Diverse Reads - My Favorite Books By Women Of Color
At the end of 2018, I made a pledge to myself to start reading for pleasure again after reading parenting and sleep books exclusively for the first three years of motherhood. Since then, I’ve finished 38 books. 36 of those books were by women and 14 by women of color. I’m very proud of those numbers, but I’ve still only scratched the surface of the phenomenal books out there. My “To Be Read” list is miles long and growing longer every day.
Today, I wanted to share my favorite (recent) reads by women of color. I have intentionally not limited this list to Black authors because I think it’s important for all of us to expose ourselves to, and educate ourselves about, all races and cultures. This is especially true when you do not live in a very diverse community. With all of that being said, here are my top 10 diverse reads from the last two years. (In alphabetical order because I couldn’t bring myself to rank them.)
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite // I loved this short novel about a pair of Nigerian sisters, one of whom has “a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.” This book is darkly funny and a quick read.
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown // This is actually the book I’m currently reading (listening to). It’s a memoir about Brown’s experiences as a Black woman in America. I think it’s such an important read because she gives the reader a clear picture of what it’s like to be Black today. Not 100 years ago. It’s harder to ignore these issues when you know they’re happening right this minute. We’re discussing this one in my book club, The Better Together Book Club, later this month. I would love it if you joined us!
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung // This is a beautiful adoption memoir written by an Asian-American woman who was adopted by a white family. It’s a must-read for anyone considering transracial adoption, but those who aren’t will still learn so much from this book.
Dominicana by Angie Cruz // This book was recommended to me by Anne Bogel on the What Should I Read Next podcast. I read it in March and still think about it often. It’s the story of a teenage Dominican girl who is forced into an arranged marriage so that she can ultimately bring her family to America. This is the only book on this list by a Latinx author. If you’ve read, and loved others, please let me know because I want to read more!
A Place for Us by Fateema Farheen Mirza // This is a slow-burn novel about an Indian-American Muslim family living in California. Good Reads describes it as “a moving portrait of what it means to be an American family today, a novel of love, identity and belonging that eloquently examines what it means to be both American and Muslim” and I couldn’t have said it any better than that.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones // Have you ever hated nearly every character in a novel, but still loved the book? That’s me with this one. It’s the story of two newlyweds who are forced apart when the husband is convicted of a crime he did not commit. This book discusses love and loyalty, but also racism and the American justice system. This is a must-read and would be great for a book club.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller // I cheated a little with this one because I haven’t actually finished it (the one thing I dislike about library books!), but I read enough to know that this book belongs on this list and on your bookshelf. It’s the memoir of “Jane Doe,” the victim in the Brock Turner rape case. It’s powerful and important.
Becoming by Michelle Obama // This memoir has 4.55 stars and almost 500,000 ratings on Good Reads and for good reason. This is not a political memoir. It’s the phenomenal life story of a phenomenal woman. I read it, but I heard the audiobook, read by the author herself, is excellent.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum // This novel is about three generations of Palestinian-American women living in New York City. It’s a heartbreaking, but important story about culture and courage, love and violence. My church book club just finished this one and everyone agreed that, although it was hard to read, it is an excellent book.
More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth // This was the first book I read (listened to) in 2020 and it will definitely be on my list for best books I read this year. I’m partial to memoirs in general, but this one in particular caught my eye because the author was the second Black woman ever to be named editor-in-chief at a Condé Nast publication. I loved hearing her story. This will be my go-to graduation gift for years to come.
I would love to hear your favorites!