01
Can We All Be Feminists? – Edited by June Eric-Udorie
This collection of essays includes pieces from writers like Brit Bennett, Evette Dionne, and Zoé Samudzi on gender, race, and intersectionality. Pick it up on Amazon.
02
Washington Black – Esi Edugyan
03
Odd One Out – Nic Stone
This young adult novel from Altanta’s Nic Stone, best-selling author of Dear Martin, explores every issue of adolescences, from crushes and friendships to figuring out your own identity. Find it on Amazon.
04
Pride – Ibi Zoboi
Zoboi’s Pride remixes Pride and Prejudice for a funny and smart retelling of a classic story. The award-winning novel explores pride in identity, family, and home as well as examines how gentrification can change the places you love. Find it on Amazon.
06
Everything Is Trash, But It’s Ok – Phoebe Robinson
Following up her New York Times bestseller You Can’t Touch My Hair, Robinson explores dating, race, and gender through a collection of sharp, funny essays. Purchase it now on Amazon.
07
Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop – Vikki Tobak
Featuring a foreword by Questlove, Tobak’s Contact High celebrates hip-hop culture with numerous photos and essays from legends like Fab 5 Freddy and RZA. Grab a copy on Amazon.
08
Heavy: An American Memoir – Kiese Laymon
From the best-selling author of How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Laymon’s latest looks at how Black families and Black bodies are affected by secrets and deception in our nation’s current social and political climate. Heavy is longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal and a Kirkus Prize Finalist. Order it now or listen on Audible.
09
Ordinary People: A Novel – Diana Evans
Two Black British couples reckon with issues in their relationships as they try to balance parenthood, identity, and the realization that they’re getting older in Evans’ latest work. Pick up a copy of Ordinary People on Amazon.
Article continues after video.
10
Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me – Charlamagne Tha God
Following up his New York Times bestseller, Black Privilege, Charlamagne tackles fear and anxiety in his newest book, Shook One. The media personality details how his anxiety has been a driving force in his life and career and opens up about talking to mentors, guests, and using therapy to deal with it all. Pre-order a copy ahead of its Tuesday release on Amazon.
11
Let It Bang: A Young Black Man’s Reluctant Odyssey Into Guns – RJ Young
Young takes on who gets to use weapons to protect themselves in America with his new book Let It Bang. Part memoir, part investigative profile, it’s a must read for fall. Pre-order it now ahead of its Tuesday release.
12
Friday Black – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Chosen by Colson Whitehead as a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree, Adjei-Brenyah’s debut explores the violence and inequality Black women and men face through the story of an amusement park that lets players enter an augmented reality to hunt and kill terrorists and intruders. Pre-order the book — ahead of its October 23 release — here.
13
The Proposal – Jasmine Guillory
Nikole Paterson’s life changes when she rejects her boyfriend’s elaborate proposal at a Dodgers game. Soon, she finds herself in a friendship-with-benefits that might lead to more. Pre-order the book, which hits shelves on Oct. 30, on Amazon.
14
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves – Glory Edim
A wonderful collection of essays curated by Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim, this anthology features work from contributors like Jesmyn Ward, Barbara Smith, and Tayari Jones. The book doesn’t hit shelves until Oct. 30, but you can pre-order it on Amazon.
15
Becoming – Michelle Obama
16
My Sister The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite
How far would you got to protect your family? Satire and slasher meet in this novel from Oyinkan Braithwaite, which tells the story of a Nigerian woman whose sister just can’t stop killing her boyfriends. You can pre-order this thriller ahead of its release on November 20 on Amazon.
