Romances by Black authors to read this month

Graphic by Mari Al Tayb ‘26.

By Amelia Potter ’26

Staff Writer

February marks Black History Month, which aims, according to the U.S. government’s website on the topic, to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Under this umbrella is the rich selection of romance books written by Black authors which celebrate and uplift Black love. Here are three romance books authored by Black writers to read this Valentine’s Day. 

‘Rare Danger’ by Beverly Jenkins

“Rare Danger” is part romance, part adventure and part murder-mystery, according to Goodreads, as it follows the plight of librarian Jasmine Ware and Air Force veteran Torr Noble, now a private security consultant. At just 110 pages, “Rare Danger” is a fun and fast-paced read, one Goodreads reviewer wrote, with well-developed, “amazing” characters. The plot kickstarts with the mysterious disappearance of a rare books dealer, an old friend of Jasmine’s, whose partner is then suspiciously murdered. This leads to page-turning tension as Jasmine and Torr must unite to unravel the secret plot, find the missing book dealer and possibly discover romance along the way. Full of chemistry and suspense, “Rare Danger” is an excellent, genre-blending read. 

Author Beverly Jenkins is from Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Michigan State University. In 2013, she was nominated for the 2013 NAACP Image Award. She has won the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romances, the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2018 Michigan Author Award, as reported by Goodreads. Her oeuvre consists of stories both “historical and contemporary” with a “particular focus on 19th century African-American life.” As stated in her Wikipedia page, Jenkins sets her romances during a time “of African-American history that she believes is often overlooked”

‘Black Love Matters’ edited by Jessica P. Pryde

In her first published book, Jessica Pryde, a librarian and podcaster, set out to “discuss often overlooked narratives regarding the joyfulness of Black love.” “Black Love Matters” is a collection of essays, described by Kirkus as an “anthology that collects a refreshingly wide variety of perspectives on Black love.” The compilation includes the voices of academics, authors, reviewers and readers who examine the depiction of Black love in popular culture, through films, shows and novels, Goodreads reports. In her introduction, Pryde writes, “For more than 400 years, people of African descent have been treated abysmally in many nations of the world … Yet, whether free or enslaved, Black people throughout history have been able to find romantic love — regardless of their ability to marry — both inside and outside their own communities.” The essayists also unpack the traditional “white-centered nature of most romance novels — and novels in general,” along with the many challenges Black authors face in the publishing industry. 

Pryde currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, and is the co-host of the podcast When in Romance. She is also a contributing editor of Book Riot. She earned her undergraduate degree from Washington University in Saint Louis, and later attended San Jose State University. Although “Black Love Matters” is currently her only book, written in February of 2022, she hints on her blog of possible new works of fiction to come. 

‘I’m So (Not) Over You’ by Kosoko Jackson

“I’m So (Not) Over You” follows aspiring journalist Kian Andrews, who is unexpectedly enlisted by his ex-boyfriend Hudson Rivers to stage an active relationship for the sake of Hudson’s wealthy parents. Incentivized by Hudson’s promise to promote his career in journalism and enduring feelings for his old boyfriend, Kian agrees. Publishers Weekly calls it a “multilayered queer rom-com that combines fun fake dating and second chance romance tropes while exploring timely social themes.” When the pretend relationship begins feeling all too real, both men are forced to face their true feelings. “Beneath the rom-com antics,” Publishers Weekly continues in their review, “Jackson uses the pair’s differing economic backgrounds to explore wealth inequality in America. With his majority Black cast, he also highlights the intersections of class and race.”

Kosoko Jackson was born in the DC Metro Area, and presently lives in Brooklyn, New York. His personal essays have been published in The Advocate, Mediumand Thought Catalog. “I’m So (Not) Over You” was published Feb. 22, 2022, and represents his debut in adult fiction. Jackson has also authored the YA novel, “Yesterday is History,” and the more recent novel, “Survive the Dome.”

Kick back this summer with these three new fiction reads

By Olivia Wilson ’24

Staff Writer

In the spirit of summer’s approach, Mount Holyoke News has compiled a list of potential beach reads. These books — all authored by women — may help keep the Mount Holyoke vibes nearby no matter how far you are from campus. 

“Book of Night” by Holly Black 

“Book of Night” is the adult fiction debut of popular young adult and middle-grade author Holly Black. It is a “modern dark fantasy,” according to Goodreads. The novel takes place in a fictionalized version of the Berkshires where shadows can be manipulated by magicians called “gloamists,” who utilize the shadows for fittingly dark purposes. According to the book’s description on Black’s website, the story follows Charlie Hall, a low-level con artist and bartender, as she tries to survive while her friends and enemies fight to steal a powerful secret. It is set to release on May 3. 

Described as a “master at world-building” by The New York Times Book Review, Holly Black grew up in New Jersey and is the author of over 30 books for young adults and middle school-aged children. Her other notable works include the beloved children’s series “The Spiderwick Chronicles” and the 2018 New York Times bestseller “The Cruel Prince.” 

According to the Odyssey Bookshop website, Black resides in New England with her husband, son and secret library. A launch party for “Book of Night” will be held at the First Congregational Church in South Hadley on May 3 at 7 p.m. 

