February is not just about Science Fiction Literature Month. It is also the month to celebrate Black History Month. Even before the pandemic started, several books were published about the daily experiences of Black people.
Why read books by Black Authors?
Black Lives Matter. Reading books by Black Authors can give readers wider perspective about their history, traditions, lives, and culture, which teaches empathy. Diversifying one’s book selection is a start. Here are some Black authors whose work you should be devouring in no particular order.
*Disclosure: We only recommend books that we love and would read ourselves. This post contains affiliate links, as we are part of the Amazon Services LCC Associate Program and others, which may earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
7. Jason Reynolds
Do you know a New York Bestselling author known for being crazy about stories? That is how most of his books describe him in the “About the Author” part. Jason Reynolds is an American writer of novels, and poetry for middle grade and young adult readers.
His books about the lives of Black people, dreamers, and young children have won multiple awards. Reynolds uses a poetic, authentic, and relatable narrative that makes his readers feel seen. Some of his works include Long Way Down, For Every One, Track series, and Stamped.
6. Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison, who grew up in the American Midwest, wrote several stories with strong Black female heroines and entwines her stories with rich Black culture and experience. She was the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Morrison’s signature themes involved expectations within community, conflicts about race, sex, and class, and cultural identity.
Her debut novel, The Bluest Eyes, made a remarkable impact by placing Black girls at the center of the story and revealing the American reality. Morrison is truly one of the world’s most celebrated Black authors.
5. Ta-Nehisi Coates
An award-winning journalist and essayist is next on our list. His notable nonfiction Between the World and Me gave me a worldly reading experience last year. Ta-Nehisi Coates is known for attention-grabbing essays and controversial arguments.
His early exposure to books gave him his introduction to the literary world. The Beautiful Struggle explores a father-son relationship, and We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy consists of iconic essays about Barack Obama’s administration.
4. Yaa Gyasi
Yaa Gyasi’s Ghanaian roots transcends through her powerful, generational, and intimate novels. She currently has two stories under her belt which are Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom.
Set in the eighteenth century, Homegoing features two half-sisters shaped by historical circumstances beyond their control. Transcendent Kingdom, on the other hand, tells the story of a Black graduate student in neuroscience at Stanford University in pursuit of a scientific discovery against addiction and depression.
3. Tiffany Jackson
Tiffany D. Jackson is an author who penned the most hard-hitting young adult novels I have ever read. She recently published a YA psychological thriller entitled White Smoke.
The writer voices out the struggles of Black people, especially women, who were treated unfairly by society. Her works are raw and gripping of the daily reality that is faced. Jackson is going to have another racism horror story called The Weight of Blood released this year.
2. Jordan Ifueko
Putting a fantastical twist to the literature world is a Nigerian-American writer, Jordan Ifueko. She has the Raybearer series under her name. The novel is about Tarasai who was sent with a magical wish by her mother to kill the Crown Prince. To do this, she must earn his trust by competing against children to belong in the Council of Eleven.
The concept of found family and finding a place to belong warms my heart. There’s so much to adore and reflect on this book. The series continued to its second book, Redemptor.
1. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Dark Academia instantly became popular and a sought-after genre among readers. Ace of Spades, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s debut novel, gathered a lot of attention and an International bestselling award. The novel encompasses a large scale of themes exploring racism, bullying, and white privilege within a society.
The award-winning author was known for being an avid tea lover and mug collector. She was born and raised in Croydon, South London.
Leah Johnson, Angie Thomas, Trevor Noah, and Oyinkan Braithwaite are some of the honorable mentions whose works are worth checking out. Reading books by Black authors is an act of awareness and inclusivity. Their stories matter and must be heard.
