African American/Black Fiction

New and recommended fiction by African American/Black authors

Updated September 19, 2025
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While justice sleeps a novel
Abrams, Stacey
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * A gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court, where a young law clerk finds herself embroiled in a shocking mystery crafted by one of the most preeminent judges in America--from celebrated national...
Jackal : a novel
Adams, Erin E.
Paper Book
RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW * A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she's not the first--and she may not be the last. . . . "I read this thriller that is Get Out meets The Vanishing Half<...
A spell of good things
Adebayo, Ayobami
Paper Book
BOOKER PRIZE NOMINEE * A NEW YORKER AND NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * GMA BUZZ PICK * A dazzling story of modern Nigeria and two families caught in the riptides of wealth, power, romantic obsession, and political corruption from the celebrated author of Stay with Me,...
Chain-Gang All-Stars
Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame
Paper Book
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR
Honey & spice
Babalola, Bolu
Paper Book
⭐ A REESE'S BOOK CLUB AND TIKTOK BOOK CLUB PICK ⭐ 'Hilarious, hot and heartfelt' MEG CABOT 'Gorgeously written and heart-meltingly romantic' BETH O'LEARY 'Romantic, sexy, fun, delicious and important' MARIAN KEYES __________ ...
House of cotton
Brashears, Monica
Paper Book
FINALIST for the 2024 NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award * NPR BEST BOOK OF 2023 * An enchanting Black Southern gothic debut, perfect for readers of Mexican Gothic... "Fresh, haunting...In her roller-coaster ride of a gothic debut novel, Monica Brashears upends expectations at...
You never know a novel of domestic suspense
Briscoe, Connie
Paper Book
Black candle women
Brown, Diane Marie
Paper Book
'[An] evocative and tender book . . . everyone who reads it will be enchanted like I was' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader reviewA Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Seen on the Today Show and named a Best Book of the Month by: Shondaland, MS. Magazine, TODAY.com, Reader...
Society of lies : a novel
Brown, Lauren
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * "A dark and haunting debut that explores secret societies, the bonds of sisterhood, and the intricacies of privilege at an elite college . . . I couldn't put this twisty tale down."--Julia Bartz, author of The Writing Retreat ...
The ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
Cameron, Briony
Paper Book
'Packed full of action, excitement, peril and romance on the high seas, this is the sapphic pirate book of my dreams' SARAH UNDERWOOD, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea 'Thrilling, heart-pounding adventure meets thoughtful feminist history . . . a rare and special...
Swift River
Chambers, Essie.
Paper Book
It's the summer of 1987 in the dying New England mill town of Swift River, and sixteen year-old Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Since her father disappeared seven years ago, she and her mother hitchhike everywhere they go; they're the only people in town without a car. But that's not...
The unbroken
Clark, C. L.
Paper Book
***Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award and a Nebula Award*** EVERY EMPIRE DEMANDS REVOLUTION. Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has...
Tremor
Cole, Teju.
Paper Book
The new novel from the author of the celebrated Open City - a powerful and masterful exploration of what makes a meaningful life in a world of violence and wonder.
Good morning, love
Coleman, Ashley M.
Paper Book
For fans of My (Not So) Perfect Life and Jasmine Guillory's While We Were Dating, a disarmingly fun debut novel follows Carlisa Henton as her life comes undone after a chance meeting with a rising pop star. Carlisa "Carli" Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping...
All the sinners bleed
Cosby, S. A.
Paper Book
***GUARDIAN BEST CRIME AND THRILLERS OF 2023*** THE TIMES - THRILLER OF THE MONTH*** *** MAIL ON SUNDAY - BEST NEW FICTION*** FINANCIAL TIMES - BEST NEW CRIME BOOKS*** 'A crackling good police procedural....fresh and exhilarating'...
Great Expectations
Cunningham, Vinson.
Paper Book
A historic presidential campaign changes the trajectory of a young Black man's life in the highly anticipated debut novel from one of The New Yorker's rising stars.I'd seen the Senator speak a few times before my life got caught up, however distantly, with his, but the first time I can...
And so I roar
Daré, Abi
Paper Book
Adunni and Ms Tia are back, now forced to confront their pasts and find the courage to roar for themselves Winner of the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize 'Fresh, funny and fiercely feminist, Dare's empowering sequel to The Girl with the Louding Voice is a gut...
Beyond the door of no return
Diop, David
Paper Book
From the author of the International Booker Prize-winning At Night All Blood is Black: a moving and immersive adventure story set in eighteenth century SenegalParis, 1806. Michel Adanson is dying. The last word to escape his lips is a woman's name: Maram. Who was she? Why, in the...
