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Black History Month: Favorite Reads

Lauren Mulenos

While LMents of Style usually uses affiliate links, there are no affiliate links in this post.

As February draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to recognize Black History Month (BHM). It might seem counterintuitive to share this as BHM is ending, but I think it is right on time. Let this post serve as a reminder that you can celebrate Black lives outside of the dedicated month.

Something I’ve been doing throughout the month is sharing various Black creators on the Instagram platform. These are people I enjoy following and think you would too! While diversifying your Instagram feed is a small way to support Black lives, I think that reading can have a bigger personal impact. Buy from the businesses, like their photos, but be sure to learn too! That’s how we grow. Books are a great way to not only educate yourself, but also introduce yourself to other cultures, sympathize and support others better.

Over the last year I think that when people have suggested to “read Black authors”, anti-racist literature is what comes to mind. While I do think that this is an important topic and we should educate ourselves on how to be better allies, remember that Black authors exist in all genres! Below are some books by Black authors that I have read across all genres and recommend.

NON-FICTION

  • I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown. I flew through this book last summer. It is a relatively quick read about Austin’s life. I enjoyed her perspective and learned a lot from it.

  • The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil. This was a more recent read for me. It is about Clemantine. She shares about her life growing up in Rwanda and how she escaped her war ridden country and all that comes with that.

  • Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. I read this in high school, but still wanted to mention it as it has stuck with me for almost 20 years (read it in 10th grade English). It is an autobiography of the author growing up in the system of apartheid in South Africa.

HISTORICAL FICTION

  • The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I read this book in late 2019 and was not prepared for it. Sometimes I take book recommendations and don’t read the synopsis before starting it. I was not ready for this book to say the least, but it is worth the read. It is a novel, but is based on what happened at The Dozier School. It was a reform school in Florida that operated from 1900 - 2011.

  • The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. He tells the story of escaping slavery through The Underground Railroad. The interesting thing about this book is that there is an actual railroad. When Whitehead first learned of the Underground Railroad in school, he thought it was a railroad with tracks, trains, etc. It’s historical fiction with the topic at hand, but he takes his liberties here and there.

SCIENCE FICTION

  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. While it loosely references the Biblical message, this story is its own. It is set in a dystopian society that shows what we will become if we don’t improve. Oh and yes!! SciFi by a Black woman!! :)

FICTION

  • Beloved by Toni Morrison. This was another 10th grade high school read. It was my first introduction to Toni Morrison and I loved her. The book discusses slavery and its distructive effects even after freedom.

  • The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. I had the chance to read this for a research paper in 10th grade, but ended up going with Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival instead. I wish I had the chance to write a research paper on both though, because this book was so well done. Heartbreaking, but well done.

  • The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory . I actually messed up and read The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory first, but it didn’t really matter… thankfully. These 2 books are part of a 5 book series. Though they have overlapping characters, each each book has its own story. Easy, romcom type books that also give insight into Black culture and the struggles of dating outside of your race. I also like these since so much of the story happens in LA!

  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This was another recent read for me. Without giving too much away, it is a coming of age story for a young Black girl who witnesses tragedies which helps her find her voice. It was also made into a film.

  • Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo. It starts off a little steamy with a one night stand and although that creates the premise for the book, it is so much more than that. It takes a deep look at culture, promises made to parents, and dating outside of your race.

SHORT STORIES

  • Sweet Potato Pie by Eugenia Collier. A short story from my high school textbook (I think it was from my freshman year). I thoroughly enjoyed it and made sure to include it on this list.

  • Bloodchild by Octavia Butler. More SciFi from a Black woman! This is shorter than Parable of the Sower if you want to get your feet wet. She has other short stories too!

CURRENTLY READING // CHECKED OUT FROM THE LIBRARY

  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker

  • The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

  • Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

  • Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

CURRENTLY ON MY HOLDS LIST AT THE LIBRARY

  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

  • Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

  • Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

  • The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett

  • The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

  • Processing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker

I know that time and money are often associated with reading, but there are ways to combat that. I use the Libby app formost of my reading. It is it free through your local library, but you can sign up completely on your phone (library card included). Note that in addition to books, they also have audiobooks! That means you you listen to books like you would a podcast. Do this on your commute, instead of music, etc. I have a lot more time to listen to audiobooks than I have to sit down and read. Additionally, some books are read by the author, which makes them even more special of a listen. I listened to Austin Channing Brown read her book “I’m Still Here” aloud and it was fantastic. If you have the time and prefer to read, you can either read on the Libby or Kindle app. Super easy!! No excuses ;)

Do you have a favorite book by a Black author that I should check out? Please let me know so I can add it to my list! There are a lot of those out there that are known like Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (which I still want to read - I saw this movie) and Maya Angelou’s work (I have read some, but still wan to read more); however, I really tried hard to create a list that didn’t seem like a regurgitated catalog. Hopefully you found at least one new book to check out!

Bonus Book.: Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. This isn’t by a black author, but I wanted to mention it due to its topic. It is a non-fiction book by a journalist, first published in 1961. The white journalist dyes his skin black for a time being to experience and write about racism in the south. I recently read it, but actually first heard about it from my mom years ago, as she read it in school. I wanted to mention it because I felt like the revelations he had in the book are those that we are still having / hoping to have today… 61 years later.

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