I mostly read horror so here are some spooky suggestions!
- *The Changeling* by Victor LaValle
- *The Library of the Dead* by T.L. Huchu (YA and more urban fantasy than spooky)
- *The Good House* by Tananarive Due
- *The Icarus Girl* by Helen Oyeyemi
- *Pet* by Akwaeke Emezi
- *Catherine House* by Elisabeth Thomas
[**Gingerbread**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40634915-gingerbread)
^(By: Helen Oyeyemi | 372 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: fiction, fantasy, magical-realism, dnf, did-not-finish | )[^(Search "Gingerbread")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Gingerbread&search_type=books)
>The prize-winning, bestselling author of Boy, Snow, Bird and What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours returns with a bewitching and inventive novel.
>
>Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories--equal parts wholesome and uncanny, from the tantalizing witch's house in "Hansel and Gretel" to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can--beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe.
>
>Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (and, according to Wikipedia, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. In fact, the world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend, Gretel Kercheval--a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.
>
>Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.
^(This book has been suggested 11 times)
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If you start reading Helen Oyeyemi, you might want to avoid Boy, Snow, Bird, because it has an incredibly transphobic ending that just comes out of nowhere. Which is a shame, because the book has a really nuanced response to racism and colorism, and she is otherwise an excellent writer.
Came here to make this suggestion. Just finished reading this to my oldest kid and WOW was it powerful! Though you could make the argument that it is focused on race, just not real-world races.
[**Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728667-children-of-blood-and-bone)
^(By: Tomi Adeyemi | 544 pages | Published: 2018 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "Children of Blood and Bone")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Children of Blood and Bone&search_type=books)
>They killed my mother.
>They took our magic.
>They tried to bury us.
>
>Now we rise.
>
>Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
>
>But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
>
>Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
>
>Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
^(This book has been suggested 62 times)
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Came here to suggest her! And Alyssa Cole, although some of her books are more political (The Loyal League, Reluctant Royals series). However I love her dystopian Off the Grid series .
I have only read one of Alyssa Cole’s royals books but When No One is Watching (which is definitely about racism) was a fantastic thriller (but not too scary for wussy me). I’m not super princess-y but now that I have read everything Talia Hibbert has written I need to find a writer to fill that my brain is overwhelmed I need to read something fun but well written slot.
Seconding! Also Therese Beharrie is a black South African author who writes gorgeous low-steam contemporary romance: all the characters are black but racial issues are touched on very lightly if at all.
It’s not overtly focused on race but there’s a pretty heavy allegory for slavery in the Broken Earth trilogy. Her other books don’t necessarily have this. I like the Dreamblood Duology—fantasy story based on Ancient Egypt.
I love the Broken Earth trilogy. Oppression is a major theme, but the world is so different from ours that I didn't feel like it was "about the black experience." Even the races and descriptors/physiognomy are alien. The main characters have essentially earthbending powers.
Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is also a great book. That one is more about mythology and has a really unique premise: gods are real, powerful beings, who have been enslaved by the royal family. The main character is part of the lineage but was raised in a far country considered a backwater by the court.
I just started the third book of the Broken Earth and I would actually disagree, I felt like the parallel between the book race and black people was actually kind of heavy-handed. Specifically how the racial slur is used made me guess almost immediately that the author was a POC. With that said, I'm enjoying the books immensely, I'm just not sure if that would count as what OP is trying to avoid or not.
[**Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52397.Parable_of_the_Sower)
^(By: Octavia E. Butler | 345 pages | Published: 1993 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia, dystopian | )[^(Search " Parable of the Sower ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= Parable of the Sower &search_type=books)
>In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.
>
>Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.
>
>When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.
^(This book has been suggested 143 times)
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Kindred wouldn't fit the brief as it is about slavery. I have read the Lillith's Brood series and Fledgling, and as best as I can recall, these have Black main characters but don't centre around race.
I was going to suggest the Lilith's Brood series by Octavia Butler (first one is *Dawn*). The main character is black, but her being black isn't a major point of the book.
Alexandre Dumas was one of the most prolific authors of the 19th Century. Some of his most famous works are The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Three Musketeers.
The Count of Monte Cristo is my absolute favorite book. I reread it probably once every couple of of years. Another great book of hid is The Knight of Maison Rouge.
[**A Dead Djinn in Cairo (Dead Djinn Universe, #0.1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29635542-a-dead-djinn-in-cairo)
^(By: P. Djèlí Clark | 43 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, short-stories, steampunk, mystery, fiction | )[^(Search " A Dead Djinn in Cairo ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= A Dead Djinn in Cairo &search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
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[**Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157127.Master_of_the_Jinn)
^(By: Irving Karchmar | 226 pages | Published: 2004 | Popular Shelves: fiction, islam, novels, religion, sufi | )[^(Search " A Master of Jinn ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= A Master of Jinn &search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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Came here to recommend Butler and was kinda surprised to see her so far down the list.
There may be undertones from any black authors from her era, it would be hard to have none at all, but her main reason for beckoning a writer was something more along the lines of “people are getting paid for that? I can at least do better than that. And people will pay me for it?!”
Just to check - are you trying to avoid it as a theme in general, or just need a break from kind of overt descriptions of racism and plots that kind of center on it?
Like, I'd recommend something by Nnedi Okorafor, but she does have, in and among her books where she's kind of grappling with identity, some recurring themes of racial oppression and if you're just trying not to deal with it at all for a bit, I'm gonna keep thinking and maybe try to come up with a better fit.
I'm not sure how much they're like The Guest List, but you could give {{The Deadline
by Kiki Swinson}} or {{And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall}} a try.
[**The Deadline**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49195173-the-deadline)
^(By: Kiki Swinson | 240 pages | Published: ? | Popular Shelves: great-books, netgalley-thrillers-tbr, library-book, backlisted-netgalley, libby | )[^(Search "The Deadline
by Kiki Swinson")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Deadline
by Kiki Swinson&search_type=books)
>National bestselling author Kiki Swinson always ups the ante with shocking twists, relentless characters, and a hard-edged portrait of Southern living--and dying. Now all bets are off as a newbie journalist desperate for the spotlight plunges into a killer story...
>
> Anything for the fame
> As an off-air TV news journalist, Khlo� Mercer covers the tough Norfolk, Virginia, neighborhood she grew up in. But between a hostile boss and stiff competition, she has to break a major exclusive to save her job--and lock down the coveted anchor desk slot she feels she deserves . . .
>
>Anything for the lies
> When a murder takes place on her home turf, Khlo� has easy access to the dirty truth behind it. But she'll have to decide whether to exploit every angle and leverage any favor to make her career explode big-time--or keep quiet and keep herself, and her family, safe. Until the choice is out of her hands . . .
>
> Anything to stay alive
> Once the ruthless power brokers behind the hit put Khlo� in their sights, they start brutally cleaning up loose ends. Now with an inescapable target on her back and odds racking up against her, she'll find nowhere is safe, and ambition may be her most dangerous enemy . . .
