Book cover of The Beast Side: Living and Dying While Black in America

Book description

A New York Times Best Seller! Baltimore, one of our country's quintessential urban war zones, is brought powerfully to life by literary talent, D. Watkins

To many, the past 8 years under President Obama were meant to usher in a new post-racial American political era, dissolving the divisions of the…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Beast Side as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In the space of two years, D. Watkins published two stunning books about Baltimore. The second, The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir, is sharp and smart, but if I had to only choose one, it would be The Beast Side. In this slim volume of essays, Watkins invites us to explore the two worlds he lives within and between. He grew up on the tough east side, known locally as the beast side, and sold drugs, but also went to college and now teaches creative writing.

While there are many books by Black authors that use stories…

If you love The Beast Side...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like The Beast Side?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Beast Side.

Browse books like The Beast Side

Book cover of Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City
Book cover of I Got a Monster: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad
Book cover of Baltimore Revisited: Stories of Inequality and Resistance in a U.S. City

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Beast Side, you might also like...

Book cover of Miami Beat

Miami Beat by Jorge E. Goyanes,

Jose Castillo is a cynical, wise-cracking Cuban-American who restores classic cars. He’s also a private eye whose sarcastic ways sometimes get him into trouble.

One day, in the process of installing a four-barrel carburetor on a 1965 Mustang, into his shop walks trouble—in the shape of a mysterious, beautiful woman…

Book cover of Bruce Songs: The Music of Bruce Springsteen, Album-by-Album, Song-by-Song

Bruce Songs by Kenneth Womack,

Bruce Songs is an authoritative guide that offers an in-depth exploration of Bruce Springsteen's musical legacy. Covering Springsteen's entire discography, from "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." to "Only the Strong Survive", this unique book combines historical context, literary analysis, and meticulous research.

Unlike any other resource, it provides detailed analyses…

5 book lists we think you will like!