Reading Black Books

Reading Black Books: How African-American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just by Claude Atcho belongs on your shelf if you are a literature buff or professor, an avid reader who wants to diversify your reading, or a Christian who wants to learn more about racial issues. In this recent book published by Brazos Press, author Claude Atcho combines his degrees in both literature and theology to help readers more fully see and grasp theological themes in 10 works by African-American authors.

Reading Black Books is not a book to read quickly. While one can read the book by itself simply for the content, this book is much better when read in tandem with the books Atcho is analyzing. Another option would be to read Atcho's commentary before reading the book that he analyzes to help readers watch for these themes. With a background in both theology and literature, Atcho easily pulls from both disciplines and weaves in his own experiences as well. As such this is a delightful work. Reading Black Books would be a wonderful textbook for a course in African-American Literature or would serve as a reading guide for book clubs or study groups who wish to encounter diverse literature. Highly recommended for academic libraries.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Reading Black Books from Baker Publishing-Brazos Books via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.