I’ve shared before that my favorite thing about the book club I’m in is the diversity of the book selections. We read everything from fantasy to contemporary fiction, books set in different countries and by authors of different ethnicities. All the members submit titles for consideration, and below are 4 books – each of which left a lasting impression on me.
Good Dirt, Charmaine Wilkerson
Good Dirt is a quiet novel but a powerful one. Wilkerson does a brilliant job of exploring love, familial bonds & obligations, grief, trauma and it’s lasting effects, heartbreak and hope. It also intertwines past & present as it details Ebby’s family history. The novel focuses less on revelation and more on emotional resonance so the mystery and secrets are not at the forefront, but the novel is arresting, and its understated strength kept me engrossed. It’s the kind of book that unfolds slowly and lingers long after you’ve finished.
Read this if you enjoy reflective, layered novels that focus on emotional depth rather than plot twists.
When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved, and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England, the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby’s high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that’s exactly what they get.
Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor
Beautifully written and engaging! I’ve loved almost all the books by Nnedi Okorafor, but Death of the Author might just be my favorite. First, I always think it’s gutsy to write a novel that features a book-within-a-book. So much could go wrong and it could also be confusing but not here. And making that inner book a sci-fi novel inside a literary fiction novel? A tough sell. But in Okorafor’s hands, magic happened. The contemporary story of Zelu, a disabled lit professor turned sci-fi author is arresting. We get to experience her as she is different in so many ways, non-traditional by her Nigerian’s family standards, and uncompromising in being true to herself.
We experience her as a debut author with a runaway hit sci-fi book about robots in a future World where humans are no more with one exception. And we get the story of the Robots, how their society is structured, their love of stories, hatred of humans, and so much more. There’s so much to this book, yet it was written so well. so detailed that the characters virtually lived in my head while I was reading and after I was finished. There are some places where I felt the story dragged a little, but being immersed in this World was a gift to me! Highly recommend.
Read this if you enjoy genre-blending novels that take big risks and reward patient readers.
Stay With Me, Ayobami Adebayo
LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK of Stay With Me. I put it in all caps because the narration by Adjoa Andoh (who many of you will know as Lady Danbury from Bridgerton) was just phenomenal! When books are outside of my cultural norm, I prefer to listen to the audiobook so I can get the proper pronunciation and feel more closely connected to the culture being represented. This book and its narration is the epitome of that for me. It made me want to go back to my recent 5 star rated books to see if they are really worthy … to see if they stand up to this one.
Stay With Me is about Yejide and her marriage to Akin. The book is set in Nigeria and the sense of place is palpable throughout – the traditions, customs and rhythms of daily life feel fully alive. But Yejide – she just has the worst luck. My heart broke for her … and ached for her husband Akin too. Yejide makes some wild decisions, and I didn’t agree with all of them. But the author does such an incredible job of showing us why she does what she does so that even when I disagreed, I understood. When people say “show don’t tell” – this book did that well. The storytelling keeps you deeply rooted in the emotional lives of both main and secondary characters from beginning to end.
Read this if you love emotionally intense, character-driven stories that stay with you.
Blacktop Wasteland, S.A. Crosby
Crime novels are not even really my thing, but from the first book I picked up by Crosby, I just wanted to read more of this author’s work. Blacktop Wasteland is another hit! The story, the pacing, the details, the suspense, the action, the drama – everything was weaved perfectly together. It’s propulsive without being chaotic, and tense without losing heart. Crosby is officially one of those authors I’ll read without even checking the synopsis first.
Read this if you want a gritty, high-stakes story that grabs you fast and doesn’t let go.
Beauregard “Bug” Montage: husband, father, honest car mechanic. But he was once known – from North Carolina to the beaches of Florida – as the best getaway driver on the East Coast. Just like his father, who disappeared many years ago. After a series of financial calamities (worsened by the racial prejudices of the small town he lives in) Bug reluctantly takes part in a daring diamond heist to solve his money troubles – and to go straight once and for all. However, when it goes horrifically wrong, he’s sucked into a grimy underworld which threatens everything, and everyone, he holds dear
These were my four standout recommendations, but I’m always adding to my list. Have you read any of them – or do you have a book you think everyone should read at least once? For more of my recommendations check out 4 Fiction Books by Black Authors To Add To Your Book Club Reading List.
