Most bookworms have that list of authors that are their go-to “must buy.” It took me a while to have such a dedicated list since I was burned by book hype and reads that disappointed me. Also, I tend to read a lot of classics, so contemporary authors never met my interests or radar.
That is until I encountered the following authors.
I fell in love with their books, and I haven’t looked back. The authors have introduced me to new ideas and fantastic storytelling, and I consider them the best of the best. I have a rule where I have to read at most three books by the same author for me to think of them to be part of my must-buy crew. So, if you are looking for a new author to add to your TBR pile, the following ones will lead you in the right direction.
Don’t worry. This is always an ever-growing list. The next time around, you will see a new group of authors that make the list. So keep on the lookout!
Catherine Ryan Howard
After reading 56 Days, I was captivated by how twisty and engrossing the books was. I knew that had to look to see what other books she has written and since then, I always on the look for new titles by Ryan.
Sara Barnard
I credit Barnard for getting me interested in rereading YA. After reading Goodbye Perfect, I discovered that YA can be written beautifully and realistically. Barnard doesn’t try to sound like a teenager; she writes from the heart. And it made me I believe that there could be believable YA out there.
Laura Bates
The first book I read by Bates was Everyday Sexism, and from then on, I had to get my hands on everything she had written. The way she writes, whether it is an essay or fiction book, the way she writes is so insightful and enlightening that you can’t help but Feel empowered by her words. If am you haven’t read anything by Laura Bates, now is the perfect time to begin.
Holly Jackson
Sara Barnard got me rereading YA fiction, and Holly Jackson got me rereading YA mysteries. A Good Girls Guide To Murder series was exciting and completely different from what I’ve previously read before and from then on. Every book in the series didn’t disappoint, so I am always anticipating what latest thriller she comes up with, and so far, like with A Good Girls Guide…, Jackson hasn’t disappointed.
Nadine Matheson
It’s so rare to read a BIPOC main character in a mystery, let alone by a BIPOC author. So, discovering Nadine Matheson was a godsend for me. Not only reading the Inspector Anjelica Henley series was exciting and new , it was also compelling and suspenseful to read and its been awhile for me to be excited for a mystery series. Matheson has created a series that is both realistic and thrilling that makes you want more after you hit the last page.
Manjeet Mann
Run Rebel left an emotional punch, The Crossing had me enthralled. Every book that I buy from her has always been a winner and has left me with a different outlook on life. The innovative way she wrote The Crossing cemented Mann for me as one of my favorite authors.
John Allison
Giant Days was one of the books, in this case, series, that saved me during the COVID lockdown. When there wasn’t anything on TV, reading this series in one sitting was like having a TV show in my head! After reading the last issue, Giant Days, I couldn’t get enough of John Allison’s wit, humor, and creative storytelling. I had to read everything that he had created. If I am ever in a funk or need a break from reading dark and mysterious stories, Allison’s comics are always a good pick-me-up.
Laura Purcell
Agatha Christie is the Queen of Mystery, and Laura Purcell is the Queen of Gothic Fiction. Purcell has the gift of creating dark and atmospheric gothic stories that are not only profoundly researched but also enriched with captivating storytelling and mysterious writing with stories that leave you with a satisfying chill down your spine.
Sarah Crossan
I consider Crossan to be the Queen of Novels in Verse. The reason that I now read novels in verse. Crossan’s work is always so captivating and emotional that towards the end of her novels, eyes are always left with tears. If you are not a fan of novels in verse, then you should definitely pick up one of Crossan’s award -winning novels to change your perspective.
Matt Haig
Another award-winning author that leaves such an emotional impact through their writing. Haig creates inspirational writing through both fiction and nonfiction works. You always find yourself rereading it over and over because you need to read something moving and uplifting to get you through the rest of the day. That is what Matt Haig’s works does for me.
Nikita Gill
I was never a big poetry person. That is until I read Nikita Gill’s works. She took poetry (and combine it with a beautiful artwork) to a whole different level. Here is another author who provides inspirational and motivational words that are helpful when dealing with mental health issues and matters. If you are having trouble reading poetry, I highly recommend reading Gill’s beautiful work.
