Play Book Tag discussion
November 2017: African American
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Announcing November's Tag
I was kind of thinking disturbing stood a chance. This helps me for the high notes, I need to read Kindred and maybe I’ll get to Giovanni's Room.
I have been on an African American tear lately so I feel like I could recommend about 1500 books. I feel like everybody should read
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Invisible Man
Between the World and Me
Last Years Man Booker
The Sellout
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
For something a little lighter
Underground Airlines
My Options:
Native Son
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
The Hate U Give (NR convinced me to read this)
might listen to Roots: The Saga of an American Family as a re-read
I need more Toni Morrison in my life
I have had Their Eyes Were Watching God on my tbr since the first PBT 100
Song Yet Sung
I guess I could go on and on :)
I was hoping for disturbing! But African-American will be a great tag.I think I'll try to choose from the following
-Between the World and Me
-The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
-The Underground Railroad
-To Kill a Mockingbird (this doubles up for high notes AND for PBT fiction 100)
If anyone has any African-American that would double as November for Fall flurry, please suggest!!
Sushicat wrote: "I was kind of thinking disturbing stood a chance. This helps me for the high notes, I need to read Kindred and maybe I’ll get to Giovanni's Room."i would recommend Kindred - I really liked it.
Joi wrote: "I was hoping for disturbing! But African-American will be a great tag.I think I'll try to choose from the following
-Between the World and Me
-[book:The Immortal Life of Henrietta..."
Every one of these on your list are great.
My recommendations would include some of the above, Kindred, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, all done very well in audio for those like me who read in all formats.I would also recommend Americanah which might fit for the time spent by an African adjusting to America!
As for me, I think I'll read Fledgling by Butler since I enjoyed Kindred. I also have these on my TBR:
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,
Little Bee,
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky,
Homegoing
I was really hoping for disturbing, but this is the one I suspected would win.
Nicole D. wrote: "My Options: Native Son
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
The Hate U Give (NR convinced me to read this)
might listen to Roots: The Saga of an American Family as a re-read..."
The Warmth of Other Suns made my favourites list a couple of years back. I have never read "Roots", but I'd like to. Not sure if I want to do a really long book next month, but we'll see.
Nicole D. wrote: "I have been on an African American tear lately so I feel like I could recommend about 1500 books. I feel like everybody should read
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
[book:Invisible M..."
Yeah for The Hate U Give! I will post my review later today.
And, your recommending Roots may convince me to get to that one....
Some options for me: Roots by Alex Haley
The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber
Tituba of Salem Village by Ann Petry
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy
LibraryCin wrote: "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah."Ooh forgot about this one, thanks for the reminder!! I've been wanting to read all year!
Also I think I've pumped The Hate U Give for the last like 4 tags, but once again it fits!
I will reading the Hate U Give for either November or December, definitely before 2018 rings in. But for this tag, I do have five other suggestions for myself. Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Girl that Fell From the Sky
The Kitchen House
The Healing
Go Set a Watchman
The first two, I already ordered from the library. So those are the likely picks, outside of the Hate U Give.
As for recommendations, I have read a ton on this list. It's almost hard to remember which were the ones I would have most highly recommended. Why not go with: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.
Joi wrote: "If anyone has any African-American that would double as November for Fall flurry, please suggest!!"What came to mind for this question was: Buffalo soldiers. I went digging and found two that sound interesting: Gloryland and Miracle at St. Anna
I was a disturbing girl but African American is my second choice. The book I feel I should read is Marlon Jame's The Book of Night Women but it's on the longish side and I have a ton of holds coming in.The book(s) I will probably read are The Fifth Season and Salvage the Bones both were picked up quite some time ago as Daily Deals.
Books I recommend are the very intense Pulitzer winner Beloved and the hard hitting but more fulfilling Someone Knows My Name (aka The Book of Negroes). I second Nicole's recommendation of Underground Airlines, a fast paced suspense novel as well as a commentary on slavery. It was released the same month as The Underground Railroad so didn't get the attention I feel it deserves. Finally, I really enjoyed Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing which follows the descendants of two sisters in both Ghana and America with some great story lines.
So glad this tag won! I'll be reading Beloved if I ever get October's book (Catch-22) completed! I'm enjoying it but it's taking a long time for me to read it!
In so far as recommendations, my favorites are as follows:Invisible Man - novel
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - autobiography
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption - non-fiction
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is also very worthwhile reading from an educational standpoint.
If you need something lighter and quicker paced, I quite enjoyed Yellow Crocus even though it feels a smidge YA-ish. It's engaging and very fast going.
There's so many books in this category I'd like to read. I'm committed to The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, but am hoping The Hate U Give and/or Sing, Unburied, Sing comes through the library. Kinda doubt it on both of those.
