Readers should be constantly looking for new books to read and some of the best are written by authors of color. It’s important to support these authors because they are often underrepresented. Of course, some will argue that it does not matter what the author’s gender or race is; all that should matter is the book and how good the writing, the story, and the characters are. And on one hand, yes, you should only judge a book by its contents, but it’s also essential that we listen to and amplify voices that don’t get as much time in the spotlight. That’s why it’s important to try and support these incredible writers as much as we can; they deserve it anyway! These are the types of books that are impossible to put down.
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
Jade City (the first in a trilogy) by Fonda Lee
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Flame in the Mist by Renne Ahdieh
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Here for It by R. Eric Thomas
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ordinary Light by Tracey K. Smith
The Brutal House by Niven Govinden
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This is only a small list of the great books by POC authors out there and all of them are worth a read. All of these books, whether fantasy, novel, or memoir, tell an incredible story of hardship and growth. Find, order, or do anything you can to support these amazing authors, the stories they tell in their books are inspiring and will touch the hearts of anyone who reads them. I have chosen two of my personal favorites of this list, to dive into and discuss on a deeper level.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
When I read this book for the first time, I’ll admit, I was hesitant. I had never been into graphic novels, preferring to have the words paint a picture in my mind, but I was pleasantly surprised. This story goes right back to the childhood of this author’s life and the perspective it brings really changes how you look at the world. As a girl growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, it couldn’t have been easy, especially since it was difficult to understand what was really going on around her. Everything she knew about was from overhearing conversations between her parents, rumors circulating around school, and other confusing sources. You can see her childlike innocence from the conversations she had with her God and her dreams of becoming a prophet and you see her grow up when she shuns him and questions everything she thinks she knows. As a privileged child growing up in America, I had never before realized the kinds of things that others in different countries, women in particular, had to go through. After reading Marjane Satrapi’s story I counted my lucky stars. This story comes from such a unique point of view that allows you to actually watch a girl grow up throughout the changes going on in her home. It’s a story that you won't want to put down because you just have to find out what happened next.
Kindred by Octavia Butler
What can I even say about this book that captures the beautiful message? First off, it is clear from its reviews and ratings that it was written by an esteemed author. Kindred tells the story of Dana Franklin as she is forced to go to a slave plantation in Antebellum Maryland on her twenty-sixth birthday. The words, the story, the message, everything about this novel is powerful, terrifying, captivating, and meaningful. This is the kind of book that you can’t bring yourself to put down even if you’re reading into the early hours of the morning. Science fiction is not usually my go-to genre, but this book is absolutely breathtaking.
“Octavia Butler is a writer who will be with us for a long, long time, and Kindred is that rare magical artifact . . . the novel one returns to again and again.” - Harian Ellison
“One cannot finish Kindred without feeling changed. It is a shattering work of art with much to say about love, hate, slavery. And racial dilemmas, then and now.” - Sam Frank
“Butler’s books are exceptional . . . she is a realist, writing the most detailed social criticism and creating some of the most fascinating female characters in the genre . . . real women caught in impossible situations.” - Dorthy Allison
My favorite aspect of this book is the way she manages to capture what actually happened while also adding a touch of fictional fantasy. The story she writes is so real despite the element of time travel. With the way this book is written you get to see firsthand that even though times have changed, racism, and a fear that the Black community has faced, has not completely gone away. That is why it is our job to amplify these voices and hear their stories and perspectives: to ensure that the atrocities of the past do not repeat themselves. And what better way to do so than to delve into the wonders of a well-written book at the very same time?
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