34 of the best books by Black women that deserve a place at the top of your reading list
If you're looking for an excuse to give your bookshelves a much-needed makeover, this is it. We've rounded up the very best books by Black women to elevate your reading list and broaden your literary horizons.
Whether you fancy delving into the classics – may we recommend The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison? – or exploring the most exciting fiction releases of 2024 – we're looking at you, Kiley Reid – we've got you covered.
After more books content? We've got sleep books, cookbooks, poetry books, romance novels, true crime books, autobiographies, vegetarian cookbooks, mental health books and adult colouring books. We've also got coffee table books, summer books, vegan cookbooks and books by black authors. Don't say we don't treat you.
Scroll to see our top 34 books by Black women.
Best books by Black women: empowering memoirs
Transitional: In One Way or Another, We All Transition by Munroe Bergdorf
We could honestly write our own book about how much we love GLAMOUR Woman of the Year alumni Munroe Bergdorf. The model is an impassioned advocate for the rights and dignity of transgender people. In Transitional, her confessional narrative paints a compelling picture of growing up and existing as a trans woman in the UK.
Best books by Black women: 2024 releases
‘Pemi Aguda is making waves across the literary circuit with Ghostroots, a frenetic collection of stories set in Lagos with a heavy dose of mysticism – not to mention generational trauma. It’s already been a Finalist for the 2024 National Book Awards and shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing.
Best books by Black women: celebrity memoirs
Leslie F*cking Jones: A Memoir by Leslie Jones
Leslie F*cking Jones. Need we say any more? In this extraordinary memoir, Leslie Jones charts her ascendency through the ranks of the comedy circuit, eventually becoming a household name worldwide. When Leslie Jones speaks, you listen; when Leslie Jones writes, you read.
Best books by Black women: gripping page-turners
Come for the drama, stay until you've finished the whole damn book. Kiley Reid's much-hyped second novel follows the fragile relationship between Millie, a cash-strapped student, and Agatha, a heartbroken writer. We'll meet you for a debrief when you finished it, yeah?
Best books by Black women: bestsellers
If you haven't already read The List – an instant Top 5 Sunday Times bestseller, mind you – you've probably seen everyone else reading it on the bus or have been shamed by your friends for not picking up a copy sooner. It's time to get up to speed and buy/borrow Yomi Adegoke's thrilling book – and then wax lyrical about it to every unenlightened soul you meet thereafter.
Best books by Black women: non-fiction
Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines by Dr Joy Buolamwini
Dr Joy Buolamwini is probably the cleverest woman you've never met (yet). What starts as a memoir about Joy's promising career in tech snowballs into an era-defining polemic about the AI revolution – and what it means for the future of humanity.
Best books by Black women: spiritual books
Manifesto: Unlock the life you deserve and find contentment in your everyday by Candice Brathwaite
Is manifesting just for privileged white women? Can you meditate your way through everything life throws at you? As per usual, Candice Brathwaite has all the answers. And spoiler alert: this isn't the last time you'll see her name on this list.
Best books by Black women: beauty books
Palette: A Black Beauty Bible by Funmi Fetto
Palette is one of those mesmerisingly beautiful books that you can't quite believe didn't exist until, one day, it did – thanks to esteemed Beauty Editor Funmi Fetto. Go on, your coffee table will thank you.
Best books by Black women: funny books
Main Character Energy by Fats Timbo
Are you ready to become the main character in your own life? Take some advice from Fats Timbo, former GLAMOUR Woman of the Year, broadcaster, and internet personality, who leads the way in this hilarious yet earnest memoir.
Best books by Black women: cult favourites
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
If you haven't already read Brit Bennett's best-seller, The Vanishing Half, what are you waiting for? Shortlisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction and longlisted for The Orwell Prize, it tells the story of identical twin sisters who live different lives – one is still in their hometown they tried to escape while the other passes as white, with her white husband knowing nothing about her past.
Best books by Black women: top-rated
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Fans of Beyonce (who isn't?) will recognise Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's work from the singer's song ‘Flawless’, where she sampled Ngozi Adichie's essay ‘We Should All Be Feminists’. Yet, Ngozi Adichie is many other works to her name, one of the most popular being her 2013 novel Americanah. The book explores the love story of Ifemelu and Obinze who both grapple with migration from their native Nigeria and a sense of belonging.
Best books by Black women: love stories
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Tia Williams' beautiful novel sees single mother and writer Eva reconnect with former flame Shane at a literary event 15 years after they spent one week together as teenagers and fell in love. The ensuing seven days is a second chance love story that will give you all the butterflies.
