Recent books by African American authors and writers from the African diaspora, along with works on related topics.
Issue 17 • May/June 2025
Fiction
At the Fount of Creation
by Tobi Ogundiran
A female warrior who is the living vessel of ancient spirits seeks to defeat an ancient enemy.
Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right
by Walter Mosley
While also protecting a missing woman and her daughter from a powerful billionaire, Detective King Oliver fulfills his grandmother’s dying wish to reunite with his estranged father.
Black Hamptons 2: Gentrification
by Carl Weber
The return of the Britton family’s patriarch stirs up long-buried secrets and tensions that force them to make life-changing choices.
Casualties of Truth
by Lauren Francis-Sharma
A woman’s perfect life unravels when a figure from her past forces her to confront hidden traumas.
Catching Feelings
by
La Jill Hunt
Three siblings searching for their soulmates must make decisions that will impact not only their loved ones, but the ones they want to love.
Chloe by
Connie Briscoe
A private chef who marries an enigmatic billionaire confronts the haunting presence of his first wife and must answer questions about her new husband.
Cursebound
by
Saara El-Arifi
A warrior must choose between love and loyalty when her sister seeks to break a curse that will unite the fae and elven worlds.
Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Four Nigerian women grapple with love, loss, and the complexities of modern life as they pursue happiness and personal growth while dealing with society’s expectations.
The Edge of Water
by Olufunke Grace Bankole
A young Nigerian woman is torn between traditional prophecy and the dream of life in America when a devastating hurricane tests her family’s bonds.
The Filling Station
by Vanessa Miller
Two sisters whose lives are upended by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre take refuge at a filling station and search for strength to move forward.
Frenemies with Benefits
by Synithia Williams
A bed-and-breakfast owner teams up with a sexy playboy to revamp her struggling business.
Glory Daze
by Danielle Arceneaux
A woman’s quiet life is turned upside down when a murder connected to her ex-husband’s mistress draws her into Louisiana’s dark underbelly.
The Grand Scheme of Things
by Warona Jay
A female playwright and a well-connected lawyer devise a plan to submit her play under his name, vowing to keep its origins a secret until it finds the success they both know awaits it.
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray
In 1919 Harlem, the legacy of a literary editor responsible for discovering a generation of talent is threatened by her tumultuous affair with her boss, W.E.B. Du Bois.
I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com
by Kimberly Lemming
A PhD student stranded on a dinosaur-filled alien planet with two dangerously attractive aliens finds romance, mystery, and lifethreatening challenges.
I Think They Love You
by Julian Winters
A young man vying for his father’s CEO position recruits an ex-lover to pose as his fake boyfriend, only to find old feelings rekindled.
Junie
by Erin Crosby Eckstine
A 16-year-old enslaved girl driven to commit a desperate act awakens her sister’s ghost.
Just Our Luck
by Denise Williams
A directionless lottery winner and the owner of a struggling donut shop pretend to be a couple for the benefit of his business and her family.
Losing Sight
by Tati Richardson
A sports reporter whose impaired sight leads to a demotion comes into possession of a pair of enchanted glasses that allow her to see life much more clearly.
The Love Lyric
by Kristina Forest
A lonely widow who meets a famous singer at her sister’s wedding finds herself falling in love.
The Love Simulation
by Etta Easton
A vice principal who joins a team who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation clashes with a charming science teacher and must choose between her school’s future and the possibility of love.
The Next Deadly Chapter
by V. M. Burns
A bookshop owner/amateur sleuth must unite with the residents of a local retirement village to solve the cozy murder of a guest at her bridal shower.
Oromay
by Ba’ālu Germā
In 1981 Ethiopia, a journalist for the state-run media finds himself embroiled in a disastrous government campaign, as well as a sweeping romance with a local woman.
People of Means
by Nancy Johnson
A mother and daughter pursue justice and their dreams against the backdrop of 1960s Nashville and 1990s Chicago.
Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah
In early 21st-century Tanzania, three young people navigate ambition, escape, and uncertainty as their lives intertwine amidst global changes.
A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke
by Adriana Herrera
A female physician running an underground women’s clinic in 1880s Paris finds herself drawn to a duke.
Non-Fiction
Arts and Literature
Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King
by Preston Lauterbach
An examination of the lives and music of four overlooked artists — Little Junior Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and guitarist Calvin Newborn — whose work influenced Elvis Presley’s music.
Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People
by
Imani Perry
National Book Awardwinning author Perry draws from history, art, and her personal life to examine the role of the color blue in Black history and culture.
How To Sell Out: The (Hidden) Cost of Being a Black Writer
by Chad Sanders
An exploration of the challenges and compromises faced by Black writers in America.
In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space
by Irvin Weathersby, Jr.
