Reading more books is one of my New Year’s resolutions every year (as I’m sure is the case for many others). This time, I’m committed to actually making it happen. In honor of Black History Month, here are some great books I’ve read recently, written by and about Black women:
- Becoming By Michelle Obama
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I don’t normally go for memoirs, but I was especially intrigued by this one. So often we hear stories from the lives of presidents, but those of the First Ladies tend to be lesser known. This book gives us a peek into Michelle Obama’s personal life, as she describes her time growing up in an upstairs apartment on the South Side of Chicago. Reading this book taught me so much about Michelle Obama as an individual, beyond who her husband is. Having attended Princeton University as an undergraduate and then Harvard Law School, she has some serious accomplishments under her belt. Her climb toward her goals and drive to defy all preconceived notions of herself were inspiring (to say the least). While much of the book focuses on her life prior to the presidency, her anecdotes of being a mother and wife in the White House were fascinating as well.
- You Should See Me In A Crown By Leah Johnson
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The fact that this is Leah Johnson’s debut novel and was named by TIME Magazine as one of the best young adult novels of all time should speak for itself. The novel follows Liz Lighty, who lives in a small Midwestern town that is obsessed with their high school’s prom. While she doesn’t consider prom much of her thing, everything changes once Liz finds out that the prom queen is awarded a college scholarship. We get to watch as she jumps through the hoops of prom campaigning and puts herself out there in a way she never has before. Johnson does an amazing job at telling a cute story, while also showing the real struggles that Liz faces while feeling like an outsider in her surroundings.
- The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas
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There’s a good chance you’ve heard of the film adaptation, but I highly recommend reading the book. Also a debut novel, this one earned author Angie Thomas numerous awards. The story follows Starr Carter, an African American girl from a poor neighborhood that commutes every day to her rich and predominantly white private high school. Her life is turned upside when she witnesses the shooting and death of her friend at the hands of a white police officer. After the police officer is not indicted for the shooting, Starr is driven to take action and speak out about the injustices she witnessed. This book does a fantastic job of showing how systemic racism affects individuals in their everyday lives. Of all three of the books listed here, I recommend this one the most and believe everyone should read it at least once.
While I’m just scraping the surface, these books have been the most memorable to me. Even beyond Black History Month, I implore you to pick up novels that tell diverse stories, not necessarily those we hear time and time again. For more recommendations on Black female authors, check out this article.