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Inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter 
protests, many people are buying nonfiction books about anti-racism.
Another way to better understand the lives of Black people is by reading literature, memoirs, and genre fiction by Black authors. Here are some of our recommendations:
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protests, many people are buying nonfiction books about anti-racism.Another way to better understand the lives of Black people is by reading literature, memoirs, and genre fiction by Black authors. Here are some of our recommendations:
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"The Vanishing Half," by @britrbennett is best seller for a reason: It's a deep exploration of race with characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book: https://bookshop.org/books/the-vanishing-half/9780525536291
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"Lakewood," by @megiddings is a fast-paced thriller that combines history and the present, tackling social issues. Think of Get Out as a novel, with some Stephen King and Margaret Atwood thrown into the mix: https://bookshop.org/books/lakewood-9780062913197/9780062913197
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Looking for an inspirational memoir? Try "Broken Places & Outer Spaces," by @Nnedi. Even if you haven’t yet read her fiction, @Nnedi's memoir about how a life-altering spinal surgery brought her to fictional worlds is a brilliant read. https://bookshop.org/books/broken-places-outer-spaces-finding-creativity-in-the-unexpected/9781501195471
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Or maybe pick up "Moving Forward," by @K_JeanPierre. You’ve seen @K_JeanPierre’s strategic mind at work as a political commentator and spokesperson for @MoveOn. In this book, she tells her story about how she got there: https://bookshop.org/books/moving-forward-a-story-of-hope-hard-work-and-the-promise-of-america-original/9781335917836
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"Hunger," by @rgay will bring you into her life in a vulnerable and tender way, showing all the ways we are connected—and disconnected—from our bodies and each other.
https://bookshop.org/books/hunger-a-memoir-of-my-body/9780062420718
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https://bookshop.org/books/hunger-a-memoir-of-my-body/9780062420718
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And we should all be grateful to Edwidge Danticat for sharing her family’s story of war and estrangement in this stunning memoir. Pick this up to learn about Haiti, refugee politics, and the bonds that tie families together. https://bookshop.org/books/brother-i-m-dying/9781400034307
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In "How We Fight For Our Lives," by @theferocity, Jones shares his experience growing up as a Black, gay man in South and searching for acceptance for love. This beautiful and raw memoir explores identity, sexuality, and family.
https://bookshop.org/books/how-we-fight-for-our-lives-a-memoir/9781501132735
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https://bookshop.org/books/how-we-fight-for-our-lives-a-memoir/9781501132735
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And sometimes the best memoirs are irreverent and hilarious. Both of @wordscience’s books are brilliant reads, but her recently-published "Wow, No Thank You" is full of 90s pop culture references and reflections on our current moment.
https://bookshop.org/books/wow-no-thank-you-essays/9780525563488
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https://bookshop.org/books/wow-no-thank-you-essays/9780525563488
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Or maybe pick up a sweeping, historical epic. If you loved "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi, Wayetu Moore's "She Would Be King" can't be missed. SWBK tells the story of Liberia's founding w a dose of mystical realism:
https://bookshop.org/books/she-would-be-king/9781644450017
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https://bookshop.org/books/she-would-be-king/9781644450017
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This intense book from Sara Collins reads like a thriller and is filled with murder, queer representation, and a deep look at race. You will not forget these characters.
https://bookshop.org/books/the-confessions-of-frannie-langton/9780062851895
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https://bookshop.org/books/the-confessions-of-frannie-langton/9780062851895
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If you missed it, “Washington Black," by Esi Edugyan, takes you from the Caribbean to the Arctic to Newfoundland along with a boy born into slavery who travels the world in a deeply moving adventure story that draws out the meaning of freedom & family. https://bookshop.org/books/washington-black/9780525563242
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How about a genre-defying murder mystery?
