Recs if you like Song of Solomon...
Literary Lasagna - Give Them Time to Cook
These are books that don't rush to impress you. They simmer while the author adds in the layers. They may confuse you or bore you at first - but if you give them time to cook you'll end up with a delicious meal of a book!
Always taking recommendations! If you are recommending a series - the layers need to come together by the end of the first book (not half way through the series).
1001 Books to Read Before You Die
Based on the list/book published in 2006, general editor Peter Boxall.
assigned by frankie
almost every single book mentioned* on 🔗 Frankie's Shelf youtube channel because their taste is wild and i love it.
updated as frankie posts. *mentioned as in the book is the focus of the video, listed in the description, or offhandedly said.
books by Black authors
this is your reminder to read books by Black authors all month, all year, every year— not just during Black History Month. it’s crucially important to be able to diversify your reading and your bookshelves. expand your mind, your perspectives, your knowledge, and your taste. if you don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations!
intro to afrofuturism & africanfuturism
africanfuturism & afrofuturism see african and african-diasporic writers (respectively) explore Black culture, history, mythology and power through new futures, technologies, and speculative imaginings. these books offer a glimpse into afrofuturist & africanfuturist worlds.
Read Until You Understand
novels, poetry, literary criticism, and history books by Black authors referenced in Farah Jasmine Griffin’s Read Until You Understand; The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature — forming a type of Black literary canon
toni morrison bootleg side quest
i am reading every toni morrison novel in publication order so feel free to join me! comment if you finished:
🥈5 books - you will get a fun emoji 🏅all the books - you will get a fun emoji and bragging rights
✨️Classics by Women✨️
Alliteration Adoration
Titles that feature alliteration and we love to see it. Recommendations requested to round out this remarkably ridiculous recital.
Postmodern literature
Books that exhibit key traits of, or helped develop, the Postmodern literary movement.
Not including criticism or theory.
Research trigger warnings before reading.
(Recommendations welcome)
Red Summer & Strange Fruit
Books describing the horrors of Jim Crow and the bravery of those standing against it. Recommendations welcome!
Black Womanhood — Toni Morrison Edition
An exploration of black womanhood through the great works of Toni Morrison
The Guardian’s The 100 Best Novels of All Time
A list published by The Guardian on 5/16/2026, as voted on by authors, critics, and academics worldwide.
Top 100 Books! (According to The Guardian)
The Guardian Top 100 Best Novels
books that feel like springtime
based purely off of vibes
Black Voices
Vocabulary Acquisition
My attempt to not be dumb. A mix of books across time and space chosen purely for their killer prose.
Fiction rooted in oppression
This is a collection of novels that invites you to explore, as well as reflect on the complicated and disturbing depths of humanity, especially with regards to history, globalization, politics, and most importantly; how our relationship to nature itself has been challenged.
Read The States Challenge - Michigan
This is a list of books for the Read The States Challenge. Read any on each of the state lists and be awarded the pride of knowing you have read all across the US!
Pennsylvania, my beloved
As a proud Pennsylvanian I had to make a list of books in PA :)
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