Best African American Books (1075 books)

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1	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.28 avg rating — 769,337 ratings score: 26,824, and 274 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 3.99 avg rating — 398,254 ratings score: 25,191, and 259 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Born To Rise: A Journey From Setbacks To Comebacks and Lessons Learned by Lorna Blake (Goodreads Author) 4.95 avg rating — 22 ratings score: 23,200, and 232 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Beloved by Toni Morrison 3.99 avg rating — 509,818 ratings score: 19,910, and 204 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X 4.37 avg rating — 298,170 ratings score: 19,420, and 199 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 3.92 avg rating — 205,982 ratings score: 16,912, and 174 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) by Maya Angelou 4.30 avg rating — 595,226 ratings score: 14,900, and 155 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 4.14 avg rating — 317,823 ratings score: 13,818, and 145 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Kindred by Octavia E. Butler 4.31 avg rating — 290,421 ratings score: 12,037, and 127 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Native Son by Richard Wright 4.05 avg rating — 107,351 ratings score: 11,667, and 123 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 3.86 avg rating — 114,513 ratings score: 9,545, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 4.17 avg rating — 133,682 ratings score: 9,405, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass 4.14 avg rating — 138,170 ratings score: 8,530, and 91 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 3,081,684 ratings score: 7,650, and 81 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Black Boy by Richard Wright 4.09 avg rating — 56,561 ratings score: 7,123, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois 4.31 avg rating — 45,815 ratings score: 7,092, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley 4.45 avg rating — 166,150 ratings score: 6,981, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin 4.55 avg rating — 128,630 ratings score: 6,583, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Sula by Toni Morrison 4.06 avg rating — 132,964 ratings score: 6,564, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor 4.20 avg rating — 22,077 ratings score: 6,358, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Push by Sapphire (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 60,318 ratings score: 6,255, and 68 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines 3.99 avg rating — 65,630 ratings score: 6,064, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Collected Poems by Langston Hughes 4.36 avg rating — 18,407 ratings score: 6,000, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin 4.06 avg rating — 86,741 ratings score: 5,707, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Logans, #4) by Mildred D. Taylor 3.91 avg rating — 131,563 ratings score: 5,620, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,369,545 ratings score: 5,616, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah 4.46 avg rating — 44,425 ratings score: 4,757, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Passing by Nella Larsen 3.91 avg rating — 85,274 ratings score: 4,065, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur 4.60 avg rating — 33,120 ratings score: 4,008, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin 4.34 avg rating — 288,746 ratings score: 3,949, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington 4.11 avg rating — 36,779 ratings score: 3,833, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 4.40 avg rating — 374,713 ratings score: 3,817, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs 4.18 avg rating — 59,376 ratings score: 3,748, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 232,901 ratings score: 3,605, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1) by Octavia E. Butler 4.18 avg rating — 291,021 ratings score: 3,579, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Known World by Edward P. Jones 3.84 avg rating — 46,167 ratings score: 3,414, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Paradise (Beloved Trilogy, #3) by Toni Morrison 3.87 avg rating — 29,905 ratings score: 3,388, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde 4.53 avg rating — 42,398 ratings score: 3,252, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Cane River by Lalita Tademy (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 50,920 ratings score: 3,174, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill 4.47 avg rating — 92,891 ratings score: 3,072, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Jazz (Beloved Trilogy, #2) by Toni Morrison 3.91 avg rating — 40,237 ratings score: 3,065, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 824,260 ratings score: 2,974, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 121,337 ratings score: 2,967, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin 4.11 avg rating — 70,219 ratings score: 2,963, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 3.92 avg rating — 246,346 ratings score: 2,923, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins, #1) by Walter Mosley 3.86 avg rating — 31,450 ratings score: 2,910, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson 4.49 avg rating — 10,282 ratings score: 2,856, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks 4.51 avg rating — 20,141 ratings score: 2,718, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde 4.40 avg rating — 24,771 ratings score: 2,688, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin 4.36 avg rating — 25,638 ratings score: 2,609, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange 4.29 avg rating — 34,889 ratings score: 2,578, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Selected Poems by Langston Hughes 4.31 avg rating — 8,525 ratings score: 2,543, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 136,091 ratings score: 2,540, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. 