Category Archives: BIPOC Lit

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston

She’s the woman he’s been hired to kidnap. But ZeZé Vargas has other ideas . . . like getting them both out of this nightmare alive. Just one problem. She’s crazy. Certifiably. Because while he’s plotting their escape, the petite Asian beauty is plotting something much more deadly. Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan has no idea what one of her own is doing with all these criminal humans until she realizes that Zé has no idea who or what he is. Or exactly how much power he truly has. But Max is more than happy to bring this handsome… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Misogyny & sexism
  • Racism & mentions of Klu Klux Klan
  • Sex trafficking mentioned
  • Drug dealing mentioned
  • Blood & injury depiction
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Kidnapping
  • Bullying recounted

Bad At Love by Gabriela Martins

Ever since Daniel moved to L.A. from Brazil to join the band Mischief & Mayhem, he’s become the tabloids’ bad boy. Paparazzi follow him and girls swoon over him . . . except for Sasha, who hates bad boys. When a chance encounter brings them together, Sasha sees an opportunity to get close to Daniel and write a story that will make a name for herself at the celebrity gossip magazine where she interns. But Daniel is surprisingly sweet and extremely cute—could she be falling for him? The truth is: Daniel is hiding something. When Sasha discovers his secret, will she follow her… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Parental infidelity mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption & drug use mentioned
  • Heart attack mentioned

The Backstagers, Vol. 2: The Show Must Go On by James Tynion IV & Rian Sygh

Jory and the rest of the Backstagers have one goal this semester: to put on the best show their town’s ever seen. But best laid plans aren’t easy to achieve when there’s an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain! When one of the actors suddenly goes missing, the Backstagers must band together to save their comrade and maintain the natural balance of . . . theater.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableist language
  • Disappearance of a friend

The Backstagers, Vol. 1: Rebels Without Applause by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh & Walter Baiamonte

When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he’s taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableist language
  • Bullying
  • Disappearance of a friend

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Kaylani is a born-and-bred Brooklyn girl. She expects to feel like a fish out of water spending the hot and sticky summer on Martha’s Vineyard with family friends, the Watsons. But her mother insists, especially since Kaylani still spends long hours on the phone with her imprisoned father. The Watsons live in the town of Oak Bluffs, a place with a rich Black history that fascinates Kaylani. Though the Watsons’ daughter, London, is snobby and unfriendly, Kaylani ends up connecting with some other kids in the town, who show… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Classism
  • Emesis
  • Blood depiction
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Murder
  • Imprisonment
  • Bullying

All Fired Up by Jenn Burke

Paranormals are dying. All over the city, with no explanation and only one thing in common: their magic is missing. Vampire and private investigator Evan Fournier isn’t supposed to be taking on paranormal cases, but when the murderer hits close to home, he agrees to look into it. The last thing he expects is to become a target himself—and then to become irrevocably bonded to the man who just tried to kill him. With his memory gone and his soul bonded to a stranger, former firefighter Colin Zhang wants to be anywhere else. He doesn’t have a damn… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Amnesia
  • Suicide
  • Drugging
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Kidnapping
  • Loss of autonomy (mind control)

Ali Cross by James Patterson

The brilliant DC detective who never gives up on a case.Ali CrossThe tenacious kid who’s determined to follow in his father’s footsteps.The case that finally gives him a chanceAli knows Gabe Qualls better than anyone, so when his friend goes missing, Ali jumps right into action. Being Alex Cross’s son has taught him the skills he needs to solve the intelligence, persistence, and logic. One thing he didn’t inherit? Patience.Because Ali knows that with every day that passes without the police finding Gabe, the less likely it is that he’ll ever be found. And being Alex Cross’s son, he refuses to accept those odds.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Disappearance of a friend

Alaskan Christmas Redemption by Belle Calhoune

Returning to Owl Creek after years away, Braden North’s determined to help his best friend, Piper Miller, save her failing diner. But as they work to revitalize her business, Braden’s convinced he must hide the truth about a tragedy from their past…or risk losing Piper for good. If he can find the courage, might telling her everything make this Christmas a time for healing and forgiveness?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Abandonment
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Heart attack mentioned
  • Death of a parent recounted
  • Kidnapping mentioned

The Affairs of the Falcóns by Melissa Rivero

Ana Falcón, along with her husband Lucho and their two young children, has fled the economic and political strife of Peru for a chance at a new life in New York City in the 1990s. Being undocumented, however, has significantly curtailed the family’s opportunities: Ana is indebted to a loan shark who calls herself Mama, and is stretched thin by unceasing shifts at her factory job. To make matters worse, Ana must also battle both criticism from Lucho’s cousin—who has made it obvious the family is not welcome to stay in her spare room for much longer—and escalating and unwant… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & colourism
  • Homophobia
  • Rape mentioned & sexual assault
  • Abortion
  • Deportation

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

Crime fiction author Joe Penvale has won the most brutal battle of his life. Now that he has finished his intense medical treatment, he and his twin sister, Meredith, are boarding the glorious Orient Express in Paris, hoping for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Meredith also hopes that the literary ghosts on the train will nudge Joe’s muse awake, and he’ll be inspired to write again. And he is; after their first evening spent getting to know some of their fellow travelers, Joe pulls out his laptop and opens a new document. Seems like this trip is just… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Cancer
  • COVID-19 pandemic (theme)
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Confinement & stalking