Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!
Here in the U.S., February is Black History Month! Another year, another post where I lament the erasure of history by the Trump administration. There’s no end to the irony of this erasure when our country was quite literally built off of the labor of enslaved peoples. This is just somebody’s blog and not some grand antifascist statement, but I can’t help but think that education, and reading in particular, is one of the best ways to combat the government’s erasure of the contributions of Black people in the U.S. And if my post gets just one person who didn’t know about our history to look further, then I feel like I’ve done something good.
This year, I’ve included nonfiction as well as fiction, many of them concerning the often glossed-over history of Black people in this country. But during any month celebrating marginalized people—and every month in the year—it’s so important to go looking for the history that your school, your government, or your peers have left behind. Black people always have been, always are, and always will be an integral part of United States history, from its literary tradition to its very foundation. Denying this is monstrous, and sets a dangerous precedent for the national perception of our country. So, as with every post like this I make: go out and read books by Black authors, and educate yourself about Black history in February and every month!
Below are some links to Instagram, but they provide resources for Black History Month—and every month!
- Proactive ways to celebrate Black History Month, including links to Black-owned businesses, documentaries, and more books
- History Made By Us: 15 Black History Museums to Visit
For my lists from previous years, click below:
NOTE: not all of these books strictly adhere to the genres that I placed them in; a lot of them are fairly genre-bending, especially in the two genre fiction categories. It just goes to show how much of a creative bunch these authors are—we’ve got a lot of authors here who break and bend the rules of fantasy and sci-fi. Also, just for new readers—the “YA” on the cover image is a bit of a misnomer, but once again, I’m too lazy to make a new graphic for it and there’s only so much space for my WordPress media.
Let’s begin, shall we?
THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH (2025 EDITION)
FANTASY:
- Needy Little Things – Channelle Desamours | YA | magical realism, urban fantasy, mystery, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Daughter of the Merciful Deep – Leslye Penelope | Adult | historical fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Somadina – Akwaeke Emezi | YA | LGBTQ+, romance, epic fantasy | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Maid and the Crocodile – Jordan Ifueko* | YA | epic fantasy, disability, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- Fate’s Bane – C.L. Clark | Adult | high fantasy, novella, romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N.K. Jemisin | Adult | high fantasy, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
*NOTE: this novel is set in the Raybearer universe, but is a companion novel that can be understood without reading the original duology.
SCIENCE FICTION:
- The Ephemera Collector – Stacy Nathaniel Jackson | Adult | LGBTQ+, disability, dystopia | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Sky Full of Elephants – Cebo Campbell | Adult | speculative fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Do You Dream of Terra-Two? – Temi Oh | YA | romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions – Nalo Hopkinson | Adult | anthologies/short stories, speculative fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Library of Broken Worlds – Alaya Dawn Johnson | Adult | space fantasy, LGBTQ+, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
REALISTIC FICTION/MYSTERY/THRILLER:
- All the Noise At once – DeAndra Davis | YA | disability, contemporary | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Afrotistic – Kala Allen Omeiza | YA | contemporary, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- If We Were a Movie – Zakiya N. Jamal | YA | LGBTQ+, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- When No One Is Watching – Alyssa Cole | Adult | mystery, thriller, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Trees – Percival Everett | Adult | literary fiction, mystery, thriller | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
NONFICTION:
- All About Love: New Visions – bell hooks | Adult | essays, feminism |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism – Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar | Adult | memoir | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi | Adult | politics | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts – Rebecca Hall | Adult | graphic novel, history |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness – Austin Channing Brown | Adult | memoir |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- A Black Women’s History of the United States – Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross | Adult | history |⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches – Audre Lorde | Adult | memoir, essays, feminism, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir Manifesto – George M. Johnson | YA | memoir, politics, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Inciting Joy: Essays – Ross Gay | Adult | essays, memoir | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of the books on this list, and if so, what did you think of them? What are some of your favorite books by Black authors that you’ve read recently? Let me know in the comments!
Today’s song:
That’s it for this recommendations list! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!
The Bookish Mutant 