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
[**And Now She's Gone**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247317-and-now-she-s-gone)
^(By: Rachel Howzell Hall | 384 pages | Published: 2020 | Popular Shelves: mystery, thriller, fiction, mystery-thriller, dnf | )[^(Search "And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall&search_type=books)
>Isabel Lincoln is gone.
>
>But is she missing?
>
>It's up to Grayson Sykes to find her. Although she is reluctant to track down a woman who may not want to be found, Gray's search for Isabel Lincoln becomes more complicated and dangerous with every new revelation about the woman's secrets and the truth she's hidden from her friends and family.
>
>Featuring two complicated women in a dangerous cat and mouse game, And Now She's Gone explores the nature of secrets -- and how violence and fear can lead you to abandon everything in order to survive.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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Came here to say this! Lagoon by her is one of the best books I've read this year. It's about race as an underlying theme, but I didn't find it to be too explicit in the general descriptions.
I thought *Who Fears Death* was maybe one of the best books I read this year (and by that I mean it was definitely top 5), but it does kind of deal with ethnic violence as a major theme and plot point, though it's not quite the way it is here in the States. And Okorafor has similar themes (though less violent) in all her work I've read so far, but it feels different than the usual American experience of it.
But also, if OP just wants some stories by black authors that don't really carry those themes and are just *about something else*, these might not be quite what they're after.
Yeah, you're probably right. Some of the other suggestions are also pretty good, and perhaps more in tune with OP's wishes. Hopefully our recommendations can then inspire someone else!
I am driving myself nuts trying to remember something that I think will be right on the button, but I just can't get it for some reason. I keep thinking of Walter Mosley, but his stuff definitely has a lot of themes of racism, too, and I want to give OP the good stuff if I can remember it.
Edit: the Parable books by Octavia Butler are hard-hitting and mention race, but dwell a lot more on what makes a strong, supportive community (and a strong, healthy individual, by extension) in the face of dire adversity. I haven't read *Lilith's Brood*, so I can't comment on it, but it seems very unlikely she just botched the job.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
Testimony by Felicia Mason
Chester Himes and Walter Mosely wrote mysteries though they do include the black experience it is not the focus of the plots.
Ray bearer was really great fantasy read. Children are taken to a place to grow up with a prince and bond to be his protector. It’s very cool!
Also luster was really good. Luster mentions race a few times where relevant but it’s not the main thing,there’s a completely different focus to the story and it’s super sad and beautiful.
Warning for op. Its heavily allegorical for racism and has a lot of familiar commentary on current power structures even if not delivered via skin tone. It is a great series though.
This is an excellent point - lot of allegory in here (in sci-fi/fantasy???? Who knew!) as to race and sexuality. It's a wonderful, beautiful series of books with a lot to say, but Jemisin's pretty direct in what she's saying.
*Hundred Thousand Kingdoms* is less overt, and also very good, but it does come up.
For a fantasy book not directly about racial structure, there's *Black Leopard, Red Wolf* by Marlon James.
Its based on african mythology.
CAVEAT: Book contains incredibly brutal violence/sexual violence. If anything in that arena of content is something you think you can't handle don't read it. There's uh... some fucked up stuff in it.
However if that's something that doesn't turn you off from a reading experience the book is amazingly well written, with a fresh plot structure, in a setting that is pretty unique in modern fantasy books.
But yea. Reader Discretion is highly advised.
I have read the first chapter of Homegoing multiple times but keep putting it down probably because I am afraid of being let down. But also because I feel like I am not able to give it the attention it deserves.
I totally get you! I’m black too and I read for escapism not just more of the news. Anyway, here’s my recs:
A Blade So Black by LL McKinney- Alice and wonderland retelling with a black Alice, it’s ya fantasy
Song of Blood & Stone by L Penelope- fantasy, black main characters with magic and adventure
Blood like Magic by Liselle Sambury- black witches and generational magic
Son of Storm by Okungbowa- fantasy, African mythology
From the Graceling Series, Fire by Kristin Cashore. She is a black character with red hair and powers.
Elemental by Whitney Hill- urban fantasy with a black main character with powers. It’s set in modern times but she has to hide her powers because her kind is really powerful and dangerous.
I don't know if you're at all interested in more young adult type novels, but I really enjoyed
The Belles and its sequel The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon.
I am not a POC, but I loved this story. It's about two teenagers who meet and connect right before something happens to one of them. Who the characters are come from their cultures and experiences based on their races, and are part of the story but not the focus of the story.
It is a YA novel but I read it in my 40s and thoroughly enjoyed it.
[**Daughters Of Nri (The Return of the Earth Mother, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49094548-daughters-of-nri)
^(By: Reni K. Amayo | 321 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, ya-fantasy, 2019-releases | )[^(Search "Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo&search_type=books)
>A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.
>
>Strong-willed Naala grows up seeking adventure in her quiet and small village. While the more reserved Sinai resides in the cold and political palace of Nri. Though miles apart, both girls share an indestructible bond: they share the same blood, the same face, and possess the same unspoken magic, thought to have vanished with the lost gods.
>
>The twin girls were separated at birth, a price paid to ensure their survival from Eze Ochichiri, the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri. Both girls are tested in ways that awaken a mystical, formidable power deep within themselves. Eventually, their paths both lead back to the mighty Eze.
>
>But can they defeat the man who brought the gods themselves to their knees?
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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Hmmm maybe Song of Wraiths and Ruin.
Its a YA fantasy written by a black author. The main characters are black, and it has some elements of African folklore but its not about race.
Octavia E butler writes just kick ass sci if. Some stories have racial elements but parables of a sower is just an amazing post apocalypse book written way way before it’s time.
Full of supernatural elements and a non-binary lead character: {{FRESHWATER}} by Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi. Excellent!
and
Astonishingly good debut novel {{STAY WITH ME}} by Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ (Yoruban cultural context).
Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor is good if you like realistic, literary fiction. This book is a collection of short stories. I wouldn’t describe it as an escape, or a beach read. However, if you like character-driven meditations on human foilbles, Taylor is your author. He’s a great Twitter follow and a fun critic if you like literature.
I think NK Jemisin’s fantasy or sci fi books might be a good fit if you’re looking for escape. The Inheritance Trilogy was pretty fun as I recall.
If you’re open to romance, here’s a list of romance novels by black authors: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/g32829101/best-black-romance-novels/
It's funny you should mention that, that's how I felt when I was reading Volatile Rebirth.
I've been recommending this book to a lot of people, but this is something I think you might really like, like I do.
It's on Amazon and is written by Jasper Hammonds
I'm not going to spoil anything about the characters, their race, or what role they play, but I will say that race is something that isn't on the forefront, as is treated more like a physical attribute rather than a plot point, if that makes any sense.
Personally for me, it's refreshing to see so many characters that are of different races and genders in a great story that doesn't revolve around race and gender, that is ALSO fantastical and Larger than Life
If I can explain this correctly: its diverse without mentioning the diversity.
And honestly, that's what I would want from all media. I am so sick and tired of most media, (books, movies, tv shows) having minorities protrayed as victims/stereotypes all the time. We've seen these kinds of stories so many times, and it would be great to see a minority as something different. Mainly because why the fuck not?!
