11 books by BLACK AUTHORS you NEED to read (SFF, thrillers, & romance) [cc]

[@allison7723]

I'd love to see more recommendations for books about "wealthy brown people"!! It's also one of my favorite things to read about.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg yes yes yes!!!!!!!!

[@cjtorres5917]

Late to the party but this all the way.

[@illreadwhatshesreading]

The violin conspiracy sounds very interesting! The whole dynamic of POC in classical music is something more media could explore, esp when you remember that a lot of people theorise Beethoven was black. It's like remembering how many classical authors were black, like Alexandre Dumas. Nice video!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg yes!!! Learned like last year that dumas was black. So so exciting! Can’t wait to read his books….someday

[@illreadwhatshesreading]

@@JesseOnKZbin My hand aches just imagining the 1000+ page weight of The Count of Monte Cristo D:

[@annelooney1090]

@@JesseOnKZbinAlexander Pushkin, who is considered the Shakespeare of Russian, was also black

[@cjtorres5917]

Pushkin was Black? Wow. That's the coolest thing I've heard in a while.

[@Dontbestupidlittleboy]

​@@JesseOnKZbin with that attitude you're not reading DUMAS's works lol. These books are nothing compared to his works.

[@kendallm8331]

I LOVED Escaping Exodus! I'm planning on reading Nicky Drayden's entire backlist and I'm so excited for it.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

oooo how many books does Drayden have?!

[@kendallm8331]

Goodreads listed 34 different works, including her novels and short stories published in magazines/other places

[@kelynspear5863]

yall are so right about the argument about representation just ~being for the sake of representation~. people always list off all the rep like "oh this is excessive, having a friend group with a trans person and a disabled queer person" and i'm like. you're describing my friend group, if you think that's unrealistic, that's on you. (yall put it so much better than i did haha)

[@onyxlotus6461]

The Violin Conspiracy was amazing. The author is actually a violinist. I listened to this and the features where we got to hear some if the pieces....PHENOMENAL.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

i know, i’m so excited to listen to it someday!!! he’s so cool i want him to write a memoir 🥲🥲

[@dimerymichaels3539]

I love a rich people book!! I can’t believe the therapist gave out the name in The Perfect Ruin?!?! It sounds exciting and a little over the top. Sometimes that’s a great thriller read and sometimes it’s just eyerolly. I’m glad y’all liked it so much! I can’t wait to read Cherish Farrah. I have commented that like three times whenever yall bring it up. 🥴🥴 I have the sequel to A Song Below Water, so I think I’ll reread that soon and then read the sequel and then read this.

[@chexmixbaby44]

IM SO EXCITED FOR THE FINAL STRIFE!!! It's jumping to the top of my tbr as soon as I get my hands on it

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It’s soooooo good

[@madamejaysynstarotoriginal]

What you said about multiple representations was hella true! I’ve been in need of a good social commentary thriller, so While the Wicked Watch sounds hella cool.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

yessss!! its so so good. can't wait for the next. i hope you love it.

[@exquisitelyebony]

Monday’s Not Coming is one of my all time favorites so I will be reading As The Wicked Watch for sure. MNC left me in shambles.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

still not over Monday's not coming tbh and read it like 3 years ago.

[@readingintothevoid2930]

I read The Perfect Ruin because of Blackathon and I gave it 5 stars too! I am ALWAYS dying for totally unapologetic and cruel women characters and this book did not disappoint!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg yes yes yes!!!!! Exactly!!!!!!!! Do u have any recs for books w similar characters?

[@readingintothevoid2930]

@@JesseOnKZbin Not as many as I’d like! But whenever I think about this, my stand out unapologetically cruel women characters are Lada Dragwyla in Kiersten White’s And I Darken series-she’s literally based on Vlad the Impaler. And Xifeng in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. The November Girl by Lydia Kang isn’t an exact fit because the MC is the daughter of Lake Superior and so her and Lake Superior don’t see themselves as cruel, rather the deaths they cause are facts of nature. But others see what they do as cruel and they are definitely utterly unapologetic. In Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean-the community that the MC comes from are yōkai women who seduce men in order to marry then murder them for their money. Oh and the cook and commandant in An Ember in the Ashes series! And I’d say Ren from The Poppy War absolutely fits the bill too of course!

