Books make great gifts, and Maiysha Kai is here to help make your holiday shopping easier. She’s curated a list of nearly 70 different titles that will work for kids, teens, and people interested in history, cooking, fiction, and more. The Writing Black Holiday Book Gift Guide is just what you need to share the love of reading with someone special.
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Maiysha Kai: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Writing Black. I’m your host, Maisha Kai, Lifestyle Editor here at theGrio, and this is a very special episode, you know, of the holiday variety. That’s right, you are going to get my recommended reads from the entire year of 2023 that are great for gifting.
Now, why do books make such great gifts? I mean, there’s a number of reasons. First of all, I’m always about encouraging literacy and books are the greatest way to do that, especially when you’re talking about kids. Introducing a kid to books is, um, a gift that keeps on giving. It’s really such a special thing to introduce the love of reading and we’ve got some suggestions here today.
Now, first up on the Holiday Book Gift Guide is “Kids Books.” Now listen, the Kids and YA market is huge. There are tons of amazing authors, amazing books. We’re just going to highlight a few that you might want to get into this season. Listen, you know, on Writing Black, we tend to keep our focus to Black authors, Black books. However, I like to also include Black stories, even if they’re not written by Black authors. And one of my favorites, I’m going to start with a classic this year, is “The Snowy Day.” Listen, you know, this is a Caldecott Medal Award winner. It has been around longer than I have. And that’s a long time, so, you know, but this is a classic that still holds up.
I read it to my nieces and nephews this season. They still love it. It’s, it’s so charming. And if you can get into “The Snowy Day,” especially for your new readers, this is such an excellent book by Jack Ezra Keats, who has a series of stories. So you don’t even have to stop there. You can start at “The Snowy Day” and keep going and keep going.
Um, Peter, this little, uh, character in “The Snowy Day” is one of my favorites of all time. However, as you’re moving into your YA zone, um, Jacqueline Woodson is an award-winning author. She’s been around forever. She’s an incredible poet, author, speaker, etc. And she has a new book out called “Remember Us.”
Um, this is a great YA book. It’s really about self-awareness and, um, just self-discovery. And I think it’s a great give to any child who’s in that, like, let’s say 10 to 12-year-old zone, maybe even 9 to 12-year-old zone, uh, who likes to read and who, uh, is looking for a story that really intimately resonates with them.
This is a great book to include some other ones that I am loving from this year. Uh, “Zora, The Story Keeper.” This is by Ebony Joy Wilkins. And, uh, this is a great book about how legacy and stories get passed down through families, uh, “Big” by Vashti Harrison. Now, if you have a lot of children’s books in your home, you already are familiar with Vashti Harrison I’m going to bet because she’s an amazing illustrator. And this year, uh, she came out with the book “Big”, which I personally love because I think it speaks to those of us who are always told that we’re doing a little too much, or we’re taking up too much space. And, uh, it’s a great way to empower children and to say, you can’t take up too much space. Be big, be bold, be amazing.
Raphael Warnock, that’s right, Senator Raphael Warnock had a children’s book out this year called “Put Your Shoes On and Get Ready.” This was inspired by, uh, his own upbringing and he wrote an entire children’s book about it. And so it’s great way to inspire kids to just like, get out there, get in the world, get active, get engaged, um, because we need our future generations to step up and do amazing things. Um, here’s a book that did not come out in 2023, but it’s always a hit whenever I give it a “Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls: 100 Real Life tales of Black Girl Magic”. Now Black girl magic isn’t just for girls, but if there are some little girls in your life, I can tell you they will be especially inspired by this book. It’s great. It comes in little vignettes. There’s illustrations. It’s really, really fun. I highly recommend.
