21 Inspiring Books By Black Women Everyone Should Read
With the rapid tilt towards the reading culture in the 21st century, diverse literature is fast becoming sought after.
Being that literature is unarguably the mirror that reflects society, black female authors have now become the forefront propellers of this thriving boat ride. From memoirs to real-life experiences, these authors have been able to capture time and the concept of humanity in their works for generations to come via the divine art of storytelling.
In no specific order, these books are stories written by inspiring black women that tell of the black woman’s journey in different spheres of life, ranging from their sociological expectations to their afflictions, joys, and woes.
If you’re hoping to diversify your reading list this year, here’s a book list compilation of black female iconic authors with a few quotes that are bound to give you a pleasurable read.
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Angie Thomas-The Hate You Give
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If you’re looking for a book that stands out in the young adult category, The Hate You Give is definitely the right book for you.
While being categorized amongst YA Fiction, this book is unarguably a must-read for all ages. With Starr Carter as the bold, authentic, female lead character, this thoughtful book spurs women, young girls, and boys to take charge of their voices as a powerful tool for social change. While addressing social and political issues, it poses loud questions at marginalization, racism, prejudice, police discrimination, and the imminent trials of the black world in an impossible system.
This New York Times bestseller THUG has been adapted into a movie in a star turning performance by Amanda Stenberg.
This book speaks to downplaying stereotypes in different sectors of life and taking a stance with our voices.
“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right”.
2. Phoebe Robinson- You Can’t Touch My Hair And Other Things I Still Have To Explain.
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If you’re searching for a book that addresses real-life issues with a unique touch of humor, then look no further, this book is just right for you.
Identified as one of Glamour’s Top Ten books of 2016, this fast-selling collection of essays uses expert humor and an authentic voice to address issues such as sex, feminism, race, and gender.
Phoebe Robinson approaches these matters in a real, funny, and specific way that’ll remain with the readers forever.
3. Nonviolent Bulawayo – We Need New Names
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We Need New Names was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize the Guardian First Book Award shortlist (2013), and a Barnes & Noble Discover Award finalist (2013), winner of the inaugural Etisalat Prize for Literature (2013), and also won the prestigious Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for debut work of fiction.
Written by a Zimbabwean, this debut novel tells the story of the coming of age of a young girl and how she must navigate through life experiences in Zimbabwe to get through to America. The language of this book is simply endearing as it is a fictional memoir of the author’s experiences
4. Issa Rae- Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
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This book chronicles a collection of essays on what it is to be an introvert, awkward, and a die-hard misfit. The New York best seller picks on relative experiences, and addresses race, misrepresentation, and privilege treatment, and also resonates with the boisterous spirit of the writer. Issa Rae knows just how okay it is to be awkward and black all at once in a loud system that shuns everything that does not look the same.
“You guys know about vampires?. You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself reflected at all. I was like, “Yo is something wrong with me? That the whole of society seems to think that people like me don’t exist?” And part of what inspired me was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might see themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it.”
5. Gabrielle Union- We’re Going To Need More Wine
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We definitely are going to need more wine!! In this collection of thought-provoking essays, Gabrielle Union uses her poignant and fearless voice to tell personal stories about color, fame, sexual violence, and her rise to Hollywood stardom. Her precise and skilled storytelling shows the importance of openness, honesty, self-awareness, forgiveness, and confidence.
6. Oprah Winfrey- What I Know For Sure
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This inspirational book offers truth nuggets and a deep insight into the heart and mind of Oprah Winfrey, detailing Her experiences and life hacks to success.
“There is one irrefutable law of the universe: We are each responsible for our own life. If you’re holding anyone else accountable for your happiness, you’re wasting your time. You must be fearless enough to give yourself the love you didn’t receive”
7. Michelle Obama- Becoming
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Ever wondered what it’ll be like to become the first lady of the United States? Then look no further!