The reformatory
Due, Tananarive
Paper Book
Jim Crow Florida, 1950. Twelve-year-old Robert Stephens Jr., who for a trivial scuffle with a white boy is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys. But the segregated reformatory is a chamber of horrors, haunted by the boys that have died there. In order to survive the school...
Faebound
El-Arifi, Saara
Paper Book
THE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Exquisite fantasy, with a complex, mysterious, and sumptuous world of elves, fae, and gloriously compelling romance - so enthralling, it has wrapped its magic around my heart and set it alight' HANNAH KANER, bestselling author of...
You made a fool of death with your beauty : a novel
Emezi, Akwaeke
Paper Book
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick, a Best Romance of 2022 by The New York Times and The Washington Post, and a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Oprah Daily, Vulture, Harper's Bazaar, Thrillist,...
If I survive you
Escoffery, Jonathan
Paper Book
FINALIST FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE. LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION. Finalist for the 2023 Pen/Faulkner Award, the DUBLIN Literary Award, the Southern Book Award, and the Gordon Burns Award. Nominated for the 2022 National Book...
James : a novel
Everett, Percival
Paper Book
A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view. From the "literary icon" (Oprah Daily), Pulitzer Prize Finalist, and one of the most decorated writers of our...
The neighbor favor
Forest, Kristina
Paper Book
Shy, bookish, Lily Greene finds escapism in her correspondences with her favourite fantasy author - until he ghosts her. Months later, Lily seeks a date to her sister's wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbour. Little does she know that Nick...
Like a sister
Garrett, Kellye
Paper Book
'Stand-out' Caz Frear 'Captivating' Samantha Downing 'Razor-sharp' Laura Lippman 'Riveting' Liv Constantine 'Sharp and sassy' Heat **Winner of a Lefty Award for Best Mystery** **Edgar Award and...
The women could fly : a novel
Giddings, Megan
Paper Book
Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Octavia Butler, a biting social commentary from the acclaimed author of Lakewood that speaks to our times--a piercing dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in...
By the book
Guillory, Jasmine
Paper Book
From New York Times best-selling author Jasmine Guillory comes the much-anticipated second book in the Meant to Be collection inspired by the classic fairy tale stories we all know and love, perfect for adult readers who crave contemporary, escapist rom-coms. ...
The hypocrite
Hamya, Jo
Paper Book
A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN TIME, THE DAILY MAIL, THE INDEPENDENT, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING AND THE ATLANTIC 'Like Edward St Aubyn and Anne Enright, Hamya is so good on generational conflict, the friction of family, and the damage done by charming but...
Miss Aldridge regrets
Hare, Louise
Paper Book
'Charming characters, a cross-Atlantic setting, jazz, cocktails, sex and a brilliant murder mystery. You couldn't ask for more! I loved it' Harriet Tyce 'This is a cracker. A thoroughly absorbing and thought-provoking historical crime novel that oozes glamour' Cathy...
An Academy for Liars
Henderson, Alexis.
Paper Book
'Saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely.' ALIX E. HARROW 'This darkly gorgeous story is a lavish feast for fans of gothic horror. One of my top reads of the year!' SUNYI DEAN 'Alexis...
I'm so (not) over you
Jackson, Kosoko
Paper Book
It's been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a cafe. Hudson has a favour to ask - he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees. The dinner...
The house of Eve : a novel
Johnson, Sadeqa
Paper Book
"Amazing...I was completely surprised by the ending of this beautifully told and written book." --Reese Witherspoon "A triumph of historical fiction" (The Washington Post), an instant New York Times bestseller, and a Reese's Book Club pick, set in 1950s...
Liquid snakes : a novel
Kearse, Stephen
Paper Book
Finalist for the Libby Book Awards What if toxic pollutants traveled up the socioeconomic ladder rather than down it? A Black biochemist provides an answer in this wildly original novel of pollution, poison, and dark pleasure In Atlanta, Kenny Bomar is a biochemist...
Lone women : a novel
LaValle, Victor
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Blue skies, empty land--and enough wide-open space to hide a horrifying secret. A woman with a past, a mysterious trunk, a town on the edge of nowhere, and an "absorbing, powerful" (BuzzFeed) new vision of the American West, from the award-winning author of...
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
McBride, James
Paper Book
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the...
One blood
Millner, Denene
Paper Book
" Join New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner as she explores the lives of three generations of women tied together by love, hope, dreams, ambition...and family secrets in this epic novel. Meet Grace: raised by her beloved grandmother in tension...
The memory librarian : and other stories of dirty computer
Monaae, Janelle
Paper Book
In The Memory Librarian music, fashion, film and futurist icon Janelle Monáe returns to the Afrofuturistic world of her critically acclaimed album, Dirty Computer, to explore how different threads of liberation - queerness, race, gender plurality, love - become tangled in a totalitarian landscape...