Now this is the year that the world rediscovered Bayard Rustin. The film on Bayard Rustin is out right now, but there’s also a children’s book called “Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington.” And it’s such a great way to introduce children to this amazing unsung figure of the civil rights movement in ways that they might not get in the theater or that are maybe not appropriate for them. It’s a way to let them know that everybody was part of the civil rights movement, all types of people and all sorts of unsung heroes. And it goes so far beyond Martin Luther King, Jr. And, uh, “Ordinary Days,” now I’m a Minneapolis native. So this is a special book to me. “Ordinary Days: The Seeds, Sound, and City That Grew Prince Rogers Nelson.” Yes, that’s right. Minneapolis is an amazing unsung city. Uh, yes, even for us Black folks. And this is a children’s book that tells you about the city that Prince grew up in. So those are just a few of my Children’s and YA recommendations for the season. Some other authors I would recommend getting into Jason Reynolds, who has “Stunt Boy, in the Meantime”. This is book number two of his Stepway Trilogy, and I highly recommend it. Also, he did a book this year called there was a party for Langston and again, a great way to tap into an amazing figure in Black history. Langston Hughes by, uh, Jason Reynolds. So those are my YA and kids recommendations. And we will be right back with more book gift ideas on Writing Black.
We are back with more Writing Black and more of our Holiday Book Gift Guide. These are your giftable books. These are your, you know, books that they wouldn’t buy for themselves, but they’re going to definitely enjoy. So let’s move on to Biographies and Memoirs. Like, listen, this was a great year for memoirs. So people, you know, there were lots of revelations. There was lots of tea spilled. There were lots of, uh, you know, secrets, out in the universe, but you know, beyond the sensationalism, I think there’s some excellent titles to get into this year and I am going to start with one who was a guest on our show.
That’s right, Jada Pickett Smith “Worthy.” Listen, you know, I say come for the tea and stay for the revelations. There are some really, you know, beyond the headlines, um, which honestly, for me, were a minor part of what she revealed in this book, um, is, is a really relatable, really human story that I think a lot of us can empathize with and get into. So, you know, don’t be scared off by the headlines. “Worthy” is a worthy read. I genuinely, genuinely endorse this book. Um, it was one of my favorite reads this year. And listen, if you have the bandwidth, gift it along with “Will,” I think, you know, you rarely get two sides of a Hollywood marriage in print, and I totally enjoyed reading these two.
Uh, however, that’s not where things stop, uh, you know, listen as “Worthy” went to print, so did the authorized biography of Tupac, which, you know, there were a lot of revelations that came out about Tupac in Jada’s book. I highly recommend getting “Tupac.” as well. I think that that’s a really, really, uh, good read. And, and, and the first that’s really come out, that’s given us a deeper sense of, of his character. So again, as a companion piece to the revelations that came out from Jada’s books, which were incredibly loving and, um, give us a new dimension on a much-beloved entertainer, I highly recommend getting “Tupac” as well.
Um, other biographies and memoirs that came out this year. Listen, Jeezy “Adversity For Sale.” Uh, this, this book surprised me. I don’t even know how to say it any other way. This book surprised me. This was, um, a, a read we did for the podcast. And, um, there’s a lot of sensitivity in this book, a lot of honesty. Um, I think, you know, the great thing about books is that there’s something for everyone. If you’re a Jeezy fan, this is a great book for you.
If you are a sports fan, there are two memoirs I read this year that I really, really, really loved. One of them was “61” by Chris Paul. I’m going to tell you, I’ve been watching basketball since I was a kid, but I cannot tell you that I’m like deep into the NBA. And this book really, uh, sucked me in. It was really, it’s so beautifully told, and, uh, such a great homage to, uh, Chris Paul’s grandfather, who, uh, unfortunately died at the genesis of his career, right? As he was kind of cresting from that high school to college career. Uh, so this is “61: Life Lessons from Papa On and Off the Court.” Highly recommend.
And another one, another NBA player, Kendrick Perkins, you see him on ESPN. “The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir” is real. It’s actually a really fun read. This is a fun read. It’s honest. It’s transparent. Um, Again, these are three books that I think is particularly for, uh, sports lovers or the men in your life, um, have a lot to impart in terms of just life lessons, empathy, and just really, really strong messages.
So get into those a couple of others that came out this year, uh, “Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed.” I’m a huge Lena Horne fan. She’s amazing. Um, both as an entertainer and a civil rights activist, this is a great exploration of her career and life by Donald Bogle, who is an acclaimed biographer, uh, “Standing My Ground:, A Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble Ffter January 6th,” by Harry Dunn. Harry Dunn emerged as a hero after January 6th, and he kind of takes us into his thought processes, uh, on that day. And since in this biography.
