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12 Books by Black Authors Challenge

bookishlyariel's profile picture bookishlyariel Host

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
Even If The Sky is Falling by Taj McCoy, Sarah Smith

Even If The Sky is Falling

Taj McCoy, Sarah Smith

9h 50m • 2023 • 5 editions

fiction romance short stories funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
Love in Bloom by Lucy Eden

Love in Bloom

Lucy Eden

11h 7m • 2024 • 7 editions

fiction contemporary romance emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple Collection #1

The Color Purple

Alice Walker

298 pages • 1982 • 224 editions

fiction classics historical literary emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Isaac's Song by Daniel Black

Isaac's Song

Daniel Black

320 pages • 2025 • 7 editions

fiction historical lgbtqia+ literary challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
Swift River by Essie Chambers

Swift River

Essie Chambers

304 pages • 2024 • 14 editions

fiction historical literary emotional reflective medium-paced
Reel by Kennedy Ryan

Hollywood Renaissance #1

Reel

Kennedy Ryan

432 pages • 2021 • 23 editions

fiction contemporary romance emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Happy Land

Dolen Perkins-Valdez

356 pages • 2025 • 6 editions

fiction historical literary emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison

469 pages • 1952 • 70 editions

fiction classics literary challenging dark reflective slow-paced
Worldly Things by Michael Kleber-Diggs

Worldly Things

Michael Kleber-Diggs

1h 40m • 5 editions

user-added

nonfiction poetry
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot

Mikki Kendall

225 pages • 2020 • 21 editions

nonfiction feminism politics race challenging informative reflective medium-paced