My friend eventually came and we decided to walk around the harbor browsing shops. As always, a store with book in the title caught my eye. We entered a small, cozy shop selling black books. This is the first black bookstore I had been to and the selection was incredible. Viola Davis' new book was on the shelves. Legendborn, The Black Flamingo, and many other popular YA novels. They had a whole section of cookbooks including one by Shaquille O'Neal (his smile was super heartwarming on the cover) and a plant-based diet cookbook. There were poetry books on love, including Maya Angelou (one of my personal favorite writers). They also had workbooks for mental health for black people. They had all the current black bestsellers. They were unfortunately sold out of The Three Mothers which is about the mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin. I have been wanting to read this for a while so I was a bit disappointed it wasn't available. There were also mystery books, sci-fi, and fiction. It was honestly a great selection and the shelves went way over my head.
They also had shirts promoting reading black books and tote bags. The store itself had a very comfortable vibe and honestly reminded me of my hometown. The staff was also very energetic and kind.
I ended up getting Kindred by Octavia E. Butler and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I've been wanting to read these books for quite some time, but haven't gotten around to buying them.
The book store is called Mahagony Books and is a black-owned, family-run bookstore. They got their start online but were able to open up a store first in DC and then a second location at the National Harbor. They host author events and have a huge selection. If you want to support an indie bookstore, be sure to check them out. They have online orders if you are not in the DC/Maryland area. Happy reading.
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