Best books by Black women: memoirs
Just Sayin': My Life In Words by Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman features twice on this list - both for her classic YA novel Noughts and Crosses and for her moving memoir that tells her life story, from growing up in South London in post-war Britain to her appointment as appointment as Children’s Laureate in 2013.
Best books by Black women: advice
Sista Sister by Candice Brathwaite
Here she is again! Candice Brathwaite's Sista Sister is a stunning compilation of essays about everything she wishes she'd known as a young Black girl growing up in London.
Best books by Black women: award-nominated
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Shortlisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction, Yaa Gyasi's Transcendent Kingdom charts the experience of one Ghanaian family's experience immigrating to the American South and a sister processing the grief of losing her brother to addiction.
Best books by Black women: romance lovers
While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
Jasmine Guillory is the author of many a sexy and smart romance novel and we think While We Were Dating, a twist on the classic Hollywood romance trope, may be her best yet.
Best books by Black women: dark humour
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
A Sunday Times bestseller and The Times #1 bestseller, Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer was also shortlisted for The Women's Prize and longlisted for the Booker Prize. The deliciously dark book is just what it says on the tin: protagonist Korede helping her sister Ayoola get away with murder, again and again.
Best books by Black women: beautiful poems
British poet Yrsa Daley-Ward's lyrical book of poems asks readers to explore how we can see and feel more of who we really are without the need for filters or manners.
Best books by Black women: coming-of-age books
It was a viral serialised story written by Jade LB, who began releasing chapters online in 2005 when she was 13 years old. Keisha The Sket shares the highs and lows of charismatic Keisha as she navigates love, ambition, and the challenges and dreams of her inner-city community.
Best books by Black women: the eductor
Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni
This book has become one of the staples in modern anti-racist reading. And even after reading just a page, it's easy to see why.
Best books by Black women: classic reading
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Society's obsession with Western ideals of beauty (such as blue eyes) are addressed in this classic read. It's one of Toni Morrison's best loved books, so if you're new to her writing this is a good place to start.
Best books by Black women: the YA read
Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
The book that reverses what we know and makes black people the dominant race. You probably read this as a teenager, but given the recent-ish TV adaption of the book (which, by the way, has some major plot differences) we think this is a worthy of a re-read. And no, it isn't too childish.
Best books by Black women: generation Windrush
Small Island takes us back to the Windrush era and is set between England and the Caribbean. As some characters pine for England, others have no interest in leaving behind what's shown to be a vibrant and lively island. It was also adapted for a sellout National Theatre production.
Best books by Black women: winner of The Booker Prize
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
This past winner of the Booker prize is written in a way that might feel alien at first as it's in verse rather than prose, but don't be put off. A few pages in and you'll be reading in the natural flow the structure was intended for and won't think a thing of it. The book is a powerful series of vignettes of womanhood.
Best books by Black women: YA fiction
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Though classes as YA fiction, we think adults will find this a good read too. Angie Thomas wrote the book in response to the police shooting of Oscar Grant.
Best books by Black women: groundbreaking fiction
Zadie Smith is one of the most significant literary voices, well, ever. White Teeth is the book that caused her popularity to explode.
Best books by Black women: gipping fiction
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
You've likely heard of this given its film adaption with Oprah Winfrey, but this Pulitzer-winning story needs to be read.
Best books by Black women: autobiography
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
This is the first volume of Maya Angelou's autobiography which focuses on her childhood in 1930s America. It balances both the beauty of her childhood with the relentless pressures of extreme poverty.
Best books by Black women: classic books
Sister Outside is a collection of essays, speeches, letters, interviews, so it's a good one if you want a varied reading experience that takes you in and out of different modes of communication. As well as race, it explores sexuality and feminism.
Best books by Black women: the award-winner
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie is about as relatable as fiction gets for 20-something women trying to figure it all out.
Best books by Black women: self-help books
What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfey
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't been inspired at some point down the road by Oprah Winfrey. Find a lot of that wisdom packed into here.
Best books by Black women: non-fiction
Roxane Gay – one of the most authoritative voices in the literary space today – looks at her own journey as a queer woman of colour and comments on the state of feminism today. (Hint: we can all be better).
Best books by Black women: self-help books
What A Time To Be Alone by Chidera Eggerue
If you're working on fostering self-love, this book can help with that. The graphic style makes it an easy one to sit through in one read or dip in and out of when you need a reminder of why you are all you need.
Best books by Black women: skincare books
Black Skin: The Definitive Skincare Guide by Dija Ayodele
In this comprehensive guide to skincare for Black women, Dija Ayodele delves into issues that Black women face, from hyperpigmentation to increased dryness, as well as deftly exploring the concept of identity and how Black women express themselves through beauty.
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