hi everyone!
as a fellow black woman I love supporting my own, especially as a bookworm. i’m familiar/read kennedy ryan, tiffany d. jackson, shenora williams, etc.
personally i’m a mystery/thriller/psychological suspense type of girl, and sometimes romance! I deeply loved before I let go by kennedy ryan and allegedly by tiffany threw me in a loop.
if anyone has any recs i’d appreciate it!
by sdossantos97
43 Comments
I’ve heard good things about Attica Locke.
I enjoyed both of Kiley Reid’s books!
Blacktop Wasteland by S.A Cosby is a good mystery thriller.
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The City We Became by N.K. Jemison
For American Southern historical fiction (I know, not mentioned as a preference), look at books by Colson Whitehead and Jesmyn Ward.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Percival Everett is a winner.
Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead,
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins Valdez
If you want a thriller/suspense, try “When No One Is Watching” by Alyssa Cole.
Nadifa Mohamed’s The Fortune Men centers around a murder & injustice. Not a mystery but jt was a very compelling read.
Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. It’s dystopian and not a thriller but the book is so incredible that I recommend it to everyone. I genuinely believe Octavia Butler is one of the best authors to ever live.
Ace of spades (YA mystery inspired by Get Out)
When no one is watching (adult mystery also inspired by Get Out)
Seven days in June (adult second chance romance)
The color purple (classic / literary fiction?)
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (also The Mothers but I liked TVH more)
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Dominoes by Phoebe Mcintosh
Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark
Bullet Tooth, By Grant Wamack
And anything Walter Mosley has written, because he’s my favorite author.
Giovanni’s Room – James Baldwin (short, intense, beautifully written)
The Color of Water – James McBride (great memoir)
Between The World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates (powerful, concise memoir)
Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (great novel)
All The Sinners Bleed – S.A. Cosby (solid thriller)
Alyssa Cole’s When No One is Watching is a thriller I think
She also writes f/m and f/f romance
When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is sort of a mystery/thriller/romance with a bit of magic realism – it was sooo good
Tananarive Due is an amazing writer. I especially loved The Reformatory.
Octavia Butler’s Kindred
Check out these awesome books:
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, this book is about Korede, who always has to clean up after her beautiful but deadly sister, Ayoola. It’s a mix of thriller and family drama.
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, this psychological thriller is about Nella, the only Black employee at her publishing house, who starts getting threatening notes after another Black girl is hired. It’s a real page-turner!
Girl, woman, other by Bernardine Evaristo
my favorite author is from Nigeria!! Helen Oyeyemi 💕 strange, gothic type books. definitely not for everyone but I loooove them
I’m a big fan of Namwali Serpell, especially _The Old Drift_
The under-mentioned masterpiece that is Gayl Jones’s Corregidora. Incredible book.
I love any of Yaa Gyasi’s books, I’ve also enjoyed Bolu Babalola and the Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré. I also enjoyed Blood to Poison by Mary Watson.
Jesmyn Ward is my favorite author. I highly recommend Salvage The Bones first and then Sing, Unburied, Sing.
Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Jackal by Erin E Adams is mystery/mindfuck
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers is a sweet queer romance
Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is the Hunger Games meets Orange is the New Black
Richard Wrights Native Son and Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man. Those are my favorites and The African Trilogy by Adichie
My favorite novel by a black author is probably *Their Eyes Were Watching God* by Zora Neale Hurston. Although Richard Wright’s autobiographical *Black Boy* was also impressive.
Those are older books, of course. There are so many talented brothers and sisters writing today! I peeked below and saw several mentions of Octavia Butler books. If you like her stuff, you should give the works of Samuel Delany a shot.
Yellow Wife
Razorblade Tears – SA Cosby
Smoke Kings – Jahmal Mayfield
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor is really great! It’s very graphic and at times upsetting (triggers for sexual violence, war, abuse, etc.) but really well done!
Burned through it.
Beloved by Toni Morrison . Tragic story beautifully told.
Song of Solomon
Homegoing
Born a Crime (especially good on audio!)
The Vanishing Half
I used to say that Toni Morrison is the greatest living writer. Since she’s passed on, I say she is among the top five writers this nation has ever seen. I did a lengthy term paper on her “Jazz” and Henry Louis Gates’ “Blues Matrix”
Razerblade Tears and All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
Kiley Reid, Tayari Jones, Cherie Jones, Bernardine Evaristo, Zadie Smith, Malorie Blackman, Bolu Babalola, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – anything by any of them 😀
Fortunate son by Walter Mosley
Native Son. Richard Wright.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is so, so, SO good!
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is terrific, and a literary classic.
**Caul Baby** by Morgan Jerkins
Criminally overlooked when it was released in 2021. Family drama about gentrification and motherhood, with some magical realism thrown in for spice.
**Dread Nation** and **The Deathless Divide** by Justina Ireland
Alternative history/horror about the Civil War being cut short by a zombie apocalypse. Like if *World War Z* and *Ring Shout* had a Civil War baby. Has my very favorite depiction of female friendship.
**Deacon King Kong** by James McBride
I’ve only laughed out loud for two books in my lifetime and this is one of them.
**Transcendent Kingdom** by Yaa Gyasi
I’ve seen Homegoing already recommended— and it’s amazing— but I really love this little gem of a book. It’s very different and more meditative, explores the intersection of faith, science, culture, mental health, and addiction.
**She Would Be King** by Wayetu Moore
Magical realism about the founding of Liberia. I had to stare into space for a few minutes when I was done with it
**The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X** by Les and Tamara Payne
Don’t know if you’re at all interested in non fiction, but this is one of the best biographies I’ve ever read.
**Queenie** by Candice Carty Williams
I love the main character so much. I wanted to hug her and shake her at the same time.
**The Ugly Cry** by Danielle Henderson
Memoir. One of the few accounts of childhood abuse (that’s not all it’s about) that I could relate to in its matter-of-factness. Not a lot of hand wringing.