Fall is officially here. Block parties and beach days are coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean your relaxation has to. As temperatures drop and daylight shrinks, there’s nothing quite like curling up in your favorite corner with a warm drink and a good book. If you’re searching for your next read, Black authors have some compelling releases hitting shelves this November that deserve your attention.
From memoirs to paranormal mysteries, these titles span genres and styles. Here are the Black authors and books we’re most excited about this month.
“Take My Word For It: A Memoir” by LeVar Burton (Nov. 10)
LeVar Burton’s highly anticipated memoir traces his journey from childhood during the Civil Rights Movement through his career in acting and activism. Burton reflects on how performance became an escape and explores his ongoing commitment to using his platform for advocacy. It’s a deeply personal account that challenges readers to consider their own responsibility to the generations before us.
“We Were Here” by Stephanie Phillips (Nov. 17)
Rock and alternative music histories often skip over the essential contributions of Black artists, but Phillips corrects that narrative. She centers figures like Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, and Living Colour alongside the Black fans who’ve shaped these genres. It’s a necessary reclamation of musical heritage that’s too often overlooked in mainstream conversation.
“Nola and Baldwin: A Novel” by Donna Hill (Nov. 10)
Inspired by Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Hill’s novel follows Nola Denny as she leaves the South after personal tragedy and finds herself in New York. There she meets Baldwin Carter, a man who mirrors Hurston’s Tea Cake. Their relationship becomes a meditation on healing from the past and building something real together.
“The Gospel According to DMX” by DMX & Rakim (Nov. 17)
This collection of spiritual reflections from DMX, including never-before-seen handwritten notes, offers readers a window into the late rapper’s faith journey. With a foreword by Rakim, the beautifully bound volume feels intimate and contemplative, revealing a deeper side of an artist known for intensity both on and off the mic.
“Between the River and the Railroad Tracks” by Nicole R. Fleetwood (Nov. 17)
Fleetwood’s memoir centers on her family’s connection to Hamilton, Ohio’s Second Ward, a segregated working-class neighborhood. She examines how racism and slavery’s generational impact shaped her family and other Black residents who built thriving culture and community against significant odds.
“Day One: 2024 Was 1984 FAFO” by Chuck D (Nov. 10)
Public Enemy’s Chuck D combines his illustrations with sharp social commentary about 2024. The “naphic novel manages to make George Orwell’s dystopian vision seem quaint by comparison, pairing visual art with text in a format that feels urgent and relevant.
“We Make the World: Guided Aesthetics Practices for Art, Power, and Healing” by Patrisse Cullors (Nov. 10)
Cullors explores how creativity can become a tool for power and resistance. The artist and activist frames aesthetic practice not as decoration but as a form of agency and healing, offering readers practical guidance for channeling their own creative energy.
“There Used to Be People Here” by Kennedy Cole (Nov. 3)
Set in 1970s Mississippi, Cole’s mystery follows Samuel Barkley, the town’s only Black detective, as he investigates a crime scene at a local gay bar. What begins as a straightforward case unravels into something far stranger, involving a cover-up and paranormal conspiracy that keeps pages turning.
“The Love Operation” by Melissa R. Collings (Nov. 1)
A surgeon participating in a medical trial gains an unexpected ability: perfect recall of any moment from her past. As memories of old romances resurface, she must decide whether to hold onto what was or move forward into new possibilities.
“In Latin America You Could Be Free: An African American History” by Yesenia Barragan (Nov. 10)
Historian Yesenia Barragan examines a lesser-known chapter of African American history: those who fled the South seeking freedom in Latin America. The book traces paths to Mexico, Nicaragua, and Colombia as alternative routes to liberation during the nineteenth century.
“Come Here and Cook” by Jordan Howlett (Nov. 11)
Part cookbook, part memoir, Howlett’s book blends recipes that shaped his life with stunning photography. The TikTok star’s approach feels personal and accessible, with decadent recipes like Mini Cookie S’more Pies that might actually inspire you to turn on the oven.
★TR★
