What’s on your reading list for this month? I just added these six great books to read for my monthly book list! Featuring James Baldwin, African American women writers, and more! Keep reading to see what’s on my March book list.

I’ve been trying to make it a monthly goal to read at least two books each month. In the past, I let life and work keep me so busy that I neglected reading regularly.

When I was a teenager and a young adult in college, I read all of the time. I’d love to get back to that routine because reading always made me feel so happy and connected.

Do you feel that way, too, when you read on a regular basis?

HERE ARE A FEW BOOKS TO READ THIS MARCH

SIX BOOKS TO READ THIS MARCH
An American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

Written by Lauren Wilkinson, An American Spy is a thriller that was inspired by true events about Thomas Sankara, known as “Africa’s Che Guevara”. Good Read’s calls An American Spy “a gripping spy thriller, a heartbreaking family drama, and a passionate romance.”

The novel is formatted as a letter in which Marie, the main character, writes to her twin sons. The setting of the story is in 1986 during The Cold War. As a young black woman working in a male-dominated field, Marie faces challenges in her career.

Marie Mitchell is an FBI intelligence officer who is given an opportunity to join a task force whose mission is to take down Thomas Sankara. Although she believes the only reason why she was selected for the job is because of her race, Marie accepts the position to escape her dull desk job.

The novel is a page-turner and even has a love story. Action, drama, mystery, and romance– how can we resist?!

SIX BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ THIS MONTH
Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Writer Nafissa Thompson-Spires shares a collection of vignettes that are funny, moving, and sometimes a little dark. The stories focus on social pressures such as Black identity and political identity, such as:

  • A new mother and funeral singer driven to madness with grief for young black boys who have fallen victim to gun violence
  • A teen who struggles with her upper middle class upbringing and her longing to connect with Black culture

Here’s a terrific article by NPR about Thompson-Spires’ novel.

BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
Passage by Khary Lazarre-White

Oprah Winfrey praised Khary Lazarre-White‘s novel saying, “Khary is using his passion to uplift and inspire a next generation.”

Passage takes place in the early 90s and focuses on the character Warrior in Harlem and Brooklyn. Similar to Heads of the Colored People, this novel also explores racial identity. Warrior finds himself battling the demons of the system of oppression, spirits of his ancestors, and even his own mind.

“Though the story told in Passage takes place in 1993, there is a striking parallel between Warrior’s experience and the experiences of black male youth today, since nothing has really changed. Every memory in the novel is the memory of thousands of black families. Every conversation is a message both to those still in their youth and those who left their youth behind long ago. Passage is a novel for then and now.”

THE PORTABLE NINETEENTH-CENTURY AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WRITERS
The Portable Nineteenth-Century African American Women Writers by Hollis Robbins and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

This anthology features forty-nine African American women writers from before, during, and after the Civil War. Writers such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Jacobs, and Ella Sheppard are featured in the book.

The collection is divided into sections:

  • Memoir
  • Poetry
  • Essays on feminism and education

Various topics are explored such as the abolition, women’s suffrage, and civil rights.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’ve seen quite a few of my friends share social media posts about reading Daisy Jones & The Six. It has now sparked my interest in checking out the novel!

This book is a fictional depiction of an iconic 1970s rock band and their beautiful lead singer Daisy. The novel chronicles the life of Daisy and how she becomes the lead vocalist of the rock group The Six and then ultimately the story behind the group’s infamous breakup.

Naturally, the rock and roll lifestyle of sex, drugs, and identity are explored in the novel. I mean, it is the 70s rock era!

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

Of course, this isn’t a new release, but it is a classic that I have been waiting to read for quite some time. I love the work of James Baldwin and I mention him frequently on my Instagram Stories.

If Beale Street Could Talk is a novel about 19-year-old Tish and Fonny, her boyfriend and father of her child. Fonny is falsely accused of a crime and sent to prison. Tish and Fonny’s families work hard to clear Fonny’s name. As Fonny’s future is uncertain, the couple experience a mix of emotions such as affection, despair, and hope.

Baldwin’s novel was also turned into a film last year. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the movie starred KiKi Layne, Stephan James, and Regina King (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the film).

Do you have any book recommendations you would add to the list?


ALSO, CHECKOUT ON THE BLOG:

Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].