UATL’s summer reading list of great Black-authored books

Several books have popped up in the last year that pose interesting reads for summer. With this in mind, UATL has comprised a list of great reads from respected Black authors to line your home library’s bookshelves, spanning a myriad of genres from young adult fiction to thrillers, children’s literature, horror, non-fiction memoirs, recipe books and more.

“Where Sleeping Girls Lie” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Credit: Faridah Abike-Iyimide

Credit: Faridah Abike-Iyimide

Barnes & Noble calls this thrilling young adult mystery, composed by the New York Times bestselling author of “Ace of Space,” one of the best books of 2024 (so far). The story follows a girl uncovering dark secrets of her new boarding school after her roommate goes missing.

“I Am Enough” by Grace Byers

Credit: Grace Byers

This beautifully illustrated children’s book is a lyrical ode to learning self-acceptance, self-love, respect and kindness. It’s not only a #1 New York Times Bestseller but also a Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner.

“What Never Happened” by Rachel Howzell Hall

Credit: Rachel Howzell Hall

Following a young journalist who moves back home twenty years after being the only survivor of a home invasion, this thriller exposes a series of murders off the California coast that Colette “Coco” Weber is set on uncovering. Coco returns home hoping to return to her craft of writing obituaries but is startled when she is sent her own obituary in the mail.

“Allow Me to Introduce Myself” by Onyi Nwabineli

Credit: Onyi Nwabineli

In her fight against the public eye, Anuri Chinasa struggles to escape the grasp of her stepmother’s social media empire, which has made privacy a luxury that she can no longer afford. Now out of her stepmother’s house, she embarks on a journey to make sure her younger sister does not experience the same.

“Be, Black Girl, Be” by Taylor Darks

Credit: Taylor Darks

This poetic, lyrical text is curated as the perfect gift and read for Black girls of all ages. The work stresses the importance of Black women both knowing and celebrating their worth.

“Power Moves: Ignite Your Confidence and Become a Force” by Sarah Jakes Roberts

Credit: Sarah Jakes Roberts

Sarah Jakes Roberts encourages women in this motivational book to embrace themselves and ignore others ideas of who and how they should be, in order to discover the power that rests in “humility, honesty, and commitment to continuous growth.”

“The Davenports” by Krystal Marquis

Credit: Krystal Marquis

This escapist work of historical fiction follows a wealthy Black family in the early 1900s and their four daughters as they navigate life and love. Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson Family, the book includes themes of romance, heartbreak and more.

“Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race? 25 Arguments That Won’t Go Away” by Keith Boykin

Credit: Keith Boykin

In this work, political commentator Keith Boykin addresses and aims to debunk 25 of the most common arguments people make when trying to undermine America’s past and present, as they pertain to racial inequalities.

“Blood at the Root” by Patrick Phillips

Credit: LaDarrion Williams

After his mother mysteriously vanished ten years ago, Malik found out he had uncontrollable powers. For years he hid his abilities to protect himself and his younger brother, but as he comes across a school for young Black students with the gift of magic, he embarks on a journey to uncover both the root and extent of his powers.

“This Could Be Us” by Kennedy Ryan

Credit: Kennedy Ryan

In this romantic novel, Kennedy Ryan presents a woman struggling to both reinvent herself after heartbreak and learn to open herself up to love again. She must balance taking care of her daughter, maintaining her career and allowing room in her heart all at once.

“Children of Anguish and Anarchy” by Tomi Adeyemi

Credit: Tomi Adeyemi

This book marks the conclusion of Adeyemi’s bestselling Legacy of Orisha series. Narrated by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner Cynthia Erivo, the story follows a woman who finds herself kidnapped by foreigners and must fight to protect her homeland from annihilation.

“Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: A Cocktail Recipe Book” by Toni Tipton-Martin

Credit: Toni Tipton-Martin

In this cocktail recipe book, Toni Tipton-Martin highlights the origin and evolution of Black mixology and the creativity of Black drinking culture as a whole. The book includes both classic and modern recipes inspired by Black cookbooks that date back two centuries.

“A Love Song for Ricki Wilde” by Tia Williams

Credit: Tia Williams

In a romantic story following two passionate Black artists in modern Harlem, readers are brought into an epic love story that pays homage to the “magic, romance and opportunity of New York” for creatives.

“When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era” by Donovan X. Ramsey

Credit: Donovan X. Ramsey

This literary work gives readers a detailed look into the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s by highlighting four individuals whose lives were largely changed by it. The book compiles survivor voices and deep research to provide a critical evaluation of the era, and its detrimental effect on the Black community.

“James” by Percival Everett

Credit: Percival Everett

Described as “genius” by the Atlantic, “James” is an instant New York Times bestselling action work that tells the perspective of Jim, the enslaved friend of Huckleberry Finn in the literary classic, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

“Smoke Kings” by Jahmal Mayfield

Credit: Jamal Mayfield

In this fiery work of fiction, young Black activist Nate Evers leads three of his friends on a journey to confront the descendants of hate crime perpetrators after his little cousin is murdered in cold blood. During their mission, however, they approach the wrong target – the leader of a white supremacist group who refuses to go down without a fight and pursues the four in a dangerous chase.

“We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance” by Kellie Carter Jackson

Credit: Kellie Carter Jackson

This literary work brings readers through the history of Black resilience to oppression, highlighting the responses led by Black women. From armed revolts to sit-ins and property destruction, historian Kellie Carter Jackson examines the variety of tactics that once shaped the Black struggle and made way for freedom, offering an unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses to white oppression, particularly those pioneered by Black women.

“Coming Home” by Brittney Griner

Credit: Brittney Griner

Women’s basketball icon and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, shares the gut-wrenching details of her ten-month detainment in Russia, just days before the invasion of Ukraine. As the first American woman ever to endure a Russian penal colony. Griner tells of the isolation and mental turmoil that she experienced while overseas, and her transformation from hostage to " global spokesperson on behalf of ‘America’s forgotten”.

“Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine” by Uché Blackstock

Credit: Dr. Uché Blackstock

Dr. Uché Blackstock tells readers the deep history of racism in healthcare. Being amongst the 2% of U.S. physicians today that are Black women, Blackstock shares her journey to become a health equity advocate amid the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.

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About the Author

Dawn Sawyer