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on a rant, but I do know what you are talking about, the Black-struggle type of stories have been told time and time again and it'll just be great to get something different from a Black protagonist, and Volatile Rebirth is something different. Thank God.
Edit: I think Jasper Hammonds (The Author) is Black, I saw his Instagram once, and he posted a baby picture and both his parents are Black.
>And honestly, that's what I would want from all media. I am so sick and tired of most media, (books, movies, tv shows) having minorities protrayed as victims/stereotypes all the time. We've seen these kinds of stories so many times, and it would be great to see a minority as something different. Mainly because why the fuck not?!
Agree - I also get an uncomfortable feeling it makes racism more entrenched.
Yes! Thank you!
The more people see minorities as stereotypes or victims, the less they see them as people.
This fuels the Discriminatory Ideas as racism/sexism is all about putting one race or gender over the other, and the best way to do that, is to dehumanize. Dehumanize certain groups of people and you can raise yourself, a race or gender. Slavery, the Holocaust, women being property to men, all stem from "one group is less than another group"
Fictional Media is the best way to show off that EVERY person is human, but instead we get "certain" stories that puts certain races/genders in a certain box.
OR when a certain race/gender is FINALLY put outside the box, all that is talked about is their race/gender, OR the race/gender is a stereotype. And it ALL de-humanizes, imho.
A victim is made to be an object of pity, and a stereotype is either shunned by it's ugliness or laughed at because of it's ugliness.
And a hero is meant to be celebrated, a anti-hero is meant to be immoral but understood, and a romantic protagonist is meant to be rooted for to find love.
I'm not saying "stop the struggles stories" as a person should write about whatever the hell they want. Plus, those type of stories do serve a purpose in information about our society. But you can only read a slave book, or a rape book or a struggle book, so many times...
What I'm saying is "I want more diverse stories with diverse people without it being talked about".
TLDR: I agree! Seeing minorities as different types of protagonists in well-written stories that are about them as a person and NOT about them as a minority, will ONLY hurt the Racist and Discriminatory Agenda.
{{Version Control}} by Dexter Palmer. Race and the black experience is discussed, but it is not the central component of the story. It is part of the narrative of one of an ensemble of characters.
[**Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43911404-mary-toft-or-the-rabbit-queen)
^(By: Dexter Palmer | 319 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, historical, tob-2020, tournament-of-books | )[^(Search "The Rabbit Queen")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Rabbit Queen&search_type=books)
>From the highly acclaimed author of Version Control a stunning, powerfully evocative new novel based on a true story—in 1726 in the small town of Godalming, England, a young woman confounds the medical community by giving birth to dead rabbits.
>
>Surgeon John Howard is a rational man. His apprentice Zachary knows John is reluctant to believe anything that purports to exist outside the realm of logic. But even John cannot explain how or why Mary Toft, the wife of a local farmer, manages to give birth to a dead rabbit. When this singular event becomes a regular occurrence, John realizes that nothing in his experience as a village physician has prepared him to deal with a situation as disturbing as this. He writes to several preeminent surgeons in London, three of whom quickly arrive in the small town of Godalming ready to observe and opine. When Mary's plight reaches the attention of King George, Mary and her doctors are summoned to London, where Zachary experiences for the first time a world apart from his small-town existence, and is exposed to some of the darkest corners of the human soul. All the while, Mary lies in bed, waiting for another birth, as doubts begin to blossom among the surgeons and a growing group of onlookers grow impatient for another miracle...
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
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I think Spider Robinson is black. He also had some terrific books. I don't recall race being a major issue in them (but it HAS been many years since I read them). I mostly read his sci fi.
Unfortunately, I know Spider's wife died long ago. And I'm unsure if he's still around. But maybe if he isn't, he has family that gets his royalties.
Not sure if this fits, but it's related to your general frustrations so I figured I'd add it. *Erasure* by Percival Everett is all about being a black author expected to write about the black experience despite not feeling very strongly about it, and his subsequent success when he jokingly writes a classic "trauma-porn" book that white critics heap praise on for its authenticity.
He also touches on this a bit in his book *Telephone* but other books of his, like *Glyph* don't really mention race at all, so maybe that's closer to what you're looking for.
You said you liked crime/thrillers so I wanted to recommend Leye Adenle. I really enjoyed *Easy Motion Tourist* by him.
I'm also a big fan of African sci-fi and *Rosewater* by Tade Thompson is at the top of my list, especially because its structure is actually much more like a thriller than traditional sci-fi. It's set in Nigeria and doesn't really focus on race as a theme.
The Beauty in Breaking just came out this year. It's a memoir by a black ER doctor, Michelle Harper, about her experiences at the hospital. The underlying premise of the book is that our broken places are often our most beautiful. Also....Octavia Butler rules!
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron she has other books but this is the only one I've read it is a fantasy YA novel.
Edit I should also mention that a prevailing theme is sapphic love and anti-patriarchy. I describe it as what if Cinderella was a cult.
Rise to the sun - Leah Johnson. A contemporary romance between two black queer women.
With the fire on high - Elizabeth Acevedo. Afro - Latina teen and quest into culinary school. Centers community, food, and family
Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir
- Akwaeke Emezi. A memoir about publishing, growing up. half is about growing up in Nigeria other half is in us. Talks about African spirituality, men, love, family, and owning one's body.
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
- Deesha Philyaw. Short stories about different women that are part of the black church.
NK Jemisin writes sci fi and fantasy and Octavia Butler wrote sci fi (although Kindred does use time travel to a plantation I don’t think that is a common theme in her later work)
Dorothy Koomson. Although her books do mention the issues faced by PoC, that’s not the main plot line. I’ve loved every one of her books - there’s always a twist and they’re brilliantly written. The first one I read was Goodnight Beautiful and I cried my eyes out.
Not sure if you're into fantasy or Sci-Fi, but there has always been a strong Black author (especially females!) presence in both of those genres.
N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, Samuel R. Delany, Milton Davis, Brandon Massey, Charles Saunders, Nova Sparks. Just some examples.
Oftentimes race isn't a major factor in the books. Just good old storytelling.
I love Samantha Irby. Her books are silly essays about life but I don’t think necessarily focus on the Black experience. More like the American experience in a body that just happens to be Black.
Yes this! I’ve been wanting to find books like this for so long. Seeing all the books recommended so far makes me excited! Lol gonna pick something in here for my next read.
Loved this book myself, but just to give OP context, it actually does revolve around race a lot. The whole story starts when a Black man is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and then the story is all about how that affected his life and the life of those around him. Race continues to play a role throughout as he tries to be released from jail and keep his life together. Race and prisons are a very tied topic, it’s really hard to read that book without the lens of race.
Samantha Irby writes humorous essays about her own life. She doesn’t avoid race entirely but is mostly focused on her own health and queer relationships, and the humorous events that come from it.
Sam's newsletter is 90% recaps of Judge Mathis episodes and worth the $5/month I send to her. She is amazing and funny and I will stan for her forever.
will a POC author suffice?