Jojo Moyes
I credit Jojo Moyes for getting me out my reading funk years ago. After reading Me Before You, I not only wanted to read everything else by Moyes, but this was also a time where I fell in love reading British and Irish contemporary books. Moyes doesn’t just write romantic stories. She writes stories that are seeped with emotional and realistic storytelling that just stay with you always. I always feel enriched when I read another Moyes novel and in awe of the different stories that she can tell. That’s why she is one of my favorite authors of all time.
- 2026 New and Upcoming Books by Black Authors
Celebrating black authors is not a monthly initiative…it is an everyday initiative. This has been said for the past few years. However, it is more important than ever. Black authors need readers’ support, to make sure they receive the same attention as their other counterparts. And this is what theis blog post intends to do.
This list highlights fantastic reads for this month and uplifts and supports books by black writers 365 days of the year. So, make sure to bookmark this blog post. You will want to keep track of these fantastic reads that are coming out in 2026. From romance to horror, book lovers will be greatly entertained for the year and onward.
If you are looking for more books by black authors, keep checking my Bookshop.org page where I am constantly adding books every day!
Adult
Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane
As turmoil simmers within a divided nation, smoke from another blaze begins to rise. Sparked by individual acts of resistance among those enslaved across the American South, their seemingly disparate rebellions fuel a singular inferno of justice, connecting them in ways quiet at times, explosive at others. As these flames rise, so will they.
Luke, quick-witted and literate, and Henri, a man with a strong and defiant spirit, forge an unbreakable bond at a Virginia plantation called Magnolia Row. Both seek escape from unimaginable cruelty. And sure as the fires of hell, Luke and Henri will leave their mark, sparking resistance among the lives they touch…
One is Josephine, a young, sharp, and observant girl who wields silence as her greatest weapon. A witness to Luke and Henri’s resilience, she listens, watches, waits for the moment to make her move.
Then there is Charity Butler, her husband a formerly enslaved man who proved his ferocity as a young boy standing alongside Josephine. At his encouragement, Charity fights for her freedom in court and wins – only to battle a deeply unjust system designed to destroy the life they’ve built.
And finally, there is Nathaniel, who ruthlessly exploits other Black people and mirrors the cruelty of the white men who, like him, are enslavers. A perversion of the system of slavery, his fragile and contradictory rule will become a catalyst of its own.
Inspired by the true stories of the profoundly courageous men and women who dared to fight back, Burn Down Master’s House is a singular tour de force of a novel—breathtaking in scope, compassion, and a timeliness that speaks powerfully to our present era. (Credit: Dafina)
The Quiet Girls by Dorothy Koomson
When MJ Hudson, an old work acquaintance, shows up at Dr Kez Lanyon’s house in the middle of the night, Kez knows she has no choice but to help.
At the prestigious boarding school that MJ’s daughter attends, a teacher has been killed and a pupil is missing. And it seems that the same thing happens every few years. Only this time, the school haven’t been able to cover things up and MJ’s daughter and her group of nice, quiet friends are right at the heart of the scandal.
Undercover as the new school therapist, Kez quickly realises there are some seriously powerful, well-connected forces at play. And by continuing to investigate the mystery, perhaps even stepping outside the law to do so, Kez risks putting her own family in serious danger.
Because no one wants their secrets aired. And some will go to any length to keep them buried. (Credit: Hachette Mobius)
Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi
YOU KNOW MY NAME, BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.
Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love’s thrall.
Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.
Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.
How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, and divinely blessed to rule.
Death will silence me no longer.
This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived. (Credit: Ballantine Books)
Fire Sword & Sea by Vanessa Riley
The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise waters around Tortuga. She falls in love with a pirate, but when he returns to the sea, Jacquotte decides to make her own way. In Haiti she becomes Jacques, a dockworker, earning the respect of those around her while hiding her gender.
Jacquotte discovers that secret identities are fairly common in the chaotic world of seafaring, which is full of outsiders and misfits. She forms a deep bond with Bahati, an African-born woman who has escaped slavery and also disguises herself as a man to navigate the world. They join forces with Dirkje De Wulf, a fearless adventurer who also lives as a man at sea. As Jacques, Jacquotte falls in love with Lizzôa d’Erville, a beautiful courtesan who deals in secrets and sex. While others see their work clothes as a disguise, Lizzôa’s true self is as a woman.
