10 fiction books worth reading during Black History Month

These are also worth reading any other time of year!

Several years ago, I realized that while I was reading a wide variety of genres, I was not reading a wide variety of authors. It wasn’t intentional, but I just hadn’t been looking for books written by people who were different from me. I wish now that I had widened my choice of authors long before I did, because now I am playing catch up. Because it’s Black History Month, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite fiction books by Black authors and that have main characters who are Black. Many of them are also historical books, in a way, even if the stories are fictionalized. Next week I’ll share some of my favorite nonfiction books by Black authors.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This book remains one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read by any author. I still can’t get over the fact that this was not only the author’s debut novel but that she wrote it while she was in her 20s. It tells the story of two women and the trajectories their lives take over many decades and generations. It was a little hard to keep the characters straight when listening to the audiobook, but I was able to find a character list online to help!

The Nickel Boys: A Novel by Colson Whitehead

Here’s another book that I still think about years after I read it. I recently got to go see a screening of a new movie based on the book, and while the movie was powerful, I’d still pick the book over it. This book is based on the true story of the Dozier School, a reform school in Florida.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley

You’ve probably heard of this one, but you may not have read it since it is a brick. I still remember listening to this one in the early days of Covid as I tried to soothe our newborn to sleep. There is some controversy over this book because the author presented it as more nonfiction than it turned out to be. But as a fiction book, it belongs in the same category as Homegoing.

An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones

This book is a heartbreaking examination of the effect of a wrongful conviction on a newlywed couple and what happens when the conviction is overturned after many years.

Sing, Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

This book has some hints of magical realism, which is not always my favorite. It follows a 13-year-old Black teen named JoJo as he deals with an absent mother and a father who is in prison.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

The year is 1976, and the main character, Dana, is suddenly transported back in time to pre-Civil War Maryland. This book has many content warnings, but as someone who has lived in the South for 25 years, I think it’s a must read.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Yes, another book by Octavia Butler. This was my first novel by her and I still consider it one of my favorite dystopian / post-apocalyptic books (of which I have read quite a few). It is a subversive take on the genre, with powerful messages about patriarchism and race.

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

This was my first James McBride book, and I need to read more of his work. This book centers around a neighborhood character who suddenly shoots a local drug dealer, and no one can figure out why. This book manages to be funny and serious at the same time.

Behold the Dreamers: A Novel by Imbolo Mbue

This novel follows a couple newly arrived in America from Africa. The husband thinks he has gotten a great job, but little do they know the crash of 2008 is imminent.

James by Percival Everett

I’ve already talked about this one (along with half the reading world). In fact, it was one of my top 10 reads of 2024. It’s a re-telling of the Huck Finn story by Mark Twain from the perspective of Jim, the slave.

Any fiction books by Black authors that I should have on my radar? Let me know!