#5// books by black authors
Amazing books by black authors
Dear Reader,
A slightly different newsletter for this week. Yesterday I thought I would send out a few recommendations of books by black authors to you. But as I sat listing books that I loved, it got too long that it couldn’t possibly fit into a single email. A blog post would’ve done good. But I don’t know if that will happen at this point. Side note—I published another book list yesterday that is super useful for your 2020 TBR.
So here are 6 recommendations picked from all the titles I enjoyed. These are books that I absolutely loved and highly recommend. Excellent additions to your bookshelf, I promise. This list is mostly fiction, which is what I lean towards. Fiction always opens up much to think about and talk about. But I am also glad so many excellent non fiction titles exist elsewhere on the reading-list-sphere.
PS: All books mentioned might not focus on racism and the present situation in America. But they are written by black authors.
A book I want to re-read
Ruby by Cynthia Bond
I will never forget the day I read Ruby. I was sitting on the balcony; it was a rainy day and Cynthia Bond kept me in her spell. The novel, based on many real incidents, begins with Ephram taking an angel cake to the hut of Ruby, his childhood love. The child-Ruby dreamed of escaping to the New York of 1950s where “Colored girls and White pretended to be equal”. I wrote about 7 reasons to read Women's Prize for Fiction 2016 shortlisted Ruby where I shout that it is a book I want to ‘thrust into the hands of every book lover'. The magical realism and trauma presented in Ruby is quite unlike any book I've read. It is a book I want to read again, many times in my lifetime.
PS: There are themes of child abuse and racism.
A book everyone should read
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah is a hair story. Braided into it is a strong narrative on political correctness, racism, discrimination, and inter cultural relationships. Americananah gives us glimpses of all kinds of people—the racists, the superficial liberals, the blacks who westernize themselves, the immigrants, the Africans who dream of escaping to America and those who don’t want to. On the outside, this is the story of a blogger, her love story and life story. Americanah is special to me in many ways. I saved to buy this excellent edition of the book, and skipped work to read it. It is also one of my close-to-heart book reviews in the early days of The Book Satchel. It opened up many conversations and helped me discover many fellow readers on the internet.
I adore Adichie's writing and her crystal sharp sentences. So forgive me as I keep talking about her books. If you love Americanah, I would recommend combing through the backlist too. Her We should all be Feminists essay is thought provoking. My first book by her was Purple Hibiscus, Adichie’s debut and it remains an absolute favourite. In Purple Hibiscus, I could see Adchie’s potential as a skilled writer and in Americanah, and Half of a Yellow Sun (watch the movie too), I saw her in full, majestic form. If you love short stories, The Thing Around your Neck written in a brazen steady hand is a great choice too (check my review).
A new book
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Such a Fun Age, much like its name, was a fun ride. Pick this up if you are looking for something to breeze through but still want a book that has a bite. Kiley Reid throws the curtains open on casual racism and discrimination in a story of a white blogger-influencer employing a black babysitter. Viral videos, twisted news on TV, white saviour complex, manipulations—you’ll read this witty, thought provoking debut with much interest.
A literary thriller
Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo
I am still waiting to read more of Ayobami Adebayo. Stay with Me about the political unrest in Nigeria alongside the portrayal of the crumbling marriage crippled by childlessness quickly rushed into a literary thriller-like story. It was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Secrets, betrayals, affairs, superstitions and twists—each chapter will make you gasp. Stay with Me is also one of the best recommendations, by which I mean it is a book that I have a high success rate of people reading and loving it. It is my go-to book to recommend to readers in reading slumps. You’ll love it.
A book that makes you cry
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
An emotional wrecker. This book will make you cry. I cried so much when I read this book which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction last year. And every person who wrote to me after they picked this book mentions being deep in tears. An American Marriage, written through several letters, is a story of Roy and Celestial, a young black, newly married couple with tall dreams. He is a young executive and she is a promising artist. But when Roy is sentenced for a crime he doesn’t commit, the marriage and reunion is pockmarked by the effects of unjust treatment of African Americans. This is a love story, and a triangle (or quadrangle) which makes you weep when innocent love stands to test because of uncontrollable (to the young couple) external factors.
A family saga
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
If you are short of time to pick a big book, there’s Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. In just 300 pages, Yaa Gyasi sprints through three hundred years of Ghanian history. Homegoing follows the descendants of two half sister. Effia, whose children live through centuries of warfare among nations. And Esi, whose children live through slave trade, plantations, Civil war, coal mines and jazz clubs. Read my review.
This book was gifted to me by a dear friend, and I think of her every time I see it on the shelf. What I mean is, Homegoing is a great book to gift someone you love this year. I am very excited about Yaa Gyasi's new book Transcendent Kingdom too.
Read
Here are 40 books by black authors being published in 2020. There are thrilling titles. Medical experimental camps that turn brown eyes blue, alien invasions and a black girl running a secret library, a man understanding fatherhood and spirituality through sex work, and a black girl having her eyes on becoming prom queen. And more!
Links
This Twitter thread on children’s books that discuss race and racism
An anti racist reading list (The New York Times)
I am always at wit’s end while writing the intro and last paragraph of the newsletter. I don’t know what to say before bye-bye. This was an unplanned, sudden newsletter. I had scheduled to send one next week only. But I hope you enjoyed these recommendations. Next week’s will feature more links. I am also thinking of listing some new books of 2020 that you might love. Or maybe some golden oldies. We’ll have to see.
Write to me or send me a message if you love these recs (or even if you didn't). I always love hearing back from those who pick something I loved.
Stay safe.
Until next time,
Resh x
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