Tag: race

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2010-2019 English Fiction Novel

Such a Fun Age

Summary:

Such a Fun Age is a debut novel that explores issues of race and privilege through the story of a young black babysitter and her employer. Alix Chamberlain, a confident woman who has built a brand around empowering women, is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is accused of kidnapping while shopping with Alix’s toddler. Alix sets out to make things right, but Emira is skeptical of her intentions. When a video of the incident surfaces, it sets off a chain of events that will challenge their understanding of themselves and each other. The novel offers social commentary on transactional relationships, family, and the complexities of adulthood.

Year of Release: 2019

Author(s): Kiley Reid

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ISBN: 9781526612168

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2010-2019 English Fiction Novel

Americanah

Summary:

Ifemelu and Obinze leave Nigeria as young lovers to start new lives in the West. Ifemelu goes to America and confronts being black for the first time despite her academic achievements. Obinze ends up in London, living an undocumented life after being unable to join her in post-9/11 America. After fifteen years, they meet again in a democratic Nigeria, rekindling their love and passion for each other and their country.

Year of Release: 2013

Author(s): Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , Jashar Awan (Illustrator)

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ISBN: 9780007356348

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2010-2019 English Fiction Novel

Homegoing

Summary:

Effia and Esi are half-sisters born in different Ghanaian villages. Effia marries an Englishman and lives in comfort, while Esi is imprisoned and sold into slavery in America. Homegoing follows the descendants of both sisters through centuries of warfare, colonization, and slavery. The novel captures the visceral impact of captivity on the soul of a nation, from the plantations of the South to present-day America.

Year of Release: 2016

Author(s): Yaa Gyasi

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ISBN: 9780241975237

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2010-2019 English Non-fiction Novel

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

Summary:

Trevor Noah’s incredible journey from apartheid-era South Africa to hosting The Daily Show began with his very birth, which was a criminal offense due to his mixed-race heritage. Growing up, Trevor and his mother faced extreme measures to avoid being caught by the government and separated from each other. Born a Crime is the memoir of Trevor’s mischievous youth and his struggles to find his place in a society that didn’t accept him. It’s also a tribute to his fiercely religious and fearless mother, who was determined to save him from a life of violence and abuse.

Year of Release: 2016

Author(s): Trevor Noah

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ISBN: 9781473635302

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2010-2019 English Non-fiction

Between the World and Me

Summary:

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me” offers a powerful new framework for understanding America’s history and current crisis by exploring what it means to inhabit a black body in a nation built on the falsehood of “race”. Written as a letter to his son, Coates shares his personal awakening to this truth through experiences from his life, weaving together personal narrative, reimagined history, and emotionally charged reportage to offer a clear and transcendent vision for moving forward.

Year of Release: 2015

Author(s): Ta-Nehisi Coates

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ISBN: 9781925240702

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2010-2019 English Fiction

Dear Martin

Summary:

Justyce McAllister is a high-achieving student with plans to attend an Ivy League school, but none of it matters as he is put into handcuffs by a police officer. Although he has moved away from his rough neighborhood, he still faces criticism from former peers and new classmates. Seeking guidance from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings, Justyce begins writing a journal addressed to him to seek answers. One day, while driving with his friend Manny, they draw the ire of an off-duty white cop, leading to an argument and gunshots being fired, putting Justyce and Manny in danger. As a result, Justyce becomes the target of criticism in the media.

Year of Release: 2017

Author(s): Nic Stone

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ISBN: 978-1101939529

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2010-2019 English Non-fiction

All You Can Ever Know: A memoir of adoption

Summary:

Nicole Chung was born prematurely to Korean parents and put up for adoption. She was raised by a white family in Oregon and was told a comforting story about her adoption as a child. She believed her biological parents had made a sacrifice to give her a better life and that feeling out of place was her destiny as a transracial adoptee. However, as she grew older and faced discrimination her adoptive family didn’t see, and explored her identity as an Asian American and writer, she began to question if the story she had been told was entirely true.

Year of Release: 2018

Author(s): Nicole Chung

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ISBN: 9781911590309

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2010-2019 English LGBTQI* Non-fiction

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

Summary:

“How to Write an Autobiographical Novel” is a collection of essays where the author explores the intersection of life, literature, and politics, and how reading and writing fiction have impacted him. Through the essays, he reflects on his journey from being a student to a teacher, a reader to a writer, and grapples with his multiple identities as a gay man, a Korean American, an artist, an activist, a son, a lover, and a friend. The essays cover significant events in his life, including his father’s death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, and the election of Donald Trump, as well as his work experiences that supported his writing.

Year of Release: 2018

Author(s): Alexander Chee

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ISBN: 9781328764522

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2020-today English Non-fiction

You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

Summary:

In “You Sound Like a White Girl,” Julissa explores the idea of assimilation and how it doesn’t lead to belonging. She argues that assimilation is a constantly moving target designed to keep Black and brown Americans and immigrants chasing racist American ideals. Julissa explains how the demands of assimilation leave people in a state of purgatory, unable to secure power and belonging within whiteness or find it in their own cultures. Instead, she promotes celebrating uniqueness and reclaiming identity as the key to true belonging and a beautiful America.

Year of Release: 2022

Author(s): Julissa Arce

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ISBN: 9781250787019

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2020-today English LGBTQI* Non-fiction

High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir

Summary:

The first-ever memoir by Edgar Gomez explores his journey as a gay, Latinx man growing up. The book, called High-Risk Homosexual, begins in a highly anti-gay environment: his uncle’s cockfighting ring in Nicaragua, where he was sent at the young age of thirteen to learn how to be a man. The memoir chronicles Gomez’s experiences in the queer communities that helped him embrace his gay and Latinx identities, including the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the medical facility where he was diagnosed as a “high-risk homosexual.”

With candor, wit, and shrewd observations about issues of racial, sexual, familial, and professional power dynamics, Gomez takes readers on a hard-won journey towards accepting and celebrating the parts of himself that he was taught to keep hidden. This memoir is an uplifting and inspiring reminder of the importance of carving out space for joy.

Year of Release: 2022

Author(s): Edgar Gomez

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ISBN: 9781593767051

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