HueMan Books In Harlem Picks (May)

Set in the bright lights of daytime television, SATAN’S SISTERS is the story of “The Lunch Club”–a long-running, popular ladies’ talk show in which alliances are forged, careers are made, and bridges are burned. The show’s famous red couch is ruled by its esteemed matriarch, Maxine Robinson, the first African-American to become a network news anchor, who maintains a hidden safe of diaries chronicling others’ indiscretions for posterity–and leverage as needed.

But even all-knowing Maxine is caught off-guard when now superstar former co-host Heather Hope makes a ratings-gold guest appearance only to announce a bombshell: the imminent inside scoop straight from the mouth of another ousted member of “The Lunch Club”‘s inner sanctum.  Self-described “southern belle” Melissa “Missy” Adams has written an explosive tell-all exposing all the “Lunch” ladies’ secrets and she’s going to reveal it on Heather’s show; but the story is bigger than just the two of them. Delving into the murky waters of each of the current five co-hosts’ life–and the loved ones, lovers, and support team surrounding them, SATAN’S SISTERS dishes the dirt while serving up laughs, suspense, solidarity, and heartbreak. “The Lunch Club”‘s beleaguered publicist is assigned to track down the embargoed manuscript and assess the potential damage to everyone’s livelihood…but time is running out and there’s now a new mole spilling details of the show’s private panic mode. Looks like Maxine is going to have to take things into her own hands…but can even she escape becoming collateral damage?

Tuesday, May 17, 6 pm

Adrian Burgos Cuban Star focuses on the rise of one Alex Pompez who emerged from a Cuban cigar-manufacturing family as a key player in the Spanish Harlem numbers racket in New York City, then an owner in the Negro Leagues, and finally an extraordinary Caribbean scout, who discovered such Latin stars as Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Camilo Pascual, Tony Oliva, and the Alou brothers. In 2006, Pompez was elected a member of the Hall of Fame. Burgos explains in vivid detail the amalgam of talents Pompez brought to the fore: English-Spanish bilingualism, business savvy and toughness, a sympathetic ear for his players, a social network second to none, and keen judgment of talent. For an understanding of the ascension of Latin American baseball players in the U.S., pair this volume with Mark Kurlanskys similarly enlightening.

Tuesday, May 31, 6 pm

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