Make Do with What You Have(Amistad), by Kardea Brown
Following the success of her debut, The Way Home—and her new Charleston, South Carolina, restaurant, Kardea Brown’s Southern Kitchen the best-selling author is back. This offering taps her Gullah Geechee roots to bring us more than 100 delicious, easy-on-the-pocket recipes, like On the Run Breakfast Sandwiches and Ramen Chicken Noodle Soup.
Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage(Penguin RandomHouse), by Misty Copeland
The first Black woman to become a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre releases Bunheads, Act 2, a follow up to 2020’s Bunheads. Loosely centered on the ballet Don Quixote (which is based on the 1600s Spanish novel), Act 2 speaks to kids ages 5–8 about themes of resilience, compassion and friendship—values Copeland says shaped her early years.
Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing(Amistad), by Tara Pringle Jefferson
Many of us carry the wounds of our mothers, grandmothers and even unknown matriarchs—while balancing modern stressors like an unstable economy. Jefferson, founder of digital community The Self Care Suite, packs her guide with insight from wellness experts, reconnecting us to a legacy of support that has helped generations of Black women bloom.
Bitter Honey(William Morrow), by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
For her debut, In Every Mirror She’s Black, Nigerian novelist and photographer Åkerström received massive acclaim. Now, she returns with a fast-moving tale spanning four decades and three continents. Bitter Honey tells the story of a protective mother and her pop-star daughter, divided by long-buried secrets, who struggle to understand each other as they reach toward love and forgiveness.
Less Is Liberation: Finding Freedom from a Life of Overwhelm(Hachette), by Christine Platt
You know the joy that comes when you declutter your space? Less Is Liberation, the latest from Afrominimalist movement founder and attorney Christine Platt, promises that feeling of freedom more often, as readers begin to understand how the overwhelm of accumulating “stuff” negatively impacts our overall well-being.
Black, White, Colored: The Hidden Story of an Insurrection, a Family, a Southern Town, and Identity in America(Amistad) by Lauretta Malloy Noble and LeeAnét Noble
Black families like the Malloys thrived in Laurinburg, North Carolina, in the late 19th century. They became successful landlords, business owners and doctors who made their own claim on the “American Dream.” On the eve of Election Day, 1898, White supremacists launched a bloody attack, forcing Laurinburg’s Black citizens to flee. Due to proud Laurinburg descendants Lauretta Malloy Noble and her daughter LeeAnét Noble, the Southern community is finally being given its rightful place in history. Personal family accounts reveal how, despite slavery, Jim Crow and other roadblocks, the Malloy clan became one of Laurinburg’s richest and most powerful.
The World Is Waiting for You: Embrace Your Calling and Manifest the God Dream Over Your Life(HarperOne), by Edwina Findley Dickerson
Film, television and theater actress Dickerson counters preconceived notions about balancing ambitious career aspirations with real-life demands in her wisdom-filled book. Beginning with a riveting foreword by fellow actress Viola Davis, it takes you on an inspirational ride, sharing stories of how God manifested His divine dream for Dickerson’s life—and how you, too, can manifest your calling.
It Was the Way She Said It(Penguin RandomHouse), by Terry McMillan
The living literary legend known as Terry McMillan is blessing us with another “I just can’t put it down!” book. In her newest offering, the best-selling author of classics like Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back combines previously published short fiction and nonfiction pieces with never-before-seen works. The 2008 ESSENCE Lifetime Achievement Award recipient addresses controversial topics, from domestic abuse in “Mama, Take Another Step” to extreme poverty in “Can’t Close My Eyes to It.” Whether she’s exploring personal life lessons or getting real about aging, McMillan approaches every piece with the candor, wit and fearlessness that have made her such a beloved author since the early 1990s.