In this life soothing memoir, Michelle Obama chronicles her shaping experiences from her years on the south side of Chicago as a child, to her growth and rise to influence as the first African American first lady in history.
Becoming tells of her public and private fears, disappointments, and all of the processes that led to her achievements with honesty and unfailing wit.
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”
8. Tiffany Haddish – The Last Black Unicorn
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If you’ve ever heard of Tiffany Haddish, and seen her remarkable shows on TV, then you don’t want to miss this book. Tiffany’s collection of personal essays tells of her journey from one of the poorest neighborhoods to becoming a household name. With resounding humor that is bound to get you rolling in your seat, this book enforces the indomitable spirit of Tiffany Haddish on its readers.
“He’s ashamed of himself, because he left you when you were three, did nothing for you, and you ended up being very successful without him, and then you buy him stuff. You are not only a better person than he is, but you are kind and responsible where he is not, and you’re providing where he did not. Not just as his child, but as a woman, providing for him. Your goodness holds up a mirror to his ugliness, and that is too painful for him, so he has to project this onto you, by saying you make him feel less about himself. It’s nothing you did. It’s guilt”
9. Luvvie Ajayi- I’m Judging You
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Described by Shonda Rhimes as a truth-riot, this new York bestselling book expresses all of the things you’ve wanted to talk about, but have not gotten enough courage to. The writer is vocal, witty, and side-eyeing the present nuances prevalent in our social, online, and cultural environment and calls out everyone to do better to help the world become a better home for us all. If you need to Boss up, and take up space, this is just the right book for you!
“Black trauma is never given space to heal because we have to make sure the white people who hurt us don’t feel too bad about it. Even as victims, we’re told to care about the feelings of those who harm us”.
10. Chibundu Onuzo – Welcome To Lagos
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This novel is a highly engaging
prosaic work set in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria. The story poses a high look at the Lagos environment and the balance contained within the city as the highlife and powerful meets with the poor and middle class. The story skilfully uses fervency to reveal officer Chike Ameobi who sets out for a new life of freedom on the streets of Lagos.
“Prayer was all the recommendation he heard for Nigeria these days. For every crisis, eyes were shut, knees engaged, heads pointed to Mecca, and backs turned to the matter at hand.”
11. Toni Morrison- Beloved
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988, Toni Morrison’s Beloved tackles the hazardous effect of slavery, from pre-civil war times, to the everlasting trauma it leaves on one’s mind. Based on the true-life story of a black slave named Margaret Garner in 1856, who escaped a plantation in Kentucky with her husband and children. When they are caught, in the act of love and desperation, she kills her children to redeem them from slavery. The story’s compelling narrative leaves a lasting effect on the reader.
“There is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms crossed, knees drawn up, holding, holding on, this motion, unlike a ship’s, smooths and contains the rocker. It’s an inside kind–wrapped tight like skin. Then there is the loneliness that roams. No rocking can hold it down. It is alive. On its own. A dry and spreading thing that makes the sound of one’s own feet going seem to come from a far-off place”
12. Nnedi Okorafor – Who Fears Death
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Popularly Acclaimed author Nnedi Okafor, presents post-apocalyptic Africa with such finesse and mastery of storytelling that captivates the reader. This is the story of Onyesonwu, an outcast child. The story tackles rape, child abuse, female genital mutilation, prejudice, and bias common amongst all people.
“To be something abnormal meant that you were to serve the normal. And if you refused, they hated you… and often the normal hated you even when you did serve them.”
13. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- Americanah
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Ameicanah by Chimamanda Adichie soon to be starred by Lupita Nyong’o in a TV series adaptation, is a curative tale of two lovers Ifemelu and Obinna, and how Ifemelu moves from a racist blind society to the American racist reality.