Sly Stone has written a biography, uh, called “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself.” And if you love Sly and the Family Stone, you know, this is a great book to get into. Listen, there are no perfect heroes. And I love that, um, some of our musical heroes are really writing about their very imperfect journeys.
And lastly, ” The Risk it Takes to Bloom,” uh, this book by Raquel Willis, you know, is so, um, revelatory. Raquel Willis is an incredible activist, a trans activist, and really is telling her story of not just transitioning, but really becoming, um, a voice for her generation and for, uh, trans people everywhere and really, uh, centering the fight for inclusion in America. So I think this is a very important book. Two other biographies I might recommend, uh, you know, we, we like to center Black writers on the, on the podcast. However, these are two books that could not go overlooked this year. One of them was “King: A Life,” you know, this book by Jonathan Eig, um, who also wrote Ali, uh, the Ali biography, uh, just like Ali, this is headed to your movie theater soon. This will be directed by Chris Rock and it’s based on this book. Um, and it is thick. So everything you want to know about Martin Luther King, like beyond the platitudes and the quotes that people love to churn out is a very real person, a very real man with a very real life.
And so I highly recommend, uh, if you are a theater lover. “August Wilson: A Life” came out this year as well by Patti Harrison. And this will give you some gems on this really, um, incredibly prolific playwright, um, who has informed, uh, so much of what we think of as the Black theatrical canon and the careers of people like Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, and more. So I highly recommend those.
I’m going to come back in just a second with more Holiday Book Gift Ideas and more Writing Black.
We are back with more Writing Black and more of our Holiday Book Gift Guide. And listen, I think that if you give a book, it should be inspiring. It should be something that imparts a message that you would want to give to the recipient. And so we have a whole section on Inspirational Books that I would like to recommend this year.
One of them, and this is interesting because she is a two-time, uh, you know, author on our list this year, but the first book I’m going to recommend from Pinky Cole, “I Hope You Fail,” don’t let the title fool you, uh, Pinky Cole, who has had tremendous success through her Slutty Vegan franchise and beyond, uh, has written this great book about, uh, you know, well, she says 10 hater statements holding you back from getting everything that you want. And you know, if anybody knows how to overcome haters, I would have to say it’s Pinky Cole. She has, uh, done things that are beyond our imagining. So highly recommend this book, especially I would say for your, uh, millennial and Gen Z, uh, folks who you might want to inspire this season. I think that she’s a person who really resonates with that generation and highly recommend that book.
For every generation, James Baldwin, I think, remains relevant and “The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America’s Great Prophet Can Teach Us About Life, Love, and Identity,” is another great inspiring book that really like kind of delves into Baldwin’s legacy.
Greg Garrett is an award-winning writer and theologian and really kind of like breaks down all these gems that we get from Baldwin in a not, this is not a hard read. This is a great inspirational read. So highly recommend.
Listen, tis the season for entertaining, for food, for family gathering, for a lot of things. But I’m also going to say it’s a season for self-care. So ” Sacred Self Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves” by Dr. Shaniqua Walker Barnes is one I would recommend giving out this season, especially like, you know, you, we all know that person who’s like just doing too much. They’re just doing too much. They’re just overextended. It’s all in the name of love, but they need a reminder to take a break and take care of themselves first. Adjust that oxygen mask first. That’s all I would say. Um, I would also say don’t give up. And uh, Bernie Evaristo is an incredible writer who, you know, gained her first major success. I mean, I think she was in her forties. Um, and she’s the Booker prize-winning author of “Girl, Woman, Other,” and she’s written a memoir called “Manifesto on Never Giving Up.” and I think for any of us at any stage of life, it’s a great reminder. Don’t give up.
Now we talked about Kids Books earlier. I would also say, don’t forget your teachers. Listen, um, Deborah Roberts, the award winning journalist who you might know from NBC. You might know her as being married to Al Roker. Uh, she wrote a book this year, “Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life.” and this features stories from Oprah Winfrey, Misty Copeland, uh, Al Roker and more. And this, this could be a lovely gift to give the teacher in your life. Um, you know, if you have a teacher who’s doing right by your kids and you want to show them your appreciation, it could be an awesome gift to give to them this season.
Um, again, this is a season for gathering and being with families. And sometimes families are not drama-free, but you can help them out. So, uh, this is a guide to managing unhealthy family relationships, “Drama Free” by Nidra Glover Tawwab, uh, who also wrote “Set Boundaries, Find Peace.” Um, again, you know who this is for. And if they need it, just slip it to them under the Thanksgiving table or the Christmas table.
Okay. Just, just make sure they get it. And, uh, lastly, “Sisterhood Heals” by Joy Harden Bradford, who was a guest here on the podcast. I think, you know, this, we forget really how amazing our communities can be in, in holding us up and moving us forward. “Sisterhood Heals” is such a great reminder. And yes, brotherhood heals, too. Um, but we talk about sisterhood here. So, you know, if you want to remind someone of the power of, uh, female friendships of group healing and how we sustain each other as communities, that is a great, great book to get into.
A couple of others that I would recommend this season, Black Thought, otherwise known as Tariq Trotter, has come out with a book called “The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are.” I’m so excited to get into this. I’m a huge Black Thought fan. Like he’s at the top of all my MC list. So if he’s at the top of yours, get into that book this season.
There’s a book out now by Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith, who is a best-selling author, called “The Invisible Ache, Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power.” Again, you know, you might not think of these as your typical giftable books, but I do think that, you know, their books are powerful and that they can identify our pain points and they can answer them. And if you know somebody who could really use these books, I highly recommend giving them this season.
And lastly, we are always about our money. And I would say, uh, you know, “Your Journey to Financial Freedom: A Step By Step Guide” by Jamila Soufrant is a great book this year. It’s one I’m adding to my library as I start to really check it on my financial health. So, those are my recommendations for inspiring educational tomes this season.
Um, listen, I love history. I love, um, learning about where we came from, how, how it informs who we are today. And, uh, really digging into the details of, you know, things that we don’t even think about. These nuances of daily life that are informed by things that happened decades or even centuries ago. One of my favorite books this year and granted, I’m a little biased because he’s. My homie, and he’s also my colleague here at theGrio, is “Black AF History” by Michael Harriot. Listen, I walked into my local bookstore that’s a few blocks away from me a couple of weeks ago, and this was on display, and I was so proud. But it’s there for a reason. I didn’t tell them to put it there. This is a great book. This is the un-whitewashed history of America, which we could all use, especially when they’re trying to whitewash history. Uh, you know, again, I can’t say enough good things about this book. I can’t say enough good things about Michael Harriot, who is a genuinely great person, as well as a great writer. Get into this book, “Black AF History” is one to get this season. And get into Michael’s podcast right here on theGrio Black Podcast Network, “theGrio Daily,” which, a lot like this book, is weekly episodes of unfiltered Black truth.
Now, obviously, I’m a Black woman writer, and Black women writers have inspired me throughout my career. But I think whether you’re a woman or not, like, there’s so much to be gleaned by this title, “The Sisterhood: How a Network of Black Women Writers Changed American Culture.” This is by Courtney Thorson, who is not a Black author, but listen, the Black authors on this cover alone make this a book worth reading and getting into and getting inspired by. If you have a writer in your life, if you have a Black feminist in your life, if you have someone who just loves Black thought in your life, “The Sisterhood” is a great, great book to get.
Additionally, if you’re going to get that. Let’s let’s get into the women firsthand, “Black Women Writers at Work.” This came out at the top of this year. I was so so excited it is a 50 year old book that was reissued at the top of this year and these are excerpts from you know, Maya Angelou, Tony K Bambara, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez and more, um, including the names that I just mentioned, this is edited by Claudia Tate. And again, for any readers or writers in your life, I don’t care if they’re women or not, this is such an amazing book to give and to receive. So, you know, if somebody sent this to me, I would feel really loved. I’m just going to put that out there.
Tanisha C. Ford. is one of my favorite writers, uh, you may not know her name, but I know her well, and she is, um, an incredible researcher. She, uh, wrote the incredible, uh, fashion book, “Dressed in Dreams” as the lifestyle editor here at theGrio, I report a lot on fashion, so Tanisha’s been on my radar for a while, but she’s written a new book called “Our Secret Society, Molly Moon, and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement.” And again, we talk a lot, you know, about the Civil Rights Movement. We are Getting a little bit more into the unsung heroes of the movement, um, and, and particularly the women, you know, because when we talk about civil rights, we don’t typically talk about the women. So this is a really great history to explore and get into. It just came out. I have the reader’s proof. So, you know, I suggest getting in a hardcover if you’re going to gift it, but great book to get into.
And this lovely, lovely tome. “Sing a Black Girl Song: The Unpublished Work of Ntozake Shange.” Now, full disclosure, I had the pleasure of writing the foreword to Ntozake Shange’s first, uh, posthumous book of poetry. She was a huge hero of mine, and that was such an honor. But this book right here, getting into so much more of her writing beyond “For Colored Girls,” which, you know, is so known and rightfully beloved. This was edited by Imani Perry. There’s a foreword by Tarana Burke. And, uh, again, this is a book that most would be happy to have in their library. So I highly recommend
A couple of other great histories that you could get into. Listen, it is the 50th year of hip-hop. I, you know, I’m happy to have been around for most of those.
Um, there is “The Ode to Hip-Hop: 50 Albums That Define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music”. That’s by Kiana Fitzgerald. Um, this is also, again, we were talking about Bayard Rustin earlier. And there is something for the kids, but there’s also something for the adults. “Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics.” That’s by Michael G. Long, who edits. And so Those are my recommended histories.
Now, I’m a huge fan, real talk, of coffee table books. Do you know why? It’s because not only are they gorgeous, but these are the books that people rarely buy for themselves. You know, if you’re going to give a gift, give a coffee table book, because people are rarely going to sit there and think, Hmm, what amazing book can I put on my coffee table?
But there are so many amazing books to put on your coffee table. Here’s a few that I loved this year. One of them “The Art of Ruth E. Carter.” I’m a huge Ruth Carter fan. She is, uh, you know, a fashion goddess. She has created so many iconic moments for us. You know, like dating back to like “School Days,” which was like, I think her first film, right? You know, all the way up to Black Panther And more, you know, she’s worked with Spike Lee. She’s, she’s worked with Steven Spielberg. Incredible artist and incredible artistry. There she is right there. Sometimes I get mistaken for her and I kind of love it. So there’s that. But anyway, “The Art of Ruth Carter” is a great book to gift someone this season, especially a fashion or cinema lover. I think they’ll really get into it.
This book, incredibly special, “The Brownies Book.” So this is a love letter to Black families. That is literally the tagline, “A Love Letter to Black Families,” and it is inspired by the work of W. E. Du Bois and the original Brownies book periodical. And this was a, uh, periodical that would come out back in the Harlem Renaissance, um, that really celebrated Black children and Black families. This is one of the whole family can get into. It’s such a special book. The visuals are gorgeous. And again, people will not think to get this for themselves. You should get it for them. Get this for them. This is lovely. It’s lovely. That’s such a good book.
Another great book. I have been a huge fan of Delphine Diallo for probably about a decade now. Um, her imagery of Black women in particular is just absolutely, well, I’m going to say divine, and that is the name of her book, “Divine.” And the, the visuals in this book are just so stunning. Um, again, if you have somebody who is a photography lover and art lover or a fashion lover, or just loves beautiful imagery of Black people and Black women, Delphine Diallo, this is one to get.
Um, now a lot of us, we’re working from home, we’re hanging out at home, uh, even if, even if not, you know, home is sanctuary. I’m really big on, on Black home design. I think the way that we design our homes and the way that we approach our homes is something that’s unique and special and gorgeous. Two incredible books came out this year that, uh, I really think we should get into.
“Iconic Home: Interiors, Advice, and Stories From 50 Amazing Black Designers.” Hey now. We are underrepresented in this field and I think it’s so important this book came out. So, if you can get into Iconic Home or give it to someone you know who loves interior design. This is a great gift.
