The year started bright and positive. People were excited to see what a year that wasn’t 2023 or 2020 might look like. For many of us, 2024 was predicted to be a rebirth, and with that renaissance came a rekindled love for reading. People created virtual book clubs, as well as pages and online groups dedicated to reading. TikTok now has a community called “BookTok” that’s just books all the time.
We at The Lighthouse love books and reading, and there are plenty of books on the market by Black authors. Whether you're looking for a title from your favorite author or searching for something new to get lost in, we’ve got your Top 9 books by Black authors to read in the closing weeks of 2024.
“The Christmas Catch” by Toni Shiloh, ($10.80-$15.99)
A timely read for the holiday season, “The Christmas Catch” centers on the story of Jahleel Walker, an NFL wide receiver benched with a career-ending injury and sent home to heal in Peachwood Bay, Ga. The holiday return home isn't ideal, given Jahleel's rocky relationship with his father, and he gets an even bigger shock when he runs into old flame Lucille "Bebe" Gordon, a mom and divorcee. The connection between them is still strong after eight years, and Bebe doesn't want to risk him leaving her again. But Jahleel has no desire to stay in podunk Peachwood Bay, complete with all its awkward memories. Will their love be a Christmas fling or something bigger?
“Streetlight People” by Charlene Thomas, ($9.99 - $16.62)
This teen and young adult science fiction work centers the small town of Streetlight. People in this flyover town either classify as “have-nots,” like Kady, or “have-lots,” like her boyfriend Nik, who is part of an exclusive club known as The IV Boys. Despite their relationship, The IV Boys have never accepted Kady, with the exception of Aaron, a recent Streetlight import. He fills in for Nik while Nik is away at college, but all Kady really wants is Nik. When she learns how to twist and pause time, Kady abuses the talent to relive her and Nik’s best moments. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows because The IV Boys are gunning for her, and rumors are spreading that she and Aaron are more than friends. The more Kady changes the clock, the more she realizes a dark truth about Streetlight—and herself.
“One of us Knows” by Alyssa Cole, $3.07 - $22.70
Years after a mental breakdown derails the career of a historical preservationist, Kenetria Nash is offered a position as a resident caretaker of a historic home. Her lingering illness left her with dissociative identity disorder, however (complete with several conflicting alter-egos all fighting for dominance inside one embattled head). The old home has been dormant for years, and Kenetria knows this is probably her last chance to recover her career. Her assignment gets complicated by the sudden appearance of a group claiming to be the property’s conservation trust, however, and just in time for a ferocious storm to hit the island. Kenetria is now trapped with a crowd that’s bigger than the one behind her eyebrows. It does not help that a member of the problematic groups is the same creep who triggered her breakdown years ago. And when the man turns up dead, Kenetria quickly becomes the prime suspect. She and her alter egos must band together to prove her innocence and discover the truth of this island, before she loses both career and life.
“Masquerade” by O.O. Sangoyomi, $10.02 - $36.94
Set in a reimagined 15th Century West Africa, “Masquerade” is the story of Òdòdó, whose Timbuktu home is conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland. The new king is a backward fundamentalist who trashes the lives of working women in Òdòdó's blacksmith guild. The situation gets even worse when Òdòdó is kidnapped and taken across the Sahara to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, where she discovers her kidnapper to be the vagrant who visited her guild just days prior. Only now that vagrant is none other than the warrior king, who has chosen her to be his wife. As a result, Òdòdó soars to the height of society after a life of struggle. She discovers her unexpected political savvy in court circles and a talent for planning. And soon begins to align with elaborate schemes and enemies to defy her cruel king, at the risk of her life.
“Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership” by Brea Baker, $19.95 - $35.10
This one's not the average light reading you'll find on our list. This weighty but essential read has author Brea Baker telling the truth of her family's history of land loss in Kentucky and North Carolina. Baker expertly highlights the attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership through the centuries, since colonizers first set foot in Virginia. She also brazenly confronts one of the nation's greatest sins: its massive policy of land theft that widened the racial wealth gap and locked Black and Indigenous communities out of access to wealth and land that was their birthright.
To truly understand the mechanics of race-based poverty in the US, you'll first need to understand the connection between wealth and landownership, and how the nation's leaders expertly funneled land away from certain people.
“God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer” by Joseph Earl Thomas, $9.73 - $38.42
Joseph Thomas is a single father trying to find his way after deployment to the Iraq War. Now a doctoral student and an EMS worker at a hospital in North Philadelphia, he meets new friends and old family, including his estranged father—who is practically a stranger—serving time at Holmesburg Prison for the statutory rape of his then-teenage mother. Meanwhile, Joseph and his best friend Ray—a fellow vet—continue to bond and struggle over their shared experiences of post-war life, the dating scene, parenthood, and crushing disappointment. This book was a finalist for the Center for Fiction “First Novel” prize.
“Black Girl You are Atlas” by Renée Watson, $6.78 - $31.13
This inspiring poetry collection by author Renée Watson is about growing up as a young Black girl in Portland, Oregon. She details her experiences with race, class, and gender through haiku, freestyle and other poetry forms. The book serves as both an effective inspiration and an ode to Black women in her life, and urges all Black girls and women to step into their power.
“Monday's Not Coming” by Tiffany D. Jackson, $1.30 - $22.99
Monday Charles has gone missing, and her best friend Claudia appears to be the only person who is noticing. When her friend fails to show up for the first day of school and in the following days, Claudia realizes something is terribly off. Crazily, Monday's own mother and sister aren’t talking, and as Claudia keeps digging she discovers that no one even remembers the last time they saw Monday. It’s an extreme case of gone girl syndrome, and Claudia isn’t buying that a teenager can vanish without any form of acknowledgement.
“Swift River” by Essie Chambers, $9.04 - $29.99
It’s the summer of 1987 and Diamond Newberry is just now learning how to drive. She and her ma have been hitchhiking everywhere since Pop’s mysterious disappearance seven years ago. His absence, coupled with Diamond's weight and her designation as Swift River’s only Black student, makes her the target of endless teasing. But the biggest torment is the empty space where Pop was supposed to be. Diamond's Ma is on a mission to have Pop declared legally dead so they can collect his life insurance and get the house back from the bank. But a letter from an unexpected relative reveals important details about her Pop and his life. It also introduces her to two generations of Newberry women and the racism, neglect and abuse they suffered. As Diamond's past becomes clear, she begins to hammer out a place within her family and her world. The only question is how will her past change her future?
With social media and the news sending anxiety to high levels, there's no better way to wind down the year than by curling up with a good book by a great author. Turn away from the screen and turn the pages of a book.
Comments