Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

As Black History Month comes to an end, here is a list of books written by Black authors to expand one’s reading portfolio. With a mix of thrillers, memoirs and historical fiction, everyone is sure to find something to enjoy. 

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker — This Pulitzer prize winning novel depicts the lives of African American women living in twentieth-century rural Georgia. Though separated while they were young, sisters Celie and Nettie stay loyal to each other across time through a series of letters.

“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett — From the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, racial identities and communities are explored. One twin sister remains in the southern town she once tried to escape, while the other hides her past from her white husband.

“Ace of Spades” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé — At Niveus Private Academy, the wealthy students strive for nothing less than perfection. When the anonymous texter, “Aces,” brings two students’ secrets to light, everything turns upside down.

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas — Starr Carter exists in two worlds — the poor neighborhood where she lives and the suburban prep school she attends. The shaky balance between her two worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the shooting of her best friend.

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama — The first African-American First Lady shares her experiences advocating for young women, creating inclusivity in the White House and changing the ways families pursue the topic of health in her memoir. 

“Right Where I Left You” by Julian Winters — Isaac Martin is ready to start summer, but not ready to start college without his best friend, Diego. Knowing the summer is limited, Isaac enacts a plan to snatch up a pair of badges for a comic convention — until past friends come into the picture and things become complicated.

“The Taking of Jake Livingston” by Ryan Douglass — Jake Livingston is one of the only Black students at St. Clair Prep School, and to make matters worse, he can see dead people. Most ghosts are harmless, but once Jake meets the vengeful spirit, Sawyer, high school becomes a game of survival that Jake isn’t sure he can win.

“Red at the Bone” by Jacqueline Woodson — On the evening of 16 year-old Melody’s coming of age party, she wears a beautiful dress to celebrate with relatives — a dress made for her mother 16 years prior for a ceremony that never happened. Her family history is unfurled as this book moves both forward and backward in time.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu