Black Tales

A 2015 winner of the National Book Award for non-fiction, the renowned journalist and writer pens a profound letter to his son about what it means to be Black in America in the 21st century—a place in which you struggle to overcome the historical trauma of your people while trying to find your own purpose in the world.

Already being called one of the best books of the year, James' epic fantasy honours African mythology and history. In it, a hunter named Tracker must find a mysterious missing boy with the help of a rag-tag group of mercenaries. The first of a planned trilogy, some are calling it the "African Game of Thrones." And Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan just earned the film rights for the book through his production company, Outlier Society.

In this debut for Emezi, we meet Ada, a young Nigerian woman who's born with multiple personalities (or spirits). As the story goes on, we hear from each, as they drive Ada towards reckless behaviour as she grows up. But once she moves to America and endures a traumatic event, the spirits threaten to takeover.

In a re-imagining of the classic German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, a woman named Harriet narrates her origin story to her daughter Perdita. She makes a mysterious gingerbread that's incredibly popular in Harriet's magical hometown of Druhástrana. And it's especially loved by her childhood best friend: Gretel.

In this acclaimed nonfiction work, racism scholar Ibrahim X. Kendi explains an array of antiracist ideas to his readers in order to help them understand the depth of discrimination in our society and how they can stand against it

Jones's bestselling memoir is a personal account of growing up in the South as a young gay man who's attempting to find himself while battling rocky relationships with family, friends, and lovers.

Written by a legendary writer, civil rights activist, and one of Oprah's greatest friends, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an poetic memoir that captures Angelou's childhood struggles and the freedoms of her adulthood, which allowed her to find strength amidst despair.

As a queen of historical romance, Jenkins tells the endearing love story of escaped slave Hester Wyatt and the irresistible underground railroad conductor dubbed "Black Daniel." Not only does this tale not disappoint when it comes to passion, but it provides insight into the history of the North's underground railroad network.

In what is considered a literary masterpiece and Butler's most popular novel, Kindred follows a young Black woman named Dana. Though she lives in 1976 L.A., she's suddenly transported to a Civil War-era plantation in Maryland. Soon, the more frequently Dana travels back in time, the longer she stays, as she faces danger that threaten her life in the future.

In an effort to fight for love and put herself first, Patsy leaves her daughter in Jamaica to follow her oldest friend to New York. But as she's living in America as an undocumented immigrant, Patsy must adjust to her brand new life.

a 25-year-old journalist in London attempts to recover from a terrible break up with her long-time boyfriend. But while on the path to finding happiness, road blocks, questionable decisions, and more-than-a-few problematic men get in her way.

A 2011 National Book Award Winner, Salvage the Bones chronicles a 12-day period in which a poor Mississippi family faces the looming threat of a hurricane. With no mother, a drunken father, a pregnant 14-year-old, and wayward brothers, they have little access to helpful resources—except for love.

In Reid's debut novel, which "explores the stickiness of transactional relationships," we're introduced to Alix Chamberlain and Emira Tucker. Alix is a successful businesswoman and influencer, while Emira is her young babysitter who's strapped for cash and just trying to figure out her next life move. But when Emira is racially profiled while watching Alix's young daughter Briar, their relationship is changed forever.

Adapted into a Steven Spielberg directed film that earned Oprah an Oscar nomination, The Color Purple tells the tale of Celie, a young woman growing up in poverty in segregated Georgia. Despite suffering hardship, Celie finds her way back to the ones she loves in a time-tested story.

The Famished Road is worth reading for its last line alone, which must be one of the most devastating endings in contemporary literature (but don't skip ahead). -- R. Ellis. Review. This is a book to generate apostles. People will be moved and, with stars in their eyes, will pass on the word, Time Out Okri is incapable of writing a boring sentence

A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to get an education so that she can escape and choose her own future.

Drawing on her experience as a criminal attorney, debut novelist Nadine Matheson delivers the page-turning crime novel of the year. Taut, vivid and addictively sinister, The Jigsaw Man will leave you breathless until the very last page

In this New York Times bestseller, Alexander explains how the mass incarceration of Black people in the United States is today's version of the Jim Crow era.

Adapted from her TEDx Talk of the same name, Adiche uses personal experiences and understanding of sexual politics to define what feminism means in the 21st century.

Curated by the founder of the Well-Read Black Girl Book Club comes this collection of essays—all written by Black women writers—about the importance of representation in literature.