BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOK LIST
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<strong>BLACK</strong><br />
<strong>HISTORY</strong><br />
<strong>MONTH</strong><br />
<strong>BOOK</strong> <strong>LIST</strong><br />
PENN HILLS LIBRARY
A NOTE FOR READERS<br />
Every book has some buzzwords<br />
which are taken from the<br />
website/app The Story Graph, which<br />
is a Black owned business and an<br />
awesome app for logging the books<br />
you read, tracking reading stats,<br />
participating in reading challenges,<br />
and more! You can download Story<br />
Graph for free at<br />
https://app.thestorygraph.com/
MYSTERY, THRILLER, HORROR<br />
My Sister the Serial Killer by<br />
Oyinkan Braithwaite<br />
fiction contemporary thriller<br />
dark funny fast-paced<br />
Razorblade Tears by S.A.<br />
Cosby<br />
fiction mystery thriller dark<br />
emotional mysterious fastpaced<br />
The Other Black Girl by<br />
Zakiya Dalila Harris<br />
fiction literary thriller dark<br />
mysterious slow-paced
MYSTERY, THRILLER, HORROR<br />
When No One is Watching by<br />
Alyssa Cole<br />
fiction mystery thriller<br />
mysterious slow-paced<br />
Lakewood by Megan<br />
Giddings<br />
fiction science fiction<br />
challenging dark mysterious<br />
medium-paced<br />
Forty Acres by Dwayne<br />
Alexander Smith<br />
fiction crime mystery dark<br />
reflective tense mediumpaced
MYSTERY, THRILLER, HORROR<br />
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica<br />
Locke<br />
fiction crime mystery dark<br />
reflective tense mediumpaced<br />
Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa<br />
Afia<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
mystery dark mysterious<br />
fast-paced<br />
Sorrowland by Rivers<br />
Solomon<br />
fiction horror lgbtqia+<br />
science fiction emotional<br />
slow-paced
MYSTERY, THRILLER, HORROR<br />
The Gilda Stories by Jewelle<br />
L. Gómez<br />
fiction fantasy horror<br />
lgbtqia+ emotional reflective<br />
slow-paced<br />
The Devil in Silver by Victor<br />
LaValle<br />
fiction fantasy horror thriller<br />
dark mysterious tense slowpaced
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY &<br />
AFROFUTURISM<br />
The Rage of Dragons by<br />
Evan Winter<br />
fiction fantasy adventurous<br />
dark emotional fast-paced<br />
The Deep by Rivers Solomon<br />
fiction fantasy lgbtqia+<br />
challenging emotional<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Lesson by Cadwell<br />
Turnbull<br />
fiction literary science<br />
science fiction adventurous<br />
medium-paced
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY &<br />
AFROFUTURISM<br />
The Fifth Season by N.K.<br />
Jemisen<br />
fiction fantasy science fiction<br />
challenging dark mysterious<br />
medium-paced<br />
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor<br />
fiction science fiction<br />
adventurous fast-paced<br />
Rosewater by Tade<br />
Thomposon<br />
fiction science fiction<br />
challenging dark mysterious<br />
medium-paced
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY &<br />
AFROFUTURISM<br />
The Vanished Birds by Simon<br />
Jimenez<br />
fiction literary science<br />
science fiction adventurous<br />
reflective slow-paced<br />
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by<br />
Marlon James<br />
fiction fantasy adventurous<br />
dark slow-paced<br />
She Would be King by Wayétu<br />
Moore<br />
fiction fantasy historical magical<br />
realism adventurous challenging<br />
emotional slow-paced
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY &<br />
AFROFUTURISM<br />
Riot Baby by Tochi<br />
Onyebuchi<br />
fiction fantasy science<br />
fiction challenging dark<br />
emotional medium-paced<br />
Escaping Exodus by Nicky<br />
Drayden<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ science<br />
fiction adventurous fastpaced<br />
The Space Between Worlds by<br />
Micaiah Johnson<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ science fiction<br />
adventurous challenging<br />
mysterious medium-paced
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY &<br />
AFROFUTURISM<br />
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ literary science<br />
fiction speculative fiction<br />
challenging reflective slowpaced
LITERARY FICTION &<br />
CONTEMPORARY<br />
The Vanishing Half by Brit<br />
Bennet<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid<br />
fiction contemporary literary<br />