Cultural commentator Weathersby explores the legacy of white supremacy in public places by revisiting art and monuments that are tied to racial trauma.
Interficial Artelligence: The Moments That Met Me
by Chuck D
Legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D details his encounters with some of society’s most influential musicians, entertainers, politicians, athletes, and public figures.
Pure Innocent Fun: Essays
by Ira Madison III
Critic, television writer, and podcast host Madison combines memoir and criticism to offer a new popculture manifesto.
Biography and Memoir
Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience From the First African American Rockette
by
Jennifer Jones
A trailblazing dancer recounts the challenges she faced and triumphs she enjoyed on her journey to becoming a Radio City Rockette.
Fearless and Free: A Memoir
by Josephine Baker
A chronicle of the life of dancer, singer, spy, and Civil Rights activist Baker, from her rise to fame in 1920s Paris to her daring role in World War II and her activism during the Civil Rights movement.
Firstborn Girls: A Memoir
by Bernice L. McFadden
On her second birthday, McFadden died in a car crash near Detroit, only to be resuscitated after being rescued from the wreckage; this memoir traces her life from that moment up to the publication of her first novel, Sugar.
From the Shadow of the Blues: My Story of Music, Addiction, and Redemption
by John Lee Hooker Jr.
Blues legend John Lee Hooker’s son recounts his own early music career, which transitioned to addiction, decades in and out of prison, and a post-release life as a successful blues artist and a minister serving prisons.
I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride
by Curtis Pride
Deaf former Major League Baseball player Flood recounts his unlikely lifetime in professional sports, and how he learned to use his deafness as a tool for success.
I’m That Girl: Living The Power of My Dreams
by Jordan Chiles
The two-time Olympian gymnast chronicles the racism, childhood trauma, and devastating setbacks she encountered on her journey to the awards podium.
Mainline Mama: A Memoir
by
Keeonna Harris
A prison abolitionist recounts the challenges she experienced as a parent raising the child of an incarcerated partner.
Talk to Me: Lessons from a Family Forged by History
by Rich Benjamin
A memoir exploring the history of the author’s family and the intergenerational struggles that followed his mother’s forced exile from Haiti when his grandfather’s brief presidency of the country was ended by a U.S.-backed coup.
When You’re Ready: A Love Story
by
Kareem Rosser
A memoir documenting the romance between two people from vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds who were brought together by their shared love of horses.
Business, Economics and Finance
Moving Beyond Broke: The Power of Perseverance in Personal Finance
by Dasha Kennedy
The creator of The Broke Black Girl website addresses the financial issues faced by Black women and others who have been shut out of traditional finance conversations.
World Eaters: How Venture Capital is Cannibalizing the Economy
by Catherine Bracy
Speaker and community organizer Bracy argues that the venture capital ethos is reaching into all areas of modern life and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
You Deserve to be Rich: Master the Inner Game of Wealth and Claim Your Future
by Rashad Bilal
The creators of the Earn Your Leisure podcast present a guide to financial freedom, offering strategies for income-building, passive income, mastering tax systems, and navigating family financial dynamics.
Cooking and Health
Eat Your Age: Feel Younger, Be Happier, Live Longer
by Ian K. Smith
Decade-specific nutrition and lifestyle advice about aging well and preventing disease, with practical steps for optimizing health and vitality throughout one’s lifetime.
Kin: Caribbean Recipes for the Modern Kitchen
by Marie Mitchell
A collection of 80 dishes from the Caribbean and its diaspora.
Reclaiming the Black Body: Nourishing the Home Within
by Alishia McCullough
Eating disorder specialist McCullough draws on history, client stories, and personal experience to explore the impact of disordered eating on Black women.
Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes: 100 Soulful Plant-Based Recipes for Healthy Everyday Meals by Jenné Claiborne
100 plant-based recipes that celebrate the diversity of vegetables and draw inspiration from the author’s Atlanta roots.
We the Pizza: Slangin’ Pies + Savin’ Lives by Muhammad Abdul-Hadi
Recipes for pizzas, wings, and shakes from Down North Pizza, a Philadelphia pizzeria owned and operated by formerly incarcerated people. Education
Soul School: Taking Kids on a JoyFilled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture
by Amber O’Neal Johnston
A curated guide of books, discussion questions, and activities intended to help parents expose young readers to Black history and culture.
History and Social Science
Calling In: How to Start Making Change With Those You’d Rather Cancel
by Loretta J. Ross
A memoir-manifesto which argues that “calling in” instead of “calling out” can transform conversations, hold people accountable with compassion, and foster real change by prioritizing shared values over punitive responses.
