Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion
Read And Recommended
Just finished Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson. This was a short story collection that has been sitting in my library for almost 20 years. It was my first book by Hopkinson and it left me excited to read more by her. Vivid descriptions and language and a fascinating/unusual imagination. I enjoyed it.
Monica wrote: "Just finished Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson. This was a short story collection that has been sitting in my library for almost 20 years. It was my first book by Hopkinson a..."I'm so glad, Monica! I've had this on my TBR for a while, as I was intending to reread Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring, then check out this collection.
Lata wrote: "Monica wrote: "Just finished Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson. This was a short story collection that has been sitting in my library for almost 20 years. It was my first book..."I also have Brown Girl in the Ring chomping at the bit in my to-read queue. I loved Hopkinson's "Greedy Choke Puppy" and "Ganger (Ball Lightning)" which were included in Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, I'll have to make sure Skin Folk is bumped up in my list.
I just started The Year of the RunawaysSunjeev Sahota about Indian migrants (immigrants) in Britain, focusing on those who enter Europe illegally. I was immediately drawn into the book and easily read 100 pages last night. It won a number of awards in Britain when it was published in 2015 and was shortlisted for the Mann Booker Prize in 2015. The section I just finished that was set in India was reminiscent of the spectacular A Fine Balance. This is very relevant book considering the current situation of migrants in Europe, not to mention the Brexit mess.
Recently finished Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba ClarkeI really enjoyed this short story collection and it will be one of my top reads for 2017.
The author is an Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent.
This book has won several awards in Australia which helped put her on the radar outside of Australia and now this book is available in the US.
The stories were thought provoking and made powerful by the wonderfully written characters figuring out how to find a place in their homelands and/or the place they currently call home.
One of the pluses for me was the diversity of the settings and time periods.
I look forward to reading more works by this author.
Nadine wrote: "Loving Day by Mat Johnson is a Book Bub ebook deal today - only $1.99. I highly recommend!"I also enjoyed this book.
But I have enjoyed Mat Johnson books.
A talented author that writes across several genres - historical fiction, graphic novels, satire, mystery, contemporary
Mod
I really enjoyed this short story collection and it will be one of my top reads for 2017.
The author is an ..."
Nice! Some friends mentioned this book to me and said it was one of the best short story collections they've read in a long, long time. They got copies of her upcoming memoir and said it was very moving.. Guess i'll jump on the bandwagon. The Hate Race
Columbus wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Recently finished Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba ClarkeI really enjoyed this short story collection and it will be one of my top reads for 2017.
T..."
So glad to hear others are enjoying and I agree it is the best short story collection that I have read since about 2009 or so.
But I have read the first story in our BOM book - The Refugees and it was very good - so that is a very good start.
I too am planning to read The Hate Race.
And I am excited that the author has a contract with Hachette and is working on a novel!
I just finished Do Not Say We Have Nothing. It was up in the polls and would have been great for discussion. I found it to be a beautiful book and highly recommend it.
Looking at my recent reading, it is embarrassingly devoid of authors of color. In July though I read White Tears by Hari Kunzru who is of mixed British and Kashmiri Pandit heritage. While the story is about two young white American guys obsessed with old Delta Blues records it raises many interesting questions including profiteering from and exploitations of musicians of color.
Barbara wrote: "Looking at my recent reading, it is embarrassingly devoid of authors of color. In July though I read White Tears by Hari Kunzru who is of mixed British and Kashmiri P..."I also read this book and thought the author did a great job of having the right pulse about racism, white privilege and white appropriation that is so engrained into our society that it is a matter of course.
This was my first read by the author but will read more of his work.
Will be one of my top reads for the year.
Beverly wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Looking at my recent reading, it is embarrassingly devoid of authors of color. In July though I read White Tears by Hari Kunzru who is of mixed Britis..."You said it better than I did. I am also curious about his other books. For someone who lives in England, he got the American "stuff" right. His webpage is very interesting:
http://www.harikunzru.com/
Beverly wrote: "Recently finished Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba Clarke..."I was also blown away by Foreign Soil; I first read it 2 years ago when it was shortlisted for the Stella Prize (it should have won!), then reread it earlier this year, & it was just as amazing my 2nd visit. I've been lucky to see Maxine onstage here in Melbourne (both being interviewed herself, & interviewing other writers). Her memoir The Hate Race is well worth reading; her poetry collection Carrying The World is also impactful.
