What's on your nightstand? The Lake Oswego Public Library offers its February recommendations

In recognition of this year’s Black History Month theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” I have selected the following recent works featuring Black writers and artists for my nightstand. Perhaps you’ll add them to your nightstand too!

— Alicia Yokoyama, Lake Oswego Public Library adult services librarian

“All the Sinners Bleed”

by S.A. Cosby

Set in a small Virginia town, this is a timely and tension-filled murder mystery with deeper and more sinister roots than it first appears.

“The American Queen”

by Vanessa Miller

Based on a true story, “The American Queen’ is an inspiring tale of a group of formerly enslaved people who founded a utopian society in the Appalachian mountains in the 1860s.

“Blk Art: The Audacious Legacy of Black Artists and Models in Western Art”

by Zaria Ware

An important addition to the field of art history, “Blk Art” is a fun and fact-filled introduction to Black art masters and models in Western Art.

“Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond”

by Bethonie Butler

This is a comprehensive look at the rich history of groundbreaking — and often underappreciated — television shows with leading Black characters from the last fifty years.

“The First Ladies”

by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

From the authors of “The Personal Librarian” comes a novel about the unlikely, but world-changing friendship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune.

“The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store”

by James McBride

If you enjoyed “Deacon King Kong,” you’re going to want to read this follow-up. A lyrical story about secrets, love and the community that sustains us.

“Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and Unseen”

by George McCalman

A gorgeous collection of original portraits and biographical essays that celebrates Black history pioneers. Created and curated by an award-winning graphic designer. This is essential reading.

“Let Us Descend”

by Jesmyn Ward

The latest from celebrated author Jesmyn Ward, this is the harrowing but ultimately hopeful tale of Annis, a teenage girl born into slavery in the American South.

“The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families”

by Karida Brown

This lushly illustrated anthology is filled with inspiring essays, poems, photographs, paintings and short stories reflecting on the joy and depth of the Black experience.