If You Haven't Already Read These 23 Books By Black Authors, Now Is The Time, Because They're All Incredible

From romances to mysteries to thrillers to poetry, the literary contributions made by Black authors in 2022 is truly something to amplify.

1. Yonder by Jabari Asim

Simon & Schuster

What this book is about: In this historical fiction novel, readers meet enslaved Black people on a southern plantation who are longing for love and freedom while having everything stripped away from them. A mysterious minister shows up and instills the idea of independence and an alternate life. After living in the most inhumane conditions and suffering from the deepest pains and losses, who can they trust, and what else is there to lose? This is certainly a poetic, yet heart-wrenching read about buried historical truths and redeemable hope.

Get it from Bookshop here!

2. Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris

William Morrow & Company

What this book is about: Jim Crow is alive and well in Jackson, Mississippi. Violet Richards is on the run after killing her white attacker and finds herself in Chillicothe, Georgia. Her sister Marigold follows suit when the police arrive at their home, and she’s forced to make a quick decision while being pregnant and unmarried, leading her to Ohio. Little do they know, there’s a desperate man following their every move. The sisters’ resiliency and loyalty to one another makes this suspenseful piece of historical fiction worthwhile.

Get it from Bookshop here! 

3. Boys Come First by Aaron Foley

Belt Publishing

What this book is about: This humorous, fun, and touching story details the lives of three Black millennial gay men as they navigate love, friendships, and careers. Advertising copywriter Dominick Gibson moves back to Detroit after losing his job and the boyfriend that cheated on him. His best friend Troy Clements is a teacher and has fragile relationships with the men in his life, including his father. Remy Patton is a rags-to-riches real estate agent battling with what to do about his current situationship with a guy he has already established will only do for the time being, and he faces a real estate deal that could alter his friendship with Troy. From family drama and micro-aggressions to bar nights and Grindr hookups, this read gets to the nitty gritty of what life in Detroit is really about.

Get it from Bookshop here!

4. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Atria Books

What this book is about: Feyi Adekola is finding herself again after losing her lover in a car accident. Five years later, she’s healing, owns her own art studio, and lives with her best friend. With much hesitation, Feyi finds herself back into the dating scene and runs into a guy who is seemingly perfect, except she has a forbidden desire for someone else — his father. This story about love, friendship, and grief questions how far someone is willing to go to have a second chance at true love.

Get it from Bookshop here!

5. Find her. Keep her. by Renaada Williams

Andrew McMeels Publishing

What this book is about: This collection of poetry details life from the perspective of a Black queer woman living in America. Through deep and raw emotions, themes of sexuality, happiness, acceptance, and more are conveyed throughout this entire collection.

Get it from Bookshop here! 

6. Love Radio by Ebony Ladelle

Simon & Schuster Books

What this book is about: This YA romance focuses on Prince Jones and Dani Ford. Prince has his own segment on a popular Detroit radio show called Love Radio. Being the main caretaker for his sick mother forces him to put his dreams of becoming a DJ and falling in love on hold. Dani is an aspiring author who’s more focused on school and could care less about falling in love. It only makes sense for there to be a strong connection when the two meet. However, Dani isn’t easily impressed, and Prince is only allotted three dates to convince her he’s the one.

Get it from Bookshop here!

7. Don’t Cry for Me by Daniel Black

Thorndike Press Large Print

What this book is about: Jacob is on his deathbed writing letters to his estranged gay son, Isaac. As beautifully written as it is, Jacob reveals heartbreaking truths detailing his own upbringing and the harsh realization of his own faults for the pain and suffering inflicted on the son he struggled to accept for many years. Although an emotional rollercoaster, this story details the accountability, honesty, and unlearning that is vital for true healing.

Get it from Bookshop here!

8. A Killer Sundae by Abby Collette

Berkley Books

What this book is about: In this cozy mystery, Bronwyn "Win" Crewse, owner of Crewse Creamery, is preparing for the annual Harvest Time Festival in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. She's stocking up her new ice cream truck and has even grabbed the attention of a local reporter, Kaitlyn. Her excitement lessens drastically when the reporter collapses and dies, and Win is the primary suspect. Win is convinced by Kaitlyn's boyfriend — who also previously blamed her — to help him find out who the real killer is. An adventure ensues to get to the bottom of this mystery and clear Win's name.

Get it from Bookshop here!

9. Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Dial Press

What this book is about: It’s 1995, and Joan, along with her mother and sister, retreats to her mother's family home in Memphis to escape her abusive father. Joan grows up painting the people of Memphis. This craft becomes an outlet that helps Joan understand her family’s historical origins of violence, grief, and healing. The novel details the lives of members of this family, across seven decades, and the women whose decisions left everlasting impacts.

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10. On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi

Avon Books

What this book is about: Angela Appiah, the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, has done all the right things to please her parents, including becoming a well-paid doctor and having a lawyer boyfriend. Suddenly, her life begins to fall apart when her boyfriend dumps her and she scores low on an important exam that could demolish her medical career. She finds herself at her lowest, questioning everything she once knew, when she meets smooth-talking Ricky Gutierrez and the chemistry is very evident. Although he's thoughtful and sees Angela for more than what paper says, this romance wouldn't be as fun, engrossing, and heartwarming without a few complications sprinkled here and there.

Get it from Bookshop here!

11. Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

William Morrow & Company

What this book is about: Felicia “Fe Fe” Stevens lives with her mother and older brother in the housing projects of Chicago, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down. Fe Fe forms a friendship with two other girls, Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, and they create an innocent life surrounding their love for Double Dutch that counteracts what’s happening around them. When Fe Fe introduces another girl to the group, not only does their neighborhood fall apart, but so does their friendship. Decades later, Fe Fe is trying to make sense of her childhood, the bonds, and everything that was lost during that summer of 1999 in Chicago.

Get it from Bookshop here!

12. What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris

Tiny Reparations Books

What this book is about: KB and her sister Nia are sent to live with their grandfather after their father overdoses and his addiction causes the family to lose their home. Her and her sister are becoming distant, her mother is losing her smile, and her grandfather comes off as grumpy and isolated. KB is watching her world fall before her as she is learning how to navigate this new life, along with its secrets, in this ode to Black girlhood.

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13. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

Forever Books

What this book is about: Yasmen and Josiah Wade discovered that love alone wasn’t enough to save them when they became faced with some harsh circumstances. Now, they’re co parents and successful business owners. There’s no doubt that there is something still brewing between the two, and one unexpected kiss awakens a series of what ifs. This tender, second-chance romance pulls together grief, love, healing, and family in the most sensual way.

Get it from Bookshop here!

14. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Ballantine Books

What this book is about: Eleanor Bennett leaves behind a voice recording and a black cake made from a family recipe for her two children, Byron and Benny, to inherit. The voice recording details a hidden past that challenges everything the siblings thought they knew about themselves and their family lineage. This inheritance of secrets, betrayals, and a black cake will either bring the estranged siblings back together or push them even further apart.

Get it from Bookshop here!

15. Seethed by Denise Bowen

Denise Bowen

What this book is about: This collection of poetry serves as an unapologetic outlet for poet Denise Bowen to release anger, frustration, and loneliness caused by betrayal, disrespect, and heartbreak. Each poem graces each page in its most raw, honest, and transparent form.

Get it from Barnes and Noble here!

16. Almost There: A Twisted Tale by Farrah Rochon

Disney-Hyperion

What this book is about: In this twisted, alternate version of The Princess and the Frog, Tiana accepts a deal from Dr. Facilier that completely alters the course of her life. Everything seems perfectly fine at first as she’s living her dream life: She gets her restaurant, her father is alive, and her friends are safe. Suddenly, New Orleans begins to crumble, and it’s up to Tiana and her friends to save the city and make things right again.

Get it from Bookshop here!

17. We Find Our Way by Reyna Biddy

Andrews McMeel Publishing

What this book is about: In Reyna Biddy’s third collection of poetry, a variety of themes and topics are touched on that poetry lovers will want to read over and over again. Biddy’s words offer healing and hope while providing poetic messages, in both long and short form, on childbirth, motherhood, grief, self-love, spirituality, and so much more.

Get it from Bookshop here!

18. Good Morning, Love by Ashley M. Coleman

Simon & Schuster

What this book is about: Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter who works as a junior account manager at a major media company to get by. Carli works endlessly to fund the music career she longs for so she can be just like her father. She meets rising star Tau Anderson with hopes to only write a few songs for them; however, the line between business and pleasure begins to blur.

Get it from Bookshop here!

19. Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett

Mulholland Books

What this book is about: When reality TV star and party-goer Desiree Pierce is found dead on a playground in the Bronx, the police rule it an overdose. Desiree’s half-sister and Columbia grad student, Lena, knows something is off. Although the two haven’t spoken in years, Lena is determined to get justice for Desiree, even if that means revealing a dark family secret — and possibly ending up dead as well. This read is a perfect mix of mystery and family drama with shocking twists and turns that aid in firing up the suspense.

Get it from Bookshop here!

20. Perish by Latoya Watkins

Tiny Reparations Books

What this book is about: Spanning several decades, this book begins with Helen Jean detailing the choices she made and their lingering effects across generations. Told in alternating perspectives, all of whom are descendants of Helen facing their own hardships, readers become engulfed in trauma-filled storytelling from members of the Turner family. Although tough to consume at times, secrets, pain, generational trauma, class, race, faith, and forgiveness are all gracefully unpacked. 

Get it from Bookshop here!

21. Hope and Glory by Jendella Benson

William Morrow and Company

What this book is about: Glory Akindele returns to London from her glamorous life in Los Angeles after her father’s death, only to find her once close family is split apart. Her mother is facing a breakdown from her father’s death, her career-driven sister has lost her ambition, and her brother is incarcerated. She impulsively tries to fix everything, but a family secret is uncovered in the process and creates an even bigger mess.

Get it from Bookshop here!

22. The Intangible by C. J. Washington

Little a Books

What this book is about: Amanda Jackson and her husband are celebrating Amanda’s pregnancy when they find out Amanda isn’t pregnant, later discovering she has a rare condition called pseudocyesis. She seeks help from neuroscientist Patrick Davis. Working with Amanda unveils problems Patrick is facing in his own marriage. This unique and suspenseful story follows these two couples as they face life-altering challenges, struggle with loss, and strive endlessly for healing.

Get it from Bookshop here!

23. By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Hyperion Avenue

What this book is about: Isabelle works at a publishing house where she is overworked, underpaid, and feeling lost as ever. When a high-profile author, Beau Towers, fails to meet the deadline to submit his manuscript, Isabelle sees this as an opportunity to prove herself worthy to her boss, colleagues, and herself. Instead of simply offering a few pep talks, the two end up bonding and learn they have a lot in common. As this connection blooms, Beau’s story begins to write itself.

Get it from Bookshop here!