The Best Books by Black Authors To Gift This Holiday Season
Looking for the perfect gift that speaks to the recipient’s heart and soul? Look no further than these books by Black authors! From mind-blowing nonfiction and gorgeous coffee table books to the latest fiction and children’s books, you’re sure to find something special.
-
Stunning Coffee Table Books by Black Authors
-
1
The Look
by Michelle Obama
Ideal gift for: Fashion enthusiasts and fans of Michelle Obama
Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 photographs, including never-before-seen images, The Look is a stunning journey through Michelle Obama’s style evolution, in her own words for the first time. Obama explores the joy and the purpose of fashion and beauty and how — when wielded with grace and care — they can uplift and affirm the values one holds most dear. Confidence, she concludes, cannot be put on.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$50.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
2
Prose to the People
by Katie Mitchell
Ideal gift for: Book lovers and cultural history enthusiasts
A stunning visual homage to Black bookstores, featuring essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets who offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores’ role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$26.99Buy from Other Retailers:
-
3
Shot Ready
by Stephen Curry
Ideal gift for: Sports fans and those seeking motivation
Shot Ready is a powerful distillation of Stephen Curry’s transformative philosophy of success — centered on preparation, constant improvement, creativity, connection, mindfulness, and joy — delivered in his incomparable voice and style. Stunningly designed and illustrated with more than 100 gorgeous photographs, Shot Ready is an intimate narrative and a practical blueprint for any reader who wants to unlock their own potential.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$50.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
Gift Worthy Fiction by Black Authors
-
4
Kin: Oprah’s Book Club
by Tayari Jones
Ideal gift for: Fans of literary fiction about friendship and sisterhood
A magnificent new novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of An American Marriage, Tayari Jones, sparkles with wit, intelligence, and deep feeling as two lifelong friends’ worlds converge after many years apart in the face of a devastating tragedy. A story about mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest voices in contemporary fiction.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$32.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
5
The Disappearers
by Marlon James
Ideal gift for: fans of literary thrillers and queer storiesÂ
In this spellbinding novel, Marlon James has written a propulsive crime story that is also a deeply human account of connection and acceptance. Full of fascinating characters, biting humor, and unapologetic sex, The Disappearers is both a thrilling page-turner and a finely etched portrait of queer life. “This masterpiece is the novel of the decade, if not the century… The Disappearers places [James] near the front of the line, a decade or two from now, for the Nobel Prize.” –The New York Times
Shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$32.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
6
Cool Machine
by Colson Whitehead
Ideal gift for: Historical fiction fans and lovers of New York City
From #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead, an exuberantly entertaining novel that brings 1980s New York to life in the magnificent final volume of his Harlem Trilogy. With his usual pitch-perfect prose, Whitehead paints a portrait of a city in transition, where shimmering skyscrapers rise to the heavens as displaced people huddle in abandoned tunnels below. In a dazzling display of protean imagination, Cool Machine roves across the city, from Windows on the World to the Meadowlands, to show that in New York, and in the lives of Whitehead’s vivid characters, it’s what lies below the surface that reveals the truth.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
7
James (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
by Percival Everett
Ideal gift for: Readers who love literary reimaginings
A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
8
The Girls Who Grew Big
by Leila Mottley
Ideal gift for: Readers who love coming-of-age stories with heart
From the author of Oprah’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller Nightcrawling comes an astonishing new novel about the joys and entanglements of a fierce group of teenage mothers in a small town on the Florida Panhandle. Full of heart, life, and hope, set against the shifting sands of these friends’ secrets and betrayals, The Girls Who Grew Big confirms Leila Mottley’s promise and offers an explosive new perspective on what it means to be a young woman.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
9
I, Medusa
by Ayana Gray
Ideal gift for: Mythology lovers and YA fantasy readers
From New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a “captivating villain origin story” (People Book of the Week), reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa, portrays a young woman caught in the crosscurrents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Preorder from:
-
10
The Nickel Boys (Winner 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
by Colson Whitehead
Ideal gift for: Readers of powerful historical fiction that stays with you
This follow-up to The Underground Railroad brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers and “should further cement Whitehead as one of his generation’s best” (Entertainment Weekly).
