Best Books 2011: Street Lit

DuPree, Kia. Silenced. Grand Central. ISBN 9780446547741. pap. $13.99.
This searing portrait of the working poor living on the wrong side of K Street in Washington, DC, is the real deal. Its inner-city realism compares favorably with Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever and Sapphire’s Push. (LJ BookSmack! 8/18/11)

Hall, Sereniti. Feenin’. Wahida Clark Presents Pub. ISBN 9780982841440. pap. $15.
Hall’s from-the-heart writing exposes the harsh reality of crack addiction and landing on the wrong side of the law while winning over fans of raw street lit. (LJ BookSmack! 1/20/11)

Hilton, Erica & others. Dirty Money Honey. Melodrama Pub. ISBN 9781934157442. pap. $14.99.
Honey Brown is one bad woman planning a Las Vegas casino robbery. Three street lit authors‚ Hilton, Nisa Santiago, and Kim K.‚ tag team Honey’s story line and come up with a wild ride marked by rough slang, murder, and nasty sex. (LJ BookSmack! 9/15/11)

K’wan. Eviction Notice: A Hood Rat Novel. Griffin: St. Martin’s. ISBN 9780312536985. pap. $14.99.
This latest installment in K’wan’s widely popular series lifts him from just another street lit author to a writer who produces thrilling plots laced with genuine street slang. (LJ BookSmack! 7/21/11)

Silhouettes. Street Soldier. Urban Bks. ISBN 9781601624529. pap. $14.95.
With Street Soldier defiantly tattooed on his chest, Jamal Prince Perkins is a teenager who knows how to survive. A boy’s best friend wasn’t his dog around here…it was a 9 mm strapped to his side. An edgy tale of coming-of-age on the street. (LJ BookSmack! 6/16/11)

Turner, Nikki. Heartbreak of a Hustler’s Wife. One World: Ballantine. ISBN 9780345511089. pap. $14.
This sequel to Natural Born Hustler comes loaded with plenty of drama, crackling slang, and oh, my, Turner writes with fury when her women get scorned. (LJ BookSmack! 2/17/11)