Black Women Authors, Underrated / Unknown Book Recommendations | Lex Reads

Added: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00][music] [music] >> Hey guys. So, welcome back to Alexa Reads. So, in today's video, I wanted to give you guys five recommendations of black authors, black women authors that not a lot of people talk about. I think in one of my recent videos, I was telling you guys when I went to a local used bookstore that I saw a lot of black women authors that no one talks about and I noticed some of them don't publish anymore. And like I always say, every time, you know, when, you know, we look up, you know, black women authors online or someone, you know, sometimes talks about them, they tend to mention the same people, okay? The Mayas, the Tonis, the Alices.

[00:00:53]And again, like I always always say, those authors are goats. I do believe that, you know, when you do get into black literature that you should read those authors, but we have so many more, okay? And that was one of my main goals, I remember when I started to get into reading and especially reading black literature. I wanted to read books that not everyone reads, you know, and talk about books that not everyone talks about. So, again, like I said, I have five recommendations for you guys and this will probably be like a part one because I have more books, you know, by those black authors that I do think they need to be, you know, celebrated and highlighted, but we're going to just start small. I'm going to give you all five recommendations. Now, some of these you guys probably do know and some will be, you know, new for you or you haven't heard in a long time, but again, I just wanted to highlight these authors. So, before we get started, don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. First, I want to highlight this author. She is known, I believe, for this book called "Coffee Will Make You Black".

[00:01:53]And like I was telling you guys before, I noticed that back in the '90s, there were a lot of black authors, black women authors that were just like writing their tails off, you guys. And those stories in the '90s, y'all, all them books was so good, okay? They tend to They tend to have that sister girl type of theme, you know, or like the um you know, sisters, like you might have like three or four sisters and each of them have like this conflict, the secrets and lies, or you have like a friendship, you know, book, kind of like a Waiting to Exhale. And those books, I eat those up, you guys. If you are looking for a good story that, you know, it's well-rounded, you're going to laugh, you're going to be angry, you might cry, just have every emotion, and just get into a good story, books in the '90s by black women, they just do it, okay? Now, I have read this book, I Left My Back Door Open. I think this kind of intrigued me because they were saying in the blurb that it was like a black version of Bridget Jones's Diary, which uh I don't think it is. I think they were probably saying it because if you have, you know, read or watched Bridget Jones, you know, she's struggling to get a man.

[00:03:06]>> [laughter] >> So, um in her main mission, you know, was like, "I I want a man." You know what I mean? Uh this does have that aspect, but again, it talks about her personal and professional life. She works on the um I believe radio. I love and I love this blurb. It says, "I'm not young or thin or white or beautiful. I am a slightly thick sister, but I know how to fix myself up and I'm on the radio. My name is Daphne DuPree and I play the blues." Come on, y'all. It says, "I still thought breasts might be more trouble than they were worth.

[00:03:40]Growing up reminded me a little bit of hide and go seek. When When it was your time to grow up, nature said, 'Here I come, ready or not.' And nature can always find you."

[00:03:53]Yeah, this is going to be a good one.

[00:03:55]Next is a book called Conception by Kalisha Buckingham. Now, I wanted to get this book because when I saw the sticker, it says winner of the Terry McMillan Young Author Award. And this book is set in the '90s, '92 to be exact. You have a 15-year-old girl that lives in Memphis. She comes from a single household. She sees, you know, how her mother struggles to raise her.

[00:04:19]She sees the neighborhood, how a lot of the women, you know, are black and single. The fathers kind of ran out a little bit. And then, one day her aunt, who is very free-spirited, she comes to visit, and the young lady, you know, kind of sees a different perspective through her aunt's eyes cuz her aunt's like, "We don't have to live like this, basically."

[00:04:39]And then, it's not a spoiler, but this girl, in the blurb it says she accidentally gets pregnant.

[00:04:45]And you see how that goes. This is a wild ride. It also throws you a curveball that you would not suspect at all.

[00:04:55]This I don't say You don't have to get your mind right, but just know that it's going to throw you a curveball, and it's going to be like, "Wait, what?

[00:05:05]Why did you do that?" But it kept your attention. It honestly did. Next is Caught Up in the Rapture by Shanice Jackson. First, the cover just got me.

