Quarantine seems to have brought a lot of people back to reading, and sometimes it is difficult to know what to pick up next. Well, we have got you covered with our curated recommendations. February is Black History Month, which is the perfect excuse to celebrate Black creators! We wanted to share some of our favorite books by Black women, each of whom have their own diverse experiences and perspectives. There is something out there for everyone!
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Rei
Format: fiction novel
Genre: literary fiction, contemporary
Featuring: conversations about racial and class stereotypes
Content Warnings: racism, racial slurs, minor police brutality, minor body shaming
This thought-provoking debut novel strikes a timely and bleak note about racial and class relations in the modern world. Emira Tucker is a typical woman in her mid-twenties who loves the time she spends babysitting the Chamberlains’ toddler. Then one night, seeing a young Black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at the local high-end supermarket accuses Emira of kidnapping, and the video goes viral. The incident brings Emira closer to her well-intentioned employer, Alix Chamberlain, and the two are set on a crash course that will upend their two separate worlds and everything they know about themselves, and each other.
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Format: romance novel
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Featuring: disabled main character, anxiety, abusive relationship
Content Warnings: chronic illness, sexual content, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, panic attacks/disorder
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a plan: get a life. And she needs a sweet, artsy, sexy, motorcycle-riding teacher, Red Morgan, to help her out. But in their journey to help Chloe check off some things on her bucket list – enjoy a drunken night out, go camping, do something bad – both Red and Chloe begin to lean on each other, and maybe even…fall in love? This funny, emotional, and completely adorable story shows the power and beauty of being in a relationship – whether that be friends, family, or partners – with someone who accepts you as who you are.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Format: essay, adapted from the TEDx Talk
Genre: nonfiction
Featuring: feminism
Content Warnings: sexism, racism, minor rape and transphobia
Part memoir, part manifesto, award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses how to be an inclusive, aware feminist in the modern day, whether you’re from the U.S. or Adichie’s native Nigeria. She not only addresses blatant discrimination, but also institutional sexism and the realities of sexual politics. Her powerful words are an of-the-moment rallying cry for why should all be feminists. Check out the TEDx Talk, the physical version, or listen to the highly recommended audiobook.
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
Format: graphic novel
Genre: fiction, new adult, romance
Featuring: LGBTQIA+ characters, Boston setting, hockey
Content Warnings: homophobia, alcoholism, bullying, minor drug abuse
This fun and mature graphic novel chronicles the lives of Bitty, an adorable southern belle and baking extraordinaire, and his friends on the Boston college hockey team. Follow their hilarious and heartwarming adventures as they navigate parties, championships, heartbreaks, and finding themselves during the best four years of their lives. You will fall in love with these diverse and relatable characters – it is the perfect place to start if you want to get into graphic novels!
Children of Blood and B
one by Toni Adeyemi
Format: young adult novel
Genre: magic, fantasy
Featuring: revolution, slow-burn romance
Content Warnings: violence, torture, death, genocide
Enter a dark yet enchanting world of magic, monarchs, and revolution. Zélie Adebola lost everything when, under the ruthless king of Orïsha, the maji are killed in an attempt to eradicate magic for good, and Zélie’s people are left without hope. Now she has one chance for revenge. Zélie must struggle to control her own powers – and growing feelings for the enemy prince – while working to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. You will be pulled into this dark adventure with a complex magical system and even more incredible characters. Don’t miss the next book in the trilogy, Children of Vice and Virtue!
Honorable Mentions
There are so many great books out there, we couldn’t choose just five! Here are more books by Black authors – of many different genders – we recommend.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson: memoir, gender identity, toxic masculinity, family, emotional
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite: adult fiction, satirical thriller
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernaradine Evaristo: literary fiction, reflective, LGBTQIA+
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann: new adult romance, coming of age, biromantic asexual mc, Japanese romantic interest
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: young adult, romance, dark, police brutality, emotional, later adapted into a movie
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass: autobiography, nonfiction, history, life of an enslaved person
Swipe Right by Alisha Rai: adult romance, dating apps, former professional athlete, PTSD
Pride by Ibi Zoboi: young adult, romance, contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice, class relations