8 Good Books by Black Authors You Should Put On Your Reading List

When we are talking about good books by black authors it has nothing to do with racism. We are offering you incredibly brilliant works of these African American writers you should pay your highest respect to.

The following black authors’ books vary from fiction, memoirs, and even autobiographies are written skillfully and presented beautifully to enrich black literature in particular and American literature in general. Get ready to be enriched and motivated by these amazing books.

Recommendation On Good Books by Black Authors

1. Kindred by Octavia E Butler

If you love reading sci-fi books, then Kindred would be your best Black author books to pick. The novel written by Octavia Butler consists of fantasy, memoirs as well as historical fiction that will urge you to keep on reading until its last page.

A 26-year-old black writer named Dana who lives in Los Angeles in the 1970s is our protagonist. She suddenly travels through time and lands on a plantation in Maryland during the pre-Civil War. Rufus Weylin, the plantation owner’s son, was drowning and Dana had to save the boy’s life.

She keeps on getting taken back in time to the plantation where the slavery of black people is a common thing. The longer she stays the more intimate relationship she builds with the people in the region. Problems arise when her white husband is also being pulled back in time with her. In that era mixed racial marriage was illegal.

Butler writes her modern perspective on the slavery experience, trying to relate her readers with such an experience. She is awarded the Good Morning America 2021 Top Summer Pick honor for her great work.

2. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Although this novel is among the best Black fiction books, Colson Whitehead wrote this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel based on a true event. The inspiration comes from the true hellish reformatory school for boys in Tallahassee, Florida during the Jim Crow era. This school had been operated for 111 years.

The novel talks about Elwood Curtis who was forced to go to that school and befriend Turner. It was his friendship with Turner that made Elwood able to go through his hard days for years. Turner himself believes that it is the crooked world that made Elwood become the boy he is now.

3. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This book will take you to the ups and downs of each journey two sisters have to go through along with their 8 generations below. They come from Ghana, were placed in the Mississippi plantation, endure the Civil War up to New York City’s Jazz Age. You will learn more about slavery matters in this novel.

4. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley & Malcolm X

This powerful book should be on your list of African American authors’ masterpieces to read. One of the reasons is because it is voted as one of the 20th century Time’s 10 Most Important Nonfiction Books.

The book is written based on a series of thorough discussions by the co-writer Alex Haley and Malcolm X himself. They start the project from 1963 to 1965 on Malcolm’s assassination.

This book archives Malcolm X’s life and contributions as a renowned civil rights activist. As an African American Muslim minister, he encouraged economic and political autonomy for the Black people.

Unlike Martin Luther King, Jr who applied nonviolence, Malcolm insisted that Black people should involve resistance and self-defense should they meet any opposition. He showed the world his remarkable work in speaking up about Black Americans’ tribulations and struggles in the 1960s.

The book was published in 1965 following his untimely death due to the assassination. A true diamond in the literature realm that you should never pass to read.

5. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Water Dancer was published in 2019 and achieved Oprah’s Book selection as well as New York Times bestseller. One of the amazing African American books to collect, Ta-Nehisi has brilliantly brought about the issue of slavery on homes both emotionally and psychologically.

Meet Hiram Walker, a runaway slave who has a secretive power to carry people to faraway places. He is an Underground agent whose ultimate objective is to eradicate enslavement in the USA in the 1800s. He tries to conquer his master, releases his fellow slaves, and reunites with his family.

This eye-opening and excellent book by Ta-Nehisi Coates will make you see the mayhems of slavery along with Hiram’s endeavors in restoring the humanity of the former slaves.

6. Becoming by Michelle Obama

When you are looking for books by black authors, you are highly recommended to pick this book. We may all know that Michelle Obama is the first Black woman to take the role of the USA first lady. However, she is more than just the first lady because she is not only a strong inspiration for women but also young girls’ role models as well.

This book was published in 2018 and became a bestseller. It candidly tells Michelle’s life story as well as explores the complex relationships and work she encountered throughout her life. Michelle provides the readers, especially women with lots of wisdom in looking for their voice and their true selves.

7. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

Brit Bennet has made her way to become the best-selling black author as her book received not only a Good Morning America Book Club selection but New York Times bestseller as well. The book talks about the two identical twins who live separately and lead different lives.

Meet Desiree and Stella Vignes, 16-year-old identical twins with light-colored skin who run away from home trying to find their dreams. Desiree chooses to marry the Black man and keep her identity as a Black person. On the other side, her sibling picks to be a white-passing lady.

8. Beloved by Toni Morrison

This book is among the classic books by black authors you should read and collect. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book in 1988 is inspired by the true story of the black Margaret Garner. She was born a slave and has to cross the river for her freedom.

Morrison chose Sethe, a black woman who lived in the 1870s as the main character of her book. After being a free person, Sethe’s past life keeps on haunting her and her house.

She once tried to kill her children with the hope that they will not become slaves like her. Her sons and a daughter survived, but a baby girl had died and was buried under the name Beloved.

Final Thoughts

African American authors have their perspective that is different from the white authors. Thus, their writings offer deeper and emotions, especially when it comes to slavery, racism, and injustice they have been facing for generations.

Make sure that you read all the above-mentioned good books by black authors and more to help you widen your view. Happy reading!