4.72 avg rating — 9,097 ratings score: 2,523, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker 4.04 avg rating — 15,133 ratings score: 2,498, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Your Blues Ain't Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell 4.23 avg rating — 7,544 ratings score: 2,489, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes 4.47 avg rating — 5,708 ratings score: 2,444, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 7,078,371 ratings score: 2,407, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Wild Seed (Patternist, #1) by Octavia E. Butler 4.20 avg rating — 41,405 ratings score: 2,353, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup 4.23 avg rating — 126,752 ratings score: 2,353, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Another Country by James Baldwin 4.30 avg rating — 36,801 ratings score: 2,329, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines 4.17 avg rating — 14,366 ratings score: 2,287, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 4.31 avg rating — 423,696 ratings score: 2,285, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Jubilee by Margaret Walker 4.38 avg rating — 7,237 ratings score: 2,268, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man by James Weldon Johnson 3.93 avg rating — 11,597 ratings score: 2,154, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	An Autobiography by Angela Y. Davis 4.45 avg rating — 11,203 ratings score: 2,091, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. 4.57 avg rating — 2,476 ratings score: 2,021, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano 3.74 avg rating — 15,121 ratings score: 2,021, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Mama Day by Gloria Naylor 4.19 avg rating — 11,471 ratings score: 2,008, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 171,207 ratings score: 2,004, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King Jr. 4.34 avg rating — 24,415 ratings score: 1,997, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Fences (The Century Cycle, #6) by August Wilson 3.89 avg rating — 31,570 ratings score: 1,941, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Street by Ann Petry 4.28 avg rating — 14,110 ratings score: 1,852, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Cane by Jean Toomer 3.82 avg rating — 11,780 ratings score: 1,826, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin 4.36 avg rating — 5,071 ratings score: 1,809, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston 4.11 avg rating — 8,451 ratings score: 1,713, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker 4.09 avg rating — 15,905 ratings score: 1,647, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips 4.38 avg rating — 18,470 ratings score: 1,639, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	To Be Young, Gifted and Black: A Memoir with an Introduction by James Baldwin by Lorraine Hansberry 4.42 avg rating — 2,842 ratings score: 1,549, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander 4.52 avg rating — 119,993 ratings score: 1,515, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington 4.43 avg rating — 10,583 ratings score: 1,507, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown 4.28 avg rating — 9,223 ratings score: 1,476, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Tumbling by Diane McKinney-Whetstone (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 3,669 ratings score: 1,428, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Parable of the Talents (Earthseed, #2) by Octavia E. Butler 4.32 avg rating — 91,813 ratings score: 1,414, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Waiting to Exhale (Waiting to Exhale, #1) by Terry McMillan (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 18,474 ratings score: 1,389, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Lilith's Brood (Xenogenesis, #1-3) by Octavia E. Butler 4.37 avg rating — 22,558 ratings score: 1,382, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	A Mercy by Toni Morrison 3.77 avg rating — 34,003 ratings score: 1,313, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Sugar (Sugar Lacey, #1) by Bernice L. McFadden (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 10,952 ratings score: 1,297, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	I Love Myself When I Am Laughing And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean & Impressive by Zora Neale Hurston 4.42 avg rating — 2,595 ratings score: 1,293, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Best of Simple: Stories by Langston Hughes 4.39 avg rating — 1,514 ratings score: 1,267, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches by Clayborne Carson 4.62 avg rating — 1,205 ratings score: 1,168, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Price of the Ticket: Collected Nonfiction, 1948-1985 by James Baldwin 4.66 avg rating — 710 ratings score: 1,156, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Gone Fishin' (Easy Rawlins, #6) by Walter Mosley 3.90 avg rating — 3,199 ratings score: 1,154, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver 3.97 avg rating — 14,824 ratings score: 1,144, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Erasure by Percival Everett 4.16 avg rating — 35,192 ratings score: 1,140, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1) by Angie Thomas (Goodreads Author) 4.45 avg rating — 1,038,034 ratings score: 1,071, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	A Little Yellow Dog (Easy Rawlins, #5) by Walter Mosley 4.07 avg rating — 4,765 ratings score: 1,067, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler 3.78 avg rating — 41,265 ratings score: 1,062, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Black Betty (Easy Rawlins, #4) by Walter Mosley 4.07 avg rating — 5,823 ratings score: 1,059, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Quicksand by Nella Larsen 3.72 avg rating — 9,168 ratings score: 1,023, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,075 books · 1,395 voters · list created July 4th, 2008 by JG (Introverted Reader) (votes) .