For the next twenty years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of riches. Risking her life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot a war of liberation. (Credit: William Morrow)
The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson
DI Henley faces her darkest challenge yet…
When a string of grisly murders begins painting the city in terror, DI Henley soon realise a vigilante killer is scalping their victims before leaving them for dead. Henley is thrust into a web of secrets, unravelling connections between the victims while battling demons from her own past. As the killer raises the stakes, the line between predator and prey begins to blur. With time slipping away and her own life in jeopardy, Henley must outwit a psychopath who views murder as an art form. Can she hunt them down before the final stroke of the scalpel closes the case forever? (Credit: Hanover Square Press)
Person Unlimited: An Ode to My Black Queer Body by Dean Atta
You’ve fought and you’ve run away.
You’ve danced with other Black queer bodies until sunrise.
Sometimes you wanted to be caught and sometimes you wanted to be held.
With all that you’ve endured, you are nothing less than miraculous.From choirboy to drag act, grandson to mentor, poet to lover, Dean Atta has played many roles in his life. In this formally inventive, candid and courageous book, he explores what he has carried in his body: wins and losses, shame and pride, pain and joy. Dean also investigates how radical self-acceptance and a willingness to abide with discomfort open up the possibility of a life lived beyond definition: a person unlimited. (Credit: Canongate Books)
Skate It Till You Make It by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
Ari Shumba never expected to make it to the Winter Games, let alone be the one to lead Great Britain’s women’s ice hockey team through the most important competition of their lives. When her teammate’s unexpected injury catapults her to the role of captain, Ari reluctantly shoulders the responsibility while trying to navigate family drama and dodge her toxic ex.
Drew Dlamini has always feared taking risks. After breaking up with his girlfriend and dropping out of college to handle a family crisis, he’s desperate for a fresh start. When he finds himself in London for the holidays, he rekindles his dream of becoming a professional photographer.
When Ari and Drew meet at a New Year’s Eve party, neither of them is looking for love. Though their chemistry is instant, they live on opposite sides of the Atlantic, so they spend the night revealing their glaring red flags, thinking they’ll never see each other again. But when they unexpectedly cross paths in the snowy Swiss Alps two months later, their feelings for each other rise to the surface.
As the competition heats up, the combination of complicated exes, overinvolved families, and stress-inducing teammates convinces them that the perfect solution to their problems is to fake-date their way through the Games. After all, there’s no risk of falling in love if it is doomed from the start . . . right? (Credit: Flatiron Books)
- The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
- The Body by Bethany C. Morrow
- You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom by Vincent Tirado
- Score by Kennedy Ryan
- Where The Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
- Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop by Jeannine A. Cook
- Honey by Imani Thompson
- The Exes by Leodora Darlington
Teen and Young Adult
I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata Emill
Five years ago, the infamous Trojan murders turned the small town of Moss Pointe, Louisiana into a living nightmare. Four teen boys—all star players on Moss Pointe High’s football team—were murdered one after the other by a Trojan-mask wearing killer.
Eventually, the murderer was unmasked. But the community has never forgotten—and some folks in town still wonder whether the police got it right.
Eighteen-year-old Pryce Cummings is one of them. An aspiring journalist, Pryce is pretty sure he just stumbled upon evidence that throws the killer’s guilt into question. It’s the perfect story for his own podcast, and a reason to go back to the hometown he’s avoided since coming to terms with his sexuality while at college.
But in Moss Pointe, digging into the past is anything but welcome. There’s so much more to what happened there five years ago, and Pryce is ready to crack it all wide open . . . if he lives to tell the tale. (Credit: Delacorte Press)
Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen
The people are calling . . .
And the gods will answer.Moremi has only ever known peace in the Kingdom of Kwa, thanks to the two dragon gods keeping an unspeakable evil at bay. But when the king tries to claim the gods’ power for himself, it all goes dreadfully wrong. The great dragons are injured and flee . . . and the world’s darkest shadows are released.
Suddenly, Kwa’s ancient tales of monsters become all too real. Yet as death comes for those around her, Moremi somehow finds herself magically connected to both dragon gods—a feat that should be impossible.
Now, Moremi is Kwa’s only hope for restoring the gods to full strength. But will Jagun, the mysterious prince, let her anywhere near the dragons? And how does her childhood friend, Nox, feel about it all? It may not matter in the end, because if Moremi fails her quest, then she risks the earth caving in and the sky crumbling down. (Credit: Random House Books for Young Readers)
The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Five prodigies, one dead father, a mansion full of suspects…
Octavius the Maestro.
