3 Books By Authors of Color That Are #WickedGoodReads

One thing I strongly believe in is reading diversely – reading across genres, the familiar, unfamiliar and books written by authors of from different backgrounds, regions and ethnicities. I participate in #Diversiverse every October, in order to highlight some of my favorite books (in particular, speculative fiction reads), written by authors of color.

Ghost Summer, Tananarive Due

I just finished reading this book of short stories, and it is freaking fantastic. From the very st one to the last, you will be enraptured. I also like the author’s touch of writing a note at the end of each story which says something about her inspiration or where it was previously published.

In her debut collection of short fiction, Due takes us to Gracetown, a small Florida town that has both literal and figurative ghost; into future scenarios that seem all too real; and provides empathetic portraits of those whose lives are touched by Otherness.

Zone One, Colson Whitehead

This is one of my favorite zombie books. The author creates this post-apocalyptic World that is very realistic, and focuses on the struggles of the characters to survive and re-build a society.

Mark Spitz is a member of one of the civilian teams work­ing in lower Manhattan. Alternating between flashbacks of Spitz’s desperate fight for survival during the worst of the zombie outbreak and his present narrative, the novel unfolds over three surreal days, as it depicts the mundane mission of straggler removal, the rigors of Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder, and the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world.

Dark Genesis, A.D. Kaboah

This is one beautiful and well written books. It’s unbelievable that it’s available for FREE at Amazon (get it now please). Technically, I suppose this is a paranormal romance book, and boy can Kaboah write!I didn’t expect to see such detail about slavery AND the paranormal AND the romance aspect, but Kaboah masterfully navigates these elements and brings forth a brilliant story.

Life for a female slave is one of hardship and unspeakable sorrow, something Luna knows only too well. But not even she could have foreseen the terror that would befall her one sultry Mississippi evening in the summer of 1807. On her way back from a visit to see the African woman, a witch who has the herbs Luna needs to rid her of her abusive master’s child, she attracts the attention of a deadly being that lusts for blood. Forcibly removed from everything she knows by this tormented otherworldly creature, she is sure she will be dead by sunrise.

And, honorable mention to Fledgling, Octavia Butler – which I haven’t read, but I’ve seen the glowing review from BookPunk and so it’s probably super awesome in a “I need to read it right now” kind of way.

Have you read any of these books? What would you add to the list?

(Photo Credit: Jonathon Kos-Read / Flickr)