#1
Months on List: 23
A reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.
James: A Novel
by Percival Everett • Doubleday Books (March 19, 2024) • 23 Months on List
#2
Months on List: 1
The book is a searing portrayal of resistance and defiance among enslaved people in the American South, focusing on characters such as quick-witted Luke, defiant Henri, sharp Josephine, formidable Charity Butler and ruthless Nathaniel, as they navigate a deeply unjust system and try to ignite sparks of justice.
Burn Down Master’s House
by Clay Cane • Dafina Books (January 27, 2026) • 1 Months on List
#3
Months on List: 8
A financial whiz uncovers his family's deep-seated secrets and fights dangerous criminals to protect his loved ones, navigating a web of family duty, crime, and looming mortality in a Southern town.
King Of Ashes
by S. A. Cosby • Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar (June 10, 2025) • 8 Months on List
#4
Months on List: 6
A heartbreaking story about a woman who embarks on an international journey to retrieve the lost possessions of her late friend, entangling her life with the last woman he loved, and exploring intricate themes of love, memory, and ambiguous loss.
Loved One
by Aisha Muharrar • Viking (August 12, 2025) • 6 Months on List
#5
Months on List: 5
The narrative follows five Black women navigating their careers, relationships, and personal ambitions over two decades, while dealing with the challenges and volatility of modern American life.
The Wilderness
by Angela Flournoy • Mariner Books (September 16, 2025) • 5 Months on List
#6
Months on List: 10
When a woman answers her estranged grandmother’s summons to rural North Carolina, she uncovers her family’s hidden connection to a forgotten kingdom founded by freed people and must decide how to protect its legacy.
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-valdez • Berkley Books (April 8, 2025) • 10 Months on List
#7
Months on List: 11
Four women navigate love, identity, and loss across continents and generations, confronting the truths they’ve avoided and the lives they’ve built amid personal and societal upheaval.
Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie • Knopf Publishing Group (March 4, 2025) • 11 Months on List
#8
Months on List: 1
A determined Black editor abandons a prestigious fashion magazine to rescue a struggling hip-hop music and lifestyle magazine, navigating a world of wealth, power, and tempting romances while confronting a vengeful ex-boss and her own desires.
If I Ruled The World
by Amy Dubois Barnett • Flatiron Books (January 27, 2026) • 1 Months on List
#9
Months on List: 1
This multigenerational saga explores seven generations of Dupree women, bound by a strange curse to only have daughters, navigating familial secrets, enduring hardship, displaying resilience, and maintaining unbreakable bonds from the time of slavery to the modern day.
The Seven Daughters Of Dupree
by Nikesha Elise Williams • Gallery/scout Press (January 27, 2026) • 1 Months on List
#10
Months on List: 5
This is a moving tale of two siblings, once enslaved, who embark on a journey across the Mexican desert to find one another while evading capture from those who still seek to enslave them, providing an intimate and striking exploration of what freedom means in a society reluctant to let its black citizens truly free.
Amity
by Nathan Harris • Little, Brown And Company (September 2, 2025) • 5 Months on List
#11
Months on List: 11
In a surreal present where historical icons return, a disgraced hip-hop producer joins forces with Harriet Tubman to craft an album that reclaims freedom, confronts trauma, and reimagines legacy through music.
Harriet Tubman: Live In Concert
by Bob The Drag Queen • Gallery Books (March 25, 2025) • 11 Months on List
#12
Months on List: 13
A woman haunted by her brother’s unsolved death and a shattered family heirloom uncovers buried truths that tie her personal heartbreak to a deeper ancestral legacy.
Good Dirt
by Charmaine Wilkerson • Ballantine Books (January 28, 2025) • 13 Months on List
#13
Months on List: 13
A pioneering editor and writer navigates love, ambition, and scandal as she helps launch the <a href="https://aalbc.com/content.php?title=The+Harlem+Renaissance">Harlem Renaissance</a> and elevates a generation of Black literary voices.
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray • Berkley Books (February 4, 2025) • 13 Months on List
#14
Months on List: 3
A former exotic dancer navigates through the treacherous world of Atlanta's underworld to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances of her colleagues, crossing lines between friendship and enmity, while risking her own life.
Boom Town
by Nic Stone • Simon & Schuster (October 14, 2025) • 3 Months on List
#15
Months on List: 5
The book is a dark, adult fantasy about a struggling painter who enters into the horrifying world of his great-grandfather's cursed paintings, tasked with destroying them to save those unfortunate enough to own them.
The Macabre (deluxe Limited Edition)
by Kosoko Jackson • Harper Voy (September 9, 2025) • 5 Months on List
#15
Months on List: 12
A young enslaved girl haunted by her sister’s ghost confronts forbidden love, buried secrets, and the cost of freedom as she dares to challenge the world that has kept her captive.
Junie
by Erin Crosby Eckstine • Ballantine Books (February 4, 2025) • 12 Months on List
#17
Months on List: 1
This novel brings to life the story of Jacquotte Delahaye, a mixed-race woman who impersonates a man to become a legendary pirate in the 17th-century Caribbean, amassing wealth and fighting against the slave trade.
Fire Sword And Sea: A Novel
by Vanessa Riley • William Morrow & Company (January 13, 2026) • 1 Months on List
#18
Months on List: 4
A dedicated journalist unravels her family's secret connection to unsolved missing girls cases in North Carolina while battling her troubled past and struggling to maintain her crumbling marriage.
We Don’t Talk About Carol
by Kristen L. Berry • Bantam (June 3, 2025) • 4 Months on List
#19
Months on List: 2
This is a story about a strong woman's journey of self-discovery and independence, set during the Harlem Renaissance, that explores themes of love, cruelty, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Their Eyes Were Watching God (deluxe Edition)
by Zora Neale Hurston • Amistad Press (May 6, 2025) • 2 Months on List
#20
Months on List: 12
A Nigerian American writer grapples with fame, family, and creative control after her speculative novel about AI and humanity becomes a cultural phenomenon, blurring the lines between author and story.
Death Of The Author
by Nnedi Okorafor • William Morrow & Company (January 14, 2025) • 12 Months on List
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Sales Data Source: Circana BookScan. Represents U.S. print sales from thousands of retailers.
Methodology: Books are categorized and filtered for Black Authors by the African American Literature Book Club. This list is a sneak peek into the Black Book Accelerator initiative.
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