Take Ten: New Fiction by Black Women Writers

It’s late February, which is Black History Month, and as we leap into March, which is Women’s History Month, this weekend, we thought it was a good time to highlight both with a look at new titles by black women. Some will be familiar – Zora Neale Hurston, Mildred Taylor, N.K. Jemisin – but many may be new to you. And, whatever genre is your favorite, you might just find a new go-to author! (Annotations are courtesy of NoveList Plus. Log in to NoveList Plus for more great book information.)

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All the Days Past, All the Days to Come – Mildred D. Taylor

• A long-awaited conclusion to the story that began in the Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry finds young adult Cassie Logan searching for a sense of belonging before joining the civil rights movement in 1960s Mississippi.

Butterfly – Ashley Antoinette

• Morgan Atkins has always been a spoiled girl and she tries to have it all, but when she’s forced to choose between a good man and a bad boy, someone will end up hurt. Someone just may end up dead.

The City We Became – N.K. Jemisin

• This first book of an exciting new series by the Hugo award-winning author takes readers into the dark underbelly of New York City where a roiling, ancient evil stirs in the halls of power, threatening to destroy the city and her six newborn avatars.

The Girl with the Louding Voice – Abi Daré

• Adunni, a 14-year-old Nigerian girl who longs for an education, must find a way for her voice to be heard loud and clear in a world where she and other girls like her are taught to believe, through words and deeds, that they are nothing.

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance – Zora Neale Hurston

• Featuring eight lesser-known stories, a collection of Harlem Renaissance tales by the revered folklorist and author of Their Eyes Were Watching God explores subjects ranging from class and migration to racism and sexism.

It’s Not All Downhill from Here – Terry McMillan

• Confident that her best days are still ahead, a successful businesswoman relies on close friends and her resourcefulness when an unexpected loss turns her world upside down.

Lakewood – Megan Giddings

• Forced to drop out of school to help support her family, Lena takes a lucrative job as a secret laboratory subject before devastating side effects make her question how much she can sacrifice.

Remembrance – Rita Woods

• Looks at present-day Ohio, 1791 Haiti, and 1857 New Orleans, in which house girl Margot is sold just before her 18th birthday and her promised freedom, and, desperate, she escapes and tries to find Remembrance, a rumored stop on the Underground Railroad.

Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid

• A story about race and privilege is centered around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

They All Fall Down – Rachel Howzell Hall

• Delighted by a surprise invitation, Miriam Macy sails off to a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico with six other strangers. Danger lurks in the lush forest and in the halls and bedrooms of the lonely mansion. Sporadic cell-phone coverage and miles of ocean keeps the group trapped in paradise. Strange accidents stir suspicions, as one by one…they all fall down.

 

 

 

Choose Your Own Adventure Books for Grownups!

Remember those “CYOA” books you read as a kid? You know the ones – there’s a setup, like you’re in a hot air balloon, or about to step inside a previously-unknown pyramid, or paddling down the Yukon. Then, a choice has to be made and the rest of the story follows from those choices. Those books could be read with a hundred permutations – some with happy endings and some in quicksand.

Fortunately, you don’t have to stop reading them just yet. Here are a few crafted especially for adults. Grab one for a day of making choices that don’t have consequences! (Annotations are from NoveList Plus – log in with your TFPL card for more great book resources!)

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Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? – Max Brallier

• Imagines a world beset by a gory zombie apocalypse and invites readers to make decisions about survival, heroism, and morality.

Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure – Emma Campbell Webster

• A delightful, hilarious, romantic romp through Austen-land: all of the landmarks, halls, gentlemen callers, and sisters playing whist you could ever imagine.

Million Little Mistakes – Heather McElhatton

• This multiple-choice book begins with the simple question, “What would you do if you won the lottery?” and asks readers to make a series of decisions that lead to different sections of the book and to completely different outcomes.

My Lady’s Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel – Kitty Curran

• The romance novel that lets you pick your path, follow your heart, and find happily ever after. You are the plucky but penniless heroine in the center of eighteenth-century society, courtship season has begun, and your future is at hand.

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography – Neil Patrick Harris

• The Emmy Award-winning star of How I Met Your Mother shares his experiences as a child star, Broadway performer and father in an over-the-top, humorous account creatively designed in the style of the popular interactive adventure series.