#1
Months on List: 5
In his latest poetic offering, "My Dear Wildflower", renowned author r.h. Sin provides an intimate journey from despair to self-worth, revisiting beloved themes and offering profound insights on love, regret, and heartbreak with his signature honesty and warmth.
My Dear Wildflower
by R.h. Sin • Andrews Mcmeel Publishing (May 20, 2025) • 5 Months on List
#2
Months on List: 1
This poetry collection offers a powerful critique of current political and societal issues, touching on topics such as police brutality and white supremacy, while also reflecting on personal history and everyday life.
The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, And Things
by Nikki Giovanni • William Morrow & Company (September 2, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#3
Months on List: 1
In this thought-provoking collection, acclaimed poet Terrance Hayes confronts Trump's America with seventy powerful sonnets, exploring themes of identity, love, and nation in times marred with political uncertainty, capturing the collective dreams, errors, and anxieties of the era.
American Sonnets For My Past And Future Assassin
by Terrance Hayes • Penguin (June 19, 2018) • 1 Months on List
#4
Months on List: 5
"When We Talk to God" by Sharifa Stevens is a heartfelt, beautifully illustrated gift book that articulates the joys, sorrows, and spiritual experiences of Black women in contemporary society.
When We Talk To God: Prayers And Poems For Black Women
by Sharifa Stevens • Thomas Nelson (May 13, 2025) • 5 Months on List
#5
Months on List: 9
This poetry collection traces a path through heartbreak and trauma toward renewal and self-discovery, offering gentle reflections on loss, resilience, and the healing power of love.
New Moons: Phases Of Healing
by R.h. Sin • Andrews Mcmeel Publishing (January 21, 2025) • 9 Months on List
#6
Months on List: 2
This poetry collection delves into contemporary issues such as social justice, grief, mortality, family dynamics, global affairs, and the experiences of Black Americans.
Nursery Rhymes In Black: Poems
by Latorial Faison • University Of Alaska Press (July 15, 2025) • 2 Months on List
#7
Months on List: 21
In her luminous poetry collection <em>Call Us What We Carry,</em> #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman masterfully weaves a lyrical tapestry of history, language, and identity, transforming the collective grief of a global pandemic into a beacon of hope and healing.
Call Us What We Carry: Poems
by Amanda Gorman • Viking (January 23, 2024) • 21 Months on List
#8
Months on List: 8
This collection of poetry and prose explores the emotional and spiritual work of healing by confronting internal barriers to self-forgiveness, growth, and purposeful freedom.
The Freedom Of Forward
by Morgan Richard Olivier • Oak Agencies (May 21, 2024) • 8 Months on List
#9
Months on List: 1
This is a collection of poems and stories that spans 16 years, highlighting personal journeys of grief, hope, and renewal inspired partly by real lives from the author's family roots in Louisiana to the enslaved African American Carolina Twins and their triumphant independence.
Night Watch: Poems
by Kevin Young • Knopf Publishing Group (September 2, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#10
Months on List: 21
In his second major poetry collection, <em>Flowers on the Moon,</em> social media sensation Billy Chapata offers a poignant blend of advice and experience on love, loss, and resilience, aiming to inspire hope, growth, and self-acceptance in readers through his insightful prose and poetry.
Flowers On The Moon
by Billy Chapata • Andrews Mcmeel Publishing (October 20, 2020) • 21 Months on List
#11
Months on List: 13
An intimate collection of 72 handwritten poems uncovers the raw talent, vibrant spirit, and posthumous legacy of Tupac Shakur, offering a poignant glimpse into the legendary artist's enigmatic world and his message of hope.
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
by Tupac Shakur • Mtv Books (November 1, 1999) • 13 Months on List
#12
Months on List: 16
A heartfelt poetry collection capturing the joys, struggles, and resilience of life through Maya Angelou’s powerful and lyrical voice.
Poems: Just Give Me A Cool Drink Of Water ’fore I Diiie/oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well/and Still I Rise/shaker, Why Don’t You Sing?
by Maya Angelou • Bantam (January 1, 1996) • 16 Months on List
#13
Months on List: 14
A poetic meditation on loss, renewal, and gratitude, drawing wisdom from the cycles of nature, the garden, and the orchard.
Catalog Of Unabashed Gratitude (pitt Poetry Series)
by Ross Gay • University Of Pittsburgh Press (January 7, 2015) • 14 Months on List
#14
Months on List: 9
<em>Counting Descent</em> is a profound poetry collection that intricately explores personal and political histories of blackness in America, in a world that simultaneously celebrates and vilifies it, challenging readers to reassess societal constructs and their own understanding of black heritage and identity.
Counting Descent
by Clint Smith • Write Bloody Publishing (August 1, 2016) • 9 Months on List
#15
Months on List: 1
This poetry collection explores themes of origins, illness, motherhood, and knowledge through a mix of sonnet, prose, and ode formats, featuring a speaker navigating chronic health conditions and existential questions.
Blue Opening: Poems
by Chet’la Sebree • Tin House Books (September 16, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#16
Months on List: 17
This poetry collection takes readers on a poignant journey of goodbyes, the unforgivable, and secret treks to find peace under the moonlight.
A Midnight Moon
by R.h. Sin • Andrews Mcmeel Publishing (May 14, 2024) • 17 Months on List
#17
Months on List: 17
This comprehensive anthology presents the life's work of Langston Hughes, a pillar of the Harlem Renaissance, featuring all his published poems, including well-known masterpieces and previously suppressed verses, spanning five decades of influential literature enriched with annotations by renowned scholars Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel.
The Collected Poems Of Langston Hughes
by Langston Hughes • Vintage (October 31, 1995) • 17 Months on List
#18
Months on List: 21
In this special gift edition, Amanda Gorman's historic and inspiring poem <em>The Hill We Climb,</em> read at President Joe Biden's inauguration, presents a message of unity and healing, complete with an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey - a compelling memento of the promise of America and the power of poetry.
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem For The Country
by Amanda Gorman • Viking (March 30, 2021) • 21 Months on List
#19
Months on List: 21
In this powerful poetic testament from bestselling author r.h. Sin, women choose to rise above their pain and loneliness, showcasing their courage and ultimate triumph.
She’s Strong, But She’s Tired: Volume 3
by R.h. Sin • Andrews Mcmeel Publishing (September 22, 2020) • 21 Months on List
#20
Months on List: 1
This poetry collection delves into how various mediums like painting, films, sculptures, and photographs shape the subjectivity of Black women, transforming them from objects and victims into critics and narrators of their own stories.
Resting Bitch Face: Poems
by Taylor Byas • Soft Skull (August 26, 2025) • 1 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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