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
11
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray
Ideal gift for: Historical fiction readers interested in the Harlem Renaissance
She found the literary voices that would inspire the world … The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
12
Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick
by Erin Crosby Eckstine
Ideal gift for: Fans of historical fiction with supernatural elements
As the Civil War looms, a young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost in this “poignant story of love, family, and friendship [that] celebrates the power of liberation” (People).
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
13
The Revelation of Dionne Daphne
by Mara Brock Akil
Ideal gift for: Fans of emotionally rich family dramas
Mara Brock Akil, the award-winning creator of Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane, Love Is, and Forever, pens an emotionally enthralling debut novel about enduring love, world-shattering secrets, and self-awakening. The Revelation of Dionne Daphne is at once a deeply moving, provocatively gripping novel that shows that when you dig deep enough into the shadows of your life, light can be revealed. A novel of broken lovers, a fractured family, and distant friendships all making their way back to one another.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
14
The Davenports
by Krystal Marquis
Ideal gift for: Romance readers and fans of Bridgerton
The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked. Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life — and love. And don’t miss the next chapter of their love stories in the sequel, The Davenports: More Than This!
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$13.99Buy from Other Retailers:
-
15
Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ideal gift for: Literary fiction readers and fans of international voices
A publishing event ten years in the making — a searing, exquisite new novel by the bestselling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists — the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires. Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations of the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power. It confirms Adichie’s status as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
16
The Vanishing Half
by Brit Bennett
Ideal gift for: Book club members and fans of multigenerational sagas
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mothers, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white. Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
17
James Baldwin 3-Book Box Set
by James Baldwin
Ideal gift for: James Baldwin fans, classic literature lovers, and those building their library
Celebrating the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth, a box set of Baldwin’s principal novels features Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni’s Room, and If Beale Street Could Talk. These deluxe editions feature new introductions by Roxane Gay, Kevin Young, and Brit Bennett.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfBuy from Other Retailers:
-
18
Toni Morrison Box Set: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Beloved
by Toni Morrison
Ideal gift for: Toni Morrison fans and lovers of rich literary storytelling
A box set of Toni Morrison’s principal works, featuring The Bluest Eye (her first novel), Beloved (Pulitzer Prize winner), and Song of Solomon (National Book Critics Award winner). This beautifully designed slipcase will make the perfect holiday and perennial gift.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfBoxed Set
$54.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
Inspirational Nonfiction by Black Authors To Gift
-
19
Nasty Work
by Ericka Hart
Ideal gift for: Readers interested in sexuality, gender, and social justice
In this national bestseller, award-winning sexuality educator Erika Hart takes down society’s deeply entrenched colonial views on sex and gender throughout history in this accessible, candid, and revolutionary exploration of how we can — and should — reclaim our minds and bodies for a more pleasurable existence for all. Nasty Work blends eye-opening research with powerful, poignant personal narrative that disrupts everything you thought you knew about sex and society, offering a liberatory framework that makes pleasure accessible for all.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
20
Matriarch: Oprah’s Book Club
by Tina Knowles
Ideal gift for: Memoir lovers and fans of the Knowles family (hey Beehive!)