Additionally, Brigitte Romanek, um, “Livable Luxe,” this is another really great book, you know, this woman, first of all, it’s not just because she’s from Chicago like me. She’s an incredible interior designer, one of the top in her field, and again, if you have an interior design lover in your life, this is a, an excellent book, uh, from a Black designer that really, you know, who’s really pushed the edges and, you know, has touched on rock and roll, Hollywood, all of that great stuff to define her own style. So, those are some of my recommended coffee table books. Um, a few others that you might want to get into if you’re a fashion lover Ann Lowe. “American Couturier” is, I mean, talk about unsung heroes of fashion. This is the woman who created Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress, and is now finally getting her due from places like the Met and elsewhere.
Um, another book I’m loving right now is I’ve become recently a plant parent. Yes, I’m one of those people. “Living Wild: How to Plant Style Your Home and Cultivate Happiness.” I know I’m not the only one out there. That’s by Hilton Carter. So that’s a great one to give for your plant parents in your life.
Uh, Harlan’s Fashion Row has released its first book. Now, if you’re not familiar with Harlan’s Fashion Row, it’s become this huge, uh, advocate. I mean, this total game changer for Black designers who remain underrepresented in the fashion industry, despite being such a huge influence on the fashion industry. And so they released their first book, uh, called “Fashion in Color” featuring designers like Dapper Dan, Sergio Hudson, Fi Noel, and 10% of all of their online sales will be donated to funding Black designers. So that’s a gift that keeps on giving.
And lastly. I love this team. Okay. So, uh, Karan and, uh, Regis Bethancourt, um, who are the best selling authors of “Glory”. These are a husband and wife photography team who have been photographing children, um, I think for the better part of a decade now, and really allowing us to see children in all of their fantastical, magical glory. And this book is called “Crown”. This is based on magical folk and fairy tales from the diaspora. And, uh, again, they have recruited a gorgeous cast of brown children and, uh, dress them up as mythical characters. And it’s just such a special book. And again, another one that the whole family can enjoy. I’m going to be back in just a second with more of my recommended reads for 2023, but here’s a few you should get. Get into coffee, coffee table books. This is it.
And I’m going to continue with my Holiday Book Gift Guide with. Cookbooks. Everybody’s got their, their family recipes, but I’m always open to a few more. And here are a few amazing cookbooks that I totally got into this year. So the first one, listen, they had me at “Black Power Kitchen,” Ghetto Gastro, um, which is an incredible collective I’ve been watching for a decade or more, um, since their rise. This is a 75-flavored packed, mostly plant-based recipes. That’s the other thing. This isn’t even unhealthy. This is a great book. And with immersive storytelling, diverse voices and striking images to celebrate Black food and Black culture. And we love both of those things. So Ghetto Gastro’s “Black Power Kitchen,” great gift. Again, cookbooks are one of those things people don’t always buy for themselves. So, if you can get it for them, it’s typically a welcome gift. It’s very hard to strike out on those.
Since we were talking about plant based, again, I can’t believe she made it on our list twice. She’s a first-time author just this year, but Pinky Cole made it on my recommended reading list twice. And her, the second book that I would recommend is “Eat Plants B!&%$” you know what the rest of it is. Okay. You know, I got to keep it clean, but yes, eat plants, uh, 91 vegan recipes that will blow your meat-loving mind. One of the things I do love about this. And I love about Pinky in general. We talked about this when she was on the podcast is that she’s not just giving you her recommended recommendations here. She’s also like bringing in the voices of other vegan chefs. She’s totally great with sharing the spotlight. So when you buy a cookbook like this, you’re not just getting her, you’re getting like a whole genre of cooks who are going to contribute, which kind of makes it extra dope. I think.
I’m a musician. I’m a music lover. So I love, uh, this book as well. Alexander Smalls. “Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes for my African American Kitchen” by Alexander Smalls of “Smalls in Harlem.” Again, if you have people who are jazz lovers, who just love that, like culture, I mean, he’s done incredible things. Um, you know, mint, Minton’s in Harlem is his restaurant. I mean, there’s so many great things to say about Alexander Smalls. He’s an award-winning, uh, cookbook, uh, author and chef. So great cookbook to give.
Now, when we talk about Black chefs, inevitably, there is a name that floats to the top. Marcus Samuelsson has done so much for Black representation in American cuisine and beyond. And he has written this, uh, cookbook, “The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.” I really, I’m such a fan of his. I mean, he’s included so many voices in this book, including, like, Leah Chase and Michael Twitty, uh, Mishama Bailey. So, again, “The Rise” is a great cookbook, just like Pinky Cole’s. If you’re looking to get, um, a more bang for your buck, like a lot of, a lot of chefs in one book, this is a great book to give and to receive. I would be happy with it in my kitchen.