The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and
the
Battle for Racial Justice in the North
by Michelle Adams
Legal scholar Adams chronicles Detroit’s struggle to integrate its suburban schools and the impact of the 1974 Milliken v. Bradley case, which brought a halt to school desegregation efforts in the North.
Dangerous Learning: The South’s Long War on Black Literacy
by Derek Black
A history of Southern efforts to suppress Black literacy following the end of the Reconstruction era — an opposition which depressed education throughout the region for all students.
Dark Laboratory: On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis
by Tao Leigh Goffe
Historian and journalist Goffe explores the history of exploitation in the Caribbean, focusing on how colonial and capitalist influences have negatively impacted human and environmental conditions in the area.
From These Roots: My Fight With Harvard to Reclaim My Legacy
by Tamara Lanier
A woman’s quest to trace her lineage leads to the discovery of a daguerreotype of her enslaved ancestor, igniting a legal battle over the rightful ownership of historical artifacts.
How We Heal: A Journey Toward Truth, Racial Healing, And Community Transformation From The Inside Out
by La June Montgomery Tabron
A philanthropic leader advocates for racial healing as a path to overcoming systemic inequities.
Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families
by Judith Ann Giesberg
The founder of an archive of letters and advertisements recounts stories of enduring love from former slaves searching for stolen family members.
New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement
by Juan Williams
A follow-up to Eyes on the Prize that examines the rise of a new, 21st-century civil rights movement.
Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism
by Eve L. Ewing
Scholar and cultural organizer Ewing explores the role that public schools have played in creating racial hierarchies and in preparing children to expect unequal treatment.
The Plunder of Black America: How the Racial Wealth Gap Was Made
by Calvin Schermerhorn
Historian Schermerhorn traces 400 years of Black dispossession and decapitalization through the stories of six families who struggled to build wealth over multiple generations.
Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America
by Bernadette Atuahene
Property law scholar Atuahene uses the stories of two grandfathers — one white, one Black — who arrived in Detroit at the turn of the 20th century to reveal how racist policies weaken Black families and widen the racial wealth gap.
Slavery After Slavery: Revealing the Legacy of Forced Child Apprenticeships on Black Families, from Emancipation to the Present
by Mary Frances Berry
Historian Berry recounts the stories of newly emancipated children who were re-enslaved by an apprenticeship system created to control Black labor.
Somewhere
Toward Freedom:
Sherman’s March and the Story of America’s Largest Emancipation by
Bennett Parten
A detailed examination of General William T. Sherman’s 1864 march through Georgia, with a focus on the enslaved people who joined his army and the challenges faced by newly freed individuals during the initial phase of Reconstruction.
Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement
by
Elaine F. Weiss
The story of four activists whose work preparing Black Southerners to pass Jim Crow-era voter registration literacy tests laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights movement.
The Stained Glass Window: A Family History as the American Story, 1790-1958
by David Levering Lewis
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Lewis embarks on a personal journey that reveals a complex family history that includes slaveholding white families and an upfrom-slavery Black lineage.
There is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas
by Scott W. Stern
A study of the racial and economic inequities of rape law in the Jim Crow South, and the people — including Maya Angelou and Thurgood Marshall — who fought against that tool of oppression.
You Can’t Kill a Man Because of the Books He Reads: Angelo Herndon’s Fight for free Speech
by Brad Snyder
The story of Angelo Herndon, a Communist organizer wrongly convicted of attempting to incite insurrection in 1932 Georgia, and his five-year fight for freedom.
Religion
and Spirituality
Before You Climb Any Higher: Valley Wisdom for Mountain Dreams
by Jonathan McReynolds
Grammy-winning gospel singer McReynolds reflects on how to seek rest, nourishment, and strength from life while pursuing one’s dreams.
Lit Up With Love: Becoming Good-News People to a GospelStarved World
by Derwin L. Gray
The lead pastor of South Carolina’s Transformation Church discusses how to communicate one’s Christian faith more effectively.
Monument Eternal
by A. Coltrane-Turiyasangitananda
A reissue of Alice Coltrane’s original spiritual teachings and reflections, which provide insight into her music.
The Wounds are the Witness: Black Faith Weaving Memory Into Justice and Healing by Yolanda Nicole Pierce
The dean of Vanderbilt University’s Divinity School meditates on faith, suffering, hope, and the healing possibilities of justice.
Self-Help
Meditations for Black Women: 75 Mindful Reflections to Help You Stay Grounded and Find Inner Peace
by Oludara Adeeyo
A collection of 75 reflections tailored to inspire, support, and help readers navigate their everyday challenges.
The Pretty Victory: 100-Day Guide to Recenter Yourself and Find Your Purpose
by Pretty Vee
Comedian and actress Pretty Vee presents a guided journal to help readers define their goals.
For back issues of The Jubilee Reader, click here or scan this QR code:
