Governerd Fall Fun discussion

These titles could be historical or contemporary realistic fiction, and might also fit other genres, but all give perspective on the experiences and perspectives of various "minority" cultures in the U.S.

Everything I Never Told You -- Realistic Fiction
The Astonishing Color of After
The Woman Warrior
A Place for Us
The Roundhouse
The Night Watchman
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

I’m only 23% in on The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, but am really enjoying it so far and have to force myself to go to sleep at night! Fair warning, it is a long book.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead was a page turner and it also deals with institutionalized boys which is interesting in light of our book club selection, The Woman They Could Not Silence. It is disturbing to think of the abuses institutionalized individuals have suffered in the past. (And probably still do.)

Check out:

Infinite Country
Behold the Dreamers
Beekeeper of Aleppo

All three are good and give perspectives on undocumented citizens or refugees.

My favorite book of this nature that I have ever read is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. I recommend it to everyone. I learned so much from it. Here’s a list of more that I liked!
I added some nonfiction too.

Fiction:
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
White Ivy by Susie Yang
Winter Counts by David Weiden
The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoon Kim
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
This Tender Land by William Krueger Kent
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Nonfiction or Memoir
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
Dog Flowers by Danielle Gellar
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Erin- this is an excellent list, thank you so much! I definitely also have to recommend Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Such a great book.

I'd also add:
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Wizard of the Crow by by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez
The Healing by Jonathan Odell
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Queen of Water by by Laura Resau and María Virginia Farinango- this is based on a true story

These ones aren't directly U.S.-related and are set abroad:
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir by Binyavanga Wainaina
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

So many good suggestions!!! I have a couple more...

An American Marriage - Tayari Jones
We Are Not From Here - Jenny Torres Sanchez (this is a good one to read if you feel uncomfortable about American Dirt being written by a white woman)
Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid

I also highly recommend Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton it's set in South African and so beautifully written.

I forgot one...

When the Emperor Was Divine - Julie Otsuka it's set in a Japanese internment camps during WW2.

Colleen wrote: "Erin- this is an excellent list, thank you so much! I definitely also have to recommend Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Such a great book.

I'd also add:
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The ..."

Just the mention of Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward brings back so many emotions. What a powerful book!