March is all about Classic Women, but before we totally switch gears, here are few more recommendations for our theme for February, Black Women Authors.

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Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

I had Binti on my TBR since it won the Hugo award a couple year ago. But it wasn't until my internet went out for a few days and I needed to kill some time that I finally picked it up. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?! I absolutely loved this novella and immediately picked up Binti Home. Okorafor has such amazing world building, and her protagonist, Binti, is well-rounded and fully fleshed out. The last book in the trilogy, The Night Masquerade, just came out, and my library hasn't purchased a copy yet. I may just have to order copies of the trilogy for myself. - K

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This book absolutely blew me away. One night, while visiting Roy's family, Celestial and Roy are awoken in the middle of the night at their hotel by the police. Roy has been falsely accused of raping a woman at the hotel. Celestial and Roy were recently married and had their whole lives ahead of them, but now the future does not look like they hoped. A gripping, important read told from three perspectives, An American Marriage is a brutal look at the American justice system and how prison affects more than just the accused. - A

Temper by Nicky Drayden

I loved Nicky Drayden's debut novel, The Prey of Gods, so when I heard about her next novel, Temper, I knew I needed it on my TBR. But temper isn't out until August! Ah! I'm not sure I can stand to wait that long. If you wonder why I'm so excited about it, here's the first part of the book's description:

Two brothers.
Seven vices.
One demonic possession.
Can this relationship survive?

Where's the preorder button? - K

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & asha bandele

I've heard nothing but good things about this book by the women who started #BlackLivesMatter. These are incredible women and I'm looking forward to jumping into the story behind the news headlines. - A

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

My latest audiobook is Freshwater, which starts out with a little girl possessed by two spirits. The author, Akwaeke Emezi, narrates the book herself, which gives a special feel to the story. Every and tone and inflection is how the author imagined it, which helps me wrap my brain around the book's plot. Admittedly, the story can get a little confusing with the first section being narrated by the two spirits, but this story captures your attention and doesn't let go. Why are these spirits trapped in this child's body? What's going to happen to the girl? These are the questions that keep me reading what's destined to be a fascinating story. - K

This Mournable Body: A Novel by Tsitsi Dangarembga

This book won't be out until August, but as soon as I read the blurb, I stacked it. It's the story of Tambudzai, a young woman trying to make her way in Nigeria. But this is the part that got me, "As a last resort, Tambudzai takes an ecotourism job that forces her to return to her parents’ impoverished homestead. It is this homecoming, in Dangarembga’s tense and psychologically charged novel, that culminates in an act of betrayal, revealing just how toxic the combination of colonialism and capitalism can be." Can't wait to read it later this year! - A

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