Books to read this Black History Month, according to 3 Boston writers

February is finally here, which means it's Black History Month. While the month is certainly all about learning Black history, it's also about celebrating Black culture in all of its multiplicity. There's probably no better way to learn about and experience all of the nuances of Black culture than through books. With so many book bans happening across the country, some targeting books that deal with Black history and culture, reading feels especially pertinent this month.

While I know what's on my #TBR (to be read) shelf, I wondered what books my fellow Black writers in Boston would recommend to others during Black History Month. I spoke with Nakia Hill, writer and director of communications for the city of Boston, writer and storyteller Theresa Okokon and Serina Gousby, program manager of GrubStreet's Boston Writers of Color. They each gave recommendations and shared why we should be reading these picks.

Akwaeke Emezi is a juggernaut when it comes to churning out new books. "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" is the author's seventh book in five years, with another slated to drop in June ("Little Rot"). The novel follows Feyi, who is relearning how to live after the untimely death of the love of her life. She gets back out into the dating world and chaos ensues.

"This romance novel is warm, hilarious and passionate all at the same time. I love Emezi's writing here; as soon as I started reading, it was really hard to put down because the dialogue is so engaging and authentic. It was beautiful to see Feyi, the main character, navigate through grief and love in very interesting (and very out of pocket) ways." —Serina Gousby

Athena Dixon's "The Loneliness Files" touches on a theme so many of us became more intimate with during the pandemic — isolation. But what does isolation mean in a world that is hyper-connected, from our phones to our laptops to our television screens? Dixon ponders this question while examining her own life in this collection of essays.

"I realized I was writing a book when it occurred to me that almost every essay I wrote seemed to circle around a handful of topics, each of which sat right next-door to each other in my mind. While the book I am crafting looks at three central themes, I am always particularly impressed to find an essayist who can distill their focus even narrower than that, zooming in on one particular emotional experience. Athena Dixon's 'The Loneliness Files' is one such book. So far, I've only read one piece from it, the brilliantly honest and beautifully written 'I Don't Want to Drink Alone,' a flash essay just about a single page in length. Assured that this essay is an indication of what is to come, I look forward to spending some time with this collection." —Theresa Okokon

Chef and writer Klancy Miller created the cookbook she wished she had growing up. "For the Culture" combines the stories and interviews of Black women in the food industry with recipes. The New York Times named it one of the best cookbooks of 2023. “I kind of just wanted to write a book that would include people who I wish I had known about way back when," Miller said in an interview with Here & Now's Robin Young.

"'For The Culture' is not your grandmother’s stained paperback cookbook (no shade to nana’s cookbooks!). It is a work of art with pages full of outstanding recipes with roots and stories by Black women and femme entrepreneurs, chefs, activists, sommeliers, food stylists, and historians in the food, hospitality and beverage space. What I love most about this book is how it was not only created for Black women and femmes, but it was created by us too. I adore the drool-worthy food photography by Kelly Marshall. I pick up this book weekly to admire the 71 gorgeous portraits created by illustrator and designer Sarah Madden. I can’t rave enough about this museum-worthy work of art — archive it!" —Nakia Hill

In "Heavy," Kiese Laymon explores love, body image, addiction and more. He untangles what it means to keep a secret and deftly unveils his own in this memoir. The book is written like a letter to his mother,  a complicated figure in his life who has shown him the meaning of both love and violence. Laymon also ties this deeply personal work into larger, overarching themes like fatphobia and anti-Blackness.

"I recently taught a memoir and personal essay writing class at the Roxbury branch of the Boston Public Library. One of my students, who was in my class for the second year, asked why my reading lists never include 'the classics.' I was taken aback for a moment before engaging the room in a quick conversation about what that word means because — in my opinion — works by Carmen Maria Machado, CJ Hauser and Aimee Nezhukumatathil are classics. These writers taught me what was possible in a memoir. They taught me how to break boundaries with the pace and precision of my prose, and how to take myself seriously as a writer without worrying about if my voice fit the existing cannon. One of my writing teachers suggests envisioning which other books might sit on a shelf next to our future books. Without a doubt, Kiese Laymon's 'Heavy' (2018), written to his mother and serving as perhaps a deeply honest love letter (and in that, critique of moments where love was lacking), is among 'the classics' on my dream shelf." —Theresa Okokon

Alexandra Elle has been an online sensation since Tumblr was a thing. Over the years, she's become well known for her content focused on healing, self-growth and transformation. "How We Heal" is a guide to self-discovery through the confrontation of trauma. Elle also has self-help journals and affirmation cards to help readers along their journey.

