{"id":166,"date":"2025-05-12T17:28:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T17:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/?p=166"},"modified":"2025-05-12T17:29:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T17:29:57","slug":"decolonize-your-bookshelf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/?p=166","title":{"rendered":"Decolonize Your Bookshelf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Allow Storytelling to Rewire You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Decolonize Your Bookshelf: Why It Matters and Where to Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world still shaped by colonial legacies, the stories we consume shape how we see ourselves, others, and history itself. Decolonizing your bookshelf means making room for voices silenced, erased, or distorted by dominant narratives. It’s not just about representation\u2014it’s about recalibrating truth, reclaiming culture, and reimagining the future. Below is a curated list of books that challenge colonial mindsets, sorted by genre, each offering a unique lens through which to unlearn, relearn, and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udf0d Fiction \/ Literary Novels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Beloved<\/strong><\/em> by Toni Morrison<\/strong>
Set after the American Civil War, this novel tells the story of Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman haunted by the ghost of her dead daughter. Morrison explores the psychological scars of slavery and the refusal to let Black pain be forgotten. It\u2019s lyrical, brutal, and unforgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>The God of Small Things<\/strong><\/em> by Arundhati Roy<\/strong>
In post-colonial India, Roy weaves a complex tale of family, caste, and forbidden love. The novel critiques colonial legacies and the violence of tradition with both tenderness and rage. It\u2019s a poetic, political masterpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Ceremony<\/strong><\/em> by Leslie Marmon Silko<\/strong>
This foundational Indigenous novel follows Tayo, a Laguna Pueblo WWII veteran, as he seeks healing through traditional ceremonies. Silko blends personal trauma with communal memory and myth, powerfully exploring Indigenous resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Things Fall Apart<\/strong><\/em> by Chinua Achebe<\/strong>
Set in pre-colonial Nigeria, Achebe’s novel follows Okonkwo, a respected Igbo leader whose world unravels under British colonial influence. Through a rich, local perspective, Achebe dismantles Western portrayals of African “primitivism.” It’s a story of pride, power, and the rupture of Indigenous identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Son of a Trickster<\/strong><\/em> by Eden Robinson<\/strong>
This is a gritty, magical realist tale about Jared, an Indigenous teen in British Columbia who discovers he’s the son of a supernatural trickster. Robinson blends harsh reality with Haisla mythology, highlighting survival, trauma, and cultural magic. It is witty, raw, and unsettlingly beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Elatsoe<\/strong><\/em> by Darcie Little Badger<\/strong>
In an alternate America shaped by Indigenous traditions and magic, Lipan Apache teen Elatsoe investigates her cousin\u2019s death with the help of her ghost dog. It\u2019s a YA mystery woven with ancestral strength, family loyalty, and resistance\u2014a radical reimagining of speculative fiction through Indigenous cosmology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> These novels challenge colonial literary canons by centering Indigenous and African narratives, mythologies, and voices, offering alternative worldviews that are often marginalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udcda Historical and Social Nonfiction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>The 1619 Project<\/strong><\/em> by Nikole Hannah-Jones<\/strong>
This collection of essays, poems, and stories reframes U.S. history, focusing on slavery as foundational to the nation’s development. It challenges myths of American exceptionalism and reorients the timeline of freedom and democracy\u2014a vital corrective to whitewashed history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>A People\u2019s History of the United States<\/strong><\/em> by Howard Zinn<\/strong>
Zinn tells U.S. history from the perspective of workers, Indigenous people, slaves, and immigrants. It defies the triumphalist, settler-colonial narrative taught in most schools. A bold retelling that puts the oppressed at the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>A Different Mirror<\/strong><\/em> by Ronald Takaki<\/strong>
Takaki explores American history through the lenses of Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. His narrative weaves the stories of marginalized groups into the broader fabric of the U.S. experience. It\u2019s inclusive, engaging, and expansive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> These texts reclaim historical agency for people written out of dominant narratives, reshaping how we understand national identity and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\uddd8\ufe0f\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Speculative Fiction & Science Fiction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Parable of the Sower<\/strong><\/em> by Octavia E. Butler<\/strong>
Set in a climate-ravaged, dystopian America, this novel follows a young Black woman who founds a new spiritual philosophy amid societal collapse. Butler critiques capitalism, racism, and environmental neglect while imagining liberation through radical empathy and adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>The Broken Earth Trilogy<\/strong><\/em> by N.K. Jemisin<\/strong> (start with<\/em> The Fifth Season<\/em>)
In a world wracked by seismic catastrophe, a persecuted group known as “orogenes” hold the key to survival. Jemisin, the first Black woman to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three years in a row, explores systemic oppression, grief, and ecological justice through deeply original world-building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Black Sun<\/strong><\/em> by Rebecca Roanhorse<\/strong>
Inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas, this epic fantasy follows celestial prophecies, political upheaval, and power struggles across Indigenous-inspired cultures. Roanhorse rewrites the fantasy genre by centering non-European mythologies and worldviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Stories of Your Life and Others<\/strong><\/em> by Ted Chiang<\/strong>
A collection of speculative stories that explore language, time, and human perception. “Story of Your Life” (the basis for the film Arrival<\/em>) confronts determinism, grief, and communication through alien contact. Chiang’s work questions the very structure of knowledge and reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>The Marrow Thieves<\/strong><\/em> by Cherie Dimaline<\/strong>
In a dystopian future where Indigenous people are hunted for their bone marrow (which contains the ability to dream), a group of youth flees to preserve their culture and spirit. Dimaline mixes survivalist sci-fi with Indigenous resurgence. Powerful and haunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Speculative fiction isn\u2019t just about the future\u2014it\u2019s about whose<\/em> future is imagined. These authors disrupt Eurocentric sci-fi traditions by infusing them with non-Western philosophies and resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83c\udf93 Personal & Political Liberation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>The Body Is Not an Apology<\/strong><\/em> by Sonya Renee Taylor<\/strong>
A call to radical self-love as a path to collective liberation. Taylor urges us to unlearn body shame imposed by systems of oppression. It’s part memoir, part manifesto, part spiritual guidebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Sister Outsider<\/strong><\/em> by Audre Lorde<\/strong>
This collection of essays and speeches by Black lesbian poet and activist Audre Lorde explores race, gender, sexuality, and power. Her voice is both confrontational and tender, advocating for difference as a source of strength. It\u2019s foundational reading in intersectional feminism and liberation thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Freedom is a Constant Struggle<\/strong><\/em> by Angela Y. Davis<\/strong>
Davis connects the Black Lives Matter movement, global resistance to police violence, and the history of anti-colonial struggle. Her essays and interviews span decades of organizing, theory, and hope. A vital link between past and present liberation movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>This Bridge Called My Back<\/strong><\/em> edited by Cherr\u00ede Moraga and Gloria Anzald\u00faa<\/strong>
A groundbreaking anthology of radical writings by women of color on identity, feminism, and solidarity. It challenges white feminism, colonialist frameworks, and systemic invisibility. Fierce, poetic, and unapologetically intersectional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Colonization didn’t just take land\u2014it took bodies, autonomy, and worth. Reclaiming the body, voice, and collective memory are all decolonial acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udf10 Middle Grade & Young Readers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Indian No More<\/strong><\/em> by Charlene Willing McManis<\/strong>
Set in the 1950s, this novel follows Regina, a Umpqua girl whose tribe loses federal recognition, forcing her family to relocate to Los Angeles. She grapples with identity, racism, and cultural loss\u2014a heartfelt, age-appropriate story about displacement and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>The 1619 Project: Born on the Water<\/strong><\/em> by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ren\u00e9e Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith<\/strong>
A lyrical picture book that tells the story of African people\u2019s lives before enslavement, their resilience during the Middle Passage, and their cultural survival in the U.S. It\u2019s deeply poetic and historically rich, offering young readers truth and pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Healer of the Water Monster<\/strong><\/em> by Brian Young<\/strong>
This contemporary fantasy follows Nathan, a Navajo boy who discovers a Holy Being needing help. Set on a reservation, the story blends Din\u00e9 cosmology with real-life challenges like addiction and intergenerational trauma. It is a moving, magical bridge between tradition and the present day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids<\/strong><\/em> edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith<\/strong>
This anthology features stories from Indigenous authors centered around an intertribal powwow. Each tale is unique and highlights humor, pride, and community. It\u2019s an accessible, joyful celebration of Native identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcd6 <\/strong>Rez Dogs<\/strong><\/em> by Joseph Bruchac<\/strong>
Written in verse, this novel tells the story of a girl quarantined on a reservation during the COVID-19 pandemic. She learns from her grandparents about their past, Indigenous resilience, and the importance of stories. Quiet but powerful, it honors ancestral wisdom and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why it matters:<\/strong> These books provide young readers with culturally grounded stories that celebrate survival, truth, and joy, offering counter-narratives to the erasure often found in children\u2019s media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Decolonizing your bookshelf is not a trend\u2014it’s an act of reparation and resistance. It means making space for the stories that weren\u2019t allowed to thrive and listening deeply to long-silenced voices. Every book you read shapes your worldview; make sure that view includes the wisdom, pain, beauty, and strength of those who have endured, resisted, and reimagined the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post first appeared on my Substack.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Allow Storytelling to Rewire You Decolonize Your Bookshelf: Why It Matters and Where to Start In a world still shaped by colonial legacies, the stories we consume shape how we see ourselves, others, and history itself. Decolonizing your bookshelf means making room for voices silenced, erased, or distorted by dominant narratives. It’s not just about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,10,29,27,69,68,30,58],"tags":[13,74,73,72,8,14,26,70,71,9,75],"class_list":["post-166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activism","category-archetypes-activism","category-building-community","category-creative-writing","category-decolonization","category-reading-list","category-support","category-sustainability","tag-artist","tag-author","tag-banned-books","tag-books","tag-change","tag-community","tag-connection","tag-decolonization","tag-reading-list","tag-usa","tag-writer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169,"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166\/revisions\/169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traiascarevolutia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}