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While many of us don’t need any encouragement to pick up a good book, today is National Read A Book Day! Although there isn’t much research on how National Read A Book Day came to be, there is research that shows that reading is good for you mentally and emotionally.
Reading has been proven to improve memory and concentration and reduce stress. In addition, research suggests that reading results in a slower cognitive decline and the ability to participate in more mentally stimulating activities throughout your lifetime.
Whether you already have a good book on hand or if you’re still looking, today is the day to dedicate some time to reading.
Here is a list of 2022’s must-read books by Black authors:
Black Love Matters edited by Jessica P. Pryde
Black Love Matters is an insightful, intersectional essay collection curated by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde that celebrates and analyzes romance and romantic culture through the eyes of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators.
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
Kiara and her brother Marcus struggle to make ends meet in the grimy Regal-Hi housing complex in East Oakland. Both have dropped out of high school, and death and incarceration have shattered their family. While Marcus clings to his dream of becoming a famous rapper, Kiara looks for work to help them pay their rent and to care for the motherless, nine-year-old child who lives next door. What starts out as a drunken miscommunication with a stranger develops into the profession Kiara never thought she’d need: nightcrawling.
You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen
In Laila Sabreen’s YA debut book, three Black Muslim females establish a space where they can challenge stereotypes and speak the truth after a terrorist incident rattles the nation and anti-Islamic sentiment flares.
A Killer Sundae by Abby Collette
The fall in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is stunning, and Crewse Creamery owner Bronwyn Crewse knows how to bring in the new year. Residents savor delectable frozen delights during the Harvest Time Festival from Win’s new ice cream truck. But when a festival-goer is poisoned, and Win is accused, she finds herself in a little bit of difficulty.
Breath Better Spent by DaMaris B. Hill
In this novel, DaMaris B. Hill lifts her little self onto her shoulders as they both survey the scene of Black girlhood in America. Hill chooses to honor and protect the girl she carries at a time when Black girls nationwide are becoming more vulnerable to abuse, wrongful incarceration, and unreported disappearances.
Enjoy your read!
Written by TeAsia Royster
