I’ve spent a lot of time in the past several weeks reflecting on my role as a white ally in the Black Lives Matter and anti-racist movements. I am by no means perfect, but something I’ve been focusing on is acknowledging my efforts so that I can see how I can do better. I’ve recently been re-evaluating my interactions in this community as it has evolved so much since I joined when I was 11 (!!!!) That being said, as I’m refocusing my blog hopping, my blog posting, my interactions with book related content across other platforms such as Youtube and Instagram, I want to make a conscious effort to include more Black creators in my lists. Please share links to content you love!
All that being said, I’ve decided to share a list of some of my favorite fiction written by Black authors with a list of fiction that I’m hoping to get to soon. I’ll also be sharing a list of nonfiction recommendations and a tbr in the next several days. Of course, I want to add the caveat that these are recommendations that I have enjoyed from my own position of privilege, but many of them have been recommended to me by Black friends and educators. I hope that you find some new reads from this list, and as always please share your thoughts below.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones | An incredibly emotional read, Tayari Jones writes compassionately about marriage, extramarital relationships, and how the incarceration of black men affects the lives of those around them. Ultimately a love story, this is the type of literary fiction I turn people to when they want to connect with their characters.
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z.Z. Packer | This collection of short stories was gifted to me in high school by one of my most favorite Black educators/English teachers. Thank you Ms. Prince. Published in 2004, this collection of stories features beautiful writing and absolutely heartfelt stories across several age ranges. I always love recommending short stories to those who don’t read fiction as often because novels can be intimidating–don’t doubt, however, that the stories in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere aren’t powerful, because they most certainly are.
Hold Fast by Blue Balliet | I read this book in high school with the tween book club I ran for The Novel Neighbor and it was SUCH a joy. As a Midwesterner, it’s important to me to share stories from this part of the country as well. Also, this was done particularly well for a Middle Grade novel. I didn’t find that the topics discussed were watered down NOR were they inappropriately placed for the target age group.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi | I’ll link my review to this one here, but aside from being on my favorites list I wrote that Homegoing is quite possibly the most captivating book I’ve ever read. Intensely emotional, the characters in this book are ones that will stay with you long after the the cover is shut. I find myself thinking back to this book often, and hope to re-read it soon. It also helps that my favorite type of novel is a multi-generational family story, and Homegoing is quite literally that.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison | I read this novel in my junior year of high school for my American Literature class and can never get over how much fun this was to write about. Morrison’s novels are intensely rich and provocative, and the possibilities with which she provides to discuss and analyze and explore the black American experience are virtually limitless.
Housegirl by Michael Donkor | I read this title for my Literature of Displacement class in college, but was so excited to dive into it because it was already on my TBR. This would make a fantastic book club pick particularly because of the opportunity to discuss the author’s life, the title change between the UK/US, immigrant stories in the recent era, and the evolution of the LGBTQIA+ community’s depiction in modern media. I absolutely loved this one.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston | I have read this book for two different classes at this point in my life, first for my sophomore year English class in high school and then for a literature class in college. I feel as though now I’ve established a cycle and should always turn back to it. This title is actually this book that I credit with my personal interest in the intersection of socio-linguistics and literature for the way that Hurston writes this novel in African-American Vernacular English, sometimes referred to as AAVE or by linguists as Ebonotics. Linguistics aside, Their Eyes Were Watching God is beloved for a reason–you should read for yourself.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe | I read this for my freshman year English class in high school and was absolutely blown away by how immersive this novel felt. Despite the fact that I personally had no experience with Nigerian culture, or the cultures of Western Africa in general, I felt captivated by Achebe’s writing. This is one of the first novel’s I can remember that really set a fire in my belly to think as a “global citizen”, and to be someone who saw value and sought after stories from cultures other than my own. An unforgettable novel.
Lastly, here is a sampling of fiction titles written by Black authors that are currently on my TBR. Please share your recommendations in the comments, or where you think I should start. Black Lives Matter.
- How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters
- The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
- White Teeth by Zadie Smith
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
- A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
- Charming As a Verb by Ben Philippe
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
- Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