I have had a really good reading summer so far.So much so, that I have gotten behind in writing reviews/thoughts as I got fully immersed in the next book I started reading.
But thought I will share the list:
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
So Much Blue by Percival Everett
Augustown by Kei Miller
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
White Tears by Hari Kunzru
The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues by Edward Kelsey Moore
Mod
So much so, that I have gotten behind in writing reviews/thoughts as I got fully immersed in the next book I started reading.
But thought I will sha..."
Goodness, I feel like such a slacker... Augustown currently on the floor next to my bed just screaming "read me, read me".... Beverly do you have a fave and least fave of this bunch?
How was the Margaret Wilkerson Sexton book? I've had that on my radar. The last two books I've read were by PoC. First was an unexpected gem- New Negro Poets: USA edited by Langston Hughes, forward by Gwendolyn Brooks. It is from 1964 so it might be hard to find but worth the read if anyone can find it. I also read Sweat by Lynn Nottage, this year's Pulitzer winner for drama. Next up is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, another Pulitzer winner.
Columbus wrote: "Beverly wrote: "I have had a really good reading summer so far.So much so, that I have gotten behind in writing reviews/thoughts as I got fully immersed in the next book I started reading.
But th..."
Ha! I lost a lot of sleep because I could not put the books.
Each book was good in its own way and they are different genres.
But if I had to pick most fav for was the changling. I think this is the best LaValle book and I was glad it was a novel and not a novella. (FYI - I also very much enjoyed his The Ballad of Black Tom)
A close second is So Much Blue - I think it is one of the author's best books - three different storylines and each got the tone and tempo right in my opinion for each of the parts.
My "least fav" was The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues but I cannot deny the author does a great job on the voice of the characters.
And of course I enjoyed Kei Miller as it was historical/cultural fiction. Did you read his novel The Last Warner Woman? I liked Augustown better and in some ways the writing reminded me of Marlon James.
Brina wrote: "How was the Margaret Wilkerson Sexton book? I've had that on my radar. The last two books I've read were by PoC. First was an unexpected gem- New Negro Poets: USA edited by Langston Hughes, forward..."For me - A Kind of Freedom was a very solid debut book. I liked the angle the author took to tell this family saga and that it was set in New Orleans.
I would how this book will fare when two other "similar" books are released:
Sing, Unburied, Sing - an author I like
The Floating World: A Novel - a debut book
I so love Lynn Nottage plays though I have not read Sweat yet but it is on my list.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is my favorite book by Junot Díaz.
Beverly, you have sold me on the book although I have a huge pile now. I'm going to end up reading Sherman Alexie before Junot Diaz because the memoir is due to the library first
Mod
Sing, Unburied, Sing. I read that one several months ago and didn't care for it. Ward seems to be an author I should like going by the premise of her books and her style. But I didn't care for this or Salvage the Bones at all. Just weird.
Mod
So much so, that I have gotten behind in writing reviews/thoughts as I got fully immersed in the next book I started..."
I figured "Supremes" would be your least fave. Don't ask me why... glad you enjoyed Perceval Everett because that's like my #1 must read for the fall along with Stay with Me. I thought the Kei Miller was a debut. Didn't know he had another or other books out.
Columbus wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Brina wrote: "How was the Margaret Wilkerson Sexton book? I've had that on my radar. The last two books I've read were by PoC. First was an unexpected gem- New Negro Poets: USA edit..."Columbus -
Not weird at all!
But I know the feeling, you want to like the book, most people are loving it and you are just not feeling it.
I figure that is why we have choice in reading and not every author's writing style is going to be my cup of tea.
Brina wrote: "I just finished Do Not Say We Have Nothing. It was up in the polls and would have been great for discussion. I found it to be a beautiful book and highly recommend it."I agree. It is a truly beautiful book...just amazing.
I recommend The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha, which I read in ARC--it's coming out Oct 10. I was completely charmed by it. What a lovely, loving book.
poingu wrote: "I recommend The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha, which I read in ARC--it's coming out Oct 10. I was completely charmed by it. What a lovely, lo..."Thanks for the heads up - I like the cover and after reading Chronicle of the Murdered House I am interested in reading more Brazilian literature.
