I’m setting myself a ‘challenge’ next year of only reading books by authors of colour. This sounds basic but I did it with women authors years ago and it changed my life! Opened me up to so many new authors and broke reading habits.
I realised way less than half of my list this year are by POC. And ofc writers of colour are not published or written about as much in the media- so I’m doing this as a reminder to put a little more effort in and not get lazy with finishing new books.
I’m struggling to find many ‘classics’ or historical fiction. I’m super open to translated writing. I also read a fair amount of non-fiction and also poetry. My favourite genre is literary fiction (Some of my fav authors are: Otessa Moshfegh, James Baldwin, JD Salinger, Deborah Levy, Mieko Kawakami).
Please give me recs of all different kinds but preferably highly rated- not super trashy page-turner types.
I’d really like to read authors from a variety of countries/cultures/races too! Especially very under-represented. Women, nb and queer authors also extra appreciated
Thank you in advanceeeeee <3
by Old_Salamander_5674
4 Comments
If you haven’t read any Toni Morrison, I highly recommend doing so. She’s excellent.
Haruki Murakami
Rohinton Mistry
Jung Chang (not fiction, but very readable)
Vikram Seth
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Louise Erdrich
The [Diverse Baseline Challenge](https://thediversebaseline.carrd.co/) on [Storygraph](https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/f93fff60-8676-4e13-a7ae-c06fe1a27469?redirect=true) has been helpful for me to read more authors of color this year in a wide range of genres and find new authors. There are 3 prompts a month and suggestions that other people have added for each prompt. They’ll likely do another challenge for 2025.
The Collected Schizophrenias by Esme Weijun Wang
Prelude to a Bruise by Saeed Jones
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Hunger by Roxane Gay
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong
Loving Day by Mat Johnson
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li