Winter is officially here – well, almost. Either way, some amazing books from Black authors are being released during the most wonderful time of the year.
As December winds down, writers such as Gayle Jesup White, Kevin Powell, Touré, and Sharon Cooper will all have new books published. Politician and activist Stacey Abrams also released the children’s story Stacey’s Remarkable Books this month, and we hope to hear more from her in 2023.
With mental health being such an important thing in the Black community, many Black authors are placing an emphasis on that in the new year. With works such as Yasmine Cheyenne’s The Sugar Jar and Affirmations for Black Women: A Journal by Oludara Adeeyo, “self-help” will definitely continue to be a theme in the foreseeable future. After a tumultuous 2022, Tiffany Haddish is set to release her new book titled I Curse You With Joy, where the actress and comedian will discuss her highs, lows, and everything in between.
Take a look at the best books by Black authors being released this winter.
01
Hold You Down – Tracy Brown
Hold You Down is an edgy novel from rising star Tracy Brown about the perils of love and the ties that bind during New York City in the late 1980s to early 1990s.
02
The Ivy League Counterfeiter – Touré (12/5)
In the Scribd Original, The Ivy League Counterfeiter, author and TV host Touré dives into how Cliff Evans built his counterfeiting operation and how it all fell apart. Touré and Evans were not just classmates – they were also friends.
03
Grocery Shopping With My Mother – Kevin Powell (12/6)
Grocery Shopping with My Mother dives into relationships and modern-day themes with honesty and vulnerability. Inspired by Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Powell’s poems shift in form and style, from praise chants to reverential meditations to, most importantly, innovative hope.
04
Reclamation – Gayle Jesup White (12/6)
A Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings’ family explores America’s racial reckoning through the prism of her ancestors—both the enslaver and the enslaved.
05
Scatterlings – Resoketswe Martha Manenzhe (12/13)
A lyrical, moving novel in the spirit of Transcendent Kingdom and A Burning—and the most awarded debut title in South Africa—that tells the story of a multiracial family when the Immorality Act is passed, revealing the story of one family’s scattered souls in the wake of history.
06
In It To Win It – Sharon Cooper (12/13)
Two entrepreneurs compete for a property but secure the biggest win of all—each other—in this second chance romantic comedy by USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper.
07
Stacey’s Remarkable Books – Stacey Abrams (12/13)
Stacey’s Remarkable Books is the companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller and NAACP Image Award winner Stacey’s Extraordinary Words, from political leader Stacey Abrams and artist Kitt Thomas.
08
The Sugar Jar – Yasmine Cheyenne (12/27)
Warm and honest, featuring a beautiful and inviting two-color design, The Sugar Jar shows you how to make small adjustments that can lead to big changes in your life.
09
Someone Had to Do it – Amber & Danielle Brown (12/27)
Someone Had to Do It is a debut thriller by duo authors Amber and Danielle Brown and centers around a black intern, Brandi Maxwell, who overhears some information that could change her life forever.
10
Affirmations for Black Women: A Journal – Oludara Adeeyo (12/27)
Black women are powerful, brilliant, and brave, and it’s time to affirm these truths with more than 100 affirmations and journal prompts Black women can use to empower themselves.
11
An American Story – Kwame alexander (1/3/23)
From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people’s struggle and strength, horror and hope.
12
Birmingham, 1963 – Carole Boston Weatherford (1/17/23)
A poetic tribute to the victims of the racially motivated church bombing that served as a seminal event in the struggle for civil rights.
13
The Great Mrs. Elias – Barbara Chase-Riboud (1/24/23)
The author of the award-winning Sally Hemings now brings to life Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in the early 1900s, in this mesmerizing novel swirling with atmosphere and steeped in history.
14
Black on Black – Daniel Black (1/31/23)
Acclaimed novelist and scholar Daniel Black writes a piercing collection of essays on racial tension in America and the ongoing fight for visibility, change and lasting hope.
15
I Curse You With Joy – Tiffany Haddish (3/28/23)
Tiffany Haddish is back with her highly anticipated new essay collection, I Curse You With Joy. In more than a dozen stories Tiffany is candid about her highs, lows, and everything in between. If you thought you knew Tiffany Haddish, oh you had no idea.