[@samanthashepard9642]

i love the banner behind y’all!!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg thank ya!!!!

[@KLC228]

your passion and love for these books (and all the books ya'll love) make me so excited to add these, seek them out and read them! I want to get to them all right now!!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹😭

[@RaspberryDevil]

I'm not in the mood for thrillers or mysteries at the moment, but the violin conspiracy sounds interesting so I'll keep that in mind fo later! The final strife sounds good, new fantasy tomes are always fun even if I don't get to them all the time. Thanks for sharing them with us 🐢📚

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Anything for u 🧨🌙💚🙏🏽

[@emroyka]

Always excited for y'all's Black Girl Magic vlogs, and The Final Strife sounds amazing, cannot wait!🖤✨🖤✨🖤I read Escaping Exodus last year and it was super interesting (though, I agree with you about the 'why so many tentacles'😅). I need to read You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty🧡🌴🌺

[@JesseOnYoutube]

ITS SOOOO GOOD. omg the emojis u picked were exactly the vibes of the book!!!! the body horror in escaping exodus was on point

[@AbiofPellinor]

Jesse y'all know you already add too much to my tbr! I'd heard a lot about The Violin Conspiracy and I played music as a kid (piano and clarinet) so I've been tempted, learning that it's by a Black author? Pushed me over the edge, added to the tbr!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It’s so good!!!!! We got it as a surprise to ourselves. It was a spontaneous buy and so so so worth the while

[@mondaysshelf]

I am so excited for The Final Strife purely based on what y'all have said about it. Also that cover? Gorgeous.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Caitlin! Can u imagine the finished hardcover?! Weeping in advance

[@mondaysshelf]

@@JesseOnKZbin omg I’m sobbing already. That cover will kill me from its beauty and I will say thank you 😂I already know this will be the only book I talk about for months once it releases😂

[@KappaBooks]

I'm definitely adding the Violin Conspiracy to my TBR!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

kappaaaaa its so so good!!!!

[@SharayaMW]

Thank you for this video! I have my eyes on the Tamron Hall title. I loved Monday's Not Coming, so I understand how you compared the two. I'll prepare myself and read it one day. Yo!!! The Violin Conspiracy. . .is my JOINT 🙌🏾 his mom was STRAIGHT trash. Loved the story, overall. 5 out of 5 for me. I tell everyone about it. I'm ready to read his new title, now. I'll have to look deeper into some of the other titles here.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Hey Sharaya! I cannot wait to read Brenden Slocumb's new book. Its on my TBR for this month. I think its called Symphony of Secrets. If it lets me down, I will cry

[@pauieeepau]

I just got Final Strife, and I plan to read it soon. I'm just in the middle of 2 books right now. I've jotted down some of these.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

yesssss!!!

[@HouseHooligan]

I LOVED Prey of Gods, and have had Escaping Exodus on my TBR for a while now. I have got to make time for it. Adding The Final Strife to my TBR-might have to preorder, sounds absolutely like my jam!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

omg cant wait to read prey of the gods. strife is DEF def preorder material.

[@shock2ursystem357]

The Final Strife sounds amazing!! I'm adding all of these to my never-ending TBR!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg pls tell me u have a Booktube channel bc ur icon and name is amazing

[@shock2ursystem357]

@@JesseOnKZbin Thank you so much!! I actually just started my Booktube channel about a month ago. I'm having a lot of fun with it!

[@RegardingReading]

Yep, I definitely need to read all of these!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It’s a must Sara. For our friendship to continue!!!

[@RegardingReading]

@@JesseOnKZbin Oop! Y'all definitely sold me on Cherish Farrah! And super hyped for Emezi's romance.

