A new year brings the spirit of new possibilities and a renewed hope. Whether you have added reading more for pleasure to your vision board this year, searching for a good book to gift someone special or in need of a few books to curl up with during the frigid weeks ahead, ESSENCE has you covered.
We have carefully curated a crop of exciting new releases by Black authors for the first month of the year. Included in our list are an unexpected reissue from a literary legend, a few colorful children’s books for the little ones (Start ‘em early!), a sexy fast-paced novel from a trailblazing magazine editor and ESSENCE alum and a hilarious and an overdue guidebook penned for women in their perimenopause and menopause era. Yep, there’s something here for everyone.
So, grab a glass of your favorite vino (or mocktail), get comfy and enjoy your well-deserved escape on us.
A captivating page tuner about the New York City golden era of print magazines and hip-hop from an author who lived it.
Available at MacMillan
Set in 1940s Harlem, this historic romance is an exhilarating love story peppered with appearances by cultural icons like Billie Holiday.
Available at HarperCollins
Family secrets, alluring love, fiery lust and tragic loss come together seamlessly in this multi-generational epic.
Available at Simon & Schuster
A young adult thriller about a curious 16 year-old girl on vacation in the mountain town of Sparksburg, Virginia.
Available at Penguin Random House
Mas bands, community, culture and Black joy are vibrantly celebrated in this fun board book.
Available at Penguin Random House
An unforgettable summer with Grandma offers lessons in rootwork culture, African ancestral traditions, and finding beauty in nature.
Available at HarperCollins
A moving tale of two young siblings who are sent to live with their aunt and the loving bonds the three form in the process.
Available at Penguin Random House
Inspired by the true stories of profoundly courageous enslaved people who dared to fight back, this novel delivers a rarely told perspective of the American South.
Available at Penguin Random House
The real Pirates of the Caribbean were Black, and women! Read about their courageous adventures in this action-packed novel.
Available at HarperCollins
Most likely to succeed? Happy women! Let this this book be your cheat code to how.
Available at Barnes & Noble
From the founder of The Honey Pot Company comes this powerful memoir about overcoming personal and professional adversity.
Available at Simon & Schuster
The first Black history title to center queer voices, this book traces the lives of LGBTQ+ Black Americans from slavery to present day.
Available at Penguin Random House
One woman’s radical desire to remain child-free in a patriarchal world is the nucleus of this gripping novel.
Available at Barnes & Noble
Bold, funny and empowering are three words to describe this guidebook exploring perimenopause and menopause.
Available at HarperCollins