African-American Fiction TBR Challenge

This title picture is from TCM channel’s Monday Night Theme, African-American Coming-of-Age Films. The tv channel always has some good old movies. I haven’t seen any of the Monday movies, and it looks like the photo was taken from Coolie High.

In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr and TCM, I have dug through my book list with some sort of connection with African-Americans to recommend and TBR. As for the books I’ve read, I realized that there isn’t that many I’ve tagged African-American, or just Africa.

This has inspired me to challenge myself to read 5 books in 2016 with an African-American tag.

Now I do have a lot of books I already am planning on reading. There are even some books I’ve added because I liked their movies –The Color Purple, The Help, etc).

Books I’ve Read & Recommend…

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This was a high school required reading. I reread it in August 2015 along with the audiobook read by Sissy Spacek (Immersion Reading w/ hardcover and Overdrive library audio). I liked how Spacek read the book, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book, Go Set a Watchman (hardcover copy) and the audio read by Reese Witherspoon.
2. The Script to Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee. This was a college English class required reading. We read the script and then watched the film. I think I ended up liking the film even more because we read the script, and had discussions. And it’s well acted too.
3. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. (And also The Adventures of Tom Sawyer). Required reading for high school (and Jr high too).
4. Any Way the Wind Blows by E. Lynn Harris. Read in 2003. I don’t remember much of it, except that I did like the way the author writes.
5. Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark. Read in the early 1990s during high school, and it wasn’t required reading, and it’s one that I still remember reading from my youth.

TBR Book List & Books I Own…

(And yes, a lot of these have movies)…

1. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Loved the movie!!!!
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I read a little bit of this in my 30s, but I don’t remember much of it.
4. The City by Dean Koontz. Netgalley ARC book.
5. To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite. Netgalley ARC book. Haven’t seen the movie either.
6. 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northrop. Haven’t seen the movie either.
7. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. I liked the movie.
8. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Haven’t seen the movie.
9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Loved the movie.
10. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
11. Wishing Lake by Regina Hart. Netgalley ARC book.
12. Fall Upon Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald.
13. Shetani’s Sister by Iceberg Slim. Netgalley ARC book.
14. Forgiving Waters by Kenneth L. Capps. Netgalley ARC book.