"While going through grief, this was one of the books I started reading last year, and it made such an impact on how to heal without breaking myself down in the process. From self-positive talk to understanding how my own passions and creativity can heal, it was vital to read in a place of hopelessness and pain. Elle's insights, as well as the stories from Morgan Harper Nichols, Tabitha Brown, Nneka Julia and others throughout the book were very helpful." —Serina Gousby

Ghetto Gastro is a food collective that centers Black culture and cuisine. It was founded by Jon Gray, who spoke to NPR about the collective and the meaning of the name in 2022. "I will say that first of all, I think the word ghetto — and it's really for us. Like, I'm not doing this for the white gaze, right?" Gray said. "I'm talking to people from the community." "Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen" is an ode to the food and people that have been routinely ignored by a predominantly white food industry.

"Black people are the ultimate reclaimers, remixers and innovators of all time. 'Black Power Kitchen' absolutely reclaims the word ghetto, celebrates watermelon, and decolonizes recipes effortlessly in this cookbook. Readers are introduced to recipes for Puerto Rican coquito, watermelon and ginger lime salad, and Japanese-inspired saltfish takoyaki infusing Caribbean ingredients (hey, Bahamas and Barbados). Why do I love this book? A few things that can make my heart skip a beat are a revolutionary approach to serving the community, food, art and Black men. This book has all of that and is one of the sexiest reads in my kitchen. 'Black Power Kitchen' is like a firm hug from a beautiful Black man." —Nakia Hill

"How We Do It" is an anthology made up of 31 interviews and essays from different Black writers and authors. The name perfectly describes what the book is about: how these Black writers approach their craft. Edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown, "How We Do It" is the perfect read for anyone looking to elevate their writing.

"I'll probably get in trouble for admitting this, but I find essays about 'why I write' to be almost universally boring. Generally speaking, I am not terribly interested in why a writer writes, I am interested in what they are writing. For that reason, while there is more than one book about craft on my bookshelf, they aren't ones I reach for all too often. But, studying and thinking about craft is how we learn and grow as writers, I have been really enjoying 'How We Do It.' I find myself scanning the table of contents, flipping to a piece, and feeling seen on the page. Since photographs and the concept of memory feel central to my own writing, I've been particularly drawn to Jewell Parker Rhodes' essay 'Sweet, Bittersweet, and Joyful Memoires,' exploring the impact of images on our formation of memory, and therefore on the craft of memoir." —Theresa Okokon

Ever wonder what it would be like to run in the same social circles as James Baldwin and Toni Morrison? Award-winning author and food historian Jessica B. Harris gives us a  glimpse into her life in New York in the 1970s, where she met and developed relationships with some of the most elite thinkers in the Black community, including Baldwin, Morrison and Maya Angelou.

"I want to be Jessica B. Harris when I grow up. She is living a full, Black, and intentional life on her own terms through her love for food. Goals! 'My Soul Looks Back' is a juicy memoir teleporting readers into Harris' life in the '70s. This book features memories of sweet love, drunken parties with legendary Black people, and encounters with James Baldwin. Harris also shares Ten Boy Curry, a sweet recipe inspired by Maya Angelou who once cooked for Harris. This is one memoir that is worth a reread." —Nakia Hill

If you haven't heard of The Nap Ministry, you might have been living under a rock — or off social media. The Nap Ministry has garnered a large following of almost 550,000 followers on Instagram. The organization emphasizes the inherent importance of rest, not just as a bodily function but as something to be reclaimed from capitalism. "Rest Is Resistance," authored by The Nap Ministry founder Tricia Hersey, delves into why rest is so important to who we are.

"If you are always on a constant go, burnt out, or have a 'no sleep' mentality, this book is perfect for you. Hersey reminds us that capitalism does not own our bodies, and rest should not be looked at as a reward. She does a very great job of breaking down grind culture, the various ways you can rest, and the importance of community care. I still constantly read certain pages every week as a reminder, and I've limited my time on social media heavily because of her words." —Serina Gousby