Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, and we can’t think of anything better to do on a summer day than to relax in the park or on the beach with a good book – except maybe relax with a good book and a nice glass of wine.
Luckily, this summer is loading with great books in every genre, including romance, mystery and memoir…and did we mention a novel by Grammy-nominated artist Amerie? We’ve made a list of some of the books by Black authors in every genre that we can’t wait to dive into this summer. We just hope we can read them all before Labor Day!
Suggested Reading
“This is Not a Ghost Story” by Amerie (June 10)
“This is Not a Ghost Story” is a novel from Grammy-nominated artist Amerie. The book tells the story of a Black man who walks into the light and lands in Los Angeles. And while he has no memory of his past life or how he died, he finds himself a celebrity for being the first visible ghost.
“Make Your Way Home” by Carrie R. Moore (July 15)
“Make Your Way Home” is a collection of 11 beautifully-written stories, all set in the American South, that center around Black people trying to find love in places that don’t always love them back.
“Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance” by A’Leila Bundles (June 10)
“Joy Goddess” is the biography of A’Leila Walker, the granddaugher of Madam CJ Walker, the first Black female millionaire. The book, written by her great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, takes readers to the Harlem Renaissance and a world of educated Blacks who created a life and a culture in Harlem in the 1920s.
“Meet Me at the Crossroads” by Megan Giddings (June 3)
“Meet Me at the Crossroads” is a novel that explores what happens to twin sisters when they step through mysterious doors that lead to the unknown. Will they find utopia or danger?
“When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors” by Paula Akpan (June 3)
Historian Paula Akpan explores the reigns of 12 queens and warriors from across the African continent in “When We Ruled.” She breaks down how they came to power and how they led and represented their people before colonization changed everything.
“We Don’t Talk About Carol” by Kristen L. Berry (June 3)
“We Don’t Talk About Carol” centers around Sydney, who finds a photo of a girl who looks a lot like her after her grandmother passes away. Sydney discovers the woman is actually her aunt Carol, one of a group of Black girls in North Carolina who went missing in the 1960s. Although no one talks about the circumstances around Carol’s disappearance, Sydney is determined to find out the truth. But as she tries to learn more, she discovers secrets that make her question everything.
“Mother Emmanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church” by Kevin Sack (June 3)
June 17, 2025 marks the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina when nine Black parishioners were killed by a white supremacist while attending Bible study. In “Mother Emmanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church,” journalist Kevin Sack looks at the 200-year history of the oldest A.M.E. congregation in the South and how faith allowed the family members of those killed on that horrific day to find forgiveness after unspeakable loss.
“Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship” by Dana A. Williams (June 17)
Most people know Toni Morrison as the author of classic novel“Beloved.” But in “Toni at Random,” Howard University’s Dean of the Graduate School Dana A. Williams delves into the time Morrison spent as editor at Random House publishing weaving in personal memories of some of the conversations they shared.
“Writing this book has been a labor of love. We know far too little about Toni Morrison as editor. But her influence on the publishing industry cannot be overstated. She was a force,” Williams said.
“The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick” by S. Isabelle (July 8)
“Bridgerton” fans will devour “The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick,” a hilarious romance about a young Black woman in 1860s England who is trying to find balance between her desire to pursue a career as a writer and societal norms for women at the time.
“Coded Justice” by Stacey Abrams (July 15)
“Coded Justice” is the latest thriller in Stacey Abrams’ Avery Keene series. The story follows the former Supreme Court clerk who has joined a prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm tasked with investigating whether or not a mysterious death at a tech company trying to revolutionize the medical industry is a sign of something evil.
“Plus Size Player” by Danielle Allen (June 10)
From the author of “Curvy Girl Summer,” comes “Plus Size Player.” a story about an it-girl who has a man for every occasion – until she meets one man who might be everything rolled into one.
“The Dancing Face” by Mike Phillips (August 12)
In “The Dancing Face,” a professor plans to steal the priceless Benin mask from a British museum in order to liberate it. But others with more power and fewer morals want to get their hands on the mask as well, leading the professor and those he cares about down a dangerous path.
‘The Independent’ calls the book, “brutal, deep, cunning and unbearably beautiful.”
“Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler” by Susana M. Morris (August 5)
Octavia Butler was a pioneer in the world of science fiction writing, blazing trails for future generations of Black storytellers. In “Positive Obsession,” Susana M. Morris writes about how Butler’s “positive obsession” with the craft of writing inspired her to create despite tremendous obstacles, including rejection and personal hardship.
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