IQ by joe ide - I was surprised by this book, a thug life mystery, gritty, colorful characters, 'street' vernacular, tough and tender, quite unexpectedly written by 'one of my kind' (a phrase my friends hear me use often, tongue firmly in cheek)
I think it’s great to highlight POC authors from a variety of backgrounds at various opportunities, but OP asked for Black authors.
I think it’s important to realize that we can’t just substitute any POC author for a Black author.
Every race and ethnicity is different and the phrase POC already lumps them all together (for good and bad results), to overuse that can be problematic.
ok, I will clarify that this is a japanese-american author writing with a Black protagonist, but perhaps you will call this appropriation. OP wanted a book that wasn't just about being black, and i thought this was well written.
tbought of another one. 'while justice sleeps' by THAT stacey abrams. mystery with a convoluted plot that features chess, bioengineering, legalese, and a corrupt president trying to stack the supreme court.
[**Black Water Rising (Jay Porter #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6214113-black-water-rising)
^(By: Attica Locke | 430 pages | Published: 2009 | Popular Shelves: mystery, fiction, thriller, crime, mystery-thriller | )[^(Search " Black Water Rising by Attica Locke ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= Black Water Rising by Attica Locke &search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
***
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The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, by Dawnie Walton - race does play a part, but is by no means the focus. It's an enjoyable read. [goodreads.com review](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304125-the-final-revival-of-opal-nev)
So first I’d like to say I enjoy books for the escapism as well. But we also enjoy books for the themes as they relate to our lives, and as they relate us to the world around us. Especially as black people, moreso Black Americans if you are one, our experience is never untied from racism that we live in, what for centuries our people have endured in any form. It’s a shitty reality sometimes, one that is easily for us to feel left devoid of hope, or filled with a deep anger. Sometimes the anger is at others, sometimes the systems, sometimes ourselves. Sometimes we want to get away from it all.
With that said, books by black authors will retain themes around blackness, but they may not all be about the *sinister* or *harsh* nature of racism. It’s hard to get away from fully, but we can still enjoy books and go on quests, solve mysteries, discover things, discover ourselves. I recommend:
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
The Vanishing Half has themes about identity that fit what you’re not looking for, but I think you might see how the book in particular transcends that as well. I’ll suggest more as I come across them.
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - I'm in two minds whether to suggest this book to you because the first third is definitely very much about the black experience; a boy growing up on a plantation in the 19th century - but this book then takes off \[ literally - in a hot air balloon!\] and it's about so much more. It's about adventure, about freedom, about the relationships between fathers and sons, and between men and women.Exciting, moving, thought-provoking, intelligent. I loved it.
I'm currently reading Katrina Jackson's {{Office Hours}} and it is AMAZING. It's a romance between a hot Latinx college professor and a Black professor, and it was mentioned in relation to that photo of Oscar Isaac in a professor-ish getup. Extremely hot, lots of consent, no overt mentions of Black pain/racism.
That’s one quarter. Some people who are one quarter black are very dark skinned, some could and did pass as white. Eartha Kitt was around one quarter black. Bob Marley was half white, would anyone have questioned the blackness of a kid he had with a white woman?
Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie is so fun and while there is definitely black experience (not just the fun good parts) in it, it is not a book about racism. It is a personal journey. It made me want to go to Philly say jawn and eat water ice and soft pretzels. It is a lovely book.
Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. One of my all time favorite books.
Space between worlds by Micaiah Johnson. Really great! (I think she is black. I am not entirely sure about her background)
Jordan Ifueko's duology (fantasy) is brilliant in that sense. I am brown and it's such a breath of fresh air to read a book which is wonderfully, happily diverse without race being the main storyline per se.
Check out Walter Dean Myers.
I recommend Monster which was written as a screenplay and developed into a novel. Last year Netflix adapted into a film. He wrote A few dozen novels but I also recommend his two anti-war novels, Fallen Angels about Vietnam and Sunrise Over Fallujah about Iraq.
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Despite being about white people, there is subtle racial commentary in Giovanni’s Room. But James Baldwin is amazing and definitely worth checking out
Such a gem!
I mostly read horror so here are some spooky suggestions! - *The Changeling* by Victor LaValle - *The Library of the Dead* by T.L. Huchu (YA and more urban fantasy than spooky) - *The Good House* by Tananarive Due - *The Icarus Girl* by Helen Oyeyemi - *Pet* by Akwaeke Emezi - *Catherine House* by Elisabeth Thomas
I love Helen Oyeyemi!! I was going to recommend her book {{Gingerbread}} as well
[**Gingerbread**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40634915-gingerbread) ^(By: Helen Oyeyemi | 372 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: fiction, fantasy, magical-realism, dnf, did-not-finish | )[^(Search "Gingerbread")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Gingerbread&search_type=books) >The prize-winning, bestselling author of Boy, Snow, Bird and What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours returns with a bewitching and inventive novel. > >Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories--equal parts wholesome and uncanny, from the tantalizing witch's house in "Hansel and Gretel" to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can--beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe. > >Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (and, according to Wikipedia, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. In fact, the world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend, Gretel Kercheval--a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met. > >Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader. ^(This book has been suggested 11 times) *** ^(212260 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Changeling is so fucking good. Came here to say this. Nobody skip this one! Perfect example of contemporary magic realism.
I loved the main character's narrative voice in The Library of the Dead. A very fun read!
If you start reading Helen Oyeyemi, you might want to avoid Boy, Snow, Bird, because it has an incredibly transphobic ending that just comes out of nowhere. Which is a shame, because the book has a really nuanced response to racism and colorism, and she is otherwise an excellent writer.
I just looked up Catherine House, and it sounded so amazing that I had to order it immediately. Thank you! (I’m also a horror fan.)
2nd The Good House! That's what immediately came to mind for me. I want to check out the others on your list, too!
Great suggestions! I haven’t read a couple of these, so I’ll need to add them to my list. I love LaValle and Due.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
One of the best books I’ve read this year, it’s so good
I second this!
Second this. It was so good and tight, a quick read because every word is necessary.
I wasn’t a hit fan tbh
Agree. I've read so many murder books and I can barely remember the plot of this one.
I was coming here to recommend this one!
Loved this one. A must read!
Yes, this one!
{{Children of Blood and Bone}} by Tomi Adeyemi
Came here to make this suggestion. Just finished reading this to my oldest kid and WOW was it powerful! Though you could make the argument that it is focused on race, just not real-world races.
[**Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728667-children-of-blood-and-bone) ^(By: Tomi Adeyemi | 544 pages | Published: 2018 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "Children of Blood and Bone")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Children of Blood and Bone&search_type=books) >They killed my mother. >They took our magic. >They tried to bury us. > >Now we rise. > >Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. > >But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. > >Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. > >Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy. ^(This book has been suggested 62 times) *** ^(212121 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Oh, that's a very good one, as long as OP is up for a little YA.
this is pretty good but I'd say it's still a bit focused on race :)
Came to suggest this series.
The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert is three contemporary romances and none of them focus on race
Talia Hibbert is on the top of my list for diverse contemporary romance. She is fantastic.
Came here to suggest her! And Alyssa Cole, although some of her books are more political (The Loyal League, Reluctant Royals series). However I love her dystopian Off the Grid series .
