Brain Lair Books | Bookshop dedicated to developing empathy and building a community centered around the discussion of inclusive books. And fun.

Love Letter Writing
OCTAVIA BUTLER BOOK CLUB
Torrey Maldonado
Advocacy Book Club

Welcome to Brain Lair Books! A black-owned, woman-owned children's bookstore. We're in South Bend, Indiana in the Near Northwest Neighborhood Center. We partner with local schools and universities to help build an inclusive, welcoming community. We specialize in juvenile and young adult literature written by/for the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Disabled communities as well adult nonfiction about ending white supremacy, promoting anti-racism, and becoming a social activist. We can help you find the books you need.

We are open 5 days a week for in-person shopping!

Upcoming Events

BLB After Hours: Love Letter Writing

02/11/2023 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
BLB Octavia Butler Book Club

02/13/2023 - 7:00pm
BLB ADVOCACY BOOK CLUB: LEGENDBORN

02/22/2023 - 7:00pm
BLB In Person Event: Torrey Maldonado, Hands

02/24/2023 - 6:30pm to 7:30pm

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YOU SO BLACK - A CELEBRATION OF BLACK STORIES 2023

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Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA By Theresa Runstedtler Cover Image

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Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood By Kwame Mbalia (Editor) Cover Image

Black Boy, Black Boy By Ali Kamanda, Jorge Redmond, Ken Daley (Illustrator) Cover Image

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Black Buck By Mateo Askaripour Cover Image

Black Cake: A Novel By Charmaine Wilkerson Cover Image

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Black Candle Women By Diane Marie Brown Cover Image

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Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and Myth By Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton Cover Image

Black Founder: The Hidden Power of Being an Outsider By Stacy Spikes Cover Image

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Black Girls Must Have It All: A Novel (Black Girls Must Die Exhausted) By Jayne Allen Cover Image

Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments By Carell Augustus, Forest Whitaker (Foreword by) Cover Image

Black Panther: Panther's Rage By Sheree Renée Thomas Cover Image

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Black People Breathe: A Mindfulness Guide to Racial Healing By Zee Clarke Cover Image

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Staff Picks

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All This Could Be Different: A Novel By Sarah Thankam Mathews Cover Image

Unbothered: The Power of Choosing Joy By Omarion Cover Image

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The Shore: A Novel By Katie Runde Cover Image

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Queen Bee By Amalie Howard Cover Image

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My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women By 18 Afghan Women Cover Image

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I Kissed Shara Wheeler: A Novel By Casey McQuiston Cover Image

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BookPage February 2023

Fieldwork: A Forager's Memoir By Iliana Regan Cover Image

The Love You Save: A Memoir By Goldie Taylor Cover Image

The Vanity Fair Diaries: Power, Wealth, Celebrity, and Dreams: My Years at the Magazine That Defined a Decade By Tina Brown Cover Image

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A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe By Mark Dawidziak Cover Image

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All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me By Patrick Bringley Cover Image

B.F.F.: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found By Christie Tate Cover Image

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Kathy's 2023 Recent Reads

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Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy By Angie Thomas Cover Image

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The Kingdom over the Sea By Zohra Nabi Cover Image

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Stars, Hide Your Fires By Jessica Best Cover Image

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Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans By Isi Hendrix Cover Image

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Big Tree By Brian Selznick, Brian Selznick (Illustrator) Cover Image

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The Fiancée Farce: A Novel By Alexandria Bellefleur Cover Image

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