Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion

As another year comes to a close, it's a good time to ask which books of fiction that our group members read in 2010 were our favorites. Let us know about those written by people of color as well as any other favorites. They don't have to be published in 2010, just read by you in 2010.

Here are mine:

Favorite Fiction by People of Color Read in 2010

Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans;

A Taste of Honey: Stories by Jabari Asim;

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor;

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott;

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez;

Lion's Blood and Zulu Heart by Steven Barnes;

The Boy Next Door: A Novel by Irene Sabatini;

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow;

and The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim.

Favorite Fiction NOT Written by People of Color Read in 2010

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan;

The Last Child by John Hart

Favorite Fiction Recommended By My 8-Year-Old Grandson
(but I really loved them!)

The Harry Potter series: Books 1 - 6 by
J.K. Rowling;

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series: Books 1 - 5 by Rick Riordan;

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.

What were your favorites?

The best book I read in 2010 was Barb Johnson's
More of This World, or Maybe Another.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66...

Looks great, Mistinguettes. I just ordered a copy.

Great recommendations! I had not heard of Barb Johnson, so thanks for that Mistinguettes. Also: it's taking me forever to get to Wench and the Danielle Evans book, but I'm hoping I will this year.

A Taste of Honey was my favorite, fun read of 2010. Best nonfiction book this year was the new James Baldwin collection, The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings.

Happy New Year everyone!

Looks like a group of us will be reading Barb Johnson soon. Not available through my library system so I'll have to order through Amazon. Thanks, Mistinguettes.

Is the interconnected stories that appears to be so prevalent now a recent phenomenon or is it that I'm just noticing it? There's the Barb Johnson book and Asim's Honey and I'm currently reading Elizabeth Strout's, Olive Kitteridge The one common denominator working here is they've all received excellent press. I'm really enjoying Olive.

I think you're right, Columbus - this form has become very popular lately. I've noticed it also.

Posted a year end review of books read in 2010 at my blog. Here's the link to it - http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2011/01/...

Favorites by People of Color:

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
Ilustrado: A Novel
Flight
Purple Hibiscus
Big Machine
The Night Counter Goodreads has this listed as read on 12/29/09- don't know if it made the cutoff for last year's list. But I really enjoyed it so wanted to give it the shout out

Favorites not by people of color:

Um. wow, almost every book I read not by a person of color was YA fantasy. Huh, interesting. I also quite enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and also The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

I recently picked up a copy of The Night Counter because of your recommendation, Rashida. I hope to read it soon.

Good list, Roy - Lehane is a favorite of mine.

Thanks for the tip on the new Baldwin collection, Qiana.

Thanks, Wilhelmina. I'd say American Pastoral by Philip Roth was the best book I read last year, Kindred by Octavia Butler the best by an author of color. The former is a more impressive literary endeavor IMO, but the latter may end up leaving a more lasting impression on me.

favorite 2010 reads

Wench by Dolen Perkins Valdez
Brother, I am Dying by Edwidge Danticat
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins