September 2023 Books By Black Authors We Can't Wait to Read

Believe it or not, fall is right around the corner. And if you’re feeling a little down about the arrival of shorter days and colder temps, you’re not alone. But because I always (usually) try to look at the glass half full, I’ve been using the last few weeks of summer to check out all of the hottest books by Black writers on the horizon.

We may not have many beach days left, but there are lots of great books hitting the shelves this month – including a stunning coffee table book on the history of fashion in the NBA and a picture book from presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman. These are the books we can’t wait to read this September.

Most kids know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But not many know much about his wife, Coretta. “Coretta’s Journey” is a book geared towards kids ages 7 - 10 and teaches them about the woman who stood by his side in the struggle.

“Harlem at Four” is a beautiful picture book that explores the sights, sounds and history of Harlem in two colorfully illustrated stories.

In “Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion,” Pulitzer Prize winner Mitchell Jackson looks at the history of fashion in the NBA and pays tribute to some of the most stylish players in the game with stunning photos and spot on cultural commentary. This book will add some serious style to your coffee table.

From International Booker Prize–winning author David Diop, comes his latest novel, “Beyond the Door of No Return.” The book transports readers to Paris in the early 1800s, where they meet renowned botanist Michel Adanson on his deathbed. Before his death, Adanson was obsessed with finding Maram, a fabled spirit born into a noble African family who was sold into slavery and escaped to a small African village. Using Adanson’s unpublished memoir of his time in Senegal, readers follow his journey to find Maram and the horror and love he encounters along the way.

“How Far to the Promised Land” is a powerful new memoir from bestselling author Esau McCaulley. In the book, McCaulley uses examples of his own family’s stories of survival over time to remind readers that some paths to the promised land have detours along the way.

Conservatives may be trying to whitewash Black history, but columnist and political commentator Michael Harriot is having none of it. In his latest book, “Black AF History,” Harriot gives us the story of American history we’ve been missing – one that keeps it real and accounts for the often-overlooked experience of Black Americans. Publisher’s Weekly called it, “A razor-sharp reassessment of American history.”

“The Book of (More) Delights,” a new collection of essays from bestselling author Ross Gay, is the perfect book for a time when in it seems like all of the news is bad. Written over the course of a year, Gay shares stories of the things that make us happy, from mom’s baked cookies, to your favorite jam blasting from a car radio.

Maya Davis’ life is falling apart just in time for her 31st birthday. But as she tries to rebuild at her parents’ house, she discovers new things about herself and new feelings for her best friend, Ant. “Her Own Happiness” is a beautiful coming of age novel about friendship and self-discovery.

“Coleman Hill” is a beautiful multigenerational novel from Kim Coleman Foote based on historical record and stories of her own family. The novel centers around two Black families whose stories become intertwined during the Great Migration.

If the news feels overwhelming to you, imagine how it must feel to young children who may be scared and helpless in the face of it all. “Something, Someday” is a beautiful new picture book by award-winning poet and author Amanda Gorman that empowers young readers ages 4 - 8 to be a part of the change they want to see in the world.

“All the Fighting Parts” is a powerful novel in verse by Sierra Leonean-American poet Hannah V. Sawyerr. Inspired by Sawyerr’s own experience with sexual assault, the story follows a teenager forced to confront an influential community leader after he assaults her.

“One Blood” is the latest novel from bestselling author and award-winning journalist Denene Millner. The beautifully-written story spans across three generations of women from the Great Migration to the early 2000s, taking a unique look at family and social structure.

Stacey Abrams is not only a powerful force in politics, she’s also a bestselling author who writes under the pen name Selena Montgomery. In her latest novel, “The Art of Desire,” Alex Walton falls for a handsome stranger she meets at a friend’s wedding. But as her feelings develop, he’s forced to save her from his dangerous past inside a terrorist organization.

“The Fraud” is the highly-anticipated latest work from bestselling novelist Zadie Smith. This historical fiction set in 19th-century England and the Caribbean, is based on a controversial legal trial that left England divided.

“Kin: Rooted in Hope” is a beautiful collection of poems from Carole Boston Weatherford and art from her son Jeffrey. While the poems honor their ancestors and their family’s roots in slavery, the story is identifiable to countless Black families across America.