Fola the Brain.
Bilal the Olympian.
Perdita the Artist.
Romeo the Failure.These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father’s impossibly high standards.
Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.
Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren’t the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies. . . (Credit: Feiwel & Friends)
King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore
Anton Charles and his friends are the kings of the school, and they rule with an iron fist, intimidating classmates and maintaining a reputation built on fear.
But at home, Mum reigns supreme, and after one too many detentions, she cuts off Anton’s internet and decides it’s time for a serious change. She signs him up for the Happy Campers, a local activity group, and Anton’s worst nightmare becomes a reality: Matthew, the school’s biggest dork, is in it too.
Anton can’t imagine anything worse than spending weekends sewing and singing campfire songs with Matthew and his band of geeks–how will he ever keep his reputation intact if anyone finds out? But after Matthew unexpectedly saves Anton’s life, everything changes.
As the boys strike up an unlikely friendship, Anton finds himself questioning everything he thought was true. Maybe there’s more to life than what his friends think of him? Maybe it’s time to rethink what being a “man” really means?
And maybe there are some things more important than being king. (Credit: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Brielle and Bear: Project Fairytale by Salomey Doku
A wonderfully romantic love story in a stunning, full-colour graphic novel format
Fairytale Rule No.2:
Ordinary people fall into adventures all the time – especially when they least expect it.
Brielle is living out her fairytale dream at Once Upon a Time University, but it’s exam season and with all the late-night studying and extra classes, she still hasn’t found a moment to tell Bear how she really feels about him. As Bear starts to get closer to cheerleader Sasha, and Brielle reconciles with ex Pavão, divisions begin to form between the pair.
After the summer holidays, Brielle determines to rewrite her fairytale rules and tries to reconnect with Bear. But with the Masquerade Ball fast approaching, will she be too late to spark romance?
Hope, dreams and magical secrets collide in this stunningly illustrated and irresistibly romantic coming-of-age fairytale, where the path to happily ever after is never easy … (Credit: HarperCollins Publishers)
Breakout: A Novel
For Thurgood Marshall Academy’s best and brightest–five friends who’ve been thick as thieves since kindergarten–this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year’s tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.
It’s a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad’s luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one’s counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they’re also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies… including (another) one of their own.
As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind–secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends–seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?
From the bestselling, award-winning team behind Blackout and Whiteout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes a thriller that begs the question: is it possible to outrun the worst thing you’ve ever done? (Credit: Quill Tree Books)
- Wonderland by Patience Agbabi
- The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass
- Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis Featherstone
- Sundown Girls by Patrice Caldwell
- They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours
- Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page
- To Steal A Throne by Gabi Burton
- Doe by Rebecca Barrow
Children
Auntie’s Bangles: A Story About Love and Loss by Dean Atta and illustrated by Alea Marley
A heartfelt story about love, loss and the joy a person leaves behind, written by multi-prize winning poet Dean Atta and illustrated by the award-winning Alea Marley.
Auntie’s bangles used to jingle-jangle as she laughed, read and made delicious dishes, and especially as she danced. But everyone is so sad since Auntie died. It feels . . . quiet.
Slowly, Theo and his cousin, Rama, learn to celebrate their memories of Auntie, even after she’s gone.
This gentle and sensitive exploration of grief will open up important conversations and help little ones find their own way to remember and celebrate someone they’ve lost. (Credit: Hachette Children’s Group)
Wild Magic: Escape of the Sea Turtles by Abiola Bello and illustrated by Emma McCann
Discover your wild side! Join twins Misha and Ziggy on another magical wildlife adventure in the third book in the WILD MAGIC series. For fans of Secret Beast Club, Megan Rix and Space Detectives.
Misha and Ziggy are super excited to be joining their wildlife presenter father on a trip to Mexico, where they’ll be able to test their magical powers all over again. Misha can’t wait to talk to all the fascinating animals she meets and Ziggy is eager to shapeshift into all the amazing animals he sees!