Um, a couple of others. These are two classics. They did not come out this year, but again, I don’t think you can ever go wrong with giving either of these books, “Sweet Home Cafe: A Celebration of African American Cooking.” This is an award-winning book. Um, and this is from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This is from their cafe. This is their official cookbook. Um, again, there’s so much history steeped in this book. I already said I love history, so, you know, history and food. Like, two of my favorite things, like sold hi, you know, again, can’t go wrong with giving that book.
And “Black Food.” I believe this made our list last year. There’s a reason it’s back this year. Bryant Terry did an incredible job in this amazing tribute to Black food culture. And again, if you’re looking for a gift to give the foodie or the cook in your life, this is a great one.
Um, a couple of other books that came out this year in the Fiction genre, if you want to escape into a story, there are some amazing authors out there. One of them is Jessamyn Ward. Um, You know, listen, Jessamyn Ward has written so many incredible books at this point. Uh, she’s a two-time National Book Award winner, and the author of “Sing, Unburied Sing.” Her latest, which was, uh, part of Oprah’s book club this year, shout out to Oprah, is “Let Us Descend.” Um, this is a book that you know, it’s very striking. It does have its have a root in, uh, slavery, uh, and enslaved people, the characters, uh, you know, are speaking from that vantage point. Um, but Jessamyn Ward’s prose, I think, is something not to be missed. It’s something that, you know, again, when we talk about the Black canon, I think she’s one person who’s going to belong there for a long time, so. Get into Jessamyn Ward.
Jamel Brinkley, uh, has written “Witness.” This is a series of stories that has become so highly acclaimed this year. Uh, again, you know, I love short story collections because I think that, you know, when you talk about people, you know, sometimes you’ll run into people and they’ll say, I, you know, “I don’t, I don’t really read, I don’t, I’m not really a reader.” Short stories, poetry, essays are an excellent way for people to get into reading. It doesn’t take long. It’s enchanting. It’s an escape. It offers a little respite. I, you know, this is a great entry point. “Witness” is an incredible book and it is acclaimed for a reason. These stories are evocative and striking and, and Jamel Brinkley, let’s again, a name to watch.
Uh, another collection of short stories I really loved. We had her on the podcast this year. Uh, in fact, she joined us at the LA Festival of Books, is Debra Deep Mouton, “Black Chameleon,” like, you know, “Memory, Womanhood, and Myth” is the tagline of this collection, but oh my gosh, this is a magical, magical book. I absolutely loved it from start to finish. I think that there’s so much in here that is just, um, so rich and, and, and, and just you’re going to love it. They’re going to love it. Gift this book. That’s what I would say.
For your people who like a little darker tone, a little darker tone, like a little mystery, a little spooky on their ooky, uh, “The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, by Tanana Reeve Du. This is, you know, listen, she is an acclaimed Black mystery and horror writer. Um, she, this is great cause it’s also like short fiction. So again, great ways to get into reading, just short fiction, short bites. These are, these are great, but I promise you, you won’t be able to put this down. This is so good. She’s such a great writer. Get into that. Um, another one, Eleanor Shearer, uh, “River Sing Me Home.” This is another book that, um, starts with a narrative of an enslaved person and really takes us on a journey. It’s so beautifully written. Um, it’s worth all the praise it’s gotten. Again, if you have a fiction lover in your life, get into this book. So, so, so strong.
The next book I’m going to recommend is not a new one, but it is one that is very current. This is my well-beloved copy of “The Color Purple” and with “The Color Purple,” film coming out. On Christmas Day, this is a great time to get into this American classic. This is a, you know, I mean, I don’t know what else to say about this book. You known it’s been controversial. It’s been revered. It’s been inspiring. See it, you know, if you haven’t read it, read it for yourself. If, uh, you want to share it with the new generation, please do. I was introduced to this book when I was in puberty and it was a game changer for me.
More holiday book gift ideas after this. Stay with us.
