After more than 2 years of pandemic chaos, many of us are champing at the bit to take to the skies and touch down on new ground, or to drive the roads less traveled. So why not take advantage of the fact that spring break is just around the corner, and plan for your first vacation of 2022! We’re here to help you get ready by recommending lots of great reading material.
Physical copies of books are great, but not always conducive to traveling. Audiobooks and EBooks are an amazingly efficient way to travel with a whole bookshelf right in your pocket! Maximize your free time away from work and life, and spend your downtime on vacation with your nose stuck in a book or five!
Today’s blog is all about awesome books by Black Authors that you need to snag right now to prepare reading materials for your next trip. And if you’re taking a staycation, we think you’ll enjoy that a lot of these books have the ability to whisk you away from it all in just a few pages.
-
“Behind the Mountains” by Edwidge Danticat is a coming-of-age themed novel about a young woman who leaves the island life of Haiti behind, and moves to the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life in Brooklyn, New York. It’s relevant and timely for today’s world, and features beautiful descriptions of Haiti that will transport you to another place.
-
“The Star Side of Bird Hill” by Naomi Jackson is another story exploring the strong ties of immigrant families to the rich, beautiful culture and communities of their island heritage. It’s a complicated and emotionally engrossing tale of love, loss, community connection, and family.
-
“Ghana Must Go” by Taiye Selasi is another beautiful novel about finding home and a family wherever you are, and making your way in the world on your own. After the death of their father, the Sai siblings must come together to navigate family tension, the transformative power of loss, reclaiming your identity, and the importance of where we all come from.
-
“Traveling While Black” by Mia Bay is a fascinating look into the history and modern dilemma of travel, public transportation, when it comes to segregation and racism. It provides the reader with an accessible yet scholarly look into social justice and racial equality issues of the modern world.
-
“Driving While Black” by W.W. Norton explores similar themes to the aforementioned title, this too is an extensive and complex dive into the history of African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights.
-
“”Hola Morocha! A Black Woman’s Adventures in Buenos Aires: Culture Shock” by Jennifer Poe is a short, but energetic travel memoir about self-empowerment and independence. It chronicles her solo travel as a black American woman, while also exploring the culture and history of the Black Community in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
-
“Kinky Gazpacho” by Lori Tharps is a travel memoir about navigating her West African heritage with the reality of being a Black Woman in Spain. It delves into personal experiences and self-reflections on racial perspectives, explores passion in all its incarnations, and tackles loneliness and independence and love.
-
“The Marvelous Equations of the Dread: A Novel in Bass Riddim” by Marcia Douglas is a one-of-a-kind reading experience! This novel-length poem is part musical and part mythical narrative. It centers around the spirit of Bob Marley being reincarnated as a homeless man living in Kingston, Jamaica. The audiobook provides additional authenticity and atmosphere with a Patois accented reading.
-
“Queen of the Conquered” by Kacen Callender is an adult fantasy novel that will inspire your childlike wonder and sense of adventure. It deftly handles its heavy content by combining elements of magic, mystery, and fantasy blended with the realism of island history and culture.