challenging reflective fastpaced<br />
Stay with Me by Ayobami<br />
Adebayo<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
reflective sad mediumpaced
LITERARY FICTION &<br />
CONTEMPORARY<br />
The Girl with the Louding<br />
Voice by Abi Daré<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
emotional hopeful inspiring<br />
medium-paced<br />
Freshwater by Akwaeke<br />
Emezi<br />
fiction contemporary lgbtqia+<br />
literary challenging dark<br />
emotional medium-paced<br />
How Beautiful We Were by<br />
Imbolo Mbue<br />
fiction literary challenging<br />
reflective sad mediumpaced
LITERARY FICTION &<br />
CONTEMPORARY<br />
Sing, Unburied Sing by Jesmyn<br />
Ward<br />
fiction contemporary literary<br />
magical realism dark emotional<br />
hopeful sad medium-paced<br />
An American Marriage by<br />
Tayaria Ward<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
emotional reflective slowpaced<br />
Here Comes the Sun by<br />
Nicole Dennis-Benn<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
lgbtqia+ emotional reflective<br />
slow-paced
LITERARY FICTION &<br />
CONTEMPORARY<br />
Dust by Yvonne<br />
Adhiambo<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
reflective slow-paced
URBAN LIT/STREET LIT<br />
The Coldest Winter Ever by<br />
Sister Souljah<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
reflective fast-paced<br />
The Cartel by Ashley and<br />
JaQuavis<br />
fiction dark mysterious<br />
tense fast-paced<br />
The Other Woman by Eric<br />
Jerome Dickey<br />
fiction reflective fastpaced
URBAN LIT/STREET LIT<br />
Wifey by Kiki Swinson<br />
fiction fast-paced<br />
True to the Game by Teri<br />
Woods<br />
fiction dark fast-paced<br />
Black Lotus by K’wan<br />
fiction crime mystery
URBAN LIT/STREET LIT<br />
Butterfly by Ashley<br />
Antoinette<br />
fiction emotional fastpaced<br />
The Family Business by Carl<br />
Weber<br />
fiction adventurous fastpaced
NONFICTION<br />
Becoming by Michelle Obama<br />
nonfiction autobiography<br />
memoir emotional hopeful<br />
inspiring reflective slow-paced<br />
Hood Feminism: Notes from the<br />
Women That a Movement Forgot<br />
by Mikki Kendall<br />
nonfiction essays feminism race<br />
challenging informative reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy<br />
of White Male America by Ijeoma<br />
Oluo<br />
nonfiction history politics race<br />
challenging informative reflective<br />
medium-paced
NONFICTION<br />
How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X.<br />
Kendi<br />
nonfiction history politics race<br />
sociology challenging informative<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Hunger by Roxanna Gay<br />
nonfiction feminism memoir<br />
emotional inspiring reflective<br />
sad medium-paced<br />
Between the World and Me by<br />
Ta-Nehisi Coates<br />
nonfiction history memoir race<br />
emotional informative reflective<br />
medium-paced
NONFICTION<br />
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M.<br />
Johnson<br />
nonfiction lgbtqia+ memoir race<br />
young adult challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Born a Crime: Stories from a South<br />
African Childhood by Trevor Noah<br />
nonfiction memoir race emotional<br />
funny informative reflective fastpaced<br />
Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke<br />
Emezi<br />
nonfiction gender lgbtqia+<br />
memoir emotional reflective<br />
medium-paced
NONFICTION<br />
Redefining Realness: My Path to<br />
Womanhood, Identity, Love & So<br />
Much More by Janet Mock<br />
nonfiction feminism lgbtqia+<br />
memoir challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Twisted: The Tangled History of<br />
Black Hair Culture by Emma Dabiri<br />
nonfiction feminism history race<br />
challenging informative reflective<br />
slow-paced<br />
Black Against Empire: The History and<br />
Politics of the Black Panther Party by<br />
Joshua Bloom<br />
and Waldo E. Martin Jr.<br />
nonfiction history politics race<br />
challenging informative reflective slowpaced
NONFICTION<br />
Aftershocks: A Memoir by<br />
Nadia Owusu<br />
nonfiction memoir challenging<br />
emotional reflective mediumpaced<br />
I’m telling the Truth, but I’m<br />
Lying by Bassey Ikpi<br />
nonfiction essays memoir<br />
emotional reflective slowpaced<br />
Space is the Place: The Lives<br />
and Times of Sun Ra by John F.<br />
Szwed<br />
nonfiction biography music<br />
informative fast-paced
HISTORICAL FICTION<br />
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
