Black Authors

Thirsty: A Novel

By: Jas Hammonds

Narrated by: Alaska Jackson

Length: 8 hours 9 minutes

Abridged: No

From Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes a gripping read about a girl willing to risk it all for the chance to join an underground sorority with her wealthy best friends—perfect for fans of Euphoria and Girl in Pieces.

It’s the summer before college and eighteen-year-old Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have... Read more

skin & bones

By: Renée Watson

Narrated by: Zenzi Williams

Length: 9 hours 7 minutes

Abridged: No

From the acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a soulful and lyrical novel exploring sisterhood, motherhood, faith, love, and ultimately what gets passed down from one generation to the next
 
At 40, Lena Baker is at a steady and stable moment in life—between wine nights with her two best friends and her wedding just weeks away,... Read more

Blood Debts

By: Terry J. Benton-Walker

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Torian Brac...

Length: 14 hours 30 minutes

Abridged: No

This program features multicast narration.

GODS MEDDLE AND MAGIC WILL BETRAY YOU, BUT THIS TIME JUSTICE WILL REIGN.

Terry J. Benton-Walker's contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, is "an extravaganza from start to finish" (Chloe Gong) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans.

Most Anticipated from... Read more

Chaos Theory

By: Nic Stone

Narrated by: Nic Stone & Dion Graham

Length: 5 hours 41 minutes

Abridged: No

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with a diagnosed mental disorder and a politician's son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don't miss this gut punch of a novel about mental health, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.

Scars exist... Read more

The Black Queen

By: Jumata Emill

Narrated by: Angel Pean & Erin Spencer

Length: 10 hours 53 minutes

Abridged: No

Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.

Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the... Read more

Stories from The Tenants Downstairs

By: Sidik Fofana

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Nile Bullock, Sidik Fofan...

Length: 6 hours 4 minutes

Abridged: No

SELECTED FOR THE RUSA 2023 LISTEN LIST FOR OUTSTANDING AUDIOBOOK NARRATION!

WINNER of the Gotham Book Prize * Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award, and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence * Longlisted for the Story Prize

Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Chicago Review of... Read more

Dinner for One

By: Sutanya Dacres

Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers

Length: 8 hours 32 minutes

Abridged: No

From podcast host Sutanya Dacres comes Dinner for One, an unforgettable memoir of how she rebuilt her life after her American-in-Paris fairy tale shattered, starting with cooking dinner for herself in her Montmartre kitchen

When Sutanya Dacres married her French boyfriend and moved to Paris at twenty-seven, she felt like she was living out her... Read more

What the Fireflies Knew

By: Kai Harris

Narrated by: Zenzi Williams

Length: 8 hours 35 minutes

Abridged: No

An NAACP Image Award Nominee
Longlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize
A Marie Claire Book Club pick

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by *Marie Claire* *Teen Vogue* *Buzzfeed* *Essence* *Ms. Magazine* *NBCNews.com* *Bookriot* *Bookbub* and more! 

“Harris rewrites the coming-of-age story with Black girlhood at the center.”
—New... Read more

Don't Cry for Me

By: Daniel Black

Narrated by: Daniel Black

Length: 7 hours 27 minutes

Abridged: No

Don't miss Daniel Black's next novel Isaac's Song coming January 2025

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK IN ESSENCE MAGAZINE, THE MILLIONS AND BOOKISH


"Don't Cry for Me is a perfect song."—Jesmyn Ward

A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for... Read more

Vinyl Moon

By: Mahogany L. Browne

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 4 hours 57 minutes

Abridged: No

A teen girl hiding the scars of a past relationship finds home and healing in the words of strong Black writers. A beautiful sophomore novel from a critically acclaimed author and poet that explores how words have the power to shape and uplift our world even in the midst of pain.

"A true embodiment of the term Black Girl Magic.” –Booklist
 
When... Read more

Dear Miss Metropolitan

By: Carolyn Ferrell

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 11 hours 12 minutes

Abridged: No

A finalist for the 2022 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
A finalist for the 2022 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel

Introducing an extraordinary and original writer whose first novel explores the intersections of grief and rage, personal strength and healing—and what we owe one another.

Fern seeks refuge from her mother’s pill-popping and boyfriends... Read more

Blood Like Magic

By: Liselle Sambury

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Length: 16 hours 14 minutes

Abridged: No

“High stakes, big heart, and lots of Black Girl Magic…unputdownable.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys

A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the... Read more

The Jigsaw Man

By: Nadine Matheson

Narrated by: Davine Henry

Length: 14 hours 8 minutes

Abridged: No

"A heart-pounding roller coaster ride."—Tami Hoag, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boy

*A Crime Reads Most Anticipated Book of 2021*

A serial killer and his copycat are locked in a violent game of cat and mouse. Can DI Anjelica Henley stop them before it’s too late?