“We Measure the Earth with our Bodies” by Tsering Yangzom Lama 

“We Measure the Earth with our Bodies” takes place over the span of 50 years and recounts the story of an exiled Tibetan family affected by political violence and colonization. Told through the perspective of four different characters, the book follows the lives of a Tibetan refugee family as they struggle to survive and keep hold of their culture amid what the BBC described as the longstanding Chinese “claim to sovereignty” over Tibet. A review by Booklist characterized the novel as “[an] achingly beautiful debut.”

According to the biography page on her website, Tsering Yangzom Lama is a Tibetan writer born and raised in Nepal who currently lives in Vancouver, Canada. Her work has appeared in numerous books, magazines and other publications. She is also the co-founder of “LhakarDiaries,” a blog for Tibetan youth living in exile. She currently works for Greenpeace International as a storytelling advisor, coaching branches of the organization around the world on how to craft narratives. “We Measure the Earth with our Bodies,” Lama’s debut novel, is set to release on May 17.

“Human Blues” by Elisa Albert 

Described as “virtuosic” and “brilliant” by The Washington Post and The New York Times, Elisa Albert’s “Human Blues” is told over the course of nine menstrual cycles. The story follows Aviva Rosner, a singer and songwriter who wants a child but is unable to get pregnant. She is wary of artificial insemination, and her decision to write her fears into her music leads to a surprising reaction from audiences. The book’s blurb on Goodreads describes it as a “bold, brainy, darkly funny” interrogation of society’s obsession with childbearing. The book is set to release on July 5. 

Elisa Albert is also the author of the short story collection “How This Night Is Different” and the novel “The Book of Dahlia,” which follows a woman dying of brain cancer. According to The Odyssey Bookshop, Albert currently lives in upstate New York.

New Year, New Books: Anticipated Book Releases of the Winter

By Elizabeth Jacob ’24

Staff Writer & Copy Editor

As 2020 comes to a long-overdue close, there is boundless curiosity as to what trials and tribulations 2021 has in store. To distract yourself from whatever the new year holds, here are some books releasing in December 2020 and early January 2021 to get excited about. Ranging in topics from race theory to mystery novels, the following books are sure to educate and intrigue readers this winter.

“Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America” by Ijeoma Oluo 

Release date: Dec. 1, 2020
“Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America” by Ijeoma Oluo aims to educate readers on the destructive consequences of white male supremacy on American society, specifically for women, people of color and other minority groups. From the election of President Donald Trump to the correlating rise in white male anger and entitlement, it is easy to wonder exactly how the U.S. came to this point. In this engaging survey of American history, Oluo uses multiple sources to determine that historically, the pedestal white American men are placed upon is more than just destructive. These men actively use “women and people of color [as] scapegoats for all the ways in which white men feel cheated out of what they believe they are due,” elaborated a Seattle Times review. Oluo concludes that white men have sustained a dishonorable hold on leadership in the U.S. and have actively “undermined the pursuit of happiness for all.”

Oluo is a Nigerian American bestselling writer based in Seattle. Named as one of The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2017, Oluo’s work primarily centers around race, identity and feminism. With work featured in The Washington Post, Time magazine and The Stranger, Oluo is most notable for writing the New York Times bestseller “So You Want to Talk About Race.”

“The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel” by Marie Benedict 

Release date: Dec. 29, 2020

“The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel” by Marie Benedict is a reconstruction of Agatha Christie’s notorious 11-day disappearance. When Christie goes missing in the cold December of 1926, no one knows where she could be. With all of England engaged in a nationwide search party for the author, no leads turn up — that is, until Christie herself unexpectedly turns up nearly two weeks later with amnesia and no explanation for her disappearance. This mystery raises the question: What happened to Christie that December, and what followed? Benedict aspires to provide answers. Asking what was real, what was fabricated and what role Christie’s unfaithful husband played, Benedict submerges the reader into the enigma that is Christie and her disappearance.

Benedict is a lawyer and a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author. With a desire to bring the stories of women of the past to light, Benedict has written multiple novels, including “The Other Einstein,” about Albert Einstein’s first wife and the role she might have played in his theories, and “The Only Woman in the Room,” a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick about the inventor Hedy Lamarr. Benedict is currently co-writing “The Personal Librarian” about the intrigue surrounding J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, with Victoria Christopher Murrary, set for release in June 2021.

“Nick” by Michael Farris Smith 

Release date: Jan. 5, 2021

Michael Farris Smith intends “Nick” to be a prequel to “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Smith writes the origin story of Nick Carroway, the narrator of Fitzgerald’s classic novel. Beginning in the muddy trenches of World War I and moving from Paris to New Orleans, the reader is transported into Carroway’s journey of self-discovery in a brilliant story that, according to the blurb, “breathes new life into a character that many know but few have pondered deeply.” If you are a lover of classic literature or a fan of the inscrutable Carroway, this novel is for you.

Smith is an author with awards ranging from the Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellowship to the Transatlantic Review Award for Fiction. Smith’s novels have placed him on notable literary lists, such as Barnes & Noble Discover Pick and Indie Next Selection. His work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and Catfish Alley. Smith is currently an associate professor of English at the Mississippi University for Women.