Between Friends & Lovers: 'Sweet And Steamy . . . I'Ll Recommend This Book For Eternity!' Ali Hazelwood
Obuobi, Shirlene.
Paper Book
'An absolute joy to read, with messy, realistic, and deeply lovable characters . . . Obuobi's perfect balance of humor and wisdom made this one a true standout' EMILY HENRY 'Sweet and steamy . . . I'll recommend this book for eternity!' ALI HAZELWOOD ...
Goliath
Onyebuchi, Tochi
Paper Book
A New York Times Editors' Choice Pick! A Best Book of the Year for Time | NPR | The Guardian | Gizmodo| Portalist | New York Public Library A Most Anticipated Pick for USA Today | Bustle | Buzzfeed | Goodreads | Nerdist | io9 | WBUR |...
One-shot Harry
Phillips, Gary
Paper Book
LOS ANGELES, 1963: African American Korean War veteran Harry Ingram earns a living as a news photographer and occasional process server: chasing police radio calls and dodging baseball bats. With racial tensions running high on the eve of Martin Luther King's Freedom Rally, Ingram risks becoming a...
Come and get it : a novel
Reid, Kiley
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER National Bestseller A Good Morning America Book Club Pick An Indie Next Pick A LibraryReads Pick Acclaimed author Kiley Reid's fresh and provocative story about desire, consumption, and bad behavior.
Before I let go
Ryan, Kennedy
Paper Book
'Real, raw, magnificent - Before I Let Go is the beautiful angst I love to read' COLLEEN HOOVER Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love had its limits . . it couldn't...
The practice, the horizon, and the chain
Samatar, Sofia
Paper Book
Nebula Award Finalist for Best Novella Named a Best Sci-Fi Book of 2024 by Esquire, The New York Times, SLATE, The Washington Post, and ELLE "I am in love with Sofia Samatar's lyricism and the haunting beauty of her imagination. Her stories...
This cursed house
Sandeen, Del
Paper Book
In the fall of 1962, Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago--and the spirits she has always been able to see. When she receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans . . . But Jemma discovers that this family isn't what they seem. Their tenuous...
Colored television
Senna, Danzy
Paper Book
Finalist for the 2025 PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION and the ANISFIELD-WOLF BOOK AWARD IN FICTION. Longlisted for the 2025 JOYCE CAROL OATES LITERARY PRIZE, the NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE FICTION PRIZE and the CARNEGIE MEDAL 2025. Named a Best...
River sing me home
Shearer, Eleanor
Paper Book
" Rare. Moving. Powerful. This beautiful, page-turning and redemptive story of a mother's gripping journey across the Caribbean to find her stolen children in the aftermath of slavery is a remarkable debut. Her search begins with an ending...<...
Symphony of secrets
Slocumb, Brendan
Paper Book
A gripping page-turner from the celebrated author of book club favorite The Violin Conspiracy: Music professor Bern Hendricks discovers a shocking secret about the most famous American composer of all time--his music may have been stolen from a Black Jazz Age prodigy named Josephine Reed....
The fraud
Smith, Zadie
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller * One of the New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year * One of NPR's Best Books of the Year * Named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and BookPage * One of Oprah Daily's Best Novels of 2023 "[A] brilliant...
Africa risen : a new era of speculative fiction
Thomas, Sheree R.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2023 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology Winner of the 2023 Locus Award for Best Anthology A 2023 NAACP Image Award Nominee A 2023 British Fantasy Award Nominee A NPR Best of the Year pick A...
The Nigerwife
Walters, Vanessa
Paper Book
Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of glittering Lagos, Nigeria, and a glamorous group of friends. She left gloomy London and a dark family past behind for sunny, moneyed Lagos, becoming part of the Nigerwives -- a community of foreign women...
Let us descend a novel
Ward, Jesmyn
Paper Book
From Jesmyn Ward--the two-time National Book Award winner, youngest winner of the Library of Congress Prize for Fiction, and MacArthur Fellow--comes a haunting masterpiece, sure to be an instant classic, about an enslaved girl in the years before the Civil War. "'Let...
Harlem shuffle
Whitehead, Colson
Paper Book
'Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked...'To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably-priced furniture, making a life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her...
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Williams, Tia.
Paper Book
The new enchanting romance from the author of Seven Days in June and The Perfect FindOne florist. One pianist. One love story . . . One hundred years in the making.Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn't one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a...
The Last Dreamwalker
Woods, Rita
Paper Book
From Hurston/Wright Legacy Award-winning author Rita Woods, The Last Dreamwalker tells the story of two women, separated by nearly two centuries yet inextricably linked by the Gullah-Geechee Islands off the coast of South Carolina--and their connection to a mysterious and extraordinary...

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