Books to Celebrate Black History Month

Skimm HQ’s celebrating Black History Month by featuring some of our favorite African American writers. Here are some books at the top of our list…

For when you need a new favorite read...

"Sing, Unburied, Sing" by Jesmyn Ward is it. It follows a family with a black mom and white dad, as the kids go pick up dad from prison. The road trip does not go smoothly. Ward’s writing style has been compared to Toni Morrison. And she’s picked up not one, but two National Book Awards.

For when you're in the mood for real talk...

Read "Hunger" by Roxane Gay. This book gets physical. Gay – considered a GOAT writer of her generation – writes about her rape, her complicated relationship with her body, and more. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll read it quickly.

For when you can't decide between history or fiction...

Have both with "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi. This read follows an African American family through centuries, through everything from the slave trade to the Civil War to the jazz clubs of Harlem. When the draft of this book was in, it set off a big-time bidding war among publishers. Oh, and Gyasi was 26-years-old at the time. NBD.

For when you can't take another V-Day display at the drugstore...

Gabrielle Union is here. Tuck into her collection of essays, "We're Going to Need More Wine." She tackles what it’s like to be a woman in Hollywood, working with Heath Ledger, supporting an ex that doesn’t deserve her, and much more. Brr it’s insightful in here.

For when you want a #tbt...

"Behold the Dreamers" by Imbolo Mbue will take you back to NYC right before the financial crisis. It’s about an immigrant couple going through the process of getting American citizenship. They get jobs working for a wealthy, NYC socialite family, right as everything starts unraveling. It's "The Help" meets "Too Big To Fail" meets the read that'll make you forget all about your morning commute.

PS: Amazon is an affiliate partner, which means if you buy anything, theSkimm may get something in return.