It’s Black History Month! We should all take a moment to reflect on and appreciate the brilliant, unparalleled contributions black authors have made to the literary landscape. In this blog post, I’ve listed some of my favorite books I’ve read by black authors in recent years.
A Mercy, Toni Morrison
Of the handful of Toni Morrison’s books that I’ve read, this one strikes me as the most singular. It follows a household in the late 1600s that includes both European immigrants and enslaved persons. Everyone in this book experiences loss in trauma in this unfamiliar land. The book is an incisive commentary on the beginnings of racial divisions and oppression in America. Morrison has a brilliant NPR interview on the book that illuminates historical background. You can watch it here.
Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson
Set in future dystopian Toronto, and full of Afro-Caribbean folklore and magical realism. Ti-Jeanne, the main character, finds herself at war with the local crime boss. To save those she loves, and herself, she invokes her ancestor spirits who come to her aid. Supernatural battles ensue. Family secrets are revealed. Fast-paced, unique, and written with a strong voice.
Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A recently published novel set in the near future about for-profit prisons that start holding televised gladiator matches. Inmates on death row can sign up to risk their lives in the stadium. The winner is freed from incarceration. The losers all fight to their eventual deaths. And all of America watches…for entertainment. Chillingly plausible. Though a violent novel, the book has major themes of the bonds of love and community in the most hostile of places. Read it before it is inevitably adapted for the screen.
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
An undisputed classic. This book is unhinged and chaotic in the most profound ways. It follows the life of an unnamed African American man who grows up in the South and moves to New York as an adult. Your high school English teacher would call it a “bildungsroman” novel. He must navigate racism and oppression as he comes into his power as an individual. The novel opens and ends with the iconic image of the narrator living in a hole in the sewers with 1,369 light bulbs. If you’re an audiobook listener, I *loved* the version narrated by actor Joe Morton (stars in Scandal, Terminator 2).
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin
This book is set in a dystopian fantasy world where everyone lives under constant threat of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The book follows so-called “orogenes” – magic users who have power over the Earth. They are both feared and persecuted, but their powers might be the only thing that can save the world. Tolkien, Rowling, and Lewis, move over – Jemisin is a behemoth of high fantasy talent. It won a Hugo Award, as did the following two books in the trilogy!
The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hiram is born enslaved, the mixed-race son of a plantation owner in Antebellum Virginia and becomes known at an early age for his photographic memory. As a result of a near-death experience, he develops a uniquely useful magical ability. The novel is potent and imaginative. Coincidentally, the excellent audiobook version is also narrated by actor Joe Morton (mentioned in the listing for Invisible Man).
Thicker Than Water, Kerry Washington
An excellent memoir about the life of Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django, Little Fires Everywhere). She was going to appear on Finding Your Roots (the PBS show) with Henry Louis Gates Jr., but the DNA test revealed a surprise: her father is not her birth father. But parents kept it a secret from her. In the book she reflects on this revelation, her childhood, career, and political activism. Perhaps the most authentic celebrity memoir I’ve read.
I hope you’ve taken a moment this month to reflect on how incredibly valuable cultural diversity is, now more than ever. Happy reading! 😀