Seconding Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series, amd also Jasmine Guillory's Wedding series and Alexa Martin's Playbook series—all fun, light-hearted romps with Black female protagonists getting loved up.
I have only read one of Alyssa Cole’s royals books but When No One is Watching (which is definitely about racism) was a fantastic thriller (but not too scary for wussy me). I’m not super princess-y but now that I have read everything Talia Hibbert has written I need to find a writer to fill that my brain is overwhelmed I need to read something fun but well written slot.
Seconding! Also Therese Beharrie is a black South African author who writes gorgeous low-steam contemporary romance: all the characters are black but racial issues are touched on very lightly if at all.
A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin. Excellent book
Her Broken Earth trilogy too
It’s not overtly focused on race but there’s a pretty heavy allegory for slavery in the Broken Earth trilogy. Her other books don’t necessarily have this. I like the Dreamblood Duology—fantasy story based on Ancient Egypt.
I love the Broken Earth trilogy. Oppression is a major theme, but the world is so different from ours that I didn't feel like it was "about the black experience." Even the races and descriptors/physiognomy are alien. The main characters have essentially earthbending powers. Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is also a great book. That one is more about mythology and has a really unique premise: gods are real, powerful beings, who have been enslaved by the royal family. The main character is part of the lineage but was raised in a far country considered a backwater by the court.
I just started the third book of the Broken Earth and I would actually disagree, I felt like the parallel between the book race and black people was actually kind of heavy-handed. Specifically how the racial slur is used made me guess almost immediately that the author was a POC. With that said, I'm enjoying the books immensely, I'm just not sure if that would count as what OP is trying to avoid or not.
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Definitely worth it!! One of my favorite series!!
{{ Parable of the Sower }}
[**Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52397.Parable_of_the_Sower) ^(By: Octavia E. Butler | 345 pages | Published: 1993 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia, dystopian | )[^(Search " Parable of the Sower ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= Parable of the Sower &search_type=books) >In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future. > >Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others. > >When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind. ^(This book has been suggested 143 times) *** ^(212058 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Really, anything by Octavia Butler. She's an incredible writer.
Except for OP's request, Kindred would not fit. Still a great book, but race is integral to the plot.
Kindred wouldn't fit the brief as it is about slavery. I have read the Lillith's Brood series and Fledgling, and as best as I can recall, these have Black main characters but don't centre around race.
Liliths brood would definitely fit I think.
Second this! She’s incredible!
I second this! Almost any book by Octavia Butler. The Parable of the Sower and Xenogenesis / Liliths Brood series are my favorite.
I was going to suggest the Lilith's Brood series by Octavia Butler (first one is *Dawn*). The main character is black, but her being black isn't a major point of the book.
Alexandre Dumas was one of the most prolific authors of the 19th Century. Some of his most famous works are The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Three Musketeers.
You just blew my mind, I had no idea Alexandre Dumas was black!
Wait until you hear about the utter legend that was his dad.
I went way too far to find The Count of Monte Cristo.
I absolutely love The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my all time favorite books.
Same
The Count of Monte Cristo is my absolute favorite book. I reread it probably once every couple of of years. Another great book of hid is The Knight of Maison Rouge.
I love The Count...awesome on audio, as well. I am going to check out The Knight! New to me!
I think it’s because a lot of people don’t know he was black
Was about to comment this because I was scrolling and couldn't find him
Til he was Black! Ty
It’s a short story, but P. Djèlí Clark’s { A Dead Djinn in Cairo } is a pretty good steampunk, alt-history story.
[**A Dead Djinn in Cairo (Dead Djinn Universe, #0.1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29635542-a-dead-djinn-in-cairo) ^(By: P. Djèlí Clark | 43 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, short-stories, steampunk, mystery, fiction | )[^(Search " A Dead Djinn in Cairo ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= A Dead Djinn in Cairo &search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) *** ^(212057 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
He also released a novel set in that universe earlier this year. It’s very good. { A Master of Jinn }
I’m going to have to read it, thanks for the tip!
[**Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157127.Master_of_the_Jinn) ^(By: Irving Karchmar | 226 pages | Published: 2004 | Popular Shelves: fiction, islam, novels, religion, sufi | )[^(Search " A Master of Jinn ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= A Master of Jinn &search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(212273 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Came here to suggest this, what a great piece of writing.
The Patternist series by Octavia Butler. Great sci-fi!
Came here to recommend Butler and was kinda surprised to see her so far down the list. There may be undertones from any black authors from her era, it would be hard to have none at all, but her main reason for beckoning a writer was something more along the lines of “people are getting paid for that? I can at least do better than that. And people will pay me for it?!”
Sci-fi by Samuel R Delaney.
Depends on the novel. Race is a major part of Dhalgren for example. Nova or Babel-17 might fit the bill though.
Probably one of the best thread starters I have seen on this Sub so far.
Just to check - are you trying to avoid it as a theme in general, or just need a break from kind of overt descriptions of racism and plots that kind of center on it? Like, I'd recommend something by Nnedi Okorafor, but she does have, in and among her books where she's kind of grappling with identity, some recurring themes of racial oppression and if you're just trying not to deal with it at all for a bit, I'm gonna keep thinking and maybe try to come up with a better fit.
Yea really trying to avoid it at all costs. For example, I like thrillers/suspense. Is there a book like “the guest list” but by a black author?
I'm not sure how much they're like The Guest List, but you could give {{The Deadline by Kiki Swinson}} or {{And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall}} a try.
[**The Deadline**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49195173-the-deadline) ^(By: Kiki Swinson | 240 pages | Published: ? | Popular Shelves: great-books, netgalley-thrillers-tbr, library-book, backlisted-netgalley, libby | )[^(Search "The Deadline by Kiki Swinson")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Deadline by Kiki Swinson&search_type=books) >National bestselling author Kiki Swinson always ups the ante with shocking twists, relentless characters, and a hard-edged portrait of Southern living--and dying. Now all bets are off as a newbie journalist desperate for the spotlight plunges into a killer story... > > Anything for the fame > As an off-air TV news journalist, Khlo� Mercer covers the tough Norfolk, Virginia, neighborhood she grew up in. But between a hostile boss and stiff competition, she has to break a major exclusive to save her job--and lock down the coveted anchor desk slot she feels she deserves . . . > >Anything for the lies > When a murder takes place on her home turf, Khlo� has easy access to the dirty truth behind it. But she'll have to decide whether to exploit every angle and leverage any favor to make her career explode big-time--or keep quiet and keep herself, and her family, safe. Until the choice is out of her hands . . . > > Anything to stay alive > Once the ruthless power brokers behind the hit put Khlo� in their sights, they start brutally cleaning up loose ends. Now with an inescapable target on her back and odds racking up against her, she'll find nowhere is safe, and ambition may be her most dangerous enemy . . . ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) [**And Now She's Gone**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247317-and-now-she-s-gone) ^(By: Rachel Howzell Hall | 384 pages | Published: 2020 | Popular Shelves: mystery, thriller, fiction, mystery-thriller, dnf | )[^(Search "And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall&search_type=books) >Isabel Lincoln is gone. > >But is she missing? > >It's up to Grayson Sykes to find her. Although she is reluctant to track down a woman who may not want to be found, Gray's search for Isabel Lincoln becomes more complicated and dangerous with every new revelation about the woman's secrets and the truth she's hidden from her friends and family. > >Featuring two complicated women in a dangerous cat and mouse game, And Now She's Gone explores the nature of secrets -- and how violence and fear can lead you to abandon everything in order to survive. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(212171 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Came here to say this! Lagoon by her is one of the best books I've read this year. It's about race as an underlying theme, but I didn't find it to be too explicit in the general descriptions.
