12 Must-Read Books By Black Authors

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

In the early 1960s, Elwood Curtis, a diligent Black teenager, is sent to the Nickel Academy – a reform school that hides brutality behind a polished exterior. There, he befriends Turner, whose cynical worldview clashes with Elwood’s belief in justice and moral progress, as they both confront the school’s pervasive violence.

The Nickel Boys is based on a true story: a Florida reform school where decades of abuse, torture, and unmarked graves of at least 55 children were uncovered. The school wasn’t closed until 2011.

Read more about The Nickel Boys here!

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is Maya Angelou’s memoir of her early life in the segregated American South, recounting experiences of racism, sexual abuse, and displacement. Through resilience, a love of literature, and the support of her family, she develops a powerful sense of identity and voice.

Maya Angelou – poet, author, civil rights activist, singer, dancer, and actress – was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Read more about I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings here!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half follows twin sisters, Desiree and Stella, who grow up in a small Southern community but take radically different paths – one remaining in her hometown, the other passing as white in a distant city. As their lives diverge and intersect over decades, the novel explores identity, family, and the choices that shape who we become.

The book had one of the most successful debuts of 2020, quickly becoming a New York Times bestseller.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Beloved follows Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman haunted by the trauma of her past and the ghost of her daughter. As she confronts buried memories and generational trauma, the novel examines the lasting impact of slavery and the cost of survival.

Inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner, an escaped slave who killed her infant daughter to prevent her return to slavery, Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize and is a cornerstone of American literature.

Beloved, along with a few others on this list, are included in my 93 Classic Books to Read.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God follows Janie Crawford as she reflects on her life across three marriages, each shaping her understanding of love, independence, and her own voice. Set in early 20th-century Florida, the novel blends Southern Black folklore with a personal quest for fulfillment beyond society’s expectations.

The book was out of print for nearly 30 years, largely due to readers’ rejection of its strong Black female protagonist, before becoming a classic of American literature.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad reimagines the historical Underground Railroad as a literal network of underground trains helping enslaved people escape to freedom. The story follows Cora, a young woman fleeing a Georgia plantation, facing the brutal realities of slavery at every turn.

The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the National Book Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart follows Okonkwo, a respected leader in Nigeria’s Igbo community, as he navigates the complexities of traditional society. The arrival of European missionaries and colonial forces disrupts the community, challenging its customs and igniting cultural conflict.

Achebe’s debut novel has sold over 10 million copies in 45 languages, becoming a torch for modern African literature.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Invisible Man follows an unnamed Black narrator as he travels from the Deep South to Harlem, navigating shifting environments and identities while trying to understand his place in a society that renders him “invisible.”

Ralph Ellison became the first African-American writer to win the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction with this 1953 classic.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple follows Celie, a young Black woman in early 1900s rural Georgia, as she struggles against abuse, oppression, and hardship. Through letters to God, she discovers her voice, strength, and sense of identity.

Alice Walker’s masterpiece won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and ranks #17 on the “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000–2010.”

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season is set in the Stillness, a land shaped by catastrophic geological disasters and governed by a rigid caste system for those with seismic abilities. The novel follows three orogenes whose stories converge as they face political danger, personal loss, and a continent on the brink of collapse.

It won the Hugo Award, the most prestigious honor in science fiction and fantasy, and is on my list of the Best Fantasy Books to Read.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

​​The Hate U Give follows Starr Carter, a sixteen-year-old who witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend by a police officer. Torn between her predominantly Black neighborhood and her mostly white private school, Starr confronts trauma, systemic injustice, and the courage to speak out.

Expanded from a college short story, Angie Thomas’s novel debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list, where it stayed for 50 weeks.

Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin

​​Go Tell It on the Mountain follows 14-year-old John Grimes coming of age in 1930s Harlem, as he navigates family tensions, religion, and identity. Within a devout Pentecostal community, John confronts personal struggles and the weight of generational expectations.

This semi-autobiographical novel was named one of Time’s 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.