reflective sad mediumpaced<br />
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi<br />
Coates<br />
fiction historical literary magical<br />
realism adventurous emotional<br />
hopeful reflective sad mediumpaced<br />
The Underground Railroad by<br />
Colson Whitehead<br />
fiction historical literary<br />
magical realism dark<br />
emotional sad medium-paced
HISTORICAL FICTION<br />
The Prophets by Robert Jones<br />
Jr.<br />
fiction historical lgbtqia+<br />
literary romance challenging<br />
emotional sad medium-paced<br />
Conjure Women by Afia<br />
Atakora<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
slow-paced<br />
Mrs. Wiggins by Mary<br />
Monroe<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
reflective relaxing mediumpaced
HISTORICAL FICTION<br />
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith<br />
fiction historical young adult<br />
emotional inspiring slowpaced<br />
When Morning Comes by<br />
Arushi Raina<br />
fiction historical young adult<br />
challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Inventing Victoria by Tonya<br />
Bolden<br />
fiction historical young adult<br />
informative slow-paced
HISTORICAL FICTION<br />
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa<br />
Johnson<br />
fiction historical emotional<br />
fast-paced<br />
The Book of Night Women by<br />
Marlon James<br />
fiction historical challenging<br />
dark emotional mediumpaced<br />
Kindred by Octavia E Butler<br />
fiction classics fantasy<br />
historical science fiction<br />
adventurous emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
CLASSICS<br />
Passing by Nella Larsen<br />
fiction classics literary<br />
challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
The Color Purple by Alice<br />
Walker<br />
fiction classics literary<br />
emotional reflective slowpaced<br />
Beloved by Toni Morrison<br />
fiction classics historical<br />
literary magical realism<br />
emotional reflective sad slowpaced
CLASSICS<br />
Giovanni’s Room by James<br />
Baldwin<br />
fiction classics lgbtqia+<br />
emotional reflective sad<br />
medium-paced<br />
Invisible Man by Ralph<br />
Ellison<br />
fiction classics challenging<br />
reflective slow-paced<br />
Things Fall Apart by Chinua<br />
Achebe<br />
fiction classics historical<br />
challenging reflective slowpaced
CLASSICS<br />
Ake: The Years of Childhood<br />
by Wole Soyinka<br />
nonfiction autobiography<br />
biography literary challenging<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
The Joys of Motherhood by<br />
Buchi Emecheta<br />
fiction emotional reflective<br />
slow-paced<br />
Their Eyes Were Watching God<br />
by Zora Neale Hurston<br />
fiction classics feminism<br />
historical emotional reflective<br />
slow-paced
CLASSICS<br />
The Parable of the Sower by<br />
Octavia E. Butler<br />
fiction dystopian speculative<br />
fiction adventurous dark<br />
reflective slow-paced<br />
The Souls of Black Folk by<br />
W.E.B. Du Bois<br />
nonfiction classics history<br />
race challenging informative<br />
reflective slow-paced
ROMANCE<br />
Get a Life Chloe Brown by<br />
Talia Hibbert<br />
fiction romance emotional<br />
funny medium-paced<br />
The Worst Best Man by Mia<br />
Sosa<br />
fiction contemporary romance<br />
emotional funny lighthearted<br />
medium-paced<br />
The Wedding Date by Jasmine<br />
Guillory<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
romance lighthearted fastpaced
ROMANCE<br />
The Boyfriend Project by<br />
Farrah Rochon<br />
fiction contemporary romance<br />
emotional funny lighthearted<br />
fast-paced<br />
Finding Joy by Adriana<br />
Herrera<br />
fiction contemporary lgbtqia+<br />
romance emotional hopeful<br />
lighthearted slow-paced<br />
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa<br />
Cole<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
romance lighthearted slowpaced
ROMANCE<br />
Intercepted by Alexa<br />
Martin<br />
fiction sports lighthearted<br />
medium-paced<br />
Forbidden Promises by<br />
Synthia Williams<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
romance emotional slowpaced<br />
Not the Girl You Marry by<br />
Andie J. Christopher<br />
fiction contemporary<br />
romance emotional<br />
lighthearted slow-paced
ROMANCE<br />
The Sweetest Remedy by<br />
Jane Igharo<br />
fiction contemporary romance<br />
mysterious reflective mediumpaced
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS &<br />
ANTHOLOGIES<br />
