Relax, Relate and Read: The Best Books to Give (and Get) This Holiday Season

We are now a mere three days from Christmas; have you completed (or even started) your holiday shopping yet? If not, you’d better think fast—specifically, what can you pick up or get shipped fast? (Spoiler alert: Books.) On the other hand, if you’re all set and ready to settle in for the holiday break, what better way to unwind than settling in with a good book?

Bottom line: books are the best—for giving or getting—and if you find yourself crunched for time to shop this season, there are no doubt ample options at your local bookseller (or problematic fave Amazon Prime—because admittedly, that shipping speed slaps in a last-minute gifting crunch).

But what to buy?

Thanks to our vertical (and podcast) It’s Lit!, we’ve been in the rare position to read some of this year’s best books—and let’s just say it was a great year to be Black and bookish. While we honestly had too many faves to mention, we’ve curated a list of 30 selections perfect for all types of bibliophiles—even those who don’t consider themselves bibliophiles. From fiction-lovers to foodies, we believe there’s a page-turner for everyone, including you.

This collection of essays, poetry and prose from MacArthur Fellow and bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib has rightly been called a “devastating” “masterpiece” (by the New York Times and Minneapolis Star Tribune, respectively). Indeed, this National Book Award Finalist (among other accolades) is a celebration of the myriad ways Blackness informs American culture, through an examination of Black performances ranging from the mundane to the profound.

“Abdurraqib writes prose brimming with jubilation and pain, infused with the lyricism and rhythm of the musicians he loves,” writes his publisher. “With care and generosity, he explains the poignancy of performances big and small, each one feeling intensely familiar and vital, both timeless and desperately urgent.”

Wherever there are Black people, Black culture is bound to make an impact, as evidenced by our rich culinary history across the globe. Food activist and Vegetable Kingdom author Bryant Terry celebrates our glorious and delicious influence on culture along with contributions from more than 100 Black tastemakers across the globe, interweaving poetry, prose, artwork and even music with delectable diasporic recipes in this impressive collection. As described by Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University Imani Perry: “Mouthwatering, visually stunning, and intoxicating, Black Food tells a global story of creativity, endurance, and imagination that was sustained in the face of dispersal, displacement, and oppression.”

An homage to the revolutionary Chicago-based art collective (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists) established during the Black liberation movement of the late 1960s, AfriCobra revisits the movement’s evocative visuals. Edited by curator Jeffreen Hayes, who mounted the 2018 traveling exhibition of the same name in celebration of the group’s 50th anniversary, the book both celebrates the collective’s history and its enduring influence, featuring more than 80 works across mediums by the original five founding members as well as those by Sherman Beck, Napoleon Jones-Henderson, Omar Lama, Carolyn Mims Lawrence, Nelson Stevens and more; an ideal gift for the art-lover in your life.

First, a disclaimer: Me Too founder Tarana Burke’s 2021 memoir Unbound is also a must-read, and an equally giftable option this season. But this bestselling collection of essays co-edited by Burke and academic-author Brené Brown is a study in empathy and healing, exploring some of the more vulnerable aspects of the Black experience through essays by acclaimed writers and personalities such as Kiese Laymon, Imani Perry, Laverne Cox, Jason Reynolds, Austin Channing Brown and more. This sensitive and revealing read is an ideal companion to end-of-year reflection.

The 1619 Project book will no doubt be under countless trees this Christmas, but the groundbreaking project created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones has something to offer the littles, too. Written with Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith, the bestselling children’s book The 1619 Project: Born on the Water “chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States,” offering early insights into America’s true history.

Also tracing our roots to the 1619 arrival of enslaved Africans on the shores of what would become America is the landmark collection Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019. Edited by bestselling author-academics Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, the book ambitiously gathers the varying voices of “ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span,” publisher Penguin Random House explains, “this collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives, fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith—instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness.”

In January, America’s first Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman stunned viewers of President Biden’s inauguration with her evocative poem, The Hill We Climb. That poem and others are included in Gorman’s first collection and instant number one bestseller, Call Us What We Carry, an eclectic series of poems which aptly captures the tumultuous moment in which we are living “and shines a light on a moment of reckoning.” Says publisher Penguin Random House: “Call Us What We Carry reveals that Gorman has become our messenger from the past, our voice for the future.”

As we near the end of our second year in a still ongoing pandemic, it’s impossible to ignore the tremendous financial impacts, as well. Whether reckoning with “the Great Resignation” or simply trying to get a financial house in order, Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche’s bestselling Get Good With Money is a practical and relatable guide for incomes of all sizes, providing a ten-step plan for financial health and stability. And Aliche would know, having charted her own financial path from debt-addled preschool teacher to proven financial expert whose self-taught lessons “have now helped more than one million women worldwide save and pay off millions in debt, and begin planning for a richer life.”

Whether or not you believe America has learned anything from its so-called “racial reckoning,” there is clearly much work left to be done—and America’s workplaces are no exception. Business expert and author Minda Harts (The Memo) is back with Right Within, a frank-talking field guide for “how to deal with microaggressions, heal from racialized trauma, and find relief from invisible workplace burdens.” Most importantly, it includes insights on how to advocate for oneself and an equitable, inclusive workplace, even when on unequal footing.

One of the NBA’s all-time greats is offering his fans a lens into his already legendary journey and career in the photographic memoir Dwyane. From his upbringing on Chicago’s South Side to his once seemingly unlikely ascension to become one of basketball’s biggest stars, this stunning full-color memoir featuring more than 200 photos from longtime Wade photographer Bob Metelus reflects on the athlete’s evolution, both on and off the court. “For those yearning for the personal side of Wade, they need to look no further,” notes a review from Sports Illustrated.

Colson Whitehead, the National Book Award and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, is back with another brilliant and bestselling work of fiction. Lovers of intrigue, crime thrillers and film noir will love this “gloriously entertaining novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s,” a twisty-turning tale deftly spun in Whitehead’s incredible and evocative style.

Whether a well-established book lover or just trying to build a better personal library, this spinoff of illustrator Mount’s book-focused series shines a light on works from often underrepresented writers of all backgrounds, encouraging avid and occasional readers alike to diversify their interests and expand their perspectives. To make this book especially giftable, wrap it with the companion reader’s journal, so your recipient can document their reading journey.

The Color Purple is an American classic—both as a literary work and landmark film directed by Stephen Spielberg. But despite her prolific and lauded career, its author Alice Walker has in many ways remained an enigma, as has the inspiration behind her seminal work. Enter scholar and author Salamishah Tillet (co-founder of the nonprofit arts organization A Long Walk Home), who won Walker’s trust and unprecedented access to the author and the largely untold history behind her best-known work—including revelations about the now infamous backlash by some who took umbrage with Walker’s portrayal of her Black male characters (many of whom were inspired by real people). For those who remain deeply moved and influenced by Walker’s poignant tale, Tillet’s excavation is a must-read.

As America encountered its own racial reckoning, Atlantic magazine writer Clint Smith embarked on his own, visiting numerous sites that were pivotal in the transatlantic slave trade from Africa to America. Rich with history and as deeply personal as it is well-researched, Smith speaks as a son of the South as he clearly illustrates how the country’s foundation of exploitation and hypocrisy continues to inform Black life in America.

Music lovers will get lost in this fictional account of the rise and fall of an unsung Black rock star and her white collaborator, uniquely told rock-doc style by former entertainment journalist Dawnie Walton. Visions of Grace Jones, Betty Smith, Nona Hendryx and more dance through readers’ heads as Walton chronicles the unlikely pairing of Opal and Nev in the early 1970s, and the catastrophic series of events set in place by their creative partnership. As much an homage to the history of Blackness within rock music as it is a literary tour de force, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a cathartic ride.

This is not your mother’s romance novel; Seven Days in June explores contemporary Black love through the lens of trauma and rarely begotten second chances. Williams’ instant New York Times bestseller has rightfully earned acclaim, effortlessly weaving teenage romance, lost loves, family dynamics, professional ambition and heart-throbbing sex in a very engaging, yet easy read. Short of indulging in a real-life romance, we can’t think of a better way to spend a long, luxuriant holiday weekend.

Who gets to be called a nerd these days? As Black Nerd Problems creators and authors Williams Evans and Omar Holmon note, the moniker has come a long way since the days of Urkel, expanding to encompass any enthusiast of any number of topics, many of which they explore in their first book together. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the nuanced aspects of cosplay while Black, Evans and Holman give their unabashed and at times emotional takes on some of pop culture’s greatest hits, making for a very entertaining read.

“Black girl magic” may seem an overwrought term by now, but there are few other phrases that so aptly capture the ingenuity and indelible impact of Black women. Complete with a foreword by CaShawn Thompson, who widely popularized the phrase, this wonderful and beautifully illustrated collection of stories of real-life women is intended to inspire young minds, reminding them that Black women are always capable of creating their own magic.

Newbery Medal winner and bestselling YA author Jason Reynolds has done it again with this “hilarious, hopeful, and action-packed middle grade novel about the greatest young superhero you’ve never heard of.” Brought to life with illustrations by Raúl the Third, Stuntboy is the highly imaginative and sensitive story of one boy’s quest to keep his world and loved ones safe despite the encroaching threats and fears he encounters in the “Mean Time.”

