This is not becoming a book review blog, this is a one off post because I want to highlight a range of Black authors I’ve been reading lately. I normally try to read a diverse range of authors, but since George Floyd’s death sparked a new wave of protests for #BlackLivesMatter, I have been focusing specifically on Black authors. I’ve read a lot of books I really enjoyed, and I thought I’d do a quick little list in summary. Not all of them are about race/racism, and they’re across a range of genres. I haven’t listed them in any particular order. I added content warnings as I remembered them but my memory is not great and if you are concerned I would definitely recommend checking a more comprehensive review!
Fiction
- An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon – this was a brutal read, a sci-fi set in a universe with a very racialised underclass of slaves, by a Black nonbinary author. It has some interesting gender stuff, which I enjoyed, and I grew very attached to the protagonist, who it is implied is autistic. Heavy content warning for sexual violence.
- That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole – a historical romance between two Black women, part of a collection called Hamilton’s Battalion. I don’t remember how this ended up on my TBR but I really enjoyed it! It was a quick read, but had lots of emotional impact. Some reference to of the time homophobia/racism, but nothing overt.
- Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann – a very sweet New Adult romance with a Black biromantic asexual protagonist. It’s the first book I’ve read with on the page asexual representation, and I really appreciated the nuance it had in dealing with a relationship with someone who isn’t asexual. Content warning for aphobia.
- White Teeth by Zadie Smith – I’d read On Beauty last year and really enjoyed it and my friend Jake suggested we read White Teeth together, a few chapters at a time, in a sort of two-person book club. The first half of the book I think we were just messaging each other about how nothing we will ever write will be as good as this. Zadie Smith’s characters are fantastic and her witty commentary on society rung true.
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin – I didn’t really know anything about it when I picked this up, only that it had won lots of awards, but I absolutely loved everything about it. The worldbuilding was immense and fantastic and I have already purchased the sequel.
- You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson – I read this in one sitting, it made me cry, as queer YA books are wont to do. It’s been very hyped, so if you read queer YA you’ve probably already heard about it. Content warning for homophobia.
Non-Fiction
- How We Get Free: Black Feminism and The Combahee River Collective, Edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor – really enjoyed this thoughtful selection of interviews and speeches with prominent Black feminists. I was already familiar with some of their work, but it was thought-provoking and powerful.
- Brit(ish): On Race, Identity, and Belonging by Afua Hirsch – I had had this on my TBR for a long time and finally got around to picking it up and I enjoyed it. Would wholeheartedly recommend (actually lent my copy to my mother already), especially to people who are familiar with American views on race and less so on British
Poetry
- And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou – Maya Angelou is one of the greats, I finally got around to reading this and enjoyed it.
- Black Queer Hoe by Britteney Black Rose Kapri – I enjoyed parts of this book, but there were definitely poems that I felt I was not the target audience for, as a white middle class British person, and that’s fine.
Honorable mention to The Color Purple by Alice Walker which I read and absolutely adored back in April, but wasn’t part of my overall goal to read more Black authors.
I may add to this list as I keep reading! I may not. I’m also on Goodreads but I don’t really review things there, just rate them, and also endlessly accumulate books on my TBR.
Max Louise Perry 