Some wrote about finding their identity, others wrote about expanding their horizons. I’ve read what I want, when I want, and have often heavily relied on the ability to escape into a world that isn’t my own for a few hours–especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Must Read Fantasy Series!

Growing up as an African-American in both South Carolina and New York during the 1960-70s, Jacqueline Woodson never truly felt at home in either place. Particular emphasis is on works of literary fiction by lesser-known authors. Join me in following the women below (and others you find! Last Friday morning, I took a good, hard look at my 2020 reading list thus far. You’re seeing this ad based on the product’s relevance to your search query. This item will be released on October 6, 2020. In the past I’ve paid attention to genre, Goodreads reviews, and a writer’s gender when selecting books to read, but never an author’s race.

It’s rare that a debut novel gets the kind of love and attention that Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, which spanned centuries and continents, received.

Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Portia: A Unique Woman Who Touches the World by Denise Turney (1997-12-06). In what is considered a literary masterpiece and Butler's most popular novel, Kindred follows a young Black woman named Dana. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Kindredby Octavia E. Butler: Written by a prolific American science fiction writer, Kindredis a combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction. Paperback $14.39 $ 14. To start, I have purchased Americanah, Girl, Woman, Other, and The Fifth Season from Harriet’s Bookshop: a Black woman-owned independent bookstore in Philadelphia (thank you, Antonia).

Any amount counts. All the strategies I use to stock my shelves with books, books, and more books. A few other Black-owned bookstores to purchase from are: Mahogany Books in Washington D.C.Semicolon Bookstore in ChicagoThe Lit. I read books to escape my reality; to transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in someone else’s story, either real or (usually) fiction. I apologize to the BIPOC members of our C&C community, and to all the other people who read here and would learn and benefit from more exposure to all voices, particularly Black voices. The Girl Who Lived: A Thrilling Suspense Novel, God Ain't Through Yet (God Don't Like Ugly Book 5), The Crime Beat: New York (A Cole & Warren Crime Thriller Book 1), BUD'S NOSE: AND OTHER LESS CANINE STORIES. “Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976, Dana is suddenly wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. As someone who recommends books to other people on a regular basis, I need to do better. Black History Month is a great time to highlight the work of black authors in the U.S. (and beyond), but of course, these literary works are worth honoring year round. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward: Written by a National Book Award winning author, Sing, Unburied, Sing is “an archetypal road novel drawing on Morrison and Faulkner, The Odyssey, and The Old Testament–an epochal story about a journey through Mississippi’s past and present that is both an intimate portrait of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle.” I purchased this book as a Book of The Month Club add-on this month. After posting the list on my Instagram Stories, suggestions for other books poured in, along with requests that the list I created become a post on this blog for easier and broader access. (Okay but also, check out her Bookshop.org storefront for an incredible selection of diverse spines! American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel, FREE Shipping on your first order shipped by Amazon, “I couldn’t put it down. Picks include fiction novels, essay collections, short stories, and more. My Sister The Serial Killer is “a blackly comic novel about how blood is thicker–and more difficult to get out of the carpet–than water.”. As I learned this week from others sharing an idea coined by political activist Angela Davis: "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist." I hope that many of you reading this will begin your work here as well. If you have suggestions for other books to read, bookstagrammers to follow, or places to donate, please leave them below! Reading the books in this post (and those on my longer diverse and #ownvoices reading list, which can be found as a highlight on my Instagram) and liking, commenting, and sharing content from non-white bookstagrammers is the beginning of my commitment to becoming more conscious in my reading journey. There's a problem loading this menu right now. ), and take their recommendations for new books to read just as often as you do with white influencers: @bookishandblack: Sarah from Philadelphia–A fellow Ravenclaw who shared a list of 27 anti-racist and Black-authored books on her Instagram this week to read (half fiction, half non-fiction), @mentallybooked: Taryn from Atlanta–A lover of chai who recently shared a list of nine books that have helped in her own education after growing up in a community where she learned covert racist ideals, @inkandfable: Patience from Kansas City–A writer who has one of the most beautiful aesthetics I’ve seen on all of bookstagram (and incredible style), @absorbedinpages: Jaime from Louisiana–A declared book recommender who put together an AntiRacist Reading Fiction list this week, @thestackspod / @bitracial: Traci from Los Angeles–Host of ‘The Stacks’ podcast about books with a new episode every Wednesday (her mom, who recently guest-starred in the most recent episode about The Giver, is adorable), @never_withouta_book: Anna from Dallas–A blogger and podcaster who highlights underrepresented voices in literature, @simonereadsbooks: Simone from Portland–A 24 year-old book lover who plans to read books that explore and honor the LGBTQIA community and Caribbean writers in June to celebrate Pride Month and Caribbean Heritage Month, @diversespines / @spinesvines: Jamise from Washington D.C.–An avid reader and foodie who has two accounts–one highlights Black and WOC authors, and the other pairs books with wine. A shout out to each author bae for sharing their talents from a … Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo: Winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2019, Girl, Woman, Other “follows the lives and struggles of 12 very different characters. 00 $31.49 $31.49.

Alice Walker. 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,129. for everyone. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads to America, while quiet, thoughtful Obinze begins a dangerous life in London. Man's best friend, rouge date, NYC to Buenos Aires, betrayal, false accusations, NYC street fight, 80's boxing, old cyclists. A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, …

My work doesn’t end here, with this list.

When these time-defying episodes begin to repeat, Dana finally realizes the challenge she’s been given.”, The Fifth Season by N.K. Although it is fiction, we should continue our education by reading this book about “16 year-old Starr Carter, who witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer, and is the only person who knows what really happened that night. These books by famous black authors each capture and celebrate the black experience.

1-16 of over 40,000 results for "Female Authors Fiction Black" The Darkest Child. Need I go on? For me, the list of books to read by Black women doesn’t end here–it continues by following and engaging with Black members of the bookstagram community. Ten years later, one sister lives with her Black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape, while the other secretly passes for white, and her husband knows nothing about her past.”.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. There are voices and stories that are not being widely heard due in part to people like me–unaware white people who have not considered diversity in authorship of the books they are choosing to read and recommend. I am late to the party, but I’m here now, and it’s time to get started. Such a Fun Age.

All Votes Add Books To This List. As a lifelong reader and white woman, I have never paid much attention to an author’s race when choosing books to read.

", The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: If you’re a Book of The Month Club member, join me in making The Vanishing Half your June pick. To put it simply: I need to read and recommend more books written by non-white authors, and more specifically, Black authors. Middle Grade Fiction by Modern Black Female Authors. In … I have also decided to include only books written by Black women for this list, and hope to write more reading lists like this one in the future for Asian and Latinx authors.