Today I want to take the opportunity to use my platform to showcase some amazing authors of color. I may not have a large following, yet, but I want to help any way I can. All of the books have links, so if any of them sound interesting, please check them out.
Friday Black – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Friday Balck is his debut novel and was named a “5 under 35” honoree by the National Book Foundation. This book is filled with satirical stories about the psychic and physical trauma of black life in America. It paints racism in a new light and is a must-read.
Wandering In Strange Lands – Morgan Jerkins
This is Jerkin’s second book, and in it, she recreates her ancestor’s migration across the country.
Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid
This is Reid’s debut novel and immediately hit the New York Times bestsellers list. Emira Tucker, a young black woman, is accused of kidnapping when a security guard assumes she has abducted the white girl she is taking care of. You will get to experience the uncomfortable mess that Emira’s boss makes of the situation as well.
Well-Read Black Girl – Glory Edim
This is an inspiring collection of essays by black women and curated by Glory Edim.
I Almost Forgot About You – Terry McMillan
This book is from the same woman who brought you How Stella Got Her Groove Back. It is an inspiring story about a woman who shakes up her life to discover more meaning.
Loving Day – Mat Johnson
This book is hilarious and moving wrapped in one, just like it wraps the opposites in the world bound in love.
Behold The Dreamers – Imbolo Mbue
This is another debut novel. It deals with marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors within the American Dream. This is all about Cameroonian couple creating a new life in New York during the Great Recession.
Luster – Raven Leilani
This is Raven’s debut novel and is a sustaining coming of age story. Edie is a young painter who is stumbling through her 20s, making questionable decisions. She soon starts a relationship with an older man who is in an open marriage. He invites her to his home where she meets his adoptive daughter, Akila.
The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennet
This new book by Brit Bennet focuses on twin sisters who escape their black community in pursuit of two different futures. One sister gets pulled back to the black community while the other passes as white and hides her past from her husband. Their daughters cross paths, which forces them to explore any lingering trauma they may have from their past.
Long Way Down – Jason Reynolds
His book has been decorated with awards, for good reason. The entire novel takes place within 60-seconds as the narrator takes an elevator ride to meet his brother’s murderer with a gun tucked into his pants, and wrestles with whether or not he should kill the man.
