Black Authors

Duty or Desire

By: Brenda Jackson

Narrated by: Ron Butler

Length: 5 hours 23 minutes

Abridged: No

New York Times Bestselling Author

What happens when a man of unshakable conviction

meets the woman who rocks his world?

Pete Higgins is an honorary Westmoreland, a man of his word—of course he’ll put duty to his orphaned niece first. Too bad the temporary nanny is tempting him with every look. Myra Hollister captivates him. But she’s keeping... Read more

Speaking of Summer

By: Kalisha Buckhanon

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

Length: 10 hours 9 minutes

Abridged: No

A sister seeks to uncover the truth about her twin’s disappearance in this critically acclaimed novel hailed as “a powerful song about what it means to survive as a woman in America” (Jesmyn Ward, National Book Award winner)

On a cold December evening, Autumn Spencer’s twin sister, Summer, walks to the roof of their shared Harlem brownstone and... Read more

On the Corner of Hope and Main

By: Beverly Jenkins

Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman

Length: 9 hours 30 minutes

Abridged: No

NAACP nominee and USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins celebrates her beloved Blessings series with a heartwarming novel set in Henry Adams, Kansas.“If you haven’t yet gotten your hands on [this] author’s work, you should do so immediately.”—Shondaland

Citizens of Henry Adams, Kansas, know there’s never a dull moment in their small... Read more

I Don't Want to Die Poor

By: Michael Arceneaux

Narrated by: Michael Arceneaux

Length: 7 hours

Abridged: No

One of NPR’s Best Books of 2020
One of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2020

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Can’t Date Jesus, which Vogue called “a piece of personal and cultural storytelling that is as fun as it is illuminating,” comes a wry and insightful essay collection that explores the financial and emotional cost of chasing... Read more

These Ghosts are Family

By: Maisy Card

Narrated by: Karl O’Brian Williams

Length: 9 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

PEN/Hemingway Award For Debut Novel Finalist​
Shortlisted for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

A “rich, ambitious debut novel” (The New York Times Book Review) that reveals the ways in which a Jamaican family forms and fractures over generations, in the tradition of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

Stanford Solomon’s shocking,... Read more

A Woman's Influence

By: Tony A. Gaskins & Sheri Gaskins

Narrated by: Tony A. Gaskins

Length: 7 hours 20 minutes

Abridged: No

From celebrity life coach and motivational speaker, Tony Gaskins Jr. and his wife, Sheri, comes an essential guide with hard-hitting truths about a woman’s undeniable influence on a relationship—and the power she has to change her man for the better.

Tony Gaskins has inspired others by sharing his truth—drawing millions of followers online and... Read more

On Her Own Ground

By: A'Lelia Bundles

Narrated by: A'Lelia Bundles

Length: 16 hours 23 minutes

Abridged: No

Now a Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, Self Made (formerly titled On Her Own Ground) is the first full-scale biography of “one of the great success stories of American history” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Madam C.J. Walker—the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist—by her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia... Read more

Conjure Women

By: Afia Atakora

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo

Length: 13 hours 58 minutes

Abridged: No

A mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing—and for the conjuring of curses—are at the heart of this dazzling first novel
 
WINNER OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN HISTORIANS PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • NPR • Parade • Book Riot • PopMatters

“Lush, irresistible . . . It took me into the hearts of... Read more

When You Were Everything

By: Ashley Woodfolk

Narrated by: Imani Parks

Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

Abridged: No

For fans of Nina LaCour's We Are Okay and Adam Silvera's History Is All You Left Me, this heartfelt and ultimately uplifting novel follows one sixteen-year-old girl's friend breakup through two concurrent timelines--ultimately proving that even endings can lead to new beginnings.

"Stunning." --Nic Stone, bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd... Read more

145th Street: Short Stories

By: Walter Dean Myers

Narrated by: Brandon Gill, Almarie Guerra, Johnny Heller, Do...

Length: 5 hours 10 minutes

Abridged: No

From the award-winning author of Monster, this collection of powerful and poignant stories about 145th Street—an unforgettable block in the heart of Harlem—celebrates African-American life in all of its glory.

“Myers is a master.” —The New York Times Book Review

On Harlem’s 145th Street, things happen that don’t happen anywhere else in the... Read more

Private Property

By: La Jill Hunt

Narrated by: Shari Peele

Length: 7 hours 40 minutes

Abridged: No

Welcome to The Manors of Harrington Point; enter at your own risk. These mansions are home to the elite, the famous, the successful, and the eccentric. From the millionaire mega pastor and his wife to the former child star turned porn star, this neighborhood is filled with old money, new money, and everything and everyone in between. The tale of... Read more

It's Not All Downhill From Here

By: Terry McMillan

Narrated by: Terry McMillan

Length: 10 hours 8 minutes

Abridged: No

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • After a sudden change of plans, a remarkable woman and her loyal group of friends try to figure out what she’s going to do with the rest of her life—from Terry McMillan, the bestselling author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale
 
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE AND GOOD... Read more

Navigate Your Stars

By: Jesmyn Ward

Narrated by: Jesmyn Ward

Length: 19 minutes

Abridged: No

A revelatory, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated meditation on dedication, hard work, and the power of perseverance from the beloved, New York Times bestselling, and two-time National Book Award–winning Jesmyn Ward.