Also very interested in reading Toni Morrison who I've never read. Any recommendations there?
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness also sounds very interesting.
It annoys me that I have to read a WWII fiction book for my face to face book club that I'm really not enthused about and that is long and looks like "not my thing" when we have such a good tag.
Barbara wrote: "My recommendations would include some of the above, Kindred, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, all done very well in aud..."You can't go wrong with Just Mercy . . .definitely much preferred to Little Bee. I haven't read the other two though Homegoing gets a lot of rave reviews. Not sure Little Bee even fits . . .there are Africans in it, but African-American? I don't recall that.
Joi wrote: "I was hoping for disturbing! But African-American will be a great tag.I think I'll try to choose from the following
-Between the World and Me
-[book:The Immortal Life of Henrietta..."
Henrietta Lacks is really compelling reading . . .if you like non-fiction. Have you read To Kill a Mockingbird before?
Thanks so much, Jenny, for recommending Song of Solomon. Anyone else have a Toni Morrison they think I would like?
Anita wrote: "In so far as recommendations, my favorites are as follows:Invisible Man - novel
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - autobiography
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and ..."
Re Toni Morrison - I read Song of Solomon for AS Level about 11 years ago, but I seem to recall it being one of the better books I read for that course. I'm attempting my second Toni Morrison for this tag (Beloved), as it fits this and Litsy Reading Challenge Bingo Card
Anita wrote: "Thanks so much, Jenny, for recommending Song of Solomon. Anyone else have a Toni Morrison they think I would like?"Had to re-post as my formatting didn't quite work (& I'm a bit of a perfectionist!), but you're welcome :-)
Heads up, Amazon has The Color Purple available for $1.99 today if anyone hasn't read it and wants to do so.
I will be reading one of these two but probably both:Called to Rise
Running for My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond
I was so hoping for Disturbing! I think I will try Underground Airlines. My hectic life needs something lighter at present. I’ve never read Toni Morrison so I will attempt one of hers too.
I usually use this tag only when the author is African American, but I think content might also qualify a book....My top recommendations:
To Kill a Mockingbird (content)
A Lesson Before Dying
Song Yet Sung
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
The Color Purple
Their Eyes Were Watching God
And here are Two that would would fit November - Veteran's Day for the Fall Flurry challenge
Mudbound (content)
Miracle at St. Anna
I think I'll try to read
Someone Knows My Name (also known as: The Book of Negroes)
Bring on the Blessings
Neither one of these fits any other challenges I have for November, unfortunately, but that's life ...
Thank you, BC. I knew there was a book about the buffalo soldiers that I wanted to read, but I couldn't remember the title. That's probably what I will read if I can get it from the library.Also, Someone Knows My Name gets my highest recommendations.
Anita wrote: "In so far as recommendations, my favorites are as follows:Invisible Man - novel
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - autobiography
[book:Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and ..."
Anita, I am recommending you take Sing, Unburied, Sing off your TBR. It is chock full of magical realism/mystical elements.
Also, I don't know that you would like The Hate U Give.....but I will let someone else weigh in on that one.
Nicole R wrote: "Anita wrote: "In so far as recommendations, my favorites are as follows:Invisible Man - novel
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - autobiography
[book:Just Mercy: A Story o..."
Dang. Okay, thank you so much. Someone else recommended it so much (who doesn't know me well) that I just went with it without much consideration.
I will keep my ears open for more commentary on The Hate U Give.
I hate to tell people what they will and won’t like, but if I had to decide on Anita and The Hate U Give I would say no. Now I want her to read it to see if I am right!!
Lol, Susie - - I'll probably read it if I can ever get it from the library just so I can say I've read the"it" book that EVERYONE is reading.Has anyone read The Blood of Emmett Till? That sounds interesting and is up for the National Book Award.
Anita wrote: "Henrietta Lacks is really compelling reading . . .if you like non-fiction. Have you read To Kill a Mockingbird before?."I've been more into non-fiction the past two years than ever before, plus I think HBO did a thing with Henrietta with Oprah that I was interested in watching also.
Confession time- Sorry PBTers I've actually never read To Kill a Mockingbird before. I think it was required reading in 10th or 11th grade, but I don't think I actually read it. I know the plot, and have seen the play. But I have never actually read it before.
As for THUG, I think a lot of is expectations- expect a YA novel with a young voice and you'll probably like it. The themes are there, but a lot of people have set the bar redonkulously high (probably my fault) without taking its faults into consideration. I was able to overlook faults to give 5 stars still.
As for Toni Morrison, I've only read The Bluest Eye- which is her debut. I'd suggest that for this tag also. Maybe for me too- I haven't read it in over 10 years!
