10 Books by Black Authors We Love

This Black History Month, Author Accelerator is amplifying the voices of Black writers and coaches.

Many of us have created reading goals for 2021. Whether you want to read 5 books this year or 50, we hope you’ll add these ten books by Black authors to your reading list! Author Accelerator CEO Jennie Nash kicks off our list by sharing one of her favorites:

Becoming — Michelle Obama

“I know it's easy to love Michelle – she is a well-known and celebrated public figure whose book was a massive blockbuster success – but my love for this book has a slightly different twist to it. I love it not just as a reader but as a book coach. Whenever there is a book that EVERYONE reads, it is a great opportunity to use it as a teaching tool, and Michelle's book is not just popular: It is masterfully written. She is so adept at holding the tension in a story, and unspooling a scene, and telling us why any of it matters. (Yes, I said “telling”! Good writers know how to show and tell.) She lets us into her head and into her world and into the history of Black people in America in a way that is specific and authentic and impactful. She does so much so well that I could send clients to read parts of this book all day long.” —Jennie Nash

Children of Blood and Bone — Tomi Adeyemi

This young adult fantasy novel is the first in a trilogy, with powerful characters and a page-turning plot. The series follows Zélie, a young girl with the power of magic who must hide her abilities from an evil monarchy. Author Tomi Adeyemi says the third and final book in the Children of Blood and Bone series will be released later this year.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Zora Neale Hurston

Originally published in 1937, this Harlem Renaissance novel begins as a Southern love story told through the life of Janie Crawford. Today, fans consider Their Eyes Were Watching God an African American feminist classic, with author Marcus Burke describing Hurston’s prose as “irreverent and full of hard-earned knowledge.”

Between the World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates

This 2015 nonfiction book is written as a letter to the author’s teenage son. It provides a raw, honest look at the state of racism in the United States, and how Black families struggle to make sense of it in the present day.

Sister Outsider - Audre Lorde

Sister Outsider compiles a beautiful collection of essays and speeches written in the late ’70s and early ’80s by Audre Lorde, perhaps one of the most famous Black authors and poets in history. Lorde’s work centers her experience as a Black lesbian woman learning to “transform difference through insight into power.”

Ambitious Girl - Meena Harris

You’re never too old for a children’s book, especially one about following your dreams. Written by Meena Harris, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris, Ambitious Girl helps young children of all ages and identities feel ambitious and strong as they pursue their dreams in childhood and beyond.

Memorial - Bryan Washington

Bryan Washington’s new novel provides a beautiful and sometimes heart wrenching look into family dynamics, LGBTQ relationships, and loss. The story follows Benson and Mike, two young gay men living together in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Houston. The novel was recently named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times.

Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s stunning novel opens readers’ eyes to the challenges of navigating multiple cultures and identities. The story follows Ifemelu and Obinze, two Nigerians making their way as immigrants in the U.S. and U.K.

The Hill We Climb and Other Poems - Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman made history when she became the youngest presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. The Hill We Climb and Other Poems is Gorman’s collection of inspiring and revitalizing poetry provides a new perspective on the American experience.

Love Is a Revolution - Renée Watson

Whether you’re a fan of reading romance or not, Love Is a Revolution is much more than a love story. Author Renée Watson uses compelling dialogue and a well-crafted narrative to tell the story of Nala Robertson, a young woman who falls in love and learns radical self-love and self-acceptance in the process.

What books did we miss?

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