Hello Meltingpot Community,
I don’t think any regular readers of this blog need reminding, but if you’re new here, you might not know this one thing about me. I LOVE books. I love everything about books. I love reading them, writing them, and I even love smelling new books in a bookstore. Yes, my devotion runs deep. My favorite kind of books are books that feature multicultural characters. I love books that reflect my own culturally diverse life, and I love books that provide a window into unknown worlds and communities.
Comfort Reading During the Pandemic
For a lot of people, the pandemic has stripped away the ability to sit still long enough to read. Anxiety is running high and sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos and a steady stream of 90s television reruns is all folks can manage. I totally get it. But that’s not my reality. Books have been my saving grace. I read more books in 2020 than I have in a long time. I read some amazing new works of fiction, but I also returned to some old favorites for comfort. I recently read an article that said it made sense for folks to watch reruns of favorite TV shows during the pandemic because it provided a sense of safety and familiarity. Well, the same can be said for books and familiar stories. Try these multicultural comfort reads to get you through the cold dark days of winter + a pandemic.
Ten Multicultural Comfort Reads
Here are ten of my favorite multicultural reads that I can always count on to lift my spirits and/ or transport me to a different world. Perfect for a life lived in quarantine, or any time you just need the comfort of a familiar and colorful read. I hope you might find some fun in these lit picks. (P.S. These are all in paperback so no heavy lifting required.)
Waiting in Vain by Colin Channer – This sexy romance between a Jamaican artist and an African American woman who is afraid to follow her heart, takes readers from Jamaica to Brooklyn with stops in Cuba and the UK. Warning, Waiting in Vain will make you sweat!
Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie – Some people might categorize Americanah as a contemporary romance novel, but really it’s coming-of-age story, a meditation on immigration, identity and the African diaspora. The characters are unforgettable and the story is mesmerizing.
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy by Rey Terciero – Technically this is a YA read, but who cares. It’s the retelling of Little Women in graphic novel format with a multiracial cast of characters. It doesn’t get any better than that, a familiar story with a colorful twist. It’s totally satisfying and lots of fun to read.
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende – When you need a burst of magical realism set in a lush South American setting, these short stories written by the master herself, will do the trick. But they will leave you wanting more. Luckily Allende has written so many books, there is much to chose from for a follow up.
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami – If you’re looking for something like a mystery, a page turner populated with well-developed multicultural characters and a strong female lead, this is your book. The Other Americans begins with an unexplained death, an immigrant family looking for answers and the knowledge that somebody knows whodunnit. It’s so good, you’ll be sorry when you turn the last page.
Small Island by Andrea Levy – Who doesn’t want to dive into a good WWII novel based in the UK and staring a white and Black British couple whose lives intersect in the most unexpected ways? Small Island is one of Levy’s best.
Substitute Me by Lori L. Tharps – Yes, I wrote this book club favorite about a white PR executive who hires a young Black woman to be her newborn’s nanny. Told in alternating chapters between the mother and the nanny, this novel answers the question of what happens when the nanny you hire is better at her job than you are?
How to Be Black by Barantunde Thurston – Not quite a memoir, kind of a satirical self-help book, How to Be Black pokes fun at identity politics while also sharing Thurston’s life story growing up in Washington, DC. Hilarious and smart, this book still feels relevant a decade after its initial release.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – Guillory has fast become a household name as the goddess of multicultural romance novels. The Wedding Date was her first offering and it tells the story of a Black woman and a white man whose casual meeting turns into so much more. It’s juicy fun with some hot sex scenes.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – Maya Angelou had the most amazing life and even more amazing is that she documented it all in seven compelling memoirs, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and ending with Mom & Me & Mom. Her life is an inspiration to writers, Black expatriates, multi-passionate artists and anyone who ever had the belief and the courage to follow their heart.
Stay Tuned for a Big Bookish Announcement
And speaking of good multicultural books, be sure to come back to the blog on Friday of this week, because I have a big, bookish announcement to make. Here’s a hint, it has to do with the MAMP podcast. *squeal*
While you wait for Friday, please tell me what multicultural reads you come back to for comfort and joy. I’d love to add some new titles to my list.
(Photo by Samson Katt from Pexels)