A revealing personal life story like no other — enlightening, entertaining, surprising, empowering — and a testament to the world-making power of Black motherhood. It’s one brilliant woman’s intimate and revealing story, and a multigenerational family saga that carries within it the story of America — and the wisdom that women pass on to one another, mothers to daughters, across generations.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$22.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
21
The Company We Keep
by Alexandra Elle
Ideal gift for: Anyone seeking to strengthen their friendships
From New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Elle comes a vulnerable exploration of the friendships that shape us, stretch us, and sometimes wound us. With her trademark wisdom and storytelling, Alex invites us not only to celebrate but to examine the relationships in our lives, from the ones that matter most to those we should re-evaluate. “In a time of increasing loneliness, this book provides a steady guide, teaching us how to foster closeness, show up intentionally, and genuinely care for the people in our lives.”—Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
22
Dead and Alive
by Zadie Smith
Ideal gift for: Essay lovers and fans of cultural criticism
A profound and unparalleled literary voice, Zadie Smith returns with a resounding collection of essays on a range of subjects that have captured her attention in recent years. Throughout this thrilling collection, Smith shows us once again her unrivalled ability to think through critically and humanely some of the most urgent preoccupations and tendencies of our troubled times.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Preorder from:
-
23
There’s Always This Year
by Hanif Abdurraqib
Ideal gift for: Sports fans and lovers of lyrical nonfiction
A “powerful” (The Guardian) reflection on basketball, life, and home — from the author of the National Book Award finalist A Little Devil in America. There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus — whether it’s basketball, music, or performance — Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
24
Marsha
by Tourmaline
Ideal gift for: Queer history enthusiasts and activists
“Thank god the revolution has begun, honey.” Rumor has it that after Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of broken mirror to fix her makeup. She was a legendary Black transgender activist, drag queen, fashion icon, and muse to countless artists from Andy Warhol to the band Earth, Wind & Fire — in all, Marsha embodied both the beauty and the struggle of the early gay rights movement. Written with sparkling prose, Tourmaline’s Marsha shares the essential stories of the activist and artist.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
25
The Light We Carry
by Michelle Obama
Ideal gift for: Anyone seeking inspiration and practical wisdom
In an inspiring follow-up to her acclaimed memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.99Buy from Other Retailers:
-
26
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Ideal gift for: Anyone working on self-improvement and relationships
Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them — in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do “healthy boundaries” really mean? Nedra Glover Tawwab demystifies this complex topic for today’s world. These techniques help us identify and express our needs clearly and without apology — and unravel a root problem behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
27
Full of Myself
by Austin Channing Brown
Ideal gift for: Black women seeking affirmation and anyone interested in living authentically
In a time of rising authoritarianism and attacks on personal freedoms, the New York Times bestselling author of I’m Still Here chronicles her efforts to live as her full self in a society that wants women — and Black women in particular — to do anything but that. For Black women seeking to understand the true roots of their burnout, or for anyone wondering what it means to live joyfully in a hostile world, Full of Myself is a breath of fresh air and an invitation to full humanity.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
28
Grown Woman Talk
by Sharon Malone, M.D.
Ideal gift for: Women navigating midlife and beyond
A practical guide to aging and health for women who felt ignored or marginalized by the medical profession, from a leading OB/GYN and expert on menopausal and post-reproductive health. In a tone that is lively and intimate but unflinchingly direct, Dr. Sharon Malone details how to live better, age better, and get better medical treatment, especially when it’s most needed. This is not a medical activism book designed to fight the power. This is a book designed to show women that they already have the power — they need only to increase their capacity and willingness to use it.
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
-
Children’s Book Gifts for Growing Readers
-
29
That You Are Here Is No Small Thing
by Traci N. Todd
At once honest and empowering, That You Are Here Is No Small Thing is a story about resilience. In these stunning pages, young descendants of enslaved Africans are guided through the history that led them to exist and thrive today. Through their eyes, we see how Black Americans have relied on one another to fight against oppression and the ways in which the strength of their ancestors is always with them. Ages 4 – 8
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
-
30
A Spark of Greatness
by Laila Ali
In this beautiful, inspiring picture book, Laila Ali tells the story of how she went from being the daughter of the beloved boxing champion Muhammad Ali to being an undefeated boxer herself by nurturing the spark of something great inside her. Ages 4 – 8
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$19.99Buy from Other Retailers:
-
31
We Are Joy
by Chrystal D. Giles
The #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Stacey’s Extraordinary Words and the critically acclaimed author of Take Back the Block join together to create this heartwarming, empowering celebration of Black joy! Shining with lyrical prose and gorgeously vibrant art, this delightful picture book read-together is an inspiring celebration of the beauty and strength of Black culture, Black community, and Black family. Ages 4 – 8
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
-
32
Night Ride
by Christopher Myers
A stunning, first-of-its-kind, wordless picture book in the medium of stained glass about a group of kids riding through NYC, capturing the joy of Black childhood and the freedom of exploring a city that feels like it belongs to you, from Caldecott Honoree Christopher Myers. Ages 4 – 8
Add to Bookshelf
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$19.99Buy from Other Retailers:
