12 surprising books that are banned from US prisons
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 The books banned in US prisons are often seemingly harmless — and many are valuable educational resources. Here are 12 of them.
For your TBR list Fun & quizzes Longer reads
For your reading list  Credit: Random House A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib A Little Devil in America is a detailed look at the Black performances — both early and modern, big and small — that influenced the same nation that often tried to ignore and discredit them. In poignant personal self-reflections and insightful short essays surrounding the impact of Black performance in American culture, Hanif Abdurraqib uses humor and history to examine moments in music and dance under a fresh and more nuanced lens. I felt like he was taking me on a pop culture trip down memory lane, while also inviting me to experience some of these feats for the very first time. Whether discoursing on the height of Soul Train, honoring the home-goings of Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, diving into the world of dance marathons, remembering when Whitney Houston was booed on-stage, giving Josephine Baker and Don Shirley their flowers, or breaking down the many manifestations of Blackface, Hanif's words feel like a beautifully written, unapologetic love letter to the plight of Black people in America.
Hanif's poetic cadence transported me throughout time like no other history book has. I found myself fearing the end of each chapter, desperately grasping on to the stories he so effortlessly illustrated in my mind — even stopping mid-sentence to Google the events that inspired these reflections. This was my introduction to his work and this first impression will definitely be a lasting one. Get your copy. —Morgan Murrell  We're so excited to be reading Gabriela Garcia's debut novel, Of Women and Salt, this month. This poignant story follows multiple generations of Cuban and Cuban American women. Jeanette, combatting addiction, is determined to understand her family history, but her mother — who's still processing the emotional effects of leaving Cuba — won't give up much. When Jeanette travels to Cuba to visit her grandmother, uncomfortable secrets and betrayals come to light. Connected to their family are Gloria and Ana, a mother and daughter from El Salvador facing deportation. In breathtaking prose and evocative imagery, Garcia allows the reader to travel through history alongside these complicated, resilient women as they navigate a legacies of trauma. Read the first two chapters here.
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