Writers Gotta Read, Right? — Black History Month

February is Black History month, and, whoops, we are already well into the month (which is short to begin with). So let’s get busy and list some lists and read some books!

• From NetGalley’s “We Are Bookish” site: #ReadingBlackout: 29 Books to Read This Black History Month (Side note: I’m particularly happy to see Attica Locke—an incredible mystery/thriller writer—included in this list)
• Audible provides Mysteries & Thrillers for Black History Month (Of course, you can always look for these titles in their paper or ebook formats, as well)
• Epic Reads has 44 YA Books You Need to Read—Especially During Black History Month 
• For more books than you’ll ever have time for, Goodread's Listopia has 2,155 titles shelved on Black History Month Books
• If you need a list that’s a bit more manageable in size, Listopia’s 2021 Black History Month Recommendations has 22 titles recommended by The Connecticut Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA-CT) 
• The Public Library of Brookline has pull-down lists of books focused on “friendship, family, and romance” for adults, teens, tweens, and children right here.

Photo by Alyssa Sieb

You might want to explore the Brookline Library site for other Black-History-Month themed lists, including Biography and Memoir, and Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Speaking of the latter... 

• ...Boston.com offers 5 Black science fiction and fantasy books to read
• For the young’uns, check out Save the Children’s Staff Picks for Black History Month: 19 Books Celebrating Black Children
• Finally, what may be my favorite list of the bunch, San Jose Public Library's Black History Month: A Look at Graphic Novels

If you have any favorite authors or books you’d like to give a shout-out to (Stacey Abrams/Selena Montgomery, anyone??), please do so in the comments below. Wishing you all good books to read and plenty of time to read them through February and beyond! 

Ann Parker authors the award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks. During the day, she wrangles words for a living as a science editor/writer and marketing communications specialist (which is basically a fancy term for "editor/writer"). Her midnight hours are devoted to scribbling fiction. Visit AnnParker.net for more information.