There are so many amazing works of female authors to choose from over the last several years. Of course for decades, there have been many we must celebrate and several I will soon suggest in my blogs. But, when it comes to diversifying reading lists over the last few years, there is much to celebrate. As we look to be mainly spent indoors over the next few months , there's no better time to get stuck into a good book. So, with that in mind, here are some of the best books by women of colour to add to your reading list now.
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, Clarissa Goenawan
Set in contemporary Japan, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida focuses on the "mysterious suicide of a young woman", and the people she leaves behind. Written by acclaimed Singaporean author Clarissa Goenawan, the novel tells a haunting tale of secrets, inner turmoil, and the search for answers.
Love In Colour By Bolu Babalola
From West Africa to Ancient Greece, Bolu Babalola's Love In Colour reimagines mythical tales from around the world. Written by a self-professed "romcomoisseur", Babalola gives age-old themes "deliciously modern twists". As Waterstones writes, this is a "celebration of love in all its forms".
The Hunger by Alma Katsu
As tragedy stalks the party, paranoia builds among its members. There is plenty of finger pointing, and plenty of blame, including self-blame. Each member of the party comes with their own baggage, and their own demons. Katsu does an excellent job of layering the characters and their stories together, steadily increasing the tension and the sense of threat, and suggesting multiple possibilities for the curse that seems to stalk the party before ultimately revealing the truth. The Hunger is satisfying as a character study, as a historical novel, and as a supernatural horror novel, all perfectly balanced into a highly atmospheric and chilling whole.
As the weather settles in, perfect excuse to grab your favorite warm beverage, curl up somewhere cozy, and enjoy some chilling reading.