Black authors are carrying us into bird sanctuaries, catholic mass pews, sweeping tropical graveyards, locker room huddles, ship bows, and the hollows of suburbia this season.
Novelists are asking questions about family by creating characters that are able to express large ideas about life, death and love through the tiny details we recognize in our daily lives. From impatiently pressing ignore on a phone call, to dragging a carry-on through the airport, anxiously awaiting news about a loved one at the doctor’s office, and thumbing through a drawer to find a treasured recipe, you’ll see your own stories in the moments shared on the page.
There are reliable allies, callous power players, zealous record correctors, strong spirit commanders, sexy but complicated exes, and righteous truth tellers showing up in texts.
Behind-the-scenes stories are coming to book shelves as well. A Haitian-American model and sit-com star-turned-Beverly-Hills-powerhouse is sharing her story of sustaining a career in Hollywood. a southern entrepreneur who’s turned veganism into big business and Broadway-performer-turned-superstar is taking us through her journey from the stages to the Oscars.
Stories of Black people flourishing in arenas that often shut us out are being told as well. Take a closer look at the Black middle class and the way their narratives can be left out of mainstream media, learn about those who fought for our civil rights, and ease into the dens of falcons.
Join a pair of first-generation British sisters as they come together to confront the restrictions of their culture and ponder how they can merge honoring their heritage with pursuing their happiness. Engage with the storytelling skills of a beloved musician on a whole new level. Listen to a reality show star have a frank conversation about tokenism or romance yourself with a bit of poetry.
See 56 new books from Black authors we can’t wait to read in 2022 below.
01
Eat Plants, B*tch: 91 Vegan Recipes That Will Blow Your Meat-Loving Mind – Pinky Cole (6/21)
Slutty Vegan founder and CEO Pinky Cole advocates for healthy eating with a southern twist
02
A Life Unimagined: The Rewards of Mission-Driven Service in the Peace Corps and Beyond Hardcover – Williams S. Aaron (12/28)
Williams takes us through a lifetime of service to the United States of America.
03
Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team That Changed the Game – Maya Washington (1/1)
Washington lovingly celebrates her father’s gridiron legacy.
04
I Am Because We Are An African Mother’s Fight for the Soul of a Nation – Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr (1/4)
A daughter tells a story of her mother’s courage in the face of sexism, corruption, and a major drug crisis.
05
One True Loves – Elise Bryant (1/4/22)
A post-grad quest for self-discovery leads to an adventure of the heart.
06
Lifting As We Climb Black Women’s Battle For The Ballot Box – Evette Dionne (1/4)
Dionne highlights those erased from the struggle for suffrage.
07
A Killer Sundae – Abby Collette (1/4)
The taste of a fall celebration turns bitter when murder finds it way on the menu in this mystery.
08
The Kindred – Alechia Dow (1/4)
A pair of citizens work together to save the universe from oncoming evil in a world where dual minds have been created to ensure everyone has someone to listen to them.
09
Wahala – Nikki May (1/11)
A deadly glamazon resurface tp infiltrate a trio of life-long friends.
10
This Boy We Made: A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing The Unknown – Taylor Harris (1/11)
Parenting, healthcare, and politics are all on the table in this medical memoir about a family fighting illness
11
Letters To The Sons Of Society – Shaka Senghor (1/18)
The best-selling author writes moving letters to his children.
12
Manifesto – Bernardine Evaristo (1/18)
Evaristo recalls all the forces she fought to have her ideas take up space in the world in this creative memoir.
13
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? – Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (1/18)
An upcoming wedding places added pressure on a chaste single woman facing judgment from her friends and family. Looking to seal the deal, she enlists a spreadsheet on her search for a huzband and wonders if she should be looking for herself.
14
Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight for Fairness – Laura Coates (1/18/22)
Coates describes the tipping of scales she witnessed as a prosecutor.
15
Civil Rights Queen Constance Baker Motley And The Struggle For Equality – Tomiko Brown-Nagin (1/25)
The activist may not have been a household name but her work as “the only Black woman member in the legal team at the NAACP’s Inc. Fund,” helped further the fight for full race and gender equality in America. Written by a legal expert, this biography breaks down just how impactful her contributions were.
16
A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation – Imani Perry (1/25)
Perry explores the American South to understand the country at large.
17
Miss Me With That Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, And A Few Hard Truths – Rachel Lindsay (1/25)
One of the boldest voices in Bachelor Nation continues to stand up and speak out.
18
Don’t Cry for Me – Daniel Black (2/1)
You’ll need to pull out the tissues for this beautiful text about fatherhood, vulnerability, failure, and unconditional love.
19
Black Joy Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration – Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts (2/1)
This collection of essays from Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts recognizes the intrinsic value in Black joy.
20
Black Love – Jessica P. Pryde (2/1)
Pryde reviews the way that Black romance has been depicted – and excluded- from the media we consume.
21
The Black Agenda Bold Solutions for a Broken System – Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman (2/1)
Opoku-Agyeman presents ideas from lawmakers, academics, and activists on how to move our nation forward.
22
The Last Enforcer Outrageous Stories From the Life and Times of One of the NBA’s Fiercest Competitors – Charles Oakley, Frank Isola (2/1/)
Oakley takes readers through “every punch and slap,” in his eventful professional basketball career.
23
Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson (2/1)
A pair of siblings reconnects to honor their mother after receiving posthumous messages that uncover a series of secrets and require them to share her biggest when the time is right.
24
Required Reading For The Disenfranchised Freshman – Kristen R. Lee (2/1)
When a full-ride scholarship to an Ivy League Institution upends her plans to attend an HBCU, a first-year college student is challenged to consider the price of using her voice to speak for what’s right.
