May at BLK + BRWN.

A newsletter for your bookish spirit — with new reads, real talk, and ways to plug in.

YOUR LOCAL BOOK PUSHER
May 18, 2025 • Est Reading Time: 2 minutes

Happy Sunday Friends.

We’ve got a lot to share this week — new books we’re diving into, important news about our distibutor, and a big update on our annual Block Party. Let’s get into it!

🚨 Distribution Update
We recently hit a snag with one of our main distributors — they’ve stopped shipping to the U.S. since they're based in Canada. 😕 If you placed an order with us in the last month, don’t worry — we’ve re-ordered everything, and new shipment dates are on the way.
We’ll email folks individually as orders ship. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We love y’all for real.

💛Need some new books? Don’t forget to use your Subscriber Discount!

Remember: 15% off. Use code SUB15.

➡ Shop Now

📚 What’s coming up at the Bookstore

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 • 12 - 4 PM This isn’t just a party — it’s a celebration of Black liberation, community, storytelling, and all the good energy we’ve built together over the years. You can expect to see: 20+ Black/Brown local vendors to support, music, dancing, food trucks + sweet treats, books, storytelling, + community.

The Block Party is loading, and your support is making it real! Here’s where we’re at: We’ve hit 24% of our sponsorship goal! We’ve hit 4% of our Book Drive goal!

Every dollar helps us throw the Blackest, boldest, community-centric, lit-filled party in the city. Want to help us close the gap?

Here’s how you can get involved this year:
🔗 Be a Vendor — We’re calling all creatives, makers, and entrepreneurs!
🔗 Sponsor the Event — Help us keep this free + donate 100 books to local schools!
🔗 Volunteer with Us — Support with joy, presence, and people power.

📖 Currently Reading:

💖 Can’t Resist Her
Black love, second chances, and serious chemistry. Need I say more?

💜 In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens
Still buddy reading this one! The wisdom here? Unmatched. Literally.

Want to buddy read either of these? Hit our DM on IG or reply and let’s chat.

📚 A Quick Review: Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

This novella packs a punch. Set in an alternate 1920s Georgia, it turns the KKK into literal monsters — and arms a badass Black resistance (mostly women— which makes it even more badass to me) with swords, spells, and shout songs. It’s Afrofuturism meets horror with heart. If you’ve ever needed proof that short fiction can be potent and political, this is it. And, it absolutely has some Sinners vibes to it.

📚 What’s the Bookclub reading?

Next Book Club Pick:

Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell - (The Black Feminist Bookclub, May 22)
What happens when all the white people vanish? In this sharp, imaginative debut, a Black father and daughter reunite in a transformed America, traveling through a new world that forces them to confront identity, healing, and the meaning of belonging. Lyrical, layered, and bold—this one’s sure to spark deep conversation.

📚 This Week’s Book Picks

If you enjoyed SINNERS… you’ll love these!