[@PageTurnersWithKatja]

The Final Strife sounds amazing; going on my TBR for July 💛

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Yesss

[@HasabeMizurukara]

I really don't like revenge books but Perfect Ruin on audio gripped me. I'm still reconsidering my rating on this book. I feel like at the end of the year a lot of my ratings change as they sit with me. Cherish Farrah is another one of those that I shouldn't have liked but I did. And sitting with that rating too. I'm indecisive this year.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Cherish Farrah was soooo messed up haha. Can’t wait for the adaptation. It hasn’t been announced but it’s too good not to adapt!!

[@HasabeMizurukara]

@@JesseOnKZbin I would love that to happen. I think I enjoy it more as a book though because you get all the dark inner thoughts of the MC.

[@Nao_Craft]

Escaping Exodus and The Sweetest Remedy both sound fab! They’re definitely added to my TBR. Thanks for another great video, Jessie!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Thank you!!!!! Be prepared for some BODY HORROR in escaping exodus lmao I was not ready

[@Nao_Craft]

@@JesseOnKZbin good to know! Not a fan of body horror, so it’s good to know that going in

[@JaneTheBrain.]

prey of gods was so good! also loving the hair and neck cloth vibes!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg thank u Jane! Was just thinking of u the other day, in a non creepy way I promise. How are you?

[@JaneTheBrain.]

Wow thank you! Life has been fairly a lot recently but I'm pretty good overall

[@ΕυφροσύνηΜαθιουδάκη]

So many thrillers!!! I'm so excited!! I read prey of gods last years and can't wait to read Escaping Exodus and Symbiosis!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omgggf ur gonna love those books. Any thriller recs? Gonna be making a black thriller rec series soon!

[@jessicaj.7324]

I just finished reading "As the Wicked Watch". It was very good and I finished it in 3 days. Some elements of the book were hard to read because it was a harsh reality. I was hoping for a little plot twist though but definitely worth the read.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Very very glad you enjoyed it 🥰 it is such a difficult book to digest but utterly worthwhile

[@Zephlett]

Thank you for the recommendation for "As the Wicked Watch!" It was devastating and real. That's not a complaint.

[@joubert350]

"Where was the electric chair" 😭🤣 i am Screaming. I love yalls review of the perfect ruin. Will pick that up next. I love a revenge story 😈

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Oooo got any recs for them? Maybe we will make a Video!

[@joubert350]

@@JesseOnKZbin can't think of anything rn. However the Moulite sisters have a new book coming out The Summer I Ate the Rich 👀 it's apparently going to be a revenge story about a Haitian zombie girl enjoying the flesh of her ennemies? 😭 has quite a bit of Haitian zombie lore from what they said. There's no release date yet but im excited to read that one 🥲🩸

[@patrickills22]

Thank you for this, needed some recs for my friends birthday next week and she wants to get into more blacc cauthors and authors of color

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Thank you for watching! Happy bday to your friend :)

[@booksandteatime2197]

yessss escaping exodus was phenomenal 5 for me as well sooo many tentacles 😳 also that quote from the final strife 🥵🔥🔥

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Right!! Are u going to read the second one?

[@booksandteatime2197]

@@JesseOnKZbin for sure!!! i also wanna read the prey of gods by drayden too

[@PageTurnersWithKatja]

The Final Strife's going on my TBR for July; sounds super!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Promise you will be obsessed!

[@SpeakWritePlayinEnglish]

Great recommendations! Just added some of them to my TBR.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Yay, thank you!

[@KittyAndTheBooks]

I am so glad to hear you loved Cherish Farrah, I really wanted to love it but it did not work for me unfortunately.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Oooo what didn’t you like?

[@KittyAndTheBooks]

@@JesseOnKZbin I listened to the audio and the repetitions were just a lot and it felt so boring to me. I did not understand the motivation of any of the characters. And when the scene with the old book happens, I was like "pls let this not be everything that's behind it" and then it was. I found it so predictable. The whole second half of the book I was praying that there would be more to it...

[@HasabeMizurukara]

I wasn't into a book about music but then I finished Light From Uncommon Stars and was blown away and now am interested in more books about musicians.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

What genre is that?

