13 Books By Black Authors | Honoring Black History Month

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I’m a bit late with this post, seeing that it’s already over halfway through February, but I still thought it was a good topic to bring up. In the US, February is Black History Month! It is celebrated to commemorate the legacies and the struggles of African Americans throughout US history.

So, I present to you 13 books written by black authors. I’ve read about half of these, the other half are on my TBR.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Ahh, this book was so entertaining. Liz was an amazing protagonist, with a well-written character arc. She goes from someone who keeps to herself, being the “good girl”, to someone who carries herself with poise and confidence. And the relationships! The ones between Liz and Jordan and Liz and Mack stood out to me especially, and I loved them so much.

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

Broken sibling relationships are one of my favorite tropes because they give you so many emotions all at once. The Cost of Knowing was no exception. The relationship between Alex and Isaiah has been strained ever since their parents died in an accident a few years ago. I love the message this book sends and how it discusses the struggles Black men have to face in society. Brittney Morris addressed this as a book to all the Black men who grew up too early. I think that’s a perfect explanation for this story.

A novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death.

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short.

It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life.

And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes.

With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

You all know that I love this book; I’ve talked about it a lot since I read it. The found family in this was amazing and I like how it touched on polyamorous relationships a bit, which isn’t something you normally see. I’ve said this before, but the last 20%ish of this book is what made me fall in love with it. The ending packs so much emotion and the mixed media format makes it unique and especially memorable.

Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends.

One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselves—and Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.

Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . .

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Opposite of Always managed to be light-hearted and sad at the same time. The premise of the book is based on time travel and going back when a certain event happens; in this case, going back when Kate dies. Even with this less than happy plot point, Jack’s narration makes parts of the books really funny.

Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving.

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

This was one of my many anticipated releases for 2021 that I actually managed to get to. I’m so glad that I got to read Ace of Spades because it was an amazing story. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics, some of which include racism, homophobia, and stalking. I think they were all handled well. And of course, the main part of the story: the mystery!

Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.

When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?

With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

I read this a really long time ago, probably in middle school. I honestly don’t remember a lot about it, but I do know that I enjoyed it. It’s a middle grade, but deals with heavier topics and how they can affect young people.

Jacqueline Woodson’s first middle-grade novel since National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming celebrates the healing that can occur when a group of students share their stories.

It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat—by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for “A Room to Talk”), they discover it’s safe to talk about what’s bothering them—everything from Esteban’s father’s deportation and Haley’s father’s incarceration to Amari’s fears of racial profiling and Ashton’s adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives.

Beasts Made of Night Series by Tochi Onyebuchi

I was originally intrigued by the concept of sin-eating and was happy to discover that it was a well-written aspect of the storyline. The characters were likeable and easy to relate to, especially our protagonist, Taj.

In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts – lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt.

Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family.

When Taj is called to eat a sin of a royal, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves – and his own life.

A gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy.

BOOKS ON MY TBR

Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia (editor)

I don’t remember how I found out about this book, but I knew I wanted to read it when I discovered it. I’ve only read one anthology before this, and I’ve been looking to branch out with the types of books I read, so I thought this was the perfect choice.

Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors–including Jason Reynolds (the Track series), Jerry Craft (New Kid), and edited by Kwame Mbalia (the Tristan Strong series)!

Black boy joy is…

Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.
Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.
Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.
Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.

And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

I honestly how no idea how this ended up on my TBR. Nevertheless, it sounds like it’s going to be a pretty sad story, but also really interesting. Also, I love the cover.

When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

Blackout by Dhionelle Clayton (+ others)

Another anthology! This one focuses on teen romance mostly, which isn’t usually a genre I read from. I’ll read books that have subplots of romance in them, but not usually anything directly from the romance genre.

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark.

A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…

A first meeting. 

Long-time friends. 

Bitter exes. 

And maybe the beginning of something new.

When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

I’ve been looking for more science fiction, and since I enjoyed Onyebuchi’s Beasts Made of Night Series, I thought I would try his sci-fi duology. I’ve heard that the war that places in the story relates to the Nigerian Civil War and the history of Biafra. I know practically nothing about them, so I’m interested to learn about that.

The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.

In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life.

Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.

And they’re willing to fight an entire war to get there.

Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson

This book sounds so cool. Time travel is always a cool concept and I’m interested in seeing how this book uses it. This also sounds like it’s going to be a bit of a heart-breaker, but I’m ready for it. I think.

A novel about letting go of the past, figuring out what you want in your future, and staying in the moment before it passes you by.

Weeks ago, Andre Cobb received a much-needed liver transplant.

He’s ready for his life to finally begin, until one night, when he passes out and wakes up somewhere totally unexpected…in 1969, where he connects with a magnetic boy named Michael.

And then, just as suddenly as he arrived, he slips back to present-day Boston, where the family of his donor is waiting to explain that his new liver came with a side effect—the ability to time travel. And they’ve tasked their youngest son, Blake, with teaching Andre how to use his unexpected new gift.

Andre splits his time bouncing between the past and future. Between Michael and Blake. Michael is everything Andre wishes he could be, and Blake, still reeling from the death of his brother, Andre’s donor, keeps him at arm’s length despite their obvious attraction to each other.

Torn between two boys, one in the past and one in the present, Andre has to figure out where he belongs—and more importantly who he wants to be—before the consequences of jumping in time catch up to him and change his future for good.

Darling by K. Ancrum

This will be the second Peter Pan retelling I’ve read, the first being Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas. With the gorgeous cover and my love of K. Ancrum’s other book, I have a feeling that I’m going to like this book.

A teen girl finds herself lost on a dangerous adventure in this YA thriller by the acclaimed author of The Wicker King and The Weight of the Stars—reimagining Peter Pan for today’s world.

On Wendy Darling’s first night in Chicago, a boy called Peter appears at her window. He’s dizzying, captivating, beautiful—so she agrees to join him for a night on the town.

Wendy thinks they’re heading to a party, but instead they’re soon running in the city’s underground. She makes friends—a punk girl named Tinkerbelle and the lost boys Peter watches over. And she makes enemies—the terrifying Detective Hook, and maybe Peter himself, as his sinister secrets start coming to light. Can Wendy find the courage to survive this night—and make sure everyone else does, too?

Acclaimed author K. Ancrum has re-envisioned Peter Pan with a central twist that will send all your previous memories of J. M. Barrie’s classic permanently off to Neverland.

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Have you read any of these books? What are some of your favorite books by black authors? What are some you’d like to read?