I'm off work for the day, folks, so let's do this. 1 like = 1 rec of a book by a POC writer
The Wheel of Surya by Jamila Gavin. Together, in 1947, two punjabi indian children separated from their mother by war, make their way to England to find their father. One of my absolute childhood favourites, and not as well known as it should be. amazon.com/Wheel-Surya-Ja…
The Emperor's Babe by Bernadine Evaristo. Daughter of Sudanese immigrants and her love affair with the Roman Emperor, in verse. (Can't find this on US Amazon, what the frack?!) amazon.co.uk/Emperors-Babe-…
Noughts and Crosses by @malorieblackman is a YA I read because the author came to my school. She told us she loved happy endings. SHE LIED. Anyway, it's a classic, read it. amazon.com/Naughts-Crosse…
Jeannie Lin writes wonderful romance set in China, but The Dragon and the Pearl may be my favourite: amazon.com/Dragon-Pearl-J…
Any of Marjorie M Liu's PNR books. They're weird, vicious, gorgeous paranormal romances. Try RED HEART OF JADE. This book has everything: dragons, reincarnation, magic jewels, a hero suspiciously like Dean Winchester... amazon.com/Red-Heart-Jade…
Mosquito by Roma Tearne has beautiful prose and romance and ART and not enough of you have read this gorgeous Sri Lankan story of war and love. goodreads.com/book/show/1052…
Let's move to some more recent books! THE CITY OF BRASS by SA Chakraborty is now one of my favourite books of all time: djinn and Islamic history, cultural and mythology. My heart can't take it: goodreads.com/book/show/3271…
Sorry this went super quiet for a bit because I went to the pub. 😂 HOLY HELL THAT'S A LOT OF LIKES.
To make up for my absence here's a rec for lots of authors at once: THE GOOD IMMIGRANT, an anthology of writing by POC authors including Nikesh Shukla, Riz Ahmed and Renni Eddo-Lodge, and a damn good read. goodreads.com/book/show/2866…
On the theme of british POC authors (you may have noticed I like them? idk) Hanif Kureishi's THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA is another dizzy, clever classic that captures its time: goodreads.com/book/show/3029…
No list would be complete without Zadie Smith - I'm going to be contrary and recommend her book of essays CHANGING MY MIND, instead of her (also wonderful) books: goodreads.com/book/show/6425…
One of Zadie Smith's essays discusses THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston which is just... a beautiful, world-changing book. One of my absolute favourites: goodreads.com/book/show/3741…
THE LIBRARY OF FATES by Aditi Khorana. YA Indian fantasy, what an *ending* guys. goodreads.com/book/show/3276…
THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X. R. Pan is the most recent novel to make me cry. Grief, depression, and the power of love and family. goodreads.com/book/show/3560…
THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN by Roshani Chokshi. The Hindu mythos meets Persephone and Hades YA novel the world didn't deserve: goodreads.com/book/show/2520…
THE POPPY WAR by R.F. Kuang. A recent adult grimdark fantasy, inspired by the grimmest of grim real 20th century. Proceed with caution. It's GREAT. goodreads.com/book/show/3506…
UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN by Jeannette Ng. Do you like the Brontes? Gothic fiction? Theology? Creepy fae? Hey, this book is meant for you: goodreads.com/book/show/3464…
JADE CITY by Fonda Lee. Gangsters, martial arts, magic jade. I'm low-key obsessed with it: goodreads.com/book/show/3460…
hey guys how about poetry? you like poetry right? Warsan Shire's TEACHING MY MOTHER HOW TO GIVE BIRTH is so brutal and perfect it cuts right to your soul. Also, Beyonce used her poetry in Lemonade, so... goodreads.com/book/show/1337…
NIGHT SKY WITH EXIT WOUNDS by Ocean Vuong. Poetry so heart-rending it feels like a punch to the gut, but good. goodreads.com/book/show/2384…
I don't know how well ANITA AND ME by Meera Syal is known outside of Britain, but if you want a portrait of a British Asian childhood - which obviously you do - then this is for you: goodreads.com/book/show/4833…
THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevdeo is a novel in verse about a teenage girl and her fraught relationship with art, her body and her mother: goodreads.com/book/show/3329…
Time for romance! THE GOVERNESS AFFAIR is a great jumping off point for Courtney Milan's historical romances, which are brave and compassionate and just lovely: goodreads.com/book/show/1319…
INDIGO by the romance powerhouse Beverly Jenkins - the romance between a woman who escaped slavery & a conductor on the underground railroad goodreads.com/book/show/3473…
Want more contemporary romance? Try A PRINCESS IN THEORY by Alyssa Cole goodreads.com/book/show/3527…
Nalini Singh is rightly famous for her paranormal romances about psychics and shapeshifters, starting with SLAVE TO SENSATION: goodreads.com/book/show/1784…
I realise this list has a looot of genres. Almost like POC write a vast range of stuff idk. 🤷🏾♀️ Anyway. Queer Somali short stories by Diriye Osman, FAIRYTALES FOR LOST CHILDREN goodreads.com/book/show/1827…
THE MURDERS OF MOLLY SOUTHBOURNE by Tade Thompson: goodreads.com/book/show/3441…
I'm only at 25 recs are you *sure* you really want almost 100 recs?!
I'm only at 25 recs are you *sure* you really want almost 100 recs?!
AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, sweeping intimate literary epic about the USA and Nigeria goodreads.com/book/show/1579…
EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU by Celeste Ng is another literary novel that's epic in its intimacy, somehow goodreads.com/book/show/1869…
I have conflicted feelings about this book, but it is an intense portrait of the dark side of immigrant experience in the UK - THE YEAR OF THE RUNAWAYS by Sunjeev Sahota goodreads.com/book/show/1782…
THE SERPENT'S SECRET by Sayantani Dasgupta is awesome Bengali folklore MG goodreads.com/book/show/3261…
Okay. I need to sleep. So we're going to have to put a premature end to this, alas! Suffice to say, there are lots of POC authors writing lots of different things, and it would take a lifetime or more to rec every brilliant book out there.
I can't resist. Here are a few more recs. THE KILLING MOON is not one of NK Jemisin's most famous books, but it's been a huge inspiration with me, with blood magic and an egyptian-esque fantasy world: goodreads.com/book/show/1177…
THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON by Saladin Ahmed was one of the first fantasies I ever read that drew from an Islamic tradition. Very cool, very fun: goodreads.com/book/show/1148…
THE DEVOURERS by Indra Das comes with soooo many trigger warnings, but it's a weird vicious ugly beauty. Also, a fantasy with Mughal influences: goodreads.com/book/show/2724…
An autobiography rec now, because I'd kick myself if I didn't highlight this book: REDEFINING REALNESS by Janet Mock is her memoir of growing up trans in difficult circumstances: goodreads.com/book/show/1814…