I’ve got lots of books fitting this tag, so I’ll pick something.My recommendations:
I love Toni Morrison, so anything by her is a winner!
James Baldwin is also a great choice.
A Gathering of Old Men is a short, fun read.
And the poetry of Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes are great. (And I’m not a poetry person)
Sing, Unburied, Sing is also great.
Anita- Song of Solomon has some magical realism in it, as does Beloved. You could try Home or God Help the Child if you want.
I am thrilled this tag won. I have several books that I could read.Beloved by Toni Morrison
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Sula by Toni Morrison
Americanah by Adichie
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
For those of you with little kiddos I recommend The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.
Anita, you liked Lincoln in the Bardo, correct? If you could tolerate that ghost aspect the Sing, Unburied, Sing May be tolerable. I still see it impacting your rating though...
Tracy wrote: "Anita- Song of Solomon has some magical realism in it, as does Beloved...."I really, really didn't like Beloved, and I'm sure the magical realism was a big part of that. (I am going on memory, though.)
My first month participating. I want to read
The Color Purple
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Secret Life of Bees
Hidden Figures
I recommend:
The Help (If there is anyone who hasnt read it yet)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (I just finished this one and loved it)
12 Years a Slave
A Gathering of Old Men and A Lesson Before Dying been a long time since I read these but loved them when I was in High School (10 years ago)
To Kill A Mockingbird (Go Set A Watchman did not have the same magic)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (I don't see it in the list, but I consider this a very important piece of African American Literature. Considered the father of Modern Literature in the late 1880 and it is in favor of human rights for African-Americans)
Nicole R wrote: "Anita, you liked Lincoln in the Bardo, correct? If you could tolerate that ghost aspect the Sing, Unburied, Sing May be tolerable. I still see it impacting your rating though..."I loved Lincoln in the Bardo! So good point. But I will say I'm super picky about magical realism as a general rule (as you know). Maybe I'll let a few more people read it first. I'm not sure why Lincoln worked fine for me now that you point it out. Maybe because Lincoln wasn't actually interacting with them? Hmmm.
I am very glad that Tracy is warning me about Toni Morrison too!!
Jason wrote: "My first month participating. I want to read
The Color Purple
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Secret Life of Bees
Hidden Figures
I recommend:
The Help (If there is anyone who hasnt read it yet)..."
Welcome, Jason!!
I'm not sure if you are an e-reader type of person, but just in case you didn't see my note above, Amazon has The Color Purple available today for $1.99.
Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space is one I didn't think of, but I bet I would love . . .so many good choices out there. And now that you mention it, I actually own Twelve Years a Slave . . .
Anita: In regards to your comment about there being so many good choice....The thing I love about books is that they are endless. The thing that overwhelms me about books is that they are endless.
I use overdrive mainly for free audio and ebooks on your device from your library.
Of course! Yes I recommend Americanah - which just might be in my top 10 for this year. It'll at least be 11 or 12
Oh yes! Americanah for sure! Welcome Jason. :-)
You can’t go wrong with Toni Morrison. I really liked all of her books that I’ve read. Liked Song of Solomon a lot but really liked The Bluest Eye. Beloved is actually probably the best of her books on 1001 list and the magical realism works with the book as a literary device.
Dang I was really hoping for disturbing! This will be my first time participating here and I was really excited for that topic. I would highly recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or Kindred. Wow, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I think I read it every year for a decade.
I've been wanting to read The Mothers by Brit Bennett so if I participate, that will probably be my choice if I can wrangle it from the library.
My recommendation would be anything by Christopher Paul Curtis. He writes children's/YA books so they would be quick reads, and he is a wonderful writer. Won the Newbery for Bud, Not Buddy.As for what I plan to read, I might actually push myself to finally read The Help. I started it a few days ago, but got distracted by Commissario Guido Brunetti. We'll see if I can tear myself away from Venice for awhile.
Susie wrote: "I was so hoping for Disturbing! I think I will try Underground Airlines. My hectic life needs something lighter at present. I’ve never read Toni Morrison so I will attempt one of hers too.""lighter" is relative for this tag
Tessa (FutureAuthor23) wrote: "Dang I was really hoping for disturbing! This will be my first time participating here and I was really excited for that topic. I would highly recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or Ki..."
so glad you are here!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (other topics)
Breath, Eyes, Memory (other topics)
A Lesson Before Dying (other topics)
Beloved (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Toni Morrison (other topics)Ralph Ellison (other topics)
Octavia E. Butler (other topics)
Paul Beatty (other topics)
Nnedi Okorafor (other topics)
More...
and that tag is
African-American
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below!
Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the book can be shelved as African-American on Goodreads, or be a book that is not yet shelved that way but you feel should be.
To find books to read for this tag, please visit:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...