Blackathon is a month-long event hosted by Jesse @ Bowties & Books. They’ve got a lot planned, reading prompts, movie nights, lots of events across Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. Three teams and 6 co-hosts. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

The part I’m most excited about is obviously reading books. The three teams are SFF, Contemporary/Literature/Non-Fiction and Thriller/Horror. I’ll stick to the speculative fiction ones.

Note from the organizers: as is tradition, each challenge is named after a Black author who embodies their prompt or who has written something that fits the prompt they are named for.

TEAM SFF 

I’ve got some books lined up for the SFF prompts, but two of them are middle grade books which is more of a time-to-time category than a two-in-a-month category for me, so I’d like to have more options for the time travel-square. I’m also not entirely sure my books fit the traveler/journey theme.

Rita Woods: A character traverses Spritual realm or heavily embodies Black spirituality/spiritualism 

• Book I’m guessing the prompt was named for: Remembrance by Rita Woods
• My recs: (this is the one I’ve got most recs for, but also I’m not 100% sure all of them fit, so feedback appreciated) Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron, Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown, Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson. Not read them yet but maybe The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark and David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
• What I’ll probably be reading: Root Magic by Eden Royce (this one I’ll actually be reading for sure, it’s on my owned TBR and sounds 100% up my alley)

Tade Thompson: A Black protagonist encounters an alien civilization or alien technology 

• Book I’m guessing the prompt was named for: Rosewater by Tade Thompson
• My recs: really not read many outside Rosewater, but LaGuardia and Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
• What I’ll probably be reading: either The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow or The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson. I’m not entirely sure I’m in the mood for more Kaaro just yet, but I’ve heard this has more PoVs so might go for it. I’m also waiting for the announcement for our Classics? book club this month since some of the choices there might fit too.

Octavia Butler: Time travel is a major component to the story

• Book I’m guessing the prompt was named for: Kindred by Octavia Butler
• My recs: I’ve got nothing with “major component”, there’s some in Riot Baby by Tochi Oneybuchi, and maybe if you squint at it a lot a tiny bit in Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (do I just want to shout about Legendborn at the slightlest opportunity, maybe)
• What I’ll probably be reading: A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott

Group Book:

The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull

• Caveat – at least one of the books must be a non US/UK setting – I’ve got that covered with the aliens prompt

Team Thriller/Horror 

I know far less about thrillers/ horror, so leaving this one up to you. All I know is Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark should be in there somewhere, maybe supernatural or paranormal?

• Megan Giddings: A Black character moves to a new town with an old secret 
• Victor LaValle: Supernatural or paranormal horror 
• Rachel Howzell: Taking place on vacation, sabbatical, or a decadent setting
• Group book: Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey
• Caveat – at least one of the books must be a non-US/UK thriller or horror 

The hosts:

YouTube

• Team SFF – Novel Lush https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv_U…
• Team Lit/Contemp./nonfiction – Bookish Realm https://www.youtube.com/user/bookishr…
• Team Thriller/Horror – Bowties and Books

Instagram 

• Team SFF – Starlah Reads https://www.instagram.com/starlahread…
• Team Lit/Contemp./Nonfiction – Book of Cinz https://www.instagram.com/bookofcinz/…
• Team Thriller/Horror – Wandering Reader and Chanelle Time https://www.instagram.com/the_wanderi… and https://www.instagram.com/chanelletim…

Graphics from the event’s twitter.