October marks Black History Month in the UK, when we set aside time to honour the history and contributions of the Black community. It’s also a great time to discover a new book or two written by a Black author.
And with an autumn chill hanging in the air, we can think of few things better than curling up on the couch and getting lost in a good book. From a story about a Hollywood romance to the tale of a dying father writing letters to his estranged son, the following new books are beautifully written with memorable characters and exciting plots.
Each of these books captures the full range of the Black experience, and the stories include laughter, joy, heartache, and loss – things that we can all relate to.
When it came to choosing these books, we went with recent titles that were hard to put down – the kind of book that you stay up way past midnight to finish or the one where the characters stay on your mind all day and you race home just to crack open the book again. Yes, we’re talking about those kinds of books.
How we tested
We chose books from a range of writers that cover a variety of topics, and we’ve also labeled each book to best fit a category. The book topics are just as diverse as their settings which include present day London, the American South, and Chicago circa 2008. While choosing the titles was difficult, we’re confident these represent some of the best new books by Black authors.
The best books by Black authors for 2022 are:
- Best overall – Seven Days in June by Tia Williams: £7.64, Amazon.co.uk
- Best friendship story – Wahala by Nikki May: £14.99, Waterstones.com
- Best Hollywood romance – While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory: £8.49, Amazon.co.uk
- Best plot twist –This Close to Okay by Leesa-Cross Smith: £13.29, Bookshop.org
- Best introspective book – The How by Yrsa Daly-Ward: £9.34, Amazon.co.uk
- Best collection of stories –Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola: £9.49, Bookshop.org
- Best travel story – The Selfless Act of Breathing by JJ Bola: £14.99, Waterstones.com
- Best thought-provoking story – In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom: £7.78, Amazon.co.uk
- Best family story – The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson: £9.19, Whsmith.co.uk
- Best father and son story – Don’t Cry for Me by Daniel Black: £20, Amazon.co.uk