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TikTok and its influence on reading culture and book popularity is inextricable. And while the social media platform has succeeded in bolstering the works of white authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, #blackbooktok is here to remind us all that Black-authored books are incredibly worthy of our attention.
I had the opportunity to correspond with six Black book lovers and content creators who have been carving out a corner of the literary world for themselves and others like them. They revealed some of their latest favorite reads by Black writers, powerful books that span genres and writing styles, but converge on one crucial plane — that they are essential reading.
Read on to learn more about books like Alyssa Cole’s thriller, which homes in on the terror of gentrification, and A.E. Valdez’s romance, which celebrates the joy of Black love.
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system and its ongoing ties to racism and the destabilization of Black and brown men.
“I recommend [this book] due to the historical context wedged into the storyline, leading readers to discover the devastating atrocities that have taken place in America through the education and prison industry. ‘The Nickel Boys’ will certainly make you cry for the characters and strive for change.” — Dawnshaeé Reid, essayist TikTok: @introtoeclecticism
“It’s a story about two half sisters in Africa and every chapter is about one of their descendants. I recommend that book because it’s just a great book that shows you how much black people’s history, money and resources was lost through the years. Now some may say that sounds depressing, but it just showed me how resilient we are as a people and it gave me more motivation to make sure our stories and history don't get lost.” — Anthony “Da Kidd P.G.” Bagley, show developer and founder of Black Kidds Read Too, a book platform that advocates for people to read from a diverse range of book genres and authors. TikTok: @blackkiddsreadtoo
“Romance is my genre of choice, but ‘When No One is Watching’ makes a strong case for a thriller! This story is fiction, but there will be many moments when you try to convince yourself what happened to this Brooklyn community isn't happening in real life all over the country.” — Talia Cadet, TikTok:@taliacadet
“This book is so much more than just a love story. It’s about loss, friendship, navigating grief and so much more! I love Black romance because there’s something so special about seeing yourself and your experience in stories where the characters get that happily ever after that everyone dreams of. Quinn and Kyrell in this book are everything and more, and I’ve never related to two characters more.” — Ayanna Marshay, TikTok: @ayannamarshay
“Chinelo Okparanta delivers in these pages a stunning portrayal of love, friendship, family and the trials and tribulations of womanhood - all set against the backdrop of a Nigeria struggling to recover from a divisive civil war that had left scars on the nation. Under The Udala Trees is both a beautifully crafted coming of age story and a book about the healing power of love. It’s one of those books that will break your heart - then give you hope in humanity.” — Nokukhanya Ntsaluba, TikTok: @prettyxbookishreads
“It’s a sweet romcom with two black main characters whose main problems are romance and work-related issues. I always think it’s nice to have an escape from racial trauma and just be able to envelop myself in that world. Black people deserve more romantic comedies and sweet romances, so I make sure to get as many readers as I can into the genre of ‘black fluffy romances’.” — Racquel Smith, TikTok: @rockyreads