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Recently, I added three things into my life that have elevated the level of joy and delight in my reading life: reading one picture book a week; buying a stack of graphic novels and having someone else gift wrap them so that when I pick one up to read it’s a surprise to me; and pre-buying books which eventually show up on my doorstep as a surprise gift from past me. While I recommend doing all three of these things to spice up your reading life, I am here to help with the latter and have selected eight books that you can — and should — preorder (or ask your library to get) that are 2025 releases written by Black authors.
I aimed for books in different age ranges and genres — including a Top Chef’s debut cookbook! — from already beloved authors to debut novelists, so there’s something here for every reading flavor. You can find genres and moods ranging from romance to a darkly funny essay collection. And as a bonus (it just worked out that way), all of these are worth the prebuy for the cover alone! Seriously, just one awesome, beautiful, cover after another. I can’t even pick a favorite. So let past-you gift future-you a delightful bookish moment!
2025 Books by Black Authors to Preorder
We Are Villains by Kacen Callender (March 2025)
Kacen Callender has become a prolific author in a handful of years, and you love to see it, especially since he writes in different genres for different ages. He has middle grade in Hurricane Child, YA with Felix Ever After, adult romance in Stars in Your Eyes, and two different fantasy series. I’m very excited to say 2025 will publish his first dark academia adult mystery, so run to We Are Villains and walk the halls of Yates Academy with Milo as he tries to uncover what really happened the night Ari died…
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (January 2025)
Nnedi Okorafor writes Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism for adults and kids, including the great series starters Akata Witch and Binti. In 2025, she adds a very popular trope amongst bibliophiles of making her lead character, Zelu, an author, with a plot centering the book Zelu has just written. Yes, please, and thank you!
If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal (April 2025)
This is Zakiya N. Jamal’s YA novel debut, and I was sold at sapphic enemies to lovers but what tipped it into prebuy territory for me was the added movie theater setting and underlining mystery plot! Also, the lighting on this cover is better than 90% of prestige TV.
Just Our Luck by Denise Williams (March 2025)
Denise Williams has put out a bunch of great adult romance novels since 2020, including The Fastest Way to Fall, How to Fail at Flirting, and a series of airport novellas that starts with The Love Connection. Her 2025 release has a gorgeous cover plus fake dating, a donut shop owner, and a winning lottery ticket. So, all the wins!
Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours (February 2025)
Channelle Desamours’s debut novel mixes genres the way I like — speculative YA mystery — with an exploration of a theme I’m always here for: is power a gift or curse? That’s what Sariyah Lee Bryant is wondering as a person who can hear what people need and a growing list of friends who are now missing person cases…
All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis (April 2025)
DeAndra Davis’s debut sounds like it’s going to be a feel-all-the-emotions contemporary YA novel, tackling ableism, social justice, and race. Aiden is the newest member on the football team, and not all his teammates want him there because of ableist beliefs that his autism will negatively impact their games. His star quarterback brother ends up arrested while defending Aiden, creating even more problems in Aiden’s life and leaving him desperate to prove the charges are trumped up.
Ghana to the World: Recipes and Stories That Look Forward While Honoring the Past by Eric Adjepong, Korsha Wilson (March 2025)
I am a huge fan of cookbooks for two reasons: to actually try the recipes and to read them like a book, especially when I get to learn about other cultures or parts of the world that are not my own. Eric Adjepong is a chef who you may have seen on TV, either as a contestant on Top Chef or as a host on various Food Network shows, and this is his debut cookbook which explores food and history through the lens of being a first-generation Ghanaian American. This is your delicious prebuy!
In My Remaining Years by Jean Grae (March 2025)
Between the cover image and the title of this essay collection, I was already sold! Then I read that it’s labeled “darkly humorous,” which is my absolutely favorite kind of nonfiction humor, so I will drop everything to read this as soon as I get my hands on a copy!
If you can’t wait for your next read, here’s 100 Must-Read New Books by Black Authors!
As always, you can keep up with all the biggest and most exciting upcoming releases in the magical New Release Index, carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.