[00:05:16]Sorry, guys, about this glare.

[00:05:18]This one, it says, "Meet Jasmine. She's 26, stepping out from under the overprotective preacher father in a attempt to escape the streets of South Central and realizing her dream of making it in the music business. Meet X-Man." Oh, Lord. "He's from the streets until his talent as a rapper attracts the attention of a big-time record producer. Fate brings Jasmine and X-Man together as a promising young star from the same record company. Follow Jasmine and X-Man as they discover that with the mix of love and determination it doesn't matter where you're from or where you are at. And I just love the cover. Now, I've never heard of this author and never read any books by her. It does say author of Little Mama's Rules. So, I'm really So, I'm going to do some more research um and just, you know, look at her catalog. Next is Mary B. Morrison. Now, I think you guys have probably heard of her. I remember I used to always get her and Mary is it Monroe confused. Uh I think because of obviously their names are very similar. Remember, I got this when I just started to get into reading, especially black literature. Anything that was black, I was picking it up. And of course, covers got me. I mean, y'all, look at this cover.

[00:06:34]And then another reason why I wanted to get this because this is a Essence and Blackboard bestseller, which also this is a Blackboard best uh seller, too. I don't even think that exists anymore where they would highlight black women authors. Actu- They would highlight just black literature in general. I don't think think that list exists anymore.

[00:06:53]And I don't think Essence has a list.

[00:06:55]Sometimes if you look like in their what do you call it, magazine, they will like sometimes highlight books They would sometimes recommend books, but I don't think they have like just a list like they used to have back in the day.

[00:07:09]This one says, "Sometimes a woman had to let a man be manly, but Jada knows Lawrence had no power over her relationship with Willington. Heck, she couldn't deny the truth. She didn't have any control over herself. Willington still made her spirit dance every time she saw him. Why couldn't she ease these feelings? But more importantly, how would her marriage survive if she couldn't?" This is This what sounds kind of like a love triangle. I do sometimes like those. Um they can get a little annoying sometimes cuz it's kind of like, "Girl, just pick. But, I do sometimes like those. I feel like this would be a good book to just like randomly pick up, you know what I mean? Probably will and you'll be surprised that, you know, you will like it. Um I should actually put this in like a little like TBR jar just, you know, something like that where I just randomly pick it up. Cuz sometimes when you just like randomly pick a book, those are like the most enjoyable ones, you know? And lastly is Belinda Ladson. And this is The Itch. Now, she is known for a book called Good Hair. I do not have that, I don't think. And I do want to get that.

[00:08:16]It says, "With this novel, Belinda Ladson has created a stunning dream about the African-American upper class.

[00:08:23]These 30-something urban, sophisticated men and women get in hip elite lives of privilege." I know I do like books, especially black books that talk about, you know, wealthy blacks, privilege, you know, all of that because again, a lot of times we don't get that all the time. Maybe the same struggle stories and not all of us are on the struggle bus. I've also heard really good reviews and commentary about this author. I know Sidikiba Johnson, um who um who's a historical fiction like goat, she said that she was one of her mentors, one of her writing teachers. And if you've read anything by Sidikiba, she can write. So, I'm really curious to get into So, I'm really curious to get into her writing. I'm thinking should I start with Good Hair because I do believe Good Hair is a debut novel. It says from the author of Smash The Smashing Debut from bestseller Good Hair, The Itch. Yeah. I think I might try that first and then, um you know, try this. Sometimes I will, if I've never heard of an author or never read their works, I will like to start with their debut. Uh but then sometimes it doesn't work out like that where I'll just, you know, read whatever I have.

[00:09:39]Cuz I do kind of like to see like the growth or just see, you know, what they're I just see the introduction of how they came into the world. But again, I hear But again, I've always heard good things about Good Hair. I don't have not really heard anything about The Itch.

[00:09:53]So, I think when I do read her, I want to start with Good Hair. But yeah, guys, that is it when it comes to this video. Again, I will do a second part because I have some more authors that need to be highlighted and then praised and like I said, we have so so so many. But yeah, guys, that's all I have for you and I'll be back with more black books.

[00:10:11]Bye.