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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
This love story follows the unexpected circumstances that bring Trinidadians with differing relationships with the afterlife together in a vast ancient cemetery.
Two exes fake a reconciliation to save one’s reputation, but the time together forces them to reconsider their feelings in what looks like a delightful rom-com, set against a fancy family’s wedding festivities.
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.