Given all the political and social unrest going on in the world right, it seems right to spend the month educating and reading books to help promote change. There's many more novels both fiction and nonfiction that can be read to teach yourself about racism but here's ere's my roundup for June of some that should definitely be read.
SUCH A FUN AGE - KILEY REID
This book is well worth the hype. I read it in 3 sittings and absolutely loved it! The story line is simple yet compelling, plus it's written so beautifully you just want to devour the entire thing. It reminded me of Celeste Ng's work the way it was written, like an observation on the characters from third person but you also know them inside out as if they’re narrating.
The story follows Emira, a black babysitter for a white family who is accused of kidnapping the little girl. It then follows the lives of the mother (called Alix) and Emira in the following months after the event.
When I first read the blurb I initially thought I knew the way the story was going to go, but I was wrong. No spoiler alert here though. I loved how Reid explored both characters and at times I found myself favoring one over the other. It was a very realistic look into racism and fetishizing black people and how it is very subtly done without people actually being aware of it. I really, really enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough! A lovely tale with a fitting ending, add this to your lists if you haven't already!
AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE - TAYARI JONES
I can see this becoming an instant literary classic, especially since Barack Obama highly praised it and given his track record, I’d say he has a very good opinion. It’s another of those character study novels, with a loose plot running through. I loved it, it’s beautifully written, heart-wrenching yet lovely all at the same time.
Roy and Celestial are a young married African-American couple on the brink of their future, until Roy is charged with a crime he did not commit and sent to prison. The novel spans the duration of his time in jail and how that affects his relationship with his wife. There are a few twists and turns along the way too.Â
If you’re after a love story with a twist then this is for you. A simple story about how much love can withstand in the face of adversity. I got through this in a matter of days so would definitely recommend!
QUEENIE - CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS
I know this has been hailed a triumph of a novel, and though I did enjoy it, it just didn't live up to the hype for me. Believe me, I'm so sad about it. I did find it really relatable in terms of feeling like your life has fallen apart when you get dumped, and it was written in a really amusing, chatting-to-your-friends kind of way, but otherwise I wanted just a little bit more from the story.
Queenie has just been dumped by 'the love of her life', which then causes a bit of a downward spiral in her career, friendships, independence and general well-being. Much like the Eleanor Oliphant, it's a lovely character study, but it did touch upon a few subjects like racism, mental health and female friendships that I felt could have been explored in a bit more depth. Or maybe I'm just being greedy.
I would still recommend this; I think I didn't appreciate it as much as I should of because of the hype around it. Plus, the front cover is pretty instagrammable, right?
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - HARPER LEE
As you can see, my copy of this book has seen better days. Sign of a brilliant read though, right? I first read this for my GCSEs, but have revisited it many times since then. It's timeless. And given the events of the last few weeks, it's come to my attention it's high time it was put on my book club to hopefully inspire others to use it to help educate themselves. To Kill A Mockingbird is not only a powerful message about racism, but also one of my favourite books.
The story is told from the point of view of Scout, a 6 year old girl living in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. The fact that the story is told from a child's perspective cleverly plays an important role in the book. It follows the adventures of her and her brother Jem trying to coax out a reclusive neighbour from his house, which intertwines with their father Atticus defending a black man on trial for the rape of white woman.
The story is beautiful, informative, poignant and complex. If you haven't read it, it's time to get this on your radar. It's so educating about race, perceptions of people and ultimately right from wrong. The messages conveyed in the novel are still as important now, if not more so, as still we find ourselves learning the news of 'mockingbirds' still being killed. Enough is enough, and if you can do one thing then make sure you keep educating yourself. Even if that's as simple as broadening your bookshelf to include more books about race. If you haven't read this before, I urge you to read it. It's one of the best books ever written.
All imagery and content from @thegoodbookclub_