For Tulane University’s 2018 commencement, Jesmyn Ward delivered a stirring speech about the value of hard work and the... Read more

The House of Deep Water

By: Jeni McFarland

Narrated by: Allyson Johnson, Adenrele Ojo, Johnathan McClai...

Length: 9 hours 16 minutes

Abridged: No

Perfect for fans of The Mothers and Olive Kitteridge, in this stunning and perceptive debut novel three women learn what it means to come home--and to make peace with the family, love affairs, and memories they'd once left behind.

"Here are voices from the heartland rendered real, raw, and aching. . . . Reminiscent of Celeste Ng's Little Fires... Read more

A Love Hate Thing

By: Whitney D. Grandison

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo & Barrie Buckner

Length: 13 hours 14 minutes

Abridged: No

“If you love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, run—don’t walk—to the nearest bookstore or library near you.” —BuzzFeed

"I couldn’t put it down!” —New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles

When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the wealthy community of Pacific Hills, he expects not to belong. Not that he cares. After recovering from being... Read more

The Sound of Stars

By: Alechia Dow

Narrated by: Joy Sunday & Christian Barillas

Length: 12 hours 23 minutes

Abridged: No

“This debut has it all: music, books, aliens, adventure, resistance, queerness, and a bold heroine tying it all together. ”—Ms. Magazine

Can a girl who risks her life for books and an Ilori who loves pop music work together to save humanity?

When a rebel librarian meets an Ilori commander…

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of... Read more

Wonder

By: Christina C. Jones

Narrated by: Sean Crisden & Wesleigh Siobhan

Length: 8 hours 45 minutes

Abridged: No

It all came down to me.



The one who followed the rules, never went looking for trouble—I kept to myself. I just wanted to take care of my family. To not constantly look over my shoulder, worried about the things that went bump in the night.



I just wanted to survive. But that wasn't meant to be.



As luck—or fate, or something—would have it, the... Read more

Genesis Begins Again

By: Alicia D. Williams

Narrated by: Alicia D. Williams

Length: 8 hours 48 minutes

Abridged: No

“Reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.” —The New York Times

“One of the best books I have ever read…will live in the hearts of readers for the rest of their lives.” —Colby Sharp, founder of Nerdy Book Club

“An emotional, painful, yet still hopeful adolescent journey…one that needed telling.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“I really... Read more

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice

By: Deborah Riley Draper, Blair Underwood & Travis ...

Narrated by: Leon Nixon

Length: 9 hours 8 minutes

Abridged: No

In this “must-read for anyone concerned with race, sports, and politics in America” (William C. Rhoden, New York Times bestselling author), the inspirational and largely unknown true story of the eighteen African American athletes who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, defying the racism of both Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South.

Set... Read more

What Lane?

By: Torrey Maldonado

Narrated by: Torrey Maldonado

Length: 2 hours 35 minutes

Abridged: No

"If you are wondering how to begin confronting Anti-Black racism in your classroom, start with What Lane?"--School Library Journal: The Classroom Bookshelf

"STAY IN YOUR LANE." Stephen doesn't want to hear that--he wants to have no lane.

Anything his friends can do, Stephen should be able to do too, right? So when they dare each other to sneak... Read more

A Knock at Midnight

By: Brittany K. Barnett

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

Length: 13 hours 20 minutes

Abridged: No

LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • A “powerful and devastating” (The Washington Post) call to free those buried alive by America’s legal system, and an inspiring true story about unwavering belief in humanity—from a gifted young lawyer and important new voice in the movement to transform the system.

“An essential... Read more

It's About Damn Time

By: Arlan Hamilton & Rachel L. Nelson

Narrated by: Arlan Hamilton

Length: 5 hours 57 minutes

Abridged: No

“A hero’s tale of what’s possible when we unlock our potential, continue the search for knowledge, and draw on our lived experiences to guide us through the darkest moments.”—Stacey Abrams

From a Black, gay woman who broke into the boys’ club of Silicon Valley comes an empowering guide to finding your voice, working your way into any room you... Read more

This Is Major

By: Shayla Lawson

Narrated by: Shayla Lawson

Length: 8 hours 48 minutes

Abridged: No

From a fierce and humorous new voice comes a relevant, insightful, and riveting collection of personal essays on the richness and resilience of black girl culture—for readers of Samantha Irby, Roxane Gay, Morgan Jerkins, and Lindy West. Shayla Lawson is major. You don’t know who she is. Yet. But that’s okay. She is on a mission to move black... Read more

Beautiful

By: Jozanne Marie

Narrated by: Janina Edwards

Length: 8 hours 26 minutes

Abridged: No

A girl, an island, and an unimaginable secret . . .



As a young girl growing up in Jamaica, Jozanne Marie's greatest desire was to restore a missing ancestral link and satisfy a longing for the one person she believed could affirm her identity . . .



Her father.



He had left for America when she was just an infant. After five years living on the... Read more