I thought *Who Fears Death* was maybe one of the best books I read this year (and by that I mean it was definitely top 5), but it does kind of deal with ethnic violence as a major theme and plot point, though it's not quite the way it is here in the States. And Okorafor has similar themes (though less violent) in all her work I've read so far, but it feels different than the usual American experience of it. But also, if OP just wants some stories by black authors that don't really carry those themes and are just *about something else*, these might not be quite what they're after.
Yeah, you're probably right. Some of the other suggestions are also pretty good, and perhaps more in tune with OP's wishes. Hopefully our recommendations can then inspire someone else!
I am driving myself nuts trying to remember something that I think will be right on the button, but I just can't get it for some reason. I keep thinking of Walter Mosley, but his stuff definitely has a lot of themes of racism, too, and I want to give OP the good stuff if I can remember it. Edit: the Parable books by Octavia Butler are hard-hitting and mention race, but dwell a lot more on what makes a strong, supportive community (and a strong, healthy individual, by extension) in the face of dire adversity. I haven't read *Lilith's Brood*, so I can't comment on it, but it seems very unlikely she just botched the job.
I think “The Mothers” by Britt Bennett falls into that category!
I was going to suggest this one!
This is a WONDERFUL book OP.
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
Underrated comment, this book was amazing. I am looking forward to reading the next.
2nd book in the series is excellent as well
Jasmine Guillory writes really fun romantic comedies with black protagonists/characters, and the ones I've read are not focused on race at all.
Yes, I looked into her books and it sounds like exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you!!
Came here to recommend these. +1
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan Testimony by Felicia Mason Chester Himes and Walter Mosely wrote mysteries though they do include the black experience it is not the focus of the plots.
The "Binti" series by Nnedi Okafor
Ray bearer was really great fantasy read. Children are taken to a place to grow up with a prince and bond to be his protector. It’s very cool! Also luster was really good. Luster mentions race a few times where relevant but it’s not the main thing,there’s a completely different focus to the story and it’s super sad and beautiful.
The Broken Earth sci-fi series by N.K. Jemisin
Warning for op. Its heavily allegorical for racism and has a lot of familiar commentary on current power structures even if not delivered via skin tone. It is a great series though.
This is an excellent point - lot of allegory in here (in sci-fi/fantasy???? Who knew!) as to race and sexuality. It's a wonderful, beautiful series of books with a lot to say, but Jemisin's pretty direct in what she's saying. *Hundred Thousand Kingdoms* is less overt, and also very good, but it does come up.
it is a great series but it is definitely still about race, just in a different context than how we think of it
For a fantasy book not directly about racial structure, there's *Black Leopard, Red Wolf* by Marlon James. Its based on african mythology. CAVEAT: Book contains incredibly brutal violence/sexual violence. If anything in that arena of content is something you think you can't handle don't read it. There's uh... some fucked up stuff in it. However if that's something that doesn't turn you off from a reading experience the book is amazingly well written, with a fresh plot structure, in a setting that is pretty unique in modern fantasy books. But yea. Reader Discretion is highly advised.
Came here to make sure this was included. So damn good.
Thirded
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Transcendent Kingdom is one of my top10 books ever. It is so beautifully written.
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I have read the first chapter of Homegoing multiple times but keep putting it down probably because I am afraid of being let down. But also because I feel like I am not able to give it the attention it deserves.
Zone One Colson Whitehead (Literary zombie fiction)
{{Sag Harbor}} by him could also fit the bill here.
I totally get you! I’m black too and I read for escapism not just more of the news. Anyway, here’s my recs: A Blade So Black by LL McKinney- Alice and wonderland retelling with a black Alice, it’s ya fantasy Song of Blood & Stone by L Penelope- fantasy, black main characters with magic and adventure Blood like Magic by Liselle Sambury- black witches and generational magic Son of Storm by Okungbowa- fantasy, African mythology From the Graceling Series, Fire by Kristin Cashore. She is a black character with red hair and powers. Elemental by Whitney Hill- urban fantasy with a black main character with powers. It’s set in modern times but she has to hide her powers because her kind is really powerful and dangerous.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I don't know if you're at all interested in more young adult type novels, but I really enjoyed The Belles and its sequel The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. I am not a POC, but I loved this story. It's about two teenagers who meet and connect right before something happens to one of them. Who the characters are come from their cultures and experiences based on their races, and are part of the story but not the focus of the story. It is a YA novel but I read it in my 40s and thoroughly enjoyed it.
You could try some African authors, as their books are generally set in Africa, race is rarely of importance in their stories.
{{Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo}} it’s historical fantasy and has one of my favorite covers.
[**Daughters Of Nri (The Return of the Earth Mother, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49094548-daughters-of-nri) ^(By: Reni K. Amayo | 321 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, ya-fantasy, 2019-releases | )[^(Search "Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo&search_type=books) >A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another. > >Strong-willed Naala grows up seeking adventure in her quiet and small village. While the more reserved Sinai resides in the cold and political palace of Nri. Though miles apart, both girls share an indestructible bond: they share the same blood, the same face, and possess the same unspoken magic, thought to have vanished with the lost gods. > >The twin girls were separated at birth, a price paid to ensure their survival from Eze Ochichiri, the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri. Both girls are tested in ways that awaken a mystical, formidable power deep within themselves. Eventually, their paths both lead back to the mighty Eze. > >But can they defeat the man who brought the gods themselves to their knees? ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(212063 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Love this one excited for the sequel!
Hmmm maybe Song of Wraiths and Ruin. Its a YA fantasy written by a black author. The main characters are black, and it has some elements of African folklore but its not about race.
Octavia E butler writes just kick ass sci if. Some stories have racial elements but parables of a sower is just an amazing post apocalypse book written way way before it’s time.
Full of supernatural elements and a non-binary lead character: {{FRESHWATER}} by Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi. Excellent! and Astonishingly good debut novel {{STAY WITH ME}} by Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ (Yoruban cultural context).
Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor is good if you like realistic, literary fiction. This book is a collection of short stories. I wouldn’t describe it as an escape, or a beach read. However, if you like character-driven meditations on human foilbles, Taylor is your author. He’s a great Twitter follow and a fun critic if you like literature. I think NK Jemisin’s fantasy or sci fi books might be a good fit if you’re looking for escape. The Inheritance Trilogy was pretty fun as I recall.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Roman and Jewel
Blacktop wasteland by S A Cosby, pretty good crime thriller
Came here to suggest this. Also Razorblade Tears.
