Flying off the shelves.

Hardcover

Fiction

1. Afterburn/Zane (2) ($24.95, Atria Books, ISBN 0-743-47097-4)

In the latest erotic romantic romp from BIBR best-selling author Zane, two hapless lovers get lost in a dating game gone awry.

2. Some People, Some Other Place/ J. California Cooper (1) ($24.95, Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-49682-6)

Cooper returns with a sweeping novel about a multigenerational family, set in a town called "Place," where neighbors are people of all colors, holding fast to their dreams of a better life.

3. Gotham Diaries/ Tonya Lewis Lee and Crystal McCrary Anthony (4) ($21.95, Hyperion Books, ISBN 1-401-30119-3)

A savvy, witty and intriguing expose of the upper echelons of New York's African American society, by two authors who should know.

4. The Best-Kept Secret/ Kimberla Lawson Roby (NEW) ($23.95, William Morrow, ISBN 0-060-73443-4)

The third installment by best-selling author Roby featuring the infamous Reverend Curtis Black.

5. Somebody's Gotta Be on Top/ Mary B. Morrison (3) ($24., Dafina Books, ISBN 0-758-20724-7)

Morrison weaves together a wonderful cast of characters from her national best-sellers.

Nonfiction

1. He-Motions/ Bishop T.D. Jakes (2) ($19.95, Putnam, ISBN 0-399-15196-6)

The Dallas-based preacher turns his attention to "a man's relationships," using the many-sided King David as his starting point.

2. Tears for Water/ Alicia Keys (1) ($19.95, Putnam Publishing Group, ISBN 0-399-15257-1)

Never before published intimate poems from Keys's journal, and lyrics from her multiplatinum Grammy Award-winning CDs, Songs in A Minor and The Diary of Alicia Keys.

3. On the Down Low/ J.L. King (3) ($21.95, Broadway Books, ISBN 0-767-91398-1)

Author and activist J.L. King's intriguing look at the lives and lifestyles of black men who steep with other men but do not consider themselves to be gay.

4. The Purpose Driven Life/ Rick Warren (4) ($19.99, Zondervan Publishing, ISBN 0-310-20571-9)

A California-based Southern Baptist preacher guides readers through a 40-day campaign to align with God's purposes.

Democracy Matters/ Cornel West (5) ($24.95, The Penguin Press, ISBN 0-594-20029-7)

The outspoken Princeton professor demonstrates that demoracy and race are interwoven.

5. Forbidden Fruit/ Betty DeRamus (NEW) ($25., Atria Books, ISBN 0-743-48263-8)

True stories of love and hope in the midst of one of the most horrific times in American History.

Paperback

Fiction

1. Addicted/ Zane (3) ($14, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-743-44284-9)

Zane's breakout novel: secret sex addiction almost ruins the life of a wife, mother and professional.

2. Their Eyes Were Watching God/ Zora Neale Hurston (1) ($13.95, Perennial, ISBN 0-060-93141-8)

First published in 1937, this classic American love story got a new life in a made-for-television movie starring Halle Berry and produced by Oprah Winfrey.

3. Let the Church Say Amen/ ReShonda Tate Billingsley (2) ($13, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-743-47714-6)

A beloved pastor must choose between the needs of his congregation and his family.

4. Truth Be Told/ Victoria Christopher Murray (4) ($14, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-743-25567-4)

The best-selling author of Temptation and Joy returns with a story about one woman's personal and spiritual journey to overcome the consequences of her husband's dark secret.

5. Sittin' in the Front Pew/ Parry "Ebony Satin" Brown (NEW) ($13.95, Villard, ISBN 0-375-75705-8)

A sophomore effort from the best-selling author of The Shirt Off His Back.

Nonfiction

1. The Mis-Education of the Negro/ Carter G. Woodson (1) ($9.50, African-American Images, ISBN 0-913-54370-5)

This classic 1933 work by Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, is published with an introduction by the publisher and activist Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu.

2. Dreams From My Father/ Barack Obama (3) ($13.95, Three Rivers Press, ISBN 1-400-08277-3)

The first black president of the Harvard Law Review, now a U.S. senator, Obama takes us on an intellectual journey in this poignant, probing memoir of an unusual life.

3. The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of a Slave/ Kashif Malk Hassan-el (5) ($3.95, Lushena Books, ISBN 0-948-39053-0)

An essay analyzing the reputed advice of an 18th-century planter for controlling slaves and its residual effects among black people today.

4. Chicken Soup for the African American Soul/ Jack Canfield (4) ($12.95, HCI, ISBN 0-757-30142-8)

This newest "soup" collection includes inspiring contributions from familiar names, including Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou, as well as heartfelt vignettes from everyday folks.

5. Zero Debt/ Lynnette Khalfani (3) ($14.95, Advantage World Press, ISBN 0-932-45075-0)

A simple, step-by-step action plan to be debt-free and achieve financial freedom.

The Flying Off the Shelves lists are compiled from retail sales data received from chain, independent and online bookstores. For an extended title listing, please log on to www.bibookreview.com.

Numbers in parenthesis indicate last issue's position.