Mothership: Tales from<br />
Afrofuturism and Beyond edited by<br />
Bill Campbell and Edward Austin<br />
Hall<br />
fiction fantasy science fiction short<br />
stories adventurous slow-paced<br />
Falling in Love with Hominids<br />
by Nalo Hopkinson<br />
fiction fantasy science fiction<br />
short stories adventurous<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Dark Matter by Sheree<br />
Thomas<br />
fiction fantasy science fiction<br />
short stories adventurous<br />
challenging medium-paced
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS &<br />
ANTHOLOGIES<br />
Black Girl Magic by<br />
Mahogany L Brown<br />
nonfiction childrens<br />
poetry<br />
Black Enough: Stories of Being<br />
Young and Black in America by Ibi<br />
Zoboi<br />
fiction contemporary short stories<br />
young adult emotional reflective<br />
fast-paced<br />
How to Love a Jamaican by<br />
Alexia Arthurs<br />
fiction contemporary short<br />
stories challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS &<br />
ANTHOLOGIES<br />
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from<br />
Around the World, Retold by Bolu<br />
Babalola<br />
fiction fantasy romance short<br />
stories adventurous emotional<br />
fast-paced<br />
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our<br />
Stories, Discovering Ourselves by<br />
Glory Edim<br />
nonfiction essays feminism<br />
informative inspiring reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
Rotten Row by Petina Gappah<br />
fiction short stories<br />
challenging reflective slowpaced
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS &<br />
ANTHOLOGIES<br />
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies<br />
by Deesha Philyaw<br />
fiction contemporary lgbtqia+<br />
literary short stories emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
POETRY AND PLAYS<br />
Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez<br />
Smith<br />
nonfiction lgbtqia+ poetry race<br />
challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Electric Arches by Eve<br />
Ewing<br />
nonfiction literary poetry<br />
emotional reflective slowpaced<br />
The Golden Shovel Anthology: New<br />
Poems Honoring Gwendolyn Brooks<br />
edited by Peter Kahn,<br />
Ravi Shankar and Patricia Smith<br />
nonfiction poetry emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
POETRY AND PLAYS<br />
The Century Cycle by August<br />
Wilson<br />
fiction play challenging<br />
reflective sad slow-paced<br />
The Lion and the Jewel by<br />
Wole Soyinka<br />
fiction literary play<br />
challenging funny reflective<br />
slow-paced<br />
The Black Unicorn: Poems by<br />
Audre Lorde<br />
nonfiction feminism lgbtqia+<br />
poetry challenging emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced
POETRY AND PLAYS<br />
Can I Kick It? by Idris<br />
Goodwin<br />
nonfiction music poetry<br />
challenging reflective slowpaced<br />
PLEASE by Jericho Brown<br />
nonfiction poetry<br />
emotional reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
We Inherit What the Fires Left<br />
by William Evans<br />
nonfiction poetry challenging<br />
emotional reflective slowpaced
YOUNG ADULT<br />
Allegedly by Tiffany D.<br />
Jackson<br />
fiction mystery young adult<br />
dark emotional tense<br />
medium-paced<br />
Ace of Spades by Faridah<br />
Àbíké-Íyímídé<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ thriller young<br />
adult dark mysterious tense<br />
fast-paced<br />
A Blade so Black by L.L.<br />
McKinney<br />
fiction fantasy young adult<br />
adventurous medium-paced
YOUNG ADULT<br />
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn<br />
fiction fantasy young adult<br />
adventurous emotional<br />
mysterious medium-paced<br />
The Poet X by Elizabeth<br />
Acevedo<br />
fiction contemporary poetry<br />
young adult emotional fastpaced<br />
The Hate U Give by Angie<br />
Thomas<br />
fiction contemporary young<br />
adult dark emotional<br />
medium-paced
YOUNG ADULT<br />
The Stars and the Blackness<br />
Between Them by Junauda Petrus<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ magical realism<br />
romance young<br />
adult challenging emotional<br />
hopeful reflective fast-paced<br />
The Passing Playbook by Isaac<br />
Fitzsimmons<br />
fiction contemporary lgbtqia+<br />
young adult emotional<br />
reflective medium-paced<br />
Dread Nation by Justina<br />
Ireland<br />
fiction fantasy historical young<br />
adult adventurous challenging<br />
