All the books listed here are available at the library. Stop in, give us a call, or use the online catalog to place a hold and check one out. All book descriptions are summarized from the publisher’s description on the back of the book, Goodreads, or the library catalog.

Books featuring black authors, characters, and stories, for Black History Month.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Sade is starting her junior year of high school at a new prestigious boarding school after being homeschooled all her life. Already feeling like a magnet for misfortune, her roommate disappears after Sade’s first night and people think she has something to do with it. This YA contemporary mystery follows Sade’s investigation as she reveals the secrets lurking around every corner. Available on Libby (e-book), Hoopla (audio), and Palace Project (e-book).

Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola: Kiki is an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, with a mission of making sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University don’t fall into the mess of “situationships.” So when Kiki kisses Malakai in front of everyone, she soon finds her show on the brink of collapse. They begin a fake relationship to save their reputations but find there may be something deeper to their connection. (And then read the sequel, Sweet Heat, that came out July 2025!) Available on Hoopla (e-book, audio) and Palace Project (e-book).

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite: Eniiyi is born on the same day her family buries her cousin, so begins the belief that Eniiyi is fated to follow in her footsteps, including her tragic end. With this belief and the family curse, Eniiyi must find out if she can break the pattern and liberate herself from the family secrets. A story full of humor, romantic love, familial obligation and female rivalry. Available on Libby (e-book, audio) and Palace Project (e-book, audio).

Dr. No, by Percival Everett: In this satirical novel from the author of James, math professor Wala Kitu—an expert in “nothing”—is drawn into an absurd plot to steal a shoebox of nothing from Fort Knox and erase a town. Navigating espionage, philosophy, and buried American injustices, Kitu must outwit a wannabe Bond villain seeking revenge. Get a head start on this book, selected for our March meeting of Books & Brew Book Club! Available on Libby (audio) and Hoopla (audio).

The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy: Follow the lives of five Black women in their twenties and at the beginning of careers, marriages, motherhood, and big-city lives. As the friends move from the late 2000s into the late 2020s, they find out what they mean to one another amid political upheaval, economic and environmental instability, and the increasing volatility of American life. Available on Libby (e-book) and Palace Project (e-book, audio).

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib: A reflection of the connections between Black performance and American culture highlighting the layers of politics, love, grief, and history. Taking a look at large and small performances, Abdurraqib writes a lyrical series of essays befitting the musicians he loves and writes about.

Matriarch by Tina Knowles: Growing up the youngest of seven in Galveston, Tina Knowles, mother of Beyonce and Solange, was in love with her world and extended family. The sounds of Motown and waves on the beach were always in earshot. As the realities of race and the limitations of girlhood set in, she began to dream of a world beyond. A chronicle of a life like no other and a testament to the power of Black motherhood. Available on Libby (e-book, audio) and Palace Project (e-book).

Four Hundred Souls, edited by Ibram X Kendi: Beginning with the arrival of twenty enslaved Ndongo people on the shores of the British colony in mainland America in 1619, the history of the Black American unfolds over 80 chronological chapters. Some of the best-known scholars, writers, historians, journalists, lawyers, poets, and activists from contemporary America come together to bring new facets to the drama of slavery and resistance, segregation and survival, and more.

Black in Blues by Imani Perry: Throughout history, the concept of Blackness has been intertwined with the color blue. The dyed indigo cloths of West Africa that were traded for human life in the 16th century. The fundamentally American art form of blues music, sitting at the crossroads of pain and pleasure. The blue flowers Perry plants to honor a loved one gone too soon. Perry traces both blue and Blackness from their earliest roots to their embodiments of contemporary culture, drawing from her own life as well as art and history. Available on Hoopla (e-book, audio) and Palace Project (e-book, audio).

Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith: In this new collection, Zadie Smith takes a look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see Tár, and to Glastonbury to witness Stormzy. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road and invites us to mourn the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic. She shows us her unrivalled ability to think through critically and humanely some of the most urgent topics of our troubled times.

Not sure what to read after you finished one of these popular titles? Try one of these books that share similar elements and themes.

If you liked The Women by Kristin Hannah you might like:

If you liked Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt you might like:

If you like The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden you might like:

If you liked The Wedding People by Alison Espach you might like:

If you liked Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros you might like:

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a romantic read or movie! These books include a romance and come personally recommended by staff here at the library!