4 Bestselling Poetry Books

Period: May/June - 2023

Celebrating Black stories and authors since 1998, the AALBC Bestsellers List is now published quarterly. Here’s a printable list and collage of this period’s titles. Also check out the BLK Bestsellers—the definitive monthly guide to America’s bestselling books by Black writers.

Fiction:
Kimberla Lawson Roby describes our #1 bestselling novel, The Thing about Home by Rhonda McKnight, as “…a beautifully written story about family, self-discovery, secrets, and forgiveness.” Rhonda McKnight, first made our bestsellers list eight years ago with her novel Live A Little.

Nonfiction:
Nonfiction books dominated sales this period. A Black History Reader: 101 Questions You Never Thought to Ask by Claud Anderson outsold all nonfiction titles this period.

Children’s Books:
Repeat After Me: Big Things to Say Every Day written by Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill with illustrations by Shamar Knight-Justice was not only the top selling chidlren’s book, it was the top selling of all books across all genres this period.

Poetry:
Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman, has topped the poetry list three times, and has been an AALBC bestseller six times.