dark medium-paced
YOUNG ADULT<br />
Children of Blood and Bone by<br />
Tomi Adeyemi<br />
fiction fantasy young adult<br />
adventurous emotional tense<br />
fast-paced<br />
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire<br />
Kann<br />
fiction contemporary lgbtqia+<br />
romance emotional funny<br />
lighthearted medium-paced<br />
Dear Martin by Nic Stone<br />
fiction contemporary race<br />
young adult challenging<br />
emotional reflective fastpaced
YOUNG ADULT<br />
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola<br />
Yoon<br />
fiction contemporary romance<br />
young adult emotional hopeful<br />
lighthearted medium-paced<br />
The Black Flamingo by Dean<br />
Atta<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ poetry young<br />
adult emotional hopeful<br />
reflective fast-paced<br />
The Black God’s Drums by<br />
P. Djeli Clark<br />
fiction fantasy science<br />
fiction adventurous dark<br />
fast-paced
MIDDLE GRADE<br />
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in<br />
the Sky by Kwame Mbalia<br />
fiction fantasy middle grade<br />
adventurous emotional<br />
lighthearted medium-paced<br />
Brown Girl Dreaming by<br />
Jaqueline Woodson<br />
nonfiction memoir poetry<br />
emotional hopeful reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
Genesis Begins Again by<br />
Alicia D. Williams<br />
fiction childrens emotional<br />
medium-paced
MIDDLE GRADE<br />
Black Boy Joy by Kwame<br />
Mbalia<br />
fiction middle grade short<br />
stories hopeful inspiring<br />
lighthearted medium-paced<br />
One Crazy Summer by Rita<br />
Williams-Garcia<br />
fiction young adult<br />
emotional reflective fastpaced<br />
New Kid by Jerry Craft<br />
fiction graphic novel middle<br />
grade emotional reflective<br />
fast-paced
MIDDLE GRADE<br />
Hurricane Child by Kacen<br />
Callender<br />
fiction lgbtqia+ middle grade<br />
emotional hopeful reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
As Brave as You by Jason<br />
Reynolds<br />
fiction childrens emotional<br />
lighthearted medium-paced<br />
My Life and an Ice Cream<br />
Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi<br />
fiction childrens middle<br />
grade science adventurous<br />
slow-paced
MIDDLE GRADE<br />
For Black Girls Like Me by<br />
Mariama J. Lockington<br />
fiction middle grade<br />
challenging emotional<br />
reflective slow-paced
PICTURE <strong>BOOK</strong>S<br />
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice<br />
by Nikki Grimes and Laura<br />
Freeman<br />
nonfiction autobiography<br />
biography childrens emotional<br />
reflective slow-paced<br />
The Undefeated by Kwame<br />
Alexander and Kadir Nelson<br />
nonfiction history poetry<br />
informative reflective slowpaced<br />
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary<br />
Moment by Parker Curry and<br />
Jessica Curry, illustrated by<br />
Brittany Jackson<br />
fiction childrens hopeful inspiring<br />
lighthearted medium-paced
PICTURE <strong>BOOK</strong>S<br />
Lilian’s Right to Vote by Jonah<br />
Winters and Shane W Evans<br />
fiction childrens historical<br />
politics emotional informative<br />
slow-paced<br />
Firebird by Misty Copeland<br />
and Cristopher Myers<br />
fiction art childrens<br />
adventurous slow-paced<br />
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o,<br />
illustrated by Vashti<br />
Harrison<br />
fiction childrens emotional<br />
hopeful inspiring fast-paced
PICTURE <strong>BOOK</strong>S<br />
Mama’s Nightengale by<br />
Edwidge Danticat, illustrated<br />
by Leslie Straub<br />
fiction childrens emotional<br />
hopeful reflective fast-paced<br />
The ABCs of Black History by Rio<br />
Cortez, illustrated by Lauren<br />
Semmer<br />
nonfiction autobiography biography<br />
childrens informative reflective<br />
medium-paced<br />
Sing a Song by Kelly Starling<br />
Lyons, illustrated by Keith<br />
Mallet<br />
fiction art childrens historical<br />
music emotional inspiring<br />
reflective slow-paced
PICTURE <strong>BOOK</strong>S<br />
Little Leaders: Bold Women in<br />
Black History by Vashti Harrison<br />
nonfiction autobiography<br />
biography childrens historical<br />
informative inspiring fast-paced<br />
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in<br />
Black History by Vashti Harrison<br />
and Kwesi Johnson<br />
nonfiction autobiography biography<br />
childrens historical informative<br />
medium-paced
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