Black History Month 2025: New Books for Adults by Black AuthorsLike this list

28 items

• The First and Last King of Haiti

  the Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe

  Daut, Marlene,

  Add The First and Last King of Haiti to your for later shelf

  1/7: "Historian Daut (Awakening the Ashes) offers a powerful biography of Henry Christophe (1767-1820), who fought for, defected from, and ultimately ruled over Haiti." --Publishers Weekly

• Glory, Too

  Poems

  Grimes, Nikki,

  Add Glory, Too to your for later shelf

  1/7: "Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, and New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes introduces Glory, Too, a soul-stirring collection of poetry that delves into the depths of faith, hope, and the human experience by one of America's…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Life of Herod the Great

  Hurston, Zora Neale,

  Add The Life of Herod the Great to your for later shelf

  1/7: "In this unfinished novel, Hurston (1891--1960) attempts a biblical retelling similar to her novel Moses, Man of the Mountain, unspooling a stimulating if rushed revisionist narrative of Herod the Great." --Publishers Weekly

• An African History of Africa

  From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence

  Badawi, Zeinab, 1959-

  Add An African History of Africa to your for later shelf

  1/14: "In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa’s spectacular history – from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilisations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Am Nobody's Slave

  How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free

  Hawkins, Lee,

  Add I Am Nobody's Slave to your for later shelf

  1/14: "A 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist and former Wall Street Journal writer exhaustively examines his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience, in this riveting memoir—a soulful, shocking, and spellbinding read that blends the raw…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Death of the Author

  Okorafor, Nnedi,

  Add Death of the Author to your for later shelf

  1/14: "Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she's suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister's wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• New Prize for These Eyes

  the Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement

  Williams, Juan,

  Add New Prize for These Eyes to your for later shelf

  1/14: "In this highly anticipated follow-up to Eyes on the Prize, bestselling author Juan Williams turns his attention to the rise of a new 21st-century civil rights movement."

• Dark Laboratory

  on Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis

  Goffe, Tao Leigh,

  Add Dark Laboratory to your for later shelf

  1/21: "Award-winning historian, professor, and journalist Tao Leigh Goffe, launches an investigation of the Caribbean as the seat of corrupt Western wealth and environmental exploitation." --publisher

• Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right

  a King Oliver Novel

  Mosley, Walter,

  Add Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right to your for later shelf

  1/28: "In this third installment in Mosley's series, "a family member's terminal illness leads P.I. Joe King Oliver to the investigation of his life: tracking down his long-lost father; and meanwhile, a new case pits King's professional…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black in Blues

  How a Color Tells the Story of My People

  Perry, Imani, 1972-

  Add Black in Blues to your for later shelf

  1/28: "A surprising and beautiful meditation on the color blue—and its fascinating role in Black history and culture—from National Book Award winner Imani Perry." --publisher

• Written in the Waters

  a Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging

  Roberts, Tara,

  Add Written in the Waters to your for later shelf

  1/28: "Journalist Roberts considers the costs of the global slave trade and its impact on her own family in her engrossing debut."

• Good Dirt

  Wilkerson, Charmaine,

  Add Good Dirt to your for later shelf

  1/28: "The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the bestselling author of Black Cake." --publisher

• Fearless and Free

  a Memoir

  Baker, Josephine, 1906-1975,

  Add Fearless and Free to your for later shelf

  2/4: "Published in the US for the first time, Fearless and Free is the memoir of the fabulous, rule-breaking, one-of-a-kind Josephine Baker, the iconic dancer, singer, spy, and Civil Rights activist." --publisher

• The Edge of Water

  Bankole, Olufunke Grace,

  Add The Edge of Water to your for later shelf

  2/4: "Set between Nigeria and New Orleans, The Edge of Water tells the story of a young woman who dreams of life in America, as the collision of traditional prophecy and individual longing tests the bonds of a family during a devastating storm."…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes

  100 Soulful Plant-based Recipes for Healthy Everyday Meals

  Claiborne, Jenné,

  Add Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes to your for later shelf

  2/4: "100 vegan recipes that bring plant-based fun to the plate for every meal of the day, from the beloved author of Sweet Potato Soul." --publisher

• Junie

  Eckstine, Erin Crosby,

  Add Junie to your for later shelf

  2/4: "In Eckstine's finely crafted debut, an enslaved teen girl uncovers secrets about her family in 1860 Alabama." --Publishers Weekly

• Let Us March on

  Moon, Shara,

  Add Let Us March on to your for later shelf

  2/4: "Devoted wife, White House maid, reluctant activist… A stirring novel inspired by the life of an unsung heroine, and real-life crusader, Lizzie McDuffie, who as a maid in FDR’s White House spearheaded the Civil Rights movement of her time."…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Harlem Rhapsody

  Murray, Victoria Christopher,

  Add Harlem Rhapsody to your for later shelf

  2/4: "Murray (coauthor of The First Ladies) delivers a winning portrait of Harlem Renaissance figure Jessie Redmon Faust (1882--1961)."

• Listen to Your Sister

  Viel, Neena,

  Add Listen to Your Sister to your for later shelf

  2/4: "Viel's frenzied and addictive supernatural thriller debut follows Calla Williams, a Black 25-year-old who must play surrogate parent to her reckless younger brothers, Dre and Jaimie, after their father dies and their mother abandons them."…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• People of Means

  Johnson, Nancy (Novelist),

  Add People of Means to your for later shelf

  2/11: One of People magazine's most anticipated books of 2025! From the acclaimed author of The Kindest Lie, a propulsive novel about a mother and daughter each seeking justice and following their dreams in 1960s Nashville and 1990s Chicago;…Read moreRead more of this annotation