Fall Into the Mess
Books written by Black authors with family drama at the center
I’ll admit it.. I love mess, especially the kind wrapped in family secrets and side-eyes at the dinner table. Fall has a way of bringing families together, first for cozy dinners, then for the holiday season, and we all know that’s when the secrets start to simmer right alongside the sweet potato pie.
This week’s roundup is serving up all the juicy reads by Black authors that deliver heart, humor, and a dash of drama, perfect for the Family Drama category.
Family Drama
Category Description
This category invites you to embrace being a voyeur as you get a front row seat to a family’s long-held secrets and drama. Family drama or conflict is at the center and can help you reflect on your own relationships
Read & Loved
A Day Late and A Dollar Short by Terry McMillan
Women’s Fiction
After a health scare, a family’s matriarch decides to turn her life around, even if it means causing her large, unruly clan a little discomfort to bring them back together.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry
Women’s Fiction | Thriller
A former journalist investigates her aunt’s disappearance in the 1960s and battles her own past trauma and current struggles.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
Crime Fiction
After their father’s suspicious car crash, three siblings face dangerous criminals and family secrets.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens
Southern Fiction
In this taut Southern family drama, the sins of a favorite son rock a small Mississippi town.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie
Contemporary Fiction
A free-spirited woman’s life is upended when a twelve-year-old girl reveals she’s the product of her donated egg.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
On My Reading List
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown
Historical Fiction
A caretaker in 1960s Alabama grapples with her unfulfilled dreams and responsibilities.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
House Woman by Adorah Nworah
Thriller
A Nigerian woman moves to Texas for an arranged marriage, but finds herself trapped in a dangerous web of conflicting desires and family secrets.
This book is available in physical and digital formats.
This Kind of Trouble by Tochi Eze
Literary Fiction
A riveting tale of forbidden love centered on an estranged couple brought together to reckon with the mysterious events that splintered their family.
This book is available in physical, digital, and audio formats.
Adding any of these books to your reading list? Any books I should add?
Comment below!
🍁 The Shelf-tember Star Is…
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Her Bingo Winning Reads:
Historical Tales - Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
Afro-Latine/Caribbean Storytelling - Sweethand by N.G. Peltier
FREE SPACE
Fall Holiday Story - No Thank You by Alexandra Warren
Recommend Read - August Lane by Regina Black
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I think I’m going to have to lean into family drama stories for the month of November in lieu of not going home for Thanksgiving. Cuz all of your read & loved titles sound like a time!! Romance is gonna have to be my sneaky link instead of my main chick in November 🤭😂
Love these recs! Thanks for sharing!