Beverly wrote: "Thanks for the heads up - I like the cover and after reading Chronicle of the Murdered House I am interested in reading more Brazilian literature. .."
Beverly, I can't think of two books that are less alike! This one is a life-affirming and woman-affirming chronicle of fairly ordinary lives. I hope you love it.
I just uncovered a hidden gem, Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States, edited by Lori Marie Carlson. Diverse collection of poetry by authors both well known and new to me.
poingu wrote: "I recommend The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha, which I read in ARC--it's coming out Oct 10. I was completely charmed by it. What a lovely, lo..."Yes, I already have that on my TBR list. Waiting for October release.
Beverly wrote: "poingu wrote: "I recommend The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha, which I read in ARC--it's coming out Oct 10. I was completely charmed by it. Wh..."I also want to read more Brazilian fiction. I have some (mostly Jorge Amado) but keep procrastinating. Clarice Lispector is also on my TBR list.
Brina wrote: "I just uncovered a hidden gem, Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States, edited by Lori Marie Carlson. Diverse collection of poetry by aut..."I think I have that in my office...but haven't read it.
I read and loved the last book in N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, The Stone Sky. The first two books in the series, The Fifth Season and The Obelisk Gate, both won Hugo awards and this one is just as good, pulling past and current events in the word that Jemisin created together beautifully. In my opinion this is one of the best SF series by any author ever. Jemisin is just brilliant.
Wilhelmina wrote: "I read and loved the last book in N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, The Stone Sky. The first two books in the series, The Fifth Season and [book:..."There seems to be a growing community who do believe that this trilogy is one of the best! :)
Read two books this weekend - that I really enjoyed.The Tragedy of Brady Sims by Ernest J. Gaines
Once again Ernest Gaines proves why he is considered a quintessential storyteller. He is one of my all-time favorite authors and I am glad that he has published another book.
The jest of the story is that Brady Sims shoots and kills his son, who has just been convicted and sentence to Angola Prison, in the courtroom. Brady tells the deputies in the courtroom that he will turn himself in in two hours and walks out the courtroom. And now the storytelling begins.
This is a novella yet it is so exquisitely plotted with rich characterization and powerful writing that it feels like a much bigger book.
There are different narrators but the standout for me is the black barbershop scene – it is some of the best atmospheric writing I have read and brings into perspective the role of the barbershop in African American history.
Many themes are explored but the most touching in this book is the necessity of Black parents to “punish” their children to save them from the harsher consequences of a racist society.
Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching by Mychal Denzel Smith
This is an articulate yet plain-spoken book that examines what it means to be young, male and black in our current times where a Black man was elected to the Presidency yet Black men (especially young ones) experience the dangerous subjection of the inequality of our society.
It is very timely, thoughtful and intelligently engaging.
While the book does not have all of the answers, it wonders if we are asking the right questions and it is definitely a blueprint on how to begin meaningful discussions.
A must read for all who care about the future.
I don't think this group has ever read The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke (but I could be wrong). If we haven't it's a book worth considering. It's not a new book but it's a fantastic book. It was a 5 star read for me. This is what The New Yorkder had to say about it:This novel, by a Canadian writer born in Barbados, explores the brutality of plantation life, not as it was experienced in the fields but in the subtler cruelties inflicted on a worker named Mary, who, as a girl, catches the manager’s eye and then becomes his favored mistress and the mother of his only son. Forced into a life of loveless “fooping” but also one of material comfort and privilege, Mary is separated both from her own people and from the white establishment, and spends decades in her “home-prison” contemplating the “ritual and arrangement of life on the Plantation.” With an obvious affection for Caribbean cadence and its rum-soaked asides, Clarke unfolds Mary’s story through the meandering statement she gives to the police after she has taken gruesome revenge on her “master” using the hoe of the title, the very tool that his attentions enabled her to drop.♦
Louise wrote: "I don't think this group has ever read The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke (but I could be wrong). If we haven't it's a book worth considering. It's not a new book but it..."I did put that title on the monthly book poll long ago and it was not chosen for discussion. Coincidentally I recently bought this title in my libraries out of circulation book store for $.50. A steal you say? I'll move it up on my tbr list.
