12 Books by Black Authors Challenge

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18 participants (70 books)

01 Feb 2025—28 Feb 2025

Overview

Goal: Read 12 books by Black authors in 12 categories. Each book you choose will offer a unique perspective on Black experiences, history, and culture.

Challenge Ideas:

1. A Classic by a Black Author
  • Example: "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison or "Native Son" by Richard Wright.

2. A Contemporary Novel by a Black Author
  • Example: "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett or "Such a Fun Age" by Kiley Reid.

3. A Memoir by a Black Author
  • Example: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou or "The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. Du Bois.

4. A Book of Poetry by a Black Poet
  • Example: "The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks" by Gwendolyn Brooks or "The Tradition" by Jericho Brown.

5. A Historical Fiction Novel by a Black Author
  • Example: "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi or "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead.

6. A Novel About the African-American Experience in the South
  • Example: "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker or "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.

7. A Thriller/Mystery Novel by a Black Author
  • Example: "The Cutting Season" by Attica Locke or "The Last Minority" by Tana French (exploring race and crime).

8. A Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel by a Black Author
  • Example: "Children of Blood and Bone" by Tomi Adeyemi or "Kindred" by Octavia Butler.

9. A Book Exploring Black Feminism
  • Example: "Sister Citizen" by Melissa V. Harris-Perry or "We Should All Be Feminists" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

10. A Book That Explores the Black Diaspora (Africa, Caribbean, etc.)
  • Example: "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or "Everything Inside" by Agha Shahid Ali.

11. A Young Adult Book by a Black Author
  • Example: "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas or "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson.

12. A Short Story Collection by a Black Author
  • Example: "The Thing Around Your Neck" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or "Jesus’ Son" by Denis Johnson (incorporates African-American stories)

Challenge Books

All books added
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

219 pages • 1937 • 102 editions

fiction classics historical literary emotional reflective medium-paced
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

Citizen: An American Lyric

Claudia Rankine

169 pages • 2014 • 24 editions

nonfiction essays poetry race challenging emotional reflective fast-paced
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

If Beale Street Could Talk

James Baldwin

197 pages • 1974 • 87 editions

fiction classics literary romance emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Seven Days in June

Tia Williams

10h 35m • 2021 • 62 editions

fiction romance emotional hopeful medium-paced
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times

Michelle Obama

9h 59m • 2022 • 45 editions

nonfiction memoir self help hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Junie

Erin Crosby Eckstine

13h 29m • 2025 • 9 editions

fiction historical literary dark emotional tense medium-paced
Aya: Love in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet, Clément Oubrerie

Aya #4-6

Aya: Love in Yop City

Marguerite Abouet, Clément Oubrerie

384 pages • 2013 • 10 editions

fiction graphic novel emotional fast-paced
Aya: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet

Aya #1-3

Aya: Life in Yop City

Marguerite Abouet

384 pages • 2005 • 9 editions

fiction graphic novel historical young adult funny lighthearted fast-paced
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Chain-Gang All-Stars

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

13h 38m • 2023 • 66 editions

fiction dystopian lgbtqia+ literary challenging dark tense medium-paced
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire

House of Frank

Kay Synclaire

337 pages • 2024 • 10 editions

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ emotional hopeful sad medium-paced