[@HasabeMizurukara]

@@JesseOnKZbin Very murky. It has aliens so sci-fi but also music and demons (paranormal) so it's kind of speculative. I also wonder if there is a sub genre of contemporary that is just about music.

[@aquamarine18]

I'm looking forward to the Final Strife. I really enjoyed Escaping Exodus + have already bought the sequel -- so good. ❤😊

[@JesseOnYoutube]

omg cannot waiiiiit for the sequel!!!! its such an amazing book. YOURE GOING TO LOVE THE FINAL STRIFE OMG

[@samantharose1001]

Adding Lightseekers to the tbr!! ✨

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Ay!!!

[@kristintalksbooks]

It’s the way I added all these books to my TBR!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

SHUTUP omg yessss

[@cathycreates]

Love the sound of ‘The Final Strife’

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It’s sooooo bomb!!!!! I was shook

[@andrev5992]

Thanks for offering up from Black authors of thrillers - they are hard to find when that’s your niche! I enjoyed My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

thats a good one!!! here are 2 more videos where I read and talk about black thrillers! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eou2gWOgmKl_icU kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmbWdq2ba6uEiaM hope u like them!!

[@BaskinginBooks]

As the wicked watch and The final strife sound really interesting!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

yessss!!!

[@ivystrong7203]

You really surprised me. I would have thought you wouldn't have liked "The Perfect Ruin" as much and that you would have liked "Like A Sister" more. I liked "As The Wicked Watch" a lot. The Violin Conspiracy is next.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

I know right?! It’s so rare I can enjoy a book like the perfect run but it really did it for me 🙌🏽 positive it was influenced by the audio bc audiobooks always hit more than the physical for me

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Plssss tell me if you like violin conspiracy

[@catherinebruno1689]

The Sweetest Remedy was one of my favorites from Blackathon.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

WASNT IT SO CUTE!?!? caught me by shock. wasn't expecting to lOVE IT SO MUCH

[@lizzylewis9757]

Had to chuckle when yall said yall were listening to the book while doing the dishes because I was doing the dishes while watching this video 😅😂

[@JesseOnYoutube]

screaming!!!!

[@griffinmoth]

The second you mentioned True Biz I felt my Deaf ASL professor from undergrad staring at me across the astral plane and telling me I need to read it. Is this the moment I finally sign up for BOTM? Possibly.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Ooo did u get it?!

[@griffinmoth]

@@JesseOnKZbin I sure did 😁

[@AlexanderBrando]

I just finished You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty and loved Feyi as an artist, as an individual, as someone that is working through an immense amount of grief. But I disliked that she never really considered anyone else’s feelings because she believed she deserved happiness no matter the cost. Emezi is a stunning writer and the descriptions of food, and the island, and art pieces was just *chefs kiss*. I love black people being described as gorgeous and rich and getting to read a book that mirrors how I talk. But I had a REALLY hard time buying into the romance between Feyi and Alim than was being sold to me. It felt like their relationship was flimsy and I didn’t like how Feyi reverted to being sort of childish in the way she handled things when she was in the relationship. The Feyi that protected her art is the Feyi I wished I got through the entire book 😭 Great review though and it’s nice to hear someone else’s opinion that differs from mine 😌

[@JesseOnYoutube]

thank you for sharing your perspective! love hearing different angles on characters and books i love. what did you end up rating it? just curious :)

[@aquillerjay4286]

I am always looking for recommendations of Black authors thanks I will be ready g many of these

[@Yvette1954]

Have you read the book: ONE PALE SUMMER by debra phillips yet?

[@JesseOnYoutube]

OMG no, put me on!!!!

[@devlyn873]

Your dog is beautiful! I used to have a Belgian Groenendael!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

thank you! omg those are absolutely gorgeous. do you have a dog now?

[@devlyn873]

@@JesseOnKZbin yes two! I have a pitbull and a rottweiler/swiss mountain dog mix (Ransom and Thor), both rescues 🥰

[@factualopinion4275]

Im interested in anything scifi. So escaping exodus is now on my radar

[@86Kera]

The perfect ruin sounds good. Wonder why the psychiatrist gave her the name. Seemed like a unprofessional call on her part . Looking forward to reading this one . I also didn’t know that Tamron Hall was a writer. I love her.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

right?! that was super sketchy

[@lamonteplays]

does the book box allow books from only black authors?

