14.99)*
2. Rain Storm by Vanessa Miller (Urban Christian, $14.95)*
3. Black Widow by Nikki Turner (One World/Ballantine, $14)*
4. One Prayer Away by Kendra Norman-Bellamy (Life Every Voice, $12.99)*
5. Dutch 3: The Finale by Dutch (Dutch, $15) (2)
6. A Love So Strong by Kendra Norman-Bellamy (Life Every Voice, $11.99)*
7. True To The Game II by Teri Woods (Grand Central Publishing, $14.99) (1)
8. Purple Panties edited by Zane (Strebor, $15)*
9. Blood Kin: A Savannah Story by Robert T.S. Mickles, Sr. (iUniverse, $9.95)*
10. G-Spot by Noire (One World/Strivers Row, $13.95)*
NONFICTION
Hardcover
1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (Crown, $25)*
2. Know What I Mean? by Michael Eric Dyson (Basic Civitas Books, $19.95) (4)
3. Letters to a Young Brother by Hill Harper (Gotham, $20)*
4. Come on People by Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint (Thomas Nelson, $25.99) (2)
5. Turning White by Lee Thomas (Momentum, $14.95) (9)
6. Reposition Yourself by T.D. Jakes (Atria, $24) (3)
7. Letters to a Young Sister by Hill Harper (Gotham, $22.50)*
8. The Vixen Diaries by Karrine Steffans (Grand Central Publishing, $24.99)*
9. Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy (Tyndale, $26.99)*
10. Grace After Midnight by Felicia “Snoop” Pearson and David Ritz (Grand Central Publishing, $22) (1)
Paperback
1. Snakes in the Pulpit by Reuben Armstrong (Reuben Armstrong, $25.99) (2)
2. Souls of My Sisters by Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy (Kensington, $15)*
3. 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro by J.A. Rogers (Helga M. Rogers, $15)*
4. The Dreamkeepers by Gloria Ladson-Billings (Jossey-Bass, $19.95)*
5. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say! by Judge Glenda Hatchett (Harper, $12.95)*
6. Prayers that Rout Demons by John Eckhardt (Charisma House, $9.99)*
7. The Willie Lynch Letter by William Lynch and Kashif Malik Hassan-el (Lushena, $3.95) (4)
8. How to Succeed in the Publishing Game by Vickie M. Stringer (Triple Crown Publications, $20)*
9. Before the Mayflower by Lerone Bennett Jr. (Johnson Publishing Company, $24.95)*
10. On the Down Low by J.L. King (Harlem Moon, $12.95)*
ABOUT THIS LIST: The Essence Best Sellers List is based on reports of retail sales. Respondents are African-American bookstores. Numbers in parentheses indicate last month’s position. An asterisk indicates a debut title on this list.
REPORTING STORES: Pyramid Art, Books, & Custom Framing (Little Rock, Arkansas), 501-372-5824; Knowledge Bookstore (Brampton, Ontario), 905-459-9875; Underground Books (Sacramento, California), 916-737-3333; Not Just a Bookstore (St. Louis), 877-361-9955; Under One Roof (Killeen, Texas), 254-554-6553; Hood Book Headquarters (Warren, Michigan), 313-515-7961; Pyramid Books (Boynton Beach, Florida), 561-731-4422; Sensational Minds (Savannah), 912-401-0274; MochaReaders (Dayton), 937-304-9473.
