Africa First

At first glance, Princess Mariama lives a charmed life at the imperial palace in Timbuktu with servants catering for her every need. But deep within the palace walls, a terrible trial takes place for the princess’s hand in marriage. Ninety-nine suitors have died and the princess is determined to end the carnage before another life is lost.

I saw the ripples in his blue jeans before I saw the twinkle in his dark brown eyes. His deep brown skin looked smooth as silk, and his jeans hugged his hips so snugly they looked as if they had been constructed on him as he stood in place in an obliging tailor shop. Thus begins Brian’s adventure in the story Overnight to Boston. He’s just quit his office job. He’s heading to Boston by train for no apparent reason when he meets Nic, a teacher who likes music and men like Brian. In Prom Night, the second story, an 18-year-old high school senior learns that having sex with a beautiful ...

Mie is a lonely Chinese Ping-Pong player, who had just won silver in the Olympics. However, winning silver hasn’t compensated for the loneliness and emptiness that torment her. While on a casual stroll, she meets Jordan, who is a heavyweight boxer. The attraction is instant, but Mie is slightly wary despite willing to go all the way with him. Things get intense between them, but more questions are raised in Mie’s mind. What happens when Jordan shows immense interest in her right away? Would their instant attraction lead to gloom or compensate for the emptiness within Mie’s fragile heart?

In The World’s Fastest Man, years in the writing, investigative journalist Michael Kranish reveals new information about Major Taylor based on a rare interview with his daughter and other never-before-uncovered details from Taylor’s life. Kranish shows how Taylor indeed became a world champion, travelled the world, was the toast of Paris, and was one of the most chronicled black men of his day.