Book Nook Cafe discussion

10 Recent Works of Black History That Everyone Should Read

Here are 10 standout titles, all of them starred by PW, that deserve a place on your bookshelf.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...

Nice list, thank you for sharing it with us, Alias. I can vouch 100% with the first on the list, All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake. Tiya Miles embroidered a stunning story from a simple burlap bag.

I also read Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. It shares his journey to various US sites, some of which "tell" about slavery and those times, others about Blacks today.

I thought African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals--David Hackett Fischer sounds great, even at over 900 pages. However, reading the GoodReads comments, i see White people really loved it, while Blacks were less welcoming. I'm still going to look at it but my first intent was to purchase it, as it would be a long read. We'll see.

So, i'm curious. Has anyone here read any of these?

8. The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcom X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne

This was a Pulitzer Prize bio. I read it back in July of 2021. I gave it a top rating. Very well researched. The author died before publication so his daughter and researcher finished it.

Well, it appears i have confused myself. (Again.) I was looking through my TBR & saw another X book i thought you read, Alias, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, written by Manning Marable. Reading about the Paynes i see this is the story i recall. But it appears i confused it with the fact Marable died as his book went into publication.

Do i have my books confused? I added the Marable to my Challenge but now i'm wondering if this is the one i want. Did you read both? Thanks in advance for the reply. And sorry for being such a nuisance. :-)

madrano wrote: "Well, it appears i have confused myself. (Again.) I was looking through my TBR & saw another X book i thought you read, Alias,

The books I've read about Malcom X are:

The Autobiography of Malcom X- Excellent !

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne which was finished by his daughter. She also did research for the book with her dad, Tamara Payne.


I have not yet read but do own a paperback copy of

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable

Thank you. Now i'm changing my prompt for the Pulitzer to A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812--Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. And will possibly insert the Marable for Real Life Person. Or maybe not, do i want two bios? Thinking...