William wrote: "Louise wrote: "I did put that title on the monthly book poll long ago and it was not chosen for discussion. Coincidentally I recently bought this title in my libraries out of circulation book store for $.50. A steal you say? I'll move it up on my tbr list..."Being Canadian I suspect it falls under many people's radar but please reconsider this book for an upcoming poll. It is outstanding.
Louise wrote: "William wrote: "Louise wrote: "I did put that title on the monthly book poll long ago and it was not chosen for discussion. Coincidentally I recently bought this title in my libraries out of circul..."It's been on my TBR since 2012, so I'd be for having it on a poll, too.
Louise wrote: "William wrote: "Louise wrote: "I did put that title on the monthly book poll long ago and it was not chosen for discussion. Coincidentally I recently bought this title in my libraries out of circul..."Canadian authors - so near and yet so far away because too often because of publishing rights we (in The US) do hear about the publications by Canadian authors.
I have been quite pleased with a number of Canadian authors.
Yes, this is a good read (as other Caribbean Canadian authors.
November was "Non-Fiction Book Month" and while this group is about literary fiction, I did read a couple of NF books by or about People of Color that I would recommend.Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman Jr.
Really liked how the information/history was presented to get where we are today regarding Blacks and the Justice system. Very readable. I am giving this book to several young adults (in their 20s).
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty
This book took on several topics - research your genealogy, the migration of enslaved people withing the US, southern cuisine and the AA's contributions and the eating habits of the enslaved people. And there are a couple of recipes.
The Origin of Others by Toni Morrison
It is Ms. Morrison - short but powerful and it examines how we create "the other" in literature includes some analysis on how she wrote race in several of her books.
Black Tudors: The Untold Story by Miranda Kaufmann
Definitely illustrates the saying "the only new history is the history yet to be discovered". Or we can say what others have decided to write out of history. The author tells the history through the detailed lives of ten Black Tudors in a readable format. Enlightening and well-researched.
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir by Jessica B. Harris
I have owned several of the author's books as I have always enjoyed the way she incorporates history & culture of the African Diaspora along with the recipes. But until reading this book I did not know much about her personal life and her inner circle of personal interactions with those of the Black arts scene in the 70s. Another example of being aware of the "one story" and fans of Negroland will enjoy this book.
A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks by Angela Jackson
I had heard of Gwendolyn Brooks and her accomplishments and had read a few of her poems but I had not really understood her importance and her fight to have her story be told the way she wanted to be heard. I guess as a New Yorker I was to concentrated on the NY cultural scene to the determent of not learning more of those outside of NYC.
"Jackson deftly unpacks it all for both longtime admirers of Brooks and newcomers curious about her interior life. A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun is a commemoration of a writer who negotiated black womanhood and incomparable brilliance with a changing, restless world--an artistic maverick way ahead of her time."
I just finished reading My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir by Jessica B. Harris over the weekend. I didn't like it at all. It was not her story, it was basically the story of her ex, who was evidently everybody's ex in his social circle. Lots of name dropping and pretension. Throwing in French phrases for no reason won't make your story any more interesting.
I'm really enjoying Wizard of the Crow right now. It's always nice when Nobel Prize for Lit contender hype pans out.
Columbus wrote: "An American Marriage by Tayari JonesA must read!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
You have it already! I am soooo envious!
Mod
A must read!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
You have it already! I am soooo envious!"
Mina, think you’ll really, really enjoy this one. Of course many Atlanta landmarks and locations mentioned. Prose so unadorned yet beautiful and persuasive. In other words, classic Tayari.
Columbus wrote: "An American Marriage by Tayari JonesA must read!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Glad to hear!
It is on my tbr list for Feb for a Marriage theme of the month!
Columbus wrote: "Mina, think you’ll really, really enjoy this one. Of course many Atlanta landmarks and locations mentioned. Prose so unadorned yet beautiful and persuasive. In other words, classic Tayari. ..."Can't wait!
Dear Martin by Nic StoneHomegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Literary Fiction by People of Color
Books mentioned in this topic
Indian Country (other topics)Indian Country (other topics)
The Death of Vivek Oji (other topics)
Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights (other topics)
From Iron To Blade: Assassins and Blades (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Shobha Rao (other topics)Shobha Rao (other topics)
Akwaeke Emezi (other topics)
Ashley Hope Pérez (other topics)
Nnedi Okorafor (other topics)
More...
Charles: A Place Near the Front sounds really interesting.