My Favorite Black Books in 2024
A slight twist on an end of year list
I’m writing this a little later than I expected to this year for a lot of reasons, mainly having to do with a death in the family. As we recover at home and get back into the swing of everyday life, it’s been nice to see new subscribers to this space: Thank you for trusting me with your attention and our shared love of Black books. It means so much to me, and I never take for granted that you have so many other ways to spend your time on the Internet, trust me. Speaking of which, I’m on Bluesky after leaving Twitter, so if you’re so inclined, I’d love to connect with you there: @joshundasanders.bky.social
Speaking of this, I’ve been reading and writing on the Internet for a pretty long time. Back in the day, before it was owned by Amazon, I used Goodreads to keep track of how many books I wanted to read each year, and to look at reviews. And while I still pop in to Goodreads now and then because I’m nosy about other people’s reviews and what they’re reading and it’s still the best way to find that out in a crowd-sourcing type way, I don’t list how many books I want to read at the beginning or end of any year anymore. It’s too much pressure to put on my brain, for one, and two, I don’t view the quantity of books anyone reads as a signifier of anything. Also, I’m competitive with myself about working out and about getting words on the page, but I’m not trying to compete with strangers over who reads the most.
I’m going to get to the list soon, I promise. But the reason I mention all of the above, is that I value reading books when I can get to them and when I’m called to read them, which is usually not on any kind of publisher’s release and/or marketing schedule. This can mean that I feel a little out of step with the culture, but what ends up happening is that I give myself more space as a writer and a thinker to be with a book for as long as I need to in order to form an opinion that adds value, I hope, to those who are also interested in the books I’m interested in.
I will say that it’s a funny thing to feel like you’re part of the conversation but on a time delay when books are in the news or the social media zeitgeist. I just want y’all to know there is a method to the madness over here, even if it can feel random. Thank you for rocking with me and the way my brain works.
OK, without further delay, my favorite books of 2024, available here on my affiliate page at Bookshop, which earns me a commission when you shop that allows me to keep my content here free (thank you!) This is my final post of 2024, and if you’re celebrating, happy everything, Merry Christmas, see you in early 2025.
We Will Rest! The Art of Escape by Tricia Hersey
Beautiful Books Released This Year I’m Still Reading That Would Probably Make This List
The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America by Aaron Robertson
Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya Miles
Nat Turner, Black Prophet: A Visionary History by Anthony E. Kaye
Great list, thank you! And my condolences on your loss.
First of all, Happy New Year. I hope that you and your family are navigating the grief journey gently. I enjoyed this read; so many great books are on this list. I too have pulled back from the acquisition of how many books per month/year I can read and just be diligent and indulgent in reading.