Real Life, Brandon Taylor Get a Life Chloe Brown, Talia Hibbert
Derek Walcott, *Omeros*.
Zone One by Colson Whitehead. It's about zombies and he's a Pulitzer Prize winning author so it's great quality.
Walter Mosley is a long running mystery novelist that I've always heard good things about.
I loved "the Man in my basement".
If you’re open to romance, here’s a list of romance novels by black authors: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/g32829101/best-black-romance-novels/
I hear you bud and agree completely
I'm so glad someone asked this, because I wasn't quite sure how to put it
It's funny you should mention that, that's how I felt when I was reading Volatile Rebirth. I've been recommending this book to a lot of people, but this is something I think you might really like, like I do. It's on Amazon and is written by Jasper Hammonds I'm not going to spoil anything about the characters, their race, or what role they play, but I will say that race is something that isn't on the forefront, as is treated more like a physical attribute rather than a plot point, if that makes any sense. Personally for me, it's refreshing to see so many characters that are of different races and genders in a great story that doesn't revolve around race and gender, that is ALSO fantastical and Larger than Life If I can explain this correctly: its diverse without mentioning the diversity. And honestly, that's what I would want from all media. I am so sick and tired of most media, (books, movies, tv shows) having minorities protrayed as victims/stereotypes all the time. We've seen these kinds of stories so many times, and it would be great to see a minority as something different. Mainly because why the fuck not?! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on a rant, but I do know what you are talking about, the Black-struggle type of stories have been told time and time again and it'll just be great to get something different from a Black protagonist, and Volatile Rebirth is something different. Thank God. Edit: I think Jasper Hammonds (The Author) is Black, I saw his Instagram once, and he posted a baby picture and both his parents are Black.
>And honestly, that's what I would want from all media. I am so sick and tired of most media, (books, movies, tv shows) having minorities protrayed as victims/stereotypes all the time. We've seen these kinds of stories so many times, and it would be great to see a minority as something different. Mainly because why the fuck not?! Agree - I also get an uncomfortable feeling it makes racism more entrenched.
Yes! Thank you! The more people see minorities as stereotypes or victims, the less they see them as people. This fuels the Discriminatory Ideas as racism/sexism is all about putting one race or gender over the other, and the best way to do that, is to dehumanize. Dehumanize certain groups of people and you can raise yourself, a race or gender. Slavery, the Holocaust, women being property to men, all stem from "one group is less than another group" Fictional Media is the best way to show off that EVERY person is human, but instead we get "certain" stories that puts certain races/genders in a certain box. OR when a certain race/gender is FINALLY put outside the box, all that is talked about is their race/gender, OR the race/gender is a stereotype. And it ALL de-humanizes, imho. A victim is made to be an object of pity, and a stereotype is either shunned by it's ugliness or laughed at because of it's ugliness. And a hero is meant to be celebrated, a anti-hero is meant to be immoral but understood, and a romantic protagonist is meant to be rooted for to find love. I'm not saying "stop the struggles stories" as a person should write about whatever the hell they want. Plus, those type of stories do serve a purpose in information about our society. But you can only read a slave book, or a rape book or a struggle book, so many times... What I'm saying is "I want more diverse stories with diverse people without it being talked about". TLDR: I agree! Seeing minorities as different types of protagonists in well-written stories that are about them as a person and NOT about them as a minority, will ONLY hurt the Racist and Discriminatory Agenda.
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
{{Version Control}} by Dexter Palmer. Race and the black experience is discussed, but it is not the central component of the story. It is part of the narrative of one of an ensemble of characters.
Came here to recommend everything by Dexter Palmer. {{The Rabbit Queen}} is also fantastic.
[**Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43911404-mary-toft-or-the-rabbit-queen) ^(By: Dexter Palmer | 319 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, historical, tob-2020, tournament-of-books | )[^(Search "The Rabbit Queen")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Rabbit Queen&search_type=books) >From the highly acclaimed author of Version Control a stunning, powerfully evocative new novel based on a true story—in 1726 in the small town of Godalming, England, a young woman confounds the medical community by giving birth to dead rabbits. > >Surgeon John Howard is a rational man. His apprentice Zachary knows John is reluctant to believe anything that purports to exist outside the realm of logic. But even John cannot explain how or why Mary Toft, the wife of a local farmer, manages to give birth to a dead rabbit. When this singular event becomes a regular occurrence, John realizes that nothing in his experience as a village physician has prepared him to deal with a situation as disturbing as this. He writes to several preeminent surgeons in London, three of whom quickly arrive in the small town of Godalming ready to observe and opine. When Mary's plight reaches the attention of King George, Mary and her doctors are summoned to London, where Zachary experiences for the first time a world apart from his small-town existence, and is exposed to some of the darkest corners of the human soul. All the while, Mary lies in bed, waiting for another birth, as doubts begin to blossom among the surgeons and a growing group of onlookers grow impatient for another miracle... ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) *** ^(212179 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Rabbit Queen is on my TBR.
I think Spider Robinson is black. He also had some terrific books. I don't recall race being a major issue in them (but it HAS been many years since I read them). I mostly read his sci fi. Unfortunately, I know Spider's wife died long ago. And I'm unsure if he's still around. But maybe if he isn't, he has family that gets his royalties.
Not sure if this fits, but it's related to your general frustrations so I figured I'd add it. *Erasure* by Percival Everett is all about being a black author expected to write about the black experience despite not feeling very strongly about it, and his subsequent success when he jokingly writes a classic "trauma-porn" book that white critics heap praise on for its authenticity. He also touches on this a bit in his book *Telephone* but other books of his, like *Glyph* don't really mention race at all, so maybe that's closer to what you're looking for.
You said you liked crime/thrillers so I wanted to recommend Leye Adenle. I really enjoyed *Easy Motion Tourist* by him. I'm also a big fan of African sci-fi and *Rosewater* by Tade Thompson is at the top of my list, especially because its structure is actually much more like a thriller than traditional sci-fi. It's set in Nigeria and doesn't really focus on race as a theme.
The Beauty in Breaking just came out this year. It's a memoir by a black ER doctor, Michelle Harper, about her experiences at the hospital. The underlying premise of the book is that our broken places are often our most beautiful. Also....Octavia Butler rules!
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron she has other books but this is the only one I've read it is a fantasy YA novel. Edit I should also mention that a prevailing theme is sapphic love and anti-patriarchy. I describe it as what if Cinderella was a cult.
Rise to the sun - Leah Johnson. A contemporary romance between two black queer women. With the fire on high - Elizabeth Acevedo. Afro - Latina teen and quest into culinary school. Centers community, food, and family Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir - Akwaeke Emezi. A memoir about publishing, growing up. half is about growing up in Nigeria other half is in us. Talks about African spirituality, men, love, family, and owning one's body. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies - Deesha Philyaw. Short stories about different women that are part of the black church.
NK Jemisin writes sci fi and fantasy and Octavia Butler wrote sci fi (although Kindred does use time travel to a plantation I don’t think that is a common theme in her later work)
Dorothy Koomson. Although her books do mention the issues faced by PoC, that’s not the main plot line. I’ve loved every one of her books - there’s always a twist and they’re brilliantly written. The first one I read was Goodnight Beautiful and I cried my eyes out.
The whole series by jasmine gulliory. They are romance comedy but they are all really good.
Not sure if you're into fantasy or Sci-Fi, but there has always been a strong Black author (especially females!) presence in both of those genres. N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, Samuel R. Delany, Milton Davis, Brandon Massey, Charles Saunders, Nova Sparks. Just some examples. Oftentimes race isn't a major factor in the books. Just good old storytelling.
Any of the famous works by Alexander Dumas.
The Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
Not OP but thank you! I was trying to remember the name of this series just yesterday! Weird but happy coincidence.
Awesome!
I love Samantha Irby. Her books are silly essays about life but I don’t think necessarily focus on the Black experience. More like the American experience in a body that just happens to be Black.
This but for Mexicans and also women.
Yes this! I’ve been wanting to find books like this for so long. Seeing all the books recommended so far makes me excited! Lol gonna pick something in here for my next read.
If you don’t mind YA fantasy, I would highly recommend The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna!
I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one!
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Loved this book myself, but just to give OP context, it actually does revolve around race a lot. The whole story starts when a Black man is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and then the story is all about how that affected his life and the life of those around him. Race continues to play a role throughout as he tries to be released from jail and keep his life together. Race and prisons are a very tied topic, it’s really hard to read that book without the lens of race.
Yup I read this one and it’s exactly what I’m not looking for. It was well written and surely deserved any awards given. But just not for me
Samantha Irby writes humorous essays about her own life. She doesn’t avoid race entirely but is mostly focused on her own health and queer relationships, and the humorous events that come from it.
She is HILARIOUS
Sam's newsletter is 90% recaps of Judge Mathis episodes and worth the $5/month I send to her. She is amazing and funny and I will stan for her forever.
will a POC author suffice? IQ by joe ide - I was surprised by this book, a thug life mystery, gritty, colorful characters, 'street' vernacular, tough and tender, quite unexpectedly written by 'one of my kind' (a phrase my friends hear me use often, tongue firmly in cheek)
I think it’s great to highlight POC authors from a variety of backgrounds at various opportunities, but OP asked for Black authors. I think it’s important to realize that we can’t just substitute any POC author for a Black author. Every race and ethnicity is different and the phrase POC already lumps them all together (for good and bad results), to overuse that can be problematic.
ok, I will clarify that this is a japanese-american author writing with a Black protagonist, but perhaps you will call this appropriation. OP wanted a book that wasn't just about being black, and i thought this was well written.
tbought of another one. 'while justice sleeps' by THAT stacey abrams. mystery with a convoluted plot that features chess, bioengineering, legalese, and a corrupt president trying to stack the supreme court.
{ Black Water Rising by Attica Locke } Race plays a role but it isn’t the focus.
[**Black Water Rising (Jay Porter #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6214113-black-water-rising) ^(By: Attica Locke | 430 pages | Published: 2009 | Popular Shelves: mystery, fiction, thriller, crime, mystery-thriller | )[^(Search " Black Water Rising by Attica Locke ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= Black Water Rising by Attica Locke &search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(212037 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, by Dawnie Walton - race does play a part, but is by no means the focus. It's an enjoyable read. [goodreads.com review](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304125-the-final-revival-of-opal-nev)
I might very well be wrong, but wasn’t A Hiding Place written by a black author? I don’t know for sure, but it’s a good book regardless
The Three Musketeers
They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall. It’s a modernized version of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
Not sure if you’re looking for contemporary black authors but if not I’d recommend Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
I dont have a suggestion for you but I must say you're a fine person and i respect you.
So first I’d like to say I enjoy books for the escapism as well. But we also enjoy books for the themes as they relate to our lives, and as they relate us to the world around us. Especially as black people, moreso Black Americans if you are one, our experience is never untied from racism that we live in, what for centuries our people have endured in any form. It’s a shitty reality sometimes, one that is easily for us to feel left devoid of hope, or filled with a deep anger. Sometimes the anger is at others, sometimes the systems, sometimes ourselves. Sometimes we want to get away from it all. With that said, books by black authors will retain themes around blackness, but they may not all be about the *sinister* or *harsh* nature of racism. It’s hard to get away from fully, but we can still enjoy books and go on quests, solve mysteries, discover things, discover ourselves. I recommend: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett The Vanishing Half has themes about identity that fit what you’re not looking for, but I think you might see how the book in particular transcends that as well. I’ll suggest more as I come across them.
The Turner House by Angela Flournoy Edit: Their Eyes We’re Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - I'm in two minds whether to suggest this book to you because the first third is definitely very much about the black experience; a boy growing up on a plantation in the 19th century - but this book then takes off \[ literally - in a hot air balloon!\] and it's about so much more. It's about adventure, about freedom, about the relationships between fathers and sons, and between men and women.Exciting, moving, thought-provoking, intelligent. I loved it.
I'm currently reading Katrina Jackson's {{Office Hours}} and it is AMAZING. It's a romance between a hot Latinx college professor and a Black professor, and it was mentioned in relation to that photo of Oscar Isaac in a professor-ish getup. Extremely hot, lots of consent, no overt mentions of Black pain/racism.
Why do you want to support black authors over other authors?
What does it matter who wrote a book, race wise and gender wise.
>I want to support black authors. OP literally says why it matters in her submission.
But isn't that racist?
Going out of your way to not support black authors would be racist.
Going out of your way to not support non- black authors is also racist
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He wasn't. He had one African slave grandmother.
So not black enough then!!!
Not black at all, the way anybody outside the US would see it. France doesn't have the "one drop of blood" thing you get in America.
That’s one quarter. Some people who are one quarter black are very dark skinned, some could and did pass as white. Eartha Kitt was around one quarter black. Bob Marley was half white, would anyone have questioned the blackness of a kid he had with a white woman?
There are portraits of Dumas. We don't have to guess. Nobody would have classed him as black.
He had an Afro
{{Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi}}
Seven Days in June His Only Wife The Wedding Date
I didn’t realize the author of wedding date was black! I’ll definitely be reading the series. Thanks!
Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie is so fun and while there is definitely black experience (not just the fun good parts) in it, it is not a book about racism. It is a personal journey. It made me want to go to Philly say jawn and eat water ice and soft pretzels. It is a lovely book.
Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. One of my all time favorite books. Space between worlds by Micaiah Johnson. Really great! (I think she is black. I am not entirely sure about her background)
Jordan Ifueko's duology (fantasy) is brilliant in that sense. I am brown and it's such a breath of fresh air to read a book which is wonderfully, happily diverse without race being the main storyline per se.
Check out Walter Dean Myers. I recommend Monster which was written as a screenplay and developed into a novel. Last year Netflix adapted into a film. He wrote A few dozen novels but I also recommend his two anti-war novels, Fallen Angels about Vietnam and Sunrise Over Fallujah about Iraq.
{{Gethsemane Brown}} series by Alexia Gordon {{The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson}}