“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is that you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where the Race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America. When you are black in America and you fall in love with a white person, race doesn’t matter when you’re alone together because it’s just you and your love. But the minute you step outside, race matters. But we don’t talk about it. We don’t even tell our white partners the small things that piss us off and the things we wish they understood better, because we’re worried they will say we’re overreacting, or we’re being too sensitive. And we don’t want them to say, Look how far we’ve come, just forty years ago it would have been illegal for us to even be a couple of blah blah blah because you know what we’re thinking when they say that? We’re thinking why the fuck should it ever have been illegal anyway? But we don’t say any of this stuff. We let it pile up inside our heads and when we come to nice liberal dinners like this, we say that race doesn’t matter because that’s what we’re supposed to say, to keep our nice liberal friends comfortable. It’s true. I speak from experience”.
14. Alice Walker – The Color Purple
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This book breaks the silence around domestic and sexual abuse. With its powerful storytelling, it leaves the reader bare and vulnerable at the harsh realities of the African American woman, and the effect of gender roles, while emphasizing how companionship, bravery, and resilience can lead to growth and redemption.
“I am pore, I’m black, I may be ugly and can’t cook, a voice says to everything listening. But I’m here.”
15. Nicola Yoon- The Sun Is Also A Star
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The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is not only a Romantic TV show that’ll get you pulsing for what can happen when a poet and scientist fall in love, but a story that reflects the unfair plight and hard circumstances faced by immigrants in the United States.
“We are capable of big lives. A big history. Why settle? Why choose the practical thing, the mundane thing? We are born to dream and make the things we dream about.”
16. Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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With it’s a fascinating title, this book has the captivating power to transport its readers to the desperation of the author. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is an autobiography of Maya Angelou’s recovery from the harsh ropes of depression, molestation, rape, and the tribulations of growing up.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
17. Zora Neale Hurston- Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Written in peculiar prose that borders around vernacular dialogue, Their eyes were watching God tells of Janie Crawford’s experiences as she wades through three marriages in search of her identity
“Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore”
18. Francesca Ramsey – Well, That Escalated Quickly
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This book is not only self-help but reveals the story of a girl who was thrown into the world of activism without actually trying to be one in the first place. This book reveals her struggles, mistakes, and even her fears. By inculcating wit, and humor, that explores race, online activism, being vocal in unpredictable public spaces, gender, sexuality, amongst many others.
“Dealing with white people faux pas as a black woman is tricky: if you get upset, you can be quickly be labeled as the “angry black girl”; if you’re too passive, it seems like you give permission, or letting racism slide”
19. Arese Ugwu – Smart Money Woman
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Based in Nigeria with stories that are both possible and probable in ordinary humanity, this book tackles financial literacy, debt, spending tricks, the consumerist culture of the African middle class, and misconceptions surrounding money and the lack of it, amidst cultural and societal pressures. With Zuri as the lead character, each chapter comes with a Smart Money Lesson, these tips are there to help improve your financial responsibilities, on spending and investing, while enlightening on the role money plays on success, if you’re looking for a lovely read that will help you work your way up the financial ladder, then The Smart Money Woman is just right to get you Moneyed up!
20. Ayobami Adebayo- Stay With Me
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Shortlisted for the Prestigious women’s prize for fiction, this book set in Nigeria has the ability to leave the reader completely intellectually and emotionally engaged. The story tells of the difficult relationship between Yejide and Akin, and their tortuous journey to parenthood.
“If the burden is too much and stays too long, even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking, and sometimes does break. But when it’s in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer love.”
21. Octavia E. Butler – Kindred
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This book is the first science fiction written by a black woman, and will forever be identified as a masterpiece in contemporary literature. As a novel of rich complexity, Kindred is layered with slave memoirs, historical fiction, and fantasy. The novel is a metaphor on the African American experience and plays with the question of whether time has advanced us, or only downplayed our cruel nature. The novel positions on slavery, racism, and exploitation as a form of black identity.
“Better to stay alive,” I said. “At least while there’s a chance to get free.” I thought of the sleeping pills in my bag and wondered just how great a hypocrite I was. It was so easy to advise other people to live with their pain”
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