25
What The Fireflies Knew – Kai Harris (2/1)
A pair of Detroit children scramble to pick up the pieces at the home of their estranged grandfather after the death of their father and vanishing of their mother.
26
Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife – Rodney Stotts (2/3)
The ornithophile explains how he made it through the crack epidemic, violence, and eventually prison to become one of the few Black master falconers in the birder community.
27
Black American Refugee Escaping The Narcissism Of The American Dream – Tiffanie Drayton (2/8)
Drayton’s experiences living across the United States and in Tobago expose the lack of access to the American dream for the average Black citizen.
28
Nobody’s Magic – Destiny O. Birdsong (2/8)
A trio of Black women with albinism in Louisiana face turning points in their lives.
29
Mirror Girls – Kelly McWilliams (2/8)
This supernatural horror story about twins ripped apart at birth will be a huge hit with fans of ‘The Vanishing Half.’
30
Moon Witch, Spider King – Marlon James (2/15)
The next sequel in the Dark Star trilogy features more plotting and power brokering from a whole new perspective.
31
When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East – Quan Barry (2/22)
A pair of brothers ponder how much of life should be centered on fulfilling one’s duty on a mission to locate a spiritual leader.
32
A Black Boy at Eton – Dillibe Onyeama
Penned when he was 21, Onyeama’s memoir tells the story of the massive racism he faced as the first Black student to complete an education at the prestigious Eton college.
33
Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head – Warsan Shire (3/1)
The first full-length collection of poetry from Shire touches on themes of “ migration, womanhood, trauma, and resilience.”
34
The Last Suspicious Holdout – Ladee Hubbard (3/8/22)
This series of interconnected stories explores the nuance of the Black middle class and the impact of the stereotypes foisted on them including “welfare Queens,” “crack babies,” and “super predators.”
35
Unbossed How Black Girls Are Leading the Way – Khristi Lauren Adams (3/8)
They can crop pictures and appropriate culture all they like but we know Black girls have always been leaders and so does Khristi Lauren Adams.
36
The Other Side of Yet Finding Light in the Midst of Darkness – (3/15)
Hord recalls how she was able to connect with her inner light after experiencing profound loss following the murder of her daughte by her ex-husband.
37
When We Were Birds – Ayanna Lloyd Banwo (3/15)
This love story follows the unexpected circumstances that bring Trinidadians with differing relationships with the afterlife together in a vast ancient cemetery.
38
I’m So (Not) Over You – Kosoko Jackson (3/16)
Two exes fake a reconciliation to save one’s reputation but the time together forces them reconsider their feelings in what looks like a delightful rom-com, set against a fancy family’s wedding festivities.
39
Fat Luther, Slim Pickin’s A Black Catholic Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Diversity – Marcia Lane-McGee, Shannon Wimp Schmidt (3/25)
A classic R&B debate is used as an entry point into the intersection of Black culture and Catholicism.
40
Finding Me – Viola Davis (4/5)
The master thespian tells us how she was able sharpen the skills that continue to keep us captivated.
41
Memphis – Tara M. Stringfellow (4/5)
After finding their way out of an abusive household a family is forced to reckon with how inherited racial trauma has impacted their collective path.
42
Hope and Glory – Jendella Benson (4/7)
A Black woman relocates to bring her family back together following her father’s unexpected death. In the process she uncovers a secret, and reconnects with an old friend forcing her to question the values she was raised with.
43
Love Me As I Am – Garcelle Beauvais (4/12)
Her cast members may not hear her until the tears fall but we are always all ears for Garcelle.
44
A Woman Of Endurance – Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa (4/12)
This novel uses Afro-Boricua culture and spirituality to explore slavery from a little examined perspective.
45
The Blood Gift Duology- Volume Number 1 The Blood Trials – N. E. Davenport (4/5)
Disloyalty, revenge, and bloodlust come together to serve a tale of what it takes to be a true warrior when you’re fighting alone.
46
Love Me As I Am – Garcelle Beauvais (4/12)
The musician is continuing to bring her storytelling skills to new mediums.
47
Take My Hand – Dolen Perkins-Valdez (4/12)
Inspired by true events this story highlights the horrific discrepancies in our healthcare system and illustrates their heartbreaking consequences.
48
Shine Bright – Danyel Smith (4/19)
The experienced journalist uses her talent for reporting to tell the personal stories of Black women in Pop music.
49
The Other Mother – Rachel M. Harper
A musical prodigy sets out to find out about his family’s past.
50
My Seven Fathers A Young Activist’s Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors Who Made Him Whole – Will Jawando (5/3)
Jawando paints a much-needed picture of mentorship in the Black male community.
51
His Name Is George Floyd – Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa (5/17)
Every hashtag that becomes a battle cry began as a human being. This biography focuses on George Floyd, the person and how his legacy became a symbol.
52
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty – Akwaeke Emezi (5/24)
Grief plunges a woman into a world of passion and shrouds her in possibilities.
53
Love Radio – Ebony LaDelle (5/31)
A DJ is forced to take his own advice when romance comes knocking at his door in this sweet tale of young Black love.
54
Paul Laurence Dunbar- The Life and Times of a Caged Bird – Gene Andrew Jarrett (6/7)
This detailed biography reveals the private struggles behind the public poetry.
55
American Royalty – Tracey Livesay (6/28)
A crown prince falls for a hip-hop princess in this modern day fairytale.
56
Sister Friends Forever – Kimberla Lawson Roby (8/9)
The 29th book from the prolific writer focuses more on the power of friendship.