We are back with more Writing Black and more of our Holiday Book Gift Guide.
Listen, you know, this has been a fun episode for me because I, you know, I love talking to our authors. I love talking to our writers, but rarely do I really get to run down all the books I’ve been loving over the course of a year. So, please, you know, get into these, but also thank you for indulging me in, in some of my purposes.
And as we move into our last segment, I’m going to recommend these because I think like poetry and essays are also such an excellent way to just encourage reading again, just like short stories. Um, when you, when you give somebody a book of poems or a book of essays, you know, they’re the kind of thing that can sit comfortably on their coffee table, but they’re also the kind of thing that they could just read one at a time at their leisure without feeling like they have to get totally invested into a long narrative. So, you know, these are my recommendations.
This book, “Above Ground,” we interviewed Clint for the podcast. Clint Smith is one of my favorite writers. You know, he wrote the book, “How the Word is Passed,” which is not a poetry book. It was all about visiting these incredible historical landmarks across America and beyond that means so much to Black people, but he is a prolific poet. He this year circled around, it kind of made a full circle journey back to poetry and, uh, wrote “Above Ground” poems. And this, I would especially recommend this for the fathers in your life, the young fathers. Um, you really get a sense of him as a parent, as a husband, um, and the revelations that he has about raising children. It’s just, it’s one of the most beautiful books I read this year. And I think, um, if there is a strong male figure that you really. Uh, appreciate in your life that is a book that would show your appreciation for them.
Um, Warsan Sheree, uh, you know, came into a lot of people’s consciousness, uh, in 2016 when Beyonce put out Lemonade, she referenced a lot of Sheree’s poetry. This year she put out the book, “Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head,” and this is a beautiful book and again, um, you know, it is seven years past Lemonade, but this book, I think there’s some eternal, really beautiful things that, that are said in this book. Her poetry is just really gorgeous. Again, I just hugged the book. That’s, that’s always a sign.
Mahogany L. Brown put out a poetry collection this, this year called “Chrome Valley” that I would recommend to you. Um, I would also say “Tender Headed” by Olatunde Oseniake, uh, is another really, really great book. This is, you know. I love the wordplay, the wordplay in this book is what I love so much in this poetry. Um, again, I think, you know, there’s, there are American art forms that are just art forms in general that, you know, we really need to cling on to. But I think Black poetry is one of them, particularly for us, the economy of words, but the wealth of emotion that you can get through in a poem is, is something not to be overlooked.
Um, In terms of essays, there were a few books this year that I genuinely got into one of them was Roxane Gay’s “Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business.” Uh, you know, Roxane Gay is Roxane Gay for a reason. She is a brilliant writer and “Opinions” is such a great collection of her work.
Um, another book that I really, that surprised me in ways with its sensitivity, um, because she’s not necessarily known for this. She’s no more for snarkiness is Z -Way’s “Black Friend.” Uh, this is a collection of essays in which Z-Way, who you might know from Showtime, uh, is, uh, kind of giving her insights on any number of things. And there’s some really striking and emotionally gripping essays in that book.
And lastly, one of my. personal friends, but also I’m a huge fan of Samantha Irby, who, uh, has, is back with her latest collection of essays, “Quietly Hostile.” Uh, if you are familiar with Samantha Irby’s work, and I, the reason I love Samantha is because I think, again, I say it, there’s a book for everyone and Samantha is quirky and irreverent and, and Definitely an oversharer, but you know, if you love that, I mean, it’s what, what’s so great about her books is that she’s so deeply human. And so I think that, uh, you know, what we were always trying to tap into with Writing Black, with all the books that we feature here and with books in general, I think any of us writers are trying to tap into humanity. And what I love about her work and what I love about books in general is how they connect each of us to our humanity.
And so, I hope that this season, you will consider giving a book as a gift. You have our list. You can wait until the last week before Christmas to give any of these or Kwanzaa or Hanukkah or whatever your holiday might be, but just know that there is a book for all of you. And there’s also an episode of Writing Black for all of you.
So check us out on theGrio’s Black Podcast Network and we will see you next time on Writing Black. Thanks so much for joining us for this week’s episode of Writing Black. As always, you can find us on theGrio app or wherever you find your podcasts.