African storytelling is always been filled with magic, merging the fantastical with the natural and corporeal. Ayana Gray’s bestselling debut—the first in a trilogy—draws upon many of the diaspora’s most evocative narratives to spin a coming-of-age tale rich with adventure, intrigue and African spirituality. Get lost with sixteen-year-old Koffi as she risks everything to free her family with the help of a conflicted young warrior, as the two embark on an epic adventure that will upend everything they believe to be true.

Having been primarily homebound for the past two years, it’s no surprise that many of us have become intently focused on our interiors, as they are now where we live, work and play. For those in need of some fresh inspiration, Jungalow creator Justina Blakeney’s newest design book dares us to “decorate wild,” making our immediate surroundings a colorful distraction from a seemingly interminable quarantine.

It may not be an ideal time for international travel, but we can traverse both time and the motherland in Catherine E. McKinley’s The African Lookbook. This visual history of African style from women across the continent is both a celebration of culture and a defiance of primitive colonialist imagery and narratives which have distorted depictions of African culture and style. Gleaned from McKinley’s own archive of photographic imagery and informed by her extensive travels throughout Africa, this coffee table-ready read also boasts a foreword by acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson.

The aspiring actor or film lover in your life will adore this gorgeous book honoring Black women who’ve defied the odds in Hollywood, a study of Black talent graced with a foreword by none other than actress-producer-author Gabrielle Union. In his follow-up to 2019's stunning Supreme Models (also a great gift for the holidays), author Marcellas Reynolds highlights some of the industry’s finest across generations, fittingly highlighting the unique beauty of each in full color photography.

We may have lost Hollywood legend Cicely Tyson at the top of this year, but the icon and inspiration left us a bestselling memoir along with her lasting legacy. Just as I Am chronicles Tyson’s barrier-breaking, over seven decades-long career, as well as her equally incredible life of nearly a century highlighting not only her acting but her place in Black history. Through it all, Tyson’s commitment to Blackness was as strong as her talent, no matter the odds.

From the borough of Brooklyn, New York to international acclaim, Spike Lee is a cultural icon. This year, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker reflected on over 30 years of filmmaking and activism with Spike, “a visual celebration of his life and career to date.” Fans of Lee’s filmography will no doubt recognize the cover’s bold, typography, modeled after the LOVE/HATE rings famously worn by Radio Raheem in Do the Right Thing (and later by Lee himself). Inside, readers will find “hundreds of never-before-seen photographs by David Lee, Spike’s brother and long-time still photographer...behind-the-scenes, insider images that underscore his creative process and his significant impact on the culture at large.” All of the above make Spike not only a fantastic gift but a collector’s item.

This deeply vulnerable debut memoir from Brian Broome is a coming-of-age story unlike any you’ve ever read, as he retraces his Midwest upbringing and then-burgeoning sexuality, and resulting drug use in “all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking glory.”

Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt likely described this revelatory (and revealing work best: “Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem ‘We Real Cool,’ the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Broome’s writing brims with swagger and sensitivity, bringing an exquisite and fresh voice to ongoing cultural conversations about Blackness in America.”

Almost all of us are intimately familiar with the concept of “code-switching,” but there’s something...off about heroine Nella’s new co-worker—the “other Black girl” in the prestigious publishing house where she’s been trying to distinguish herself for years. Inspired by author Zakiya Dalila Harris’ own career in publishing, this debut bestseller is a cleverly crafted thriller with racial politics at its center, causing readers to rightly wonder if the microaggressions are coming from inside the house.

Robert Jones, Jr. (also the creator of the Son of Baldwin social media community) has written one of the most notable books of the year in The Prophets. A sprawling epic centered on the tortured love story of two enslaved Black men on a brutal Southern plantation, The Prophets transcends all preconceived notions of historical fiction, shining a new light on America’s past as it explores notions of community, oppression, and freedom, as well as the inextricable bonds of love, family and hope.

There are far too many accolades to mention for this debut novel and instant New York Times bestseller from Honoree Fanonne Jeffers—including endorsements from both Barack Obama and friend Oprah, who called it “Epic…A combination of historical and modern story—I’ve never read anything quite like it. It just consumed me.”

But don’t take her word for it; dig into the 2020 NAACP Image Award-winning poet’s first work fiction, tracing the lineage of an American family from the colonial slave trade to the present day, a journey that poignantly illustrates and expands upon W. E. B. Du Bois’ well-proven and seemingly inescapable theory of “Double Consciousness.”