Popular North American Cultural Books

Find cultural books written by authors from North America for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (101)

91.

The Vulnerable Observer : Anthropology That Breaks Your Heart by Ruth Behar EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Country: North America / Cuba flag Cuba
Description:
The 25th-anniversary edition of the groundbreaking book that changed anthropology, asserting that ethnographers needn’t exclude themselves or their vulnerabilities from their work In a new epilogue to this classic work, renowned ethnographer and storyteller Ruth Behar reflects on the groundbreaking impact The Vulnerable Observer has had on anthropology, sociology, and psychology and on scholarly writing. A pocket companion for writers, journalists, documentarians, and activists alike, this book speaks to the power of including oneself in the story, bringing deeper meaning to the relationship b... continue

92.

The White Boy Shuffle : A Novel by Paul Beatty EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Description:
A slapstick satire on race relations featuring Gunnar Kaufman, a black writer from Santa Monica who becomes famous by saying all the right things whites want to hear. The novel pokes fun at both blacks and whites. A first novel.

93.

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie EN

0 Ratings
Description:
Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that's all his own. Just because people call his dad Big Thunder doesn't mean he wants to be Little Thunder. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he's done, like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full of Wonder. But just when Thunder Boy Jr. thinks all hope is lost, he and his dad pick the perfect name...a name that is sure to light up the sky. National Book Award-winner Sherman Alexie's lyrical text and Caldecott Honor-winner Yuyi Morales's striking and beautiful illustrations celebrate the special rela... continue

94.
We Gon' Be Alright

We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang EN

0 Ratings
Description:
A provocative and timely collection of essays from a celebrated cultural critic on race, diversity, and resegregation. "The Smartest Book of the Year" (The Washington Post) In these provocative, powerful essays acclaimed writer/journalist Jeff Chang (Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Who We Be) takes an incisive and wide-ranging look at the recent tragedies and widespread protests that have shaken the country. Through deep reporting with key activists and thinkers, passionately personal writing, and distinguished cultural criticism, We Gon’ Be Alright links #BlackLivesMatter to #OscarsSoWhite, Ferguson t... continue


96.
We Were Eight Years in Power

We Were Eight Years in Power : An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates EN

0 Ratings
Description:
In this “urgently relevant”* collection featuring the landmark essay “The Case for Reparations,” the National Book Award–winning author of Between the World and Me “reflects on race, Barack Obama’s presidency and its jarring aftermath”*—including the election of Donald Trump. New York Times Bestseller • Finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • USA Today • Time • Los Angeles Times • San Francisco Chronicle • Essence • O: The Oprah Magazine • The Week • Kirkus ... continue

97.

When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten EN

Rating: 5 (2 votes)
Description:
Named to Oprah Magazine's Best Caribbean Books for Your 2021 reading list, imagination and adventure run wild in the most talked about middle grade debut of the year! A small village on a Jamaican island. A girl who doesn't remember the previous summer. A best friend who is no longer acting like one; a new girl who fills that hole in her heart. A summer of finding fallen mangos, creating made up games and dancing in the rain. Secrets she keeps from others...and herself. The courage to face the truth even in the toughest of storms. Inspired by the author's childhood experiences, When Life Give ... continue

98.

Where the Air is Clear by Carlos Fuentes EN

Rating: 2 (2 votes)
Description:
"Where the Air Is Clear," Carlos Fuentes's first novel, is an unsparing portrayal of Mexico City's upper class. Departing from a traditional linear narrative, Fuentes overlays Mexican myths onto contemporary settings, showing that even the rich and powerful must succumb to the indomitable spirit of Mexico, which undermines all institutions and shapes all destinies. First published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1988, Dalkey Archive Press in 2004, now available again.

99.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Description:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award longlist title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright. Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she dreams of working as a c... continue

100.

Woman Take Two by Telcine Turner EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Description:
A three-act play that deals with love and greed. Set in The Bahamas, it tells the tale of a few people forging alliances for themselves - for love and/or money. Suspenseful and intriguing, it provides a glimpse into the darker side of the human character.