I said I was going to read more books by black authors, and I love a good list, so here are some specific books on my TBR (to be read) pile I plan to get to soon:
Poetry
- Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color, edited by Christopher Soto
- Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith. I’m told Danez is a genderqueer poet who speaks unflinchingly, yet with great humour, about their identity and what it’s like being HIV+. I’m really looking forward to experiencing their work for myself.
- To Sweeten Bitter by Raymond Antrobus. Ray is a Deaf British-Jamaican poet whom I saw perform live at the John Hewitt International Summer School a few years ago. He brought the house down.
- And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Because of course this list had to have Maya Angelou. She’s a legend!
Novels
- The Noughts and Crosses Series by Malorie Blackman. Now consisting of five full-length novels and three short stories, I first encountered this young adult series when I was still a teenager myself. I really need to re-read the early books and get stuck into the most recent ones.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I have had this YA novel on my bookshelf for a couple of years already and really need to get to it. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s about sixteen-year-old Starr who sees her best friend shot and killed by a police officer.
- On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Angie’s second book, which I hear is even better than her first one. (Which is really saying something, given how much love people have for THUG.)
- An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. A story of love and wrongful incarceration.
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. More YA, but this time told in verse.
- The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus. This “bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both.” How good does that sound?!
- B-Boy Blues by James Earl Hardy. About being queer and black in New York City. First in a series.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison. Because I’m reliably informed every book list should have Toni Morrison and it’s a crime I haven’t read anything by her yet.
- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. I’ve heard this is a little like Bridget Jones’ Diary, if it were told from a black perspective.
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I picked up the audiobook version of this in a recent Audible sale and am really looking forward to it, having heard literally nothing but praise about it for years.
Non-Fiction
I generally like to consume my non-fiction on audiobook, so I have my upcoming Audible credits earmarked for both of these.
- Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala
- Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay.
Other
- A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. A prize-winning play from 1959
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If you liked this post, you might also enjoy my other recent blog post about ten books by black authors I’ve already read and loved, which you can find linked here.
