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This year was a big year for Black writers. Many of 2024’s new worthwhile reads came from Black authors, from epic reimaginings of classics to sweeping fantasy narratives to playful romances and beyond.
There were veterans like Percival Everett, who released “James,” Walter Mosley, who released “Farewell, Amethystine, the latest in his Easy Rollins series, and Roxane Gaye, who released “Opinions.” There were also a fair share of Black writers making their debuts in various genres, including romance, young adult, and fantasy. One author in particular who made their debut this year was Sara Koffi, who released “While We Were Burning” in April. Another was Shani Akilah, who released “For Such A Time As This” in August. Not to mention, Willow Smith also added author to her growing list of titles and creative pursuits this year with the historical fiction book “Black Shield Maiden,” which follows the story of an African woman among Vikings co-written with Jess Hendel. The popular young adult series, “The Davenports” by Krystal Marquis, which is officially being developed for TV, continued with its second book this year, “The Davenports: More Than This.”
There have also been quite a few highly anticipated works of non-fiction and memoirs, including “How to Build a Fashion Icon” by Law Roach, “Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative” by Keke Palmer, and “Growing Up Urkel” by Jaleel White. Historian and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones also released a visual version of the “The 1619 Project” this year. With new books released nearly every month, it can be challenging to keep up. Black authors are still criminally under-promoted, so while major names like some of those mentioned above get buzzy releases, there are several others you may have missed.
Whether you’re looking for your next read to sink your teeth in over a holiday break or you’re looking to do some last-minute gift shopping for any book lovers in your life, we’ve gathered the top books by Black authors to come out in 2024. From young adult to fantasy to non-fiction to children’s literature, we have something for everyone.
Young Adult
1. “Ida, In Love and In Trouble” by Veronica Chambers
Credit: Hachette Books 2. “The Grandest Garden” by Gina L. Carroll
Credit: Simon & Schuster 3. “Blood at the Root” by LaDarrian Williams
Credit: Penguin Random House Sci-fi & Fantasy
4. “Sky Full of Elephants” by Cebo Campbell
Credit: Simon & Schuster 5. “Those Beyond the Wall” by Micaiah Johnson
Credit: Penguin Random House 6. “The Dividing Sky” by Jill Tew
Credit: Penguin Random House Fiction
7. “Colored Television” by Danzy Senna
Credit: Penguin Random House 8. “Symphony of Secrets” by Brendan Slocumb
Credit: Penguin Random House 9. “Grown Women” by Sarai Johnson
Credit: Harper Collins Non-fiction & Memoir
11. “Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me” by Glory Edim
Credit: Penguin Random House 12. “Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)?” by Jay Ellis
Credit: Penguin Random House 13. “You Get What You Pay For” by Morgan Parker
Credit: Penguin Random House Biography
14. “High & Rising: A Book About De La Soul” by Marcus J. Moore
Credit: Harper Collins 15. “The Message” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Credit: Penguin Random House History
16. “Justice for Marcus Garvey: Look For Me in the Whirlwind” edited by Julius Garvey
Credit: Broadleaf Books 17. “We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance” by Kellie Carter Jackson
Credit: Hachette Books Children’s
18. “Black Star” by Kwame Alexander
Credit: Hachette Books 19. “Into the Cut Grass” by Trevor Noah
Credit: Penguin Random House Health & Wellness
20. “Grown Woman Talk” by Sharon Malone
Credit: Penguin Random House 21. “RAPilates: Body and Mind Conditioning in the Digital Age” by Chuck D
Credit: Enemy Books 
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