On the day she returns to active duty with the Serial Crimes Unit,... Read more

Milk Blood Heat

By: Dantiel W. Moniz

Narrated by: Machelle Williams

Length: 5 hours 31 minutes

Abridged: No

A livewire debut from Dantiel W. Moniz, one of the most exciting discoveries in today's literary landscape, Milk Blood Heat depicts the sultry lives of Floridians in intergenerational tales that contemplate human connection, race, womanhood, inheritance, and the elemental darkness in us all. Set among the cities and suburbs of Florida, each... Read more

Survival of the Thickest

By: Michelle Buteau

Narrated by: Michelle Buteau

Length: 6 hours 34 minutes

Abridged: No

*Now a comedy series on Netflix!*
From the stand-up comedian, actress, and host beloved for her cheeky swagger, unique voice, and unapologetic frankness comes a book of “zesty and hilarious” (Publishers Weekly) essays for fans of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling and We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union.

If you’ve... Read more

The Black Kids

By: Christina Hammonds Reed

Narrated by: Kiersey Clemons

Length: 8 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

A New York Times bestseller
A William C. Morris Award Finalist

“Should be required reading in every classroom.” —Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin
“A true love letter to Los Angeles.” —Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of Little & Lion
“A brilliantly poetic take on one of the most defining moments in Black... Read more

A Fortune For Your Disaster

By: Hanif Abdurraqib

Narrated by: Hanif Abdurraqib

Length: 1 hour 36 minutes

Abridged: No

In his much-anticipated follow-up to The Crown Ain't Worth Much, poet, essayist, biographer, and music critic Hanif Abdurraqib has written a book of poems about how one rebuilds oneself after a heartbreak, the kind that renders them a different version of themselves than the one they knew. It's a book about a mother's death, and admitting that... Read more

The Gone Dead

By: Chanelle Benz

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 8 hours 6 minutes

Abridged: No

Billie James' inheritance isn't much: a little money and a shack in the Mississippi Delta. The house once belonged to her father, a renowned black poet who died unexpectedly when Billie was four years old. Though Billie was there when the accident happened, she has no memory of that day—and she hasn't been back to the South since. Thirty years... Read more

Everything's Trash, But It's Okay

By: Phoebe Robinson

Narrated by: Phoebe Robinson

Length: 8 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

DON’T MISS PHOEBE ROBINSON’S COMEDY SERIES EVERYTHING’S TRASH—NOW ON FREEFORM!

New York Times bestselling author and star of 2 Dope Queens Phoebe Robinson is back with a new, hilarious, and timely essay collection on gender, race, dating, and the dumpster fire that is our world.

Wouldn't it be great if life came with instructions? Of course, but... Read more

Washington Black

By: Esi Edugyan

Narrated by: Dion Graham

Length: 12 hours 18 minutes

Abridged: No

ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • “A gripping historical narrative exploring both the bounds of slavery and what it means to be truly free.” —Vanity Fair

Eleven-year-old George Washington Black—or Wash—a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is... Read more

Kwame Crashes the Underworld

By: Craig Kofi Farmer

Narrated by: Joshua Quinn

Length: 8 hours 56 minutes

Abridged: No

Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.

Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn't ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life.

He's... Read more

Sharks Don't Sink

By: Jasmin Graham

Narrated by: Jasmin Graham

Length: 6 hours 1 minute

Abridged: No

The uplifting story of a young Black scientist’s challenging journey to flourish outside the traditional confines of academia, inspired by her innate connection to nature’s most misunderstood animal—the shark.

"Jasmin Graham has that winning combination of talent and grit needed to excel as a scientist. Every girl who wants to be a marine... Read more

Trouble in Queenstown

By: Delia Pitts

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 11 hours 58 minutes

Abridged: No

With Trouble in Queenstown, Delia Pitts introduces private investigator Vandy Myrick in a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results.

"Turpin masterfully distinguishes among characters of different genders, ages, and ethnic backgrounds, ensuring that each voice is distinct and authentic."—AudioFile

Evander... Read more

Curvy Girl Summer

By: Danielle Allen

Narrated by: Wesleigh Siobhan

Length: 12 hours 23 minutes

Abridged: No

Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Survival of the Thickest in Danielle Allen’s CURVY GIRL SUMMER, a smoking-hot, hilarious novel about the perils of online dating.

“There’s got to be an easier way than dating. I want the shortcut. I just want to find my person and start our lives together.”
After a one-night stand with her clingy ex, Aaliyah James has... Read more