Staff Picks for Black History Month (and Beyond!)
Black History Month Top Picks
Ally (Owner):
My pick is The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin. This passage is one of my favorites:
“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word “love” here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth.”
― James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
2. I've always been a little bit afraid of poetry. I'm not sure why. Maybe it felt too special for an average day, or too smart for an average me. But June Jordan fixed that. Her poems are special and smart, but they're also for all of us. I'm new to Jordan's work, but I'm looking forward to getting to know her better through this forthcoming collection: The Essential June Jordan (Copper Canyon Press, May 2021).
Angie (Social Media Coordinator/Bookseller):
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: I don't usually read sci-fi and fantasy, but I am so happy I gave this one a shot. I was so invested in the lives of these complex characters in a world that felt both far away and eerily similar to ours. And don't get me started on the plot twists! Jemisin is a legendary storyteller. 10/10, can't recommend enough!
Shannon (Events Admin/Bookseller):
During Black History Month, I just had to recommend one of my favorite new (to me, anyway) YA series. L.L. McKinney’s Nightmare-Verse serves up a retelling of Alice in Wonderland...with a twist. Our fierce heroine rocks some sweet kicks rather than a tiara or princess dress. Training with a banished knight, Alice must ban together with her friends, both mystical and human, to protect our realm from the very real dangers of the Nightmares that prowl at night, negotiate the awkwardness of high school social situations, and, perhaps most importantly, try to make it home before her mom’s strict curfew. The third installment of the series drops in November of this year, so you have plenty of time to get caught up on all of Alice’s adventures, triumphs, and mishaps.
Abby (Floor Manager):
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
I listened to this on audio originally, all four hours of it, in one day and loved it! It's a twisted yet sincere story about sisterhood, modern femininity, and the best way to clean a bloodstain (bleach, bleach, and more bleach). Korede has helped her sister, Ayoola, dispose of three bodies, all ex-boyfriends, who met a bloody end at Ayoola's hands. Korede is concerned, of course, but her hands are as bloody as her sister’s. That is, until Ayoola sets her eyes on a handsome doctor who Korede works with and Korede's loyalties will truly be tested. A short, smart, and heartfelt debut novel, where the setting of Nigeria not only aids in the storytelling but adds a depth we rarely see.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
A modern sibling to the seminal classic Passing by Nella Larsen, The Vanishing Half is a sibling story in and of itself. Stella and Desiree grew up in Mallard, Louisiana, a town specifically meant for black residents with lighter skin, until they run away to New Orleans to find a better life. Years later, Stella passes as white to the point where even her husband and daughter don't know her past and Desiree returns to Mallard with her own daughter, escaping an abusive marriage. This novel not only follows their time-line but jumps forward and back, weaving together all the characters in a beautiful and timely story about race, family, and history.
Emma (Rare Books Assistant):
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is a fascinating and nuanced true story of the flawed American justice system and the systemic racism that infiltrates all facets of life for people of color. This book had me crying at times, laughing at times, but overall it made me believe that change is possible.
While our staff loves the books above, they barely scratch the surface of the wonderful work by BIPOC authors that is available to readers all-year round. Take the time to browse, research, and give new authors a try, then share your new favorites with us on Instagram at @oldtownbooks! #OTBtbr
Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy, Ally Kirkpatrick, Abby Bennsky, Angie Sanchez, and Emma Kiely-Hampson.
Photo by Angie Sanchez.
Blog edited by Shannon McCarthy.