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Filmed this awhile ago so can't recall what box was featured 💗

[@WhatVictoriaRead]

Ruthless and messed up means that Perfect Ruin is a book that I need to read! 😂

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Right?!?!? It’s our brand

[@bykaylamoran]

I love y'all's do right and fear no man banner! Unfortunately I fear all the men

[@JesseOnYoutube]

We hope one day it will not be so 💚 u deserve better

[@ashm4738]

Do you have any content/trigger warnings for Wife of the Gods?

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Child abuse and exploitation is the biggest. It is social commentary on the dated practice of marrying a child to a fetish priest in order to “atone” for the sins of her family.

[@ashm4738]

@@JesseOnKZbin Thank you.

[@charmedvenuss]

Damn you had such a good reading month! Writing down the titles of those two romances right now 👀

[@JesseOnYoutube]

omg ur username is amazing. how did you come up w it? and it was the best!!!

[@charmedvenuss]

@@JesseOnKZbin omg thank you!! I like murderous femme's in books and video games, and especially after coming out as a high femme nonbinary person, pairing something violent with something beautiful and delicate seemed like my vibe!!

[@Yvette1954]

For a comical pursuit of love, try the book: The High Price Of A Good Man by debra phillips

[@blackcarteltelevsion2057]

I'm a unheard of, undiscovered living legend from Cleveland. KingPen Capone

[@JesseOnYoutube]

love that for u ❤️ may u find discovery ❤️

[@billuraral1870]

"I'm editing, and watching Spongebob and I don't understand what's going on!" Well you see, he's sponge who lives under the sea...

[@JesseOnYoutube]

LMFAO

[@ebonyshabazz6601]

😊

[@devlogan2030]

She is soooo beautiful wow

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Thank u 🙏🏽

[@ericmuhammed2859]

Hi Baby have you ever read A Book by J.A. Rogers titled 100- Amazing Facts about the Negro even though I don't like that word Negro, try to read thAt Book if you can Baby

[@ericmuhammed2859]

ILY Beautiful 💕💕

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Thx for the love! Haven’t read it, will check it out. It sounds like a classic which I can always read more of :)

[@ericmuhammed2859]

@@JesseOnKZbin You're welcome "Baby"

[@k-dog4436]

I like this!😁

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Omg thank u!!!!!

[@BooksBooksBooksBooksBooks]

❤❤❤

[@chelseythomas388]

Akwaeke Emezi 🖤

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Chelsey yasss!!!💚💚💚

[@AwkwardBookworm]

Like a sister sounds so good 👀

[@JesseOnYoutube]

youre going to like it for SURE. i want to read more from her backlist. i think she wrote cozy bubblegum mysteries before this and i'm so excited to read them

[@psikeyhackr6914]

Here is an Afrocentric story but it is written by a white man and it is old. Black Man's Burden & Border, Breed nor Birth (1963) by Mack Reynolds These are free in Project Gutenberg, the 3rd book in the trilogy was not published until 1978 and not public domain. So the first two are from before Gadaffi came to power. The book Understanding Libya Since Gadaffi by Ulf Laessing is very interesting in comparison to the North Africa trilogy since Obama and Hillary Clinton were involved in his death. Now Libya is a worse mess. Libya is mentioned 16 times in the 3rd book of the trilogy.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Interesting…

[@daniellehinton9607]

❤️❤️❤️

[@MsPScribe]

As a former musician I'm really looking forward to The Violin Conspiracy. Thanks for the familial and racist TWs/CEs though!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Of course!!! Be gentle with yourself 💚💚💚💚💚

[@Mondayagain]

Please Melanated Sistas Let's Chat to your book list.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

ty for watching!

[@TangibleReads]

I like wealthy brown people that's aren't snooty

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Ooo this

[@laurasalo6160]

You haven't actually read some/many of these, have you?