Its The Time Of Year Where At Work Were Getting Ready To Publish Our Books Of Student Writing. Last Year

It’s the time of year where at work we’re getting ready to publish our books of student writing. Last year my supervisor asked me to write blurbs for each section of our book and I guess she was impressed because she asked me to do it again…for 3 books this time. She told me yesterday that I have a way with words.

Happy Black History Month!! To celebrate, I made this list to share some of my favorite books written by Black authors and have Black main characters

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

This is one of my absolute favorite books. It’s about a Black girl who was born into a witch family, and in order to get powers, she has to pass a task given to her by one of her ancestors. Her task happens to be to find her first love and destroy them. This book has elements of fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and romance and the sequel is just as good. I will never stop recommending it.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Although the main character of this book is in middle school, I think it’s a good read for people of all ages. The story follows Sunny, a Nigerian girl with albinism. After learning she is a witch, she begins to live a double life. One where she pretends to be her same non-magical self to her family, and one where she learns about magic and herself with Orlu, her friend from school; Chichi, Orlu’s mysterious friend; and Sasha, an American boy who moved to Nigeria.

Caucasia by Danzy Senna

Caucasia is the coming of age story of a girl born to a White mother and Black father in the 1970s. As someone who passes for White, she struggles to find where she belongs. She experiences being both Black and White, changing her race as easily as changing clothes, depending on who she needs to be at the time. She also has to deal with her family splitting up and her parents’ activism that might get them into serious trouble.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I’m sure everyone’s heard of this one, but in case you haven’t: Starr was in her friend’s car the night he was killed by a police officer. She struggles afterwards to cope with his violent death and to speak up while remaining anonymous. This book is so so important. Police brutality never seems to stop, even in my own neighborhood. Everyone will benefit by learning more and speaking out against it.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake is about siblings Byron and Benny who are left with only a black cake and a tape recording when their mother dies. In the recording, their mother tells the story of someone they don’t even know, and the two have to learn to be a family again after a falling out they had years ago.

Here are some more that aren’t my favorites but I think others might love

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

This one is about a Black, queer mage in 1930s America trying to get a license to practice magic. Her new government job sends her on a journey to fix a blight that is more deadly than anyone expected.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Set in a land similar to Africa, the magi, people who have magic, have all been killed by the monarchy. One day magic returns and one of the last remaining magi teams up with the princess to protect magic and prepare the magi to fight for their lives.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

200 years of Cinderella dies, the land is ruled by Prince Charming, who forces all young women to attend a ball to find a suitor. Sophia, who is queer, opposes this lifestyle and runs away. Once she’s away from the prince’s influence, she discovers the true story of Cinderella and what she can do to stop the balls.

Hi, nice to meet you! I have a lot of the same interests (especially mystery, fantasy, and slow-burn). I hope to interact and see some of your work sometime!

Hello, Writeblr! I am Solveiga (she/her), writer of stories about folklore and horror and a drinker of tea. I am currently revising a complete draft of the manuscript, and I am looking to make some friends.

THE BASICS

Europe / mid-20s / history & folklore enthusiast

Love horror, mystery, fantasy, chosen family, slow burn romance, dysfunctional families.

If you like stories with morally flawed characters full of sacrifices and betrayals, religious trauma, and found family, then you might be interested in my writing.

I am terribly afraid of lightning despite writing about the gods of thunder.

GOALS

Make some friends here in the community. Just want to scream and get excited about other people's WIPs.

Get my hands on the edits of my draft, and hone my writing skills.

Maybe query? We will see about that!

Read more books in 2024.

It means a lot to me when someone shows support or interest in my work. Feel free to interact or drop me a message.

Earlier this week one of my students told me there’s a book fair at her school so I told her how much I miss book fairs. So she told me she’d buy me a chapter book. Of course, I told her that I have plenty of chapter books and she should save her money for herself.

I come to work today and she actually gives me a book. Here it is:

I love this girl.

I’m putting good use to my Africana and African American Studies minor because a few weeks ago I wrote a scene in We Faceless Folk where Rachel stops at a grocery store by Chinwe’s house to buy her mom a cake.

But I learned in a lecture this week that most Black neighborhoods in the U.S. have way too many liquor stores and not enough grocery stores.

So now I’m going to change this scene to draw attention our reality. I’m still figuring out what to do with it but I think I want her to look at a map on her phone to find grocery stores and seeing none in that area before driving over.

Superior writing advice:

Make your characters FREAKS. Make them DERANGED. Make people think ‘surely this one guy towards the back is normal’ only to reveal FUCK NO. The guy in the back exclusively collects clown paintings (paintings done by professional clowns) and has an irrational hatred of second floors.