Tags: african-american, america, american, best, black, fiction, nonfiction

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People Who Voted On This List (1395)

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Comments Showing 1-31 of 31 (31 new)

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message 1: by Imani ♥ ☮ (last edited Mar 29, 2010 01:04PM) (new)

Mar 15, 2010 06:22PM

some real books on this list. real liturature. I jus realized something tho, why in the world is Uncle Tom's Cabin on here?!? It was written by a Northern white woman!

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message 2: by Shanae (new)

May 24, 2010 05:26PM

Imani wrote: "some real books on this list. real liturature. I jus realized something tho, why in the world is Uncle Tom's Cabin on here?!? It was written by a Northern white woman!"

But it was based on an African American man's story - Harriet Beecher Stowe stole it...just like most stole stories from African Americans & made mad money off it. Smh.

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message 3: by Antoine (new)

May 24, 2010 06:56PM

And is the same true of Alice in Wonderland?

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message 4: by Speakwright (new)

May 24, 2010 07:12PM

I'd like to recommend and suggest

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African
Written By Himself

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message 5: by Antoine (new)

May 25, 2010 04:13AM

Did you vote it in? That's a great choice.

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message 6: by Shanae (new)

May 25, 2010 05:36AM

Antoine wrote: "And is the same true of Alice in Wonderland?"

I don't think so for Alice in Wonderland - but there are other African novels that people have compared to Alice in Wonderland, like My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, maybe that's why the book made it to the list.

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message 7: by Sarah (new)

Jun 03, 2010 02:59PM

Has anyone out there read
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidgwe Danticat? It should be at the top of the list. She also wrote Krik? Krak! I suggest them both. She is one of the finest writers writing today.

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message 8: by [deleted user] (last edited Jun 13, 2010 11:20PM) (new)

Jun 13, 2010 11:16PM

CRY,the BELOVED COUNTRY is a great book. I don't think it belongs on this list because it's all about South Africa and written by a South African. It's included on my list of BEST BOOKS by AFRICAN AUTHORS.

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message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 15, 2011 01:14PM

OK, is this list for books by African-Americans, or for ones about them?

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message 10: by Antoine (new)

Jan 15, 2011 07:34PM

I think it can go either way, but that that really should be it. Books about Africa which don't feature Americans (Cry the Beloved Country for instance) don't belong. Books about Americans in which questions of race, and especially African descent, don't figure prominently, also don't belong.

The question that begs, and I don't know how to answer it, would be how to handle a book like Gone With the Wind, in which race certainly plays a role, but so offensively that one could hardly call it an "African-American Book."

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message 11: by Dana (new)

May 16, 2011 10:26PM

Mcgill keeps you on the edge wanting more!

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message 12: by Julie (new)

Jul 30, 2011 03:32PM

add The Emperor of OceanPark

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message 13: by J (new)

Aug 21, 2012 07:26AM

For those who are really interested in Black History, please check out my non-profit educational organization. It's called the Black-a-Day Project.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bl...

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message 14: by Garth (new)

Mar 16, 2013 03:33PM

My vote is for Bebe Moore Campbell's Your Blues Ain't Like Mine.

Whenever I hear someone rave about The Help, I suggest they read Your Blues Ain't Like Mine. The Help has good parts, but on the whole Your Blues Ain't Like Mine -- a novel based on the Emmett Till murder -- seems so much more realistic and honest about how horrible conditions were for African-Americans in the 1950s South.

Here's a post I wrote about the novel for Newsworthy Novels, a blog that matches novels to today's headlines and events (this entry was for Black History Month): http://newsworthynovels.blogspot.com/...

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message 15: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 16, 2013 03:42PM

You could vote for it, of course. Listopia lists are not closed.

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message 16: by Garth (new)

Mar 16, 2013 03:44PM

I did vote for it.

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message 17: by Linda (new)

Nov 16, 2013 10:08PM

Shanae wrote: "Imani wrote: "some real books on this list. real liturature. I jus realized something tho, why in the world is Uncle Tom's Cabin on here?!? It was written by a Northern white woman!"

But it was ba..."
What story was it based on?

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message 18: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (new)

Aug 22, 2014 09:07PM

Antoine wrote: "I think it can go either way, but that that really should be it. Books about Africa which don't feature Americans (Cry the Beloved Country for instance) don't belong. Books about Americans in whi..."

I don't think white authors can write "African-American fiction" any more than Americans can write Chinese fiction. That would have to be "books with protagonists of color" or "books dealing with race."

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message 19: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Nov 09, 2015 07:28AM) (new)

Nov 09, 2015 07:24AM

Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart, #235) is an African author, not an African-American author. I've only read No Longer At Ease so far, which is why I haven't deleted Things Fall Apart, but I have strong doubts about it being on this list.

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message 20: by JG (Introverted Reader) (new)

Nov 09, 2015 08:15AM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart, #235) is an African author, not an African-American author. I've only read No Longer At Ease so far, which is why I haven't deleted Things Fall Apart..."

I haven't read it either, but it looks like it's set in Nigeria and written by a Nigerian. I deleted it.

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message 21: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Nov 09, 2015 11:03AM) (new)

Nov 09, 2015 11:01AM

JG (The Introverted Reader) wrote: "Booklovinglady wrote: "Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart, #235) is an African author, not an African-American author. I've only read No Longer At Ease so far, which is why I haven't de..."

No Longer At Ease is set in Nigeria, which is one of the reasons why I had my doubts about Things Fall Apart being on this list.

Thanks for deleting it :-)

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message 22: by Nip (new)

Jul 25, 2016 06:21AM

Is Sue Monk Kidd African American? I don't know, but I don't think so. Perhaps her work is misplaced on this list?

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message 23: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Jan 30, 2017 01:31PM

Nip wrote: "Is Sue Monk Kidd African American? I don't know, but I don't think so. Perhaps her work is misplaced on this list?"

As far as I know, Sue Monk Kidd is not African American.

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message 24: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 30, 2017 02:29PM

Sue Monk Kidd is white.

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message 25: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jan 30, 2017 11:15PM) (new)

Jan 30, 2017 10:53PM

Nip wrote: "Is Sue Monk Kidd African American? I don't know, but I don't think so. Perhaps her work is misplaced on this list?"

Haven't read it myself, but going by the description, her book The Secret Life of Bees (#22) is about African Americans, which, judging from the title of this Listopia, is undoubtedly why it is on this list. The Keepers of the House (#184) is probably there for the same reason.

Now that we're on this topic, I was wondering about To Kill a Mockingbird (#395)? Can't remember...

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message 26: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jan 30, 2017 11:20PM) (new)

Jan 30, 2017 11:18PM

JG (The Introverted Reader) wrote: "I haven't read it either, but it looks like it's set in Nigeria and written by a Nigerian. I deleted it...."

I've read Things Fall Apart by now and it is definitely set in Nigeria :-)

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message 27: by George P. (new)

Oct 03, 2018 09:35AM

Imani ♥ ☮ wrote: ... why in the world is Uncle Tom's Cabin on here?!? It was written by a Northern white woman!"

In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, he said he only read nonfiction books- the only novel he ever read was Uncle Tom's Cabin. So there you go.

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message 28: by QueenAmidala28 (new)

Jan 30, 2020 08:53PM

Several of these books are not African-American authors - some are from the continent of Africa and others are written by Caucasian Americans. I think this should be specified in the title.

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message 29: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 31, 2020 03:07PM

Or you could tell us what the titles are, and where on the list they are located, and librarians could remove them.

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message 30: by Erin (new)

Feb 17, 2020 03:11PM