"My Sister, the Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite defies genres. It’s funny. It’s dark. It’s a mystery. I can honestly say that I’d never read anything quite like it.
https://bookshop.org/books/my-sister-the-serial-killer/9780525564201
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"My Sister, the Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite defies genres. It’s funny. It’s dark. It’s a mystery. I can honestly say that I’d never read anything quite like it.
https://bookshop.org/books/my-sister-the-serial-killer/9780525564201
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And while we're defying genres,"Freshwater," by @azemezi is a magical book that should be required reading for anyone interested in how identity is constructed and the toll being assigned one identity takes on the whole self. https://bookshop.org/books/freshwater-9781684410408/9780802128997
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Sometimes, the shortest stories stick with you the longest. "Who Will Greet You at Home” from Lesley Nneka Amirah's collection "What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky," builds an entire universe in a handful of pages.
https://bookshop.org/books/what-it-means-when-a-man-falls-from-the-sky-stories/9780735211032
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https://bookshop.org/books/what-it-means-when-a-man-falls-from-the-sky-stories/9780735211032
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In "Friday Black," @NK_Adjei keeps with the best tradition of using magic and sci-fi to tackle complicated topics. You'll never look at a Black Friday sale the same way again.
https://bookshop.org/books/friday-black/9781328911247
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https://bookshop.org/books/friday-black/9781328911247
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. @TisforThompson 's collection "The Heads of the Colored People" is packed with heavy stories detailing the Black middle-class experience. She deftly skips genres to explore racism, classism, and all the ways they intersect.
https://bookshop.org/books/heads-of-the-colored-people-stories/9781501168000
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https://bookshop.org/books/heads-of-the-colored-people-stories/9781501168000
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. @AlyssaColeLit's steamy tale of Eliza Hamilton's servant—yes, *that* Eliza—falling in love with a dressmaker during a time when their story would only have been told in whispers.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/that-could-be-enough-alyssa-cole/1128905911?ean=2940155617198
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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/that-could-be-enough-alyssa-cole/1128905911?ean=2940155617198
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Or let @authorMsBev share a history lesson about the Civil War in "Through the Storm" by pulling you into a love story between a woman who frees herself from slavery and a free Black soldier in New Orleans. https://bookshop.org/books/through-the-storm-9780380798643/9780380798643
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Ever wonder why sci-fi is a powerful way to explore social issues? Read @cyborgndroid's "An Unkindness of Ghosts," which takes place on a spaceship 300 yrs in the future, as humanity seeks a new home.
https://bookshop.org/books/an-unkindness-of-ghosts/9781617755880
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https://bookshop.org/books/an-unkindness-of-ghosts/9781617755880
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Don't miss "Who Fears Death," by @Nnedi. This powerful book—full of vengeance and darkness and resilience—is the perfect introduction to her adult fiction.
https://bookshop.org/books/who-fears-death-9781441879882/9780756407285
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https://bookshop.org/books/who-fears-death-9781441879882/9780756407285
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And don’t overlook using monsters as proxies for our current social ills either. Pick up "The Ballad of Black Tom”—a retelling and reclaiming of one of Lovecraft's most racist stories— by @victorlavalle
https://publishing.tor.com/theballadofblacktom-victorlavalle/9780765386618/
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https://publishing.tor.com/theballadofblacktom-victorlavalle/9780765386618/
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For a monster story less likely to make you sleep with the lights on, @colsonwhitehead's "Zone One" is a slow exploration of what happens *after* the zombies are gone. Who gets to survive? Who rebuilds and who benefits?
https://bookshop.org/books/zone-one/9780307455178
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https://bookshop.org/books/zone-one/9780307455178
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Reading with school-age kids? Try @jewell_p_rhodes's "Bayou Magic," a fascinating YA novel that deals with loss, race, and environmental justice with grace, magical realism, and mermaids.
https://bookshop.org/books/bayou-magic/9780316224857
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https://bookshop.org/books/bayou-magic/9780316224857
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What Black authors are you reading? Reply with your suggestions.
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