Let’s be real for a moment, books by black women get the shaft more often than not. When they’re not getting left off lists entirely they’re getting snubbed from book boxes, or worse.
And when they do feature books by women of color, book bloggers put in the barest amount of effort. Showcasing the same 5-10 books that are on everyone else’s lists. Just a rehash of the same books going around the internet so they can virtue signal that they’re “inclusive.”
I strive to not be that. So I put out a call to my friends on Threads for their recommendations and added them to those I already had which was how the list grew from my planned 10 to a list of 25.
And if you’re looking for a bazillion more, please head over to the fantastic Melanin Library which maintains a running list of written works by authors of color.
1) This Wicked Fate: This Poison Heart Book 2
by Kalynn Bayron
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, Queer Fantasy, Mythpunk
READ IT
2) The Intimate Beginnings of Taylor: Hotel Bed Duology Book 1
by Lavender Quinn
Genre: New Adult Romance, Sapphic Romance, Bisexual Romance
READ IT
3) Legendborn: The Legendborn Cycle Book 1
by Tracy Deonn
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, Dystopian Romance
Awards: Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent Award, NY Times Bestseller
READ IT
4) We Deserve Monuments
by Jas Hammonds
Genre: Young Adult, Queer Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense, Contemporary Fiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent Award, Kirkus Best Book of the Year, School and Library Journal Best Book of the Year
READ IT
5) Blood Like Magic
by Liselle Sambury
Genre: Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy
READ IT
6) A Song Below Water
by Bethany C. Morrow
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, Coming-of-age Fantasy, mermaids
READ IT
7) Immortal Dark: Immortal Dark Trilogy Book 1
by Tigest Girma
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Fantasy, Dark Academia, Romantasy, vampires
READ IT
8) The Marvellers: The Conjureverse Book 1
by Dhonielle Clayton
Genre: Middle Grade, Magical School, Contemporary Fantasy, Coming-of-age Fantasy
Awards: Charlotte Huck Honor Book, Texas Bluebonnet Award, School and Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Kirkus Best Book of the Year, NY Times Bestseller
READ IT
9) A River of Royal Blood
by Amanda Joy
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
READ IT
10) With a Bite and a Howl
by Tierra Cox
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantasy, shifter romance
READ IT
11) Fairy Tales and Space Dreams
by Jasmine Shea Townsend
Genre: Fantasy Anthology, SciFi Anthology, Short Story Anthology
READ IT
12) Elemental: Shadow of Otherside Book 1
by Whitney Hill
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy
Awards: Writer’s Digest Self-Published E-book Award Grand Prize Winner
READ IT
13) Blood, Flesh, & Magic
by Viano Oniomoh
Genre: Achillean Romance, Bisexual Romance, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, vampires
READ IT
14) Debate and Decadence
by Sula Sullivan
Genre: Sapphic Romance, Historical Fantasy, Romantasy
READ IT
15) Delicious Monsters
by Liselle Sambury
Genre: Young Adult, Thrillers & Suspense, Supernatural
READ IT
16) Fall Into You: A Season For Love Book 1
by Georgina Kiersten
Genre: Sapphic Romance, Contemporary Romance
READ IT
17) Ace of Spades
by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Genre: Young Adult, Thrillers & Suspense, Queer Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Awards: NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work, William C. Morris Award Finalist, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Finalist, School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book, Boston Globe Best Book, Autostraddle Best Queer Book
READ IT
18) The Stone Sky: The Broken Earth Book 3
by N. K. Jemisin
Genre: Fantasy Adventure, Epic Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Dystopian
Awards: Hugo, Locus, Nebula, NY Times Bestseller
READ IT
19) Lore of the Wilds: The Lore of the Wilds Duology Book 1
by Analeigh Sbrana
Genre: Romantasy, Adventure Fantasy
READ IT
20) Children of Blood and Bone: Legacy of Orisha Book 1
by Tomi Adeyemi
Genre: Young Adult, Coming-of-age Fantasy
Awards: Kirkus Prize Finalist, NY Times Bestseller, NY Times Notable Children’s Book, TIME Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, TIME Best YA Books of All Time, Boston Globe’s Best Children’s Books, Publishers Weekly Best YA Books, School Library Journal Best Books, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library Best Books, YALSA Best Fiction Pick
READ IT
21) When Blood Meets Earth
by E.A. Noble
Genre: Fantasy, Queer Fantasy
READ IT
22) Forever Is Now
by Mariama J. Lockington
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Queer Fiction
Awards: Schneider Family Book Award, Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year, Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults of the Year List Selection
READ IT
23) The Balance of Fates: Fate and Legacy Book 1
by Raquel Raelynn
Genre: Sapphic Romance, New Adult Romance, Paranormal Romance, vampires, Romantasy
READ IT
24) Dragon Your Bones: A Forging of Age Duology Book 2
by Tatiana Obey
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Coming-of-age Fantasy, Queer Fantasy
READ IT
25) Parable of the Talents
by Octavia E. Butler
Genre: Dystopian, SciFi
Awards: Hugo for Award for Short Story & Novelette, Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novelette, Nebula Award for Best Novel, Locus Award, MacArthur Foundation Foundation “Genius” Grant, NY Times Notable Book, Los Angeles Times Bestseller
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