When Misha and Ziggy discover that there are turtles trapped in plastic and fishing nets in the sea, they must work together to free the turtles so that they can lay their eggs. Can Misha and Ziggy help the sea turtles before nesting season is over (Credit: Simon & Schuster UK)
Kid X by Tracey Baptiste
Win “Coal” Keegan is starting to get the hang of his new life. He’s come to love his foster family, the McKays, and is getting more confident with his invisibility powers. Almost too confident. At first, he uses his abilities for small favors. But soon, the favors snowball into bigger asks and messier pranks. And when rumors surface about a “ghost” in the neighborhood, Coal realizes it might be best to keep his talents under wraps.
But that gets harder when Coal starts to suspect that someone–or something–might be tracking him. And as the evidence stacks up, Coal realizes he’s not the only one with powers. Is his pursuer friend or foe? What would it be like to meet someone just like him?
As the stakes rise and Coal finds allies and enemies in unexpected places, he’ll have to channel a new level of bravery to protect himself, his family, and his world. Packed with themes of technology, race, and justice, this exhilarating follow-up to Boy 2.0 returns readers to the world of their new favorite superhero. (Credit: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Olve Oakes and the Haunted Carousel by Kalynn Bayron
Olive Oakes loves a good mystery. She keeps a notebook with her at all times, ready to jot down observations about anything that seems out of the ordinary. Along with her cousin Eli, Olive is always looking to follow the clues.
When Olive and her family visit a town called Whispering Woods, she uncovers a strange backstory to the traveling carnival that comes through the area once a year. With rumors of missing kids and ghost sightings, it’s the perfect opportunity for Olive to investigate! The people of Whispering Woods are very secretive, but Olive is ready to solve the mystery of the haunted carousel. (Credit: Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Listen To the Girls by Chrystal D. Giles
Calla has always had smart-girl energy. She’s Josiah the track star’s practical younger sister. Charlee and Jacoby’s problem-solving best friend. Attorney Dionne Howard’s model daughter. So it’s nice when someone seems to see her for her, outside of all that. But what if that person is a grown-up who maybe isn’t as trustworthy as Calla thought? Calla’s mom likes to say “Always do what you know is right.” But what if you don’t know what the right thing is?
These are the questions Calla faces on the last day of seventh grade, when she finds out that her favorite teacher has been accused of inappropriate conduct at his old school. Calla doesn’t know what really happened. She does know that people are saying mean things about the girls who have spoken out—and that can’t be right . . . can it? Inspired by her favorite newsblogger, EboniNews (whose motto is Amplify. Connect. Truth. ACT.), Calla has an idea. Can she find a way to ACT? (Credit: Random House Books for Young Readers)
- Amari and the Metalwork Menace by B.B. Alston
- Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter by Joseph Coelho
- The Street Art Mystery by Sharna Jackson
- The Sleepover Sabotage (The Breakfast Club Adventures) by Marcus Rashford and Abiola Bellow
- The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat by Tracey Baptiste
- Ghost In The Night by Tiffany D. Jackson
- Carnival Queen by Donette Williams-Harry and illustrated by Amélie-Anne Calmo
- Black Boys, I See You by Wade Hudson and illustrated by Keith Mallett
More Titles Can Be Found In My Bookshop!
- Quote of the Day – January 25, 2026
- “56 Days” Official Trailer Released
It’s finally here! The highly anticipated trailer for the upcoming Prime TV show, 56 Days was released this week! 56 Days is based on the international bestselling book by Catherine Ryan Howard. When I first encountered 56 Days, I didn’t think I was ready to read a mystery that was set during the coronavirus pandemic. But as soon as I started reading it, I was immediately hooked and I consider it to be one of the most innovative and chilling locked room thrillers I ever encountered. It also was gateway for me to read more of Howard’s books, which made her to be one of my favorite authors.
If you haven’t had a chance to read 56 Days, now is the perfect time. Just by seeing this trailer, I want to go and reread the book before the series comes out. Just by the trailer, it looks like we are in for one scintillating ride.
Watch the trailer below!
Read It Before You See It!
- Quote of the Day – January 24, 2026
- Quote of the Day – January 23, 2026
- Introducing Annual Memberships at Libro.fm!
Great news from Libro.fm! Now you can get an annual membership with Libro.fm! Starting today, their annual membership gives members 12 credits upfront, 30% off additional purchases (including sale), and access to member-only sales. And now, for a limited time, annual members will receive a 13th credit for FREE!
What a great way to support your favorite local bookshop! Sign up for your annual membership today!
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