This month we celebrate the tremendously beautiful work that celebrates Black experiences. From motherhood to hidden WWII history, ancient figures and modern-day icons, these are the recent releases that book club members cannot skip if they want an enriched conversation and an immersive world.

Kin by Tayari Jones (3/10)

Vernice and Annie, two Louisiana locals, become life-long friends and next-door neighbors. Both girls, having lost their mothers, connect deeply, yet as the girls come of age, that connection severs as they launch into divergent paths. Vernice, ever supported by her loving aunt, dives into the complex land of academia learning more about herself and the world, while Annie — forged in instability — travels a gritty road of joy and strife. Tayari Jones creates a captivating tale of two young women united in loss, separated by circumstance carving their own paths forward.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson (2/10)

Three lives. Separate, yet inextricably linked across space and time. Ethel Gathers, an American wife of an officer hopes to help little souls find peace in midst of WWII. Ozzie Phillips, a soldier newly enlisted in the desegregated army, unexpectedly finds a love that alters his life. Sophia Clark, a young girl departing from an unhappy home enrolling in a segregated school for the white, uncovers a secret.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris (2/17)

For a woman like Leigh who has lost…well, everyone — grieving is a way of life. Hardened by loss, Leigh makes life altering choices as she becomes the only survivor in a prison transport crash. Trying to evade her past, she happens upon a community led by a kind farmer that harbors souls with checkered histories such as her own, but as a runaway respite is only ever temporary.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi (2/24)

An evocative story that reframes the life and legacy of the infamous Cleopatra. Perhaps, the truth cannot be known about a figure who lived so long ago, for what truths can be extracted from the dense opacity of history? Saara El-Arifi boldly repaints Cleopatra’s character, turning a story set in stone into a transformative reclamation of narrative power.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Fire Sword and Sea by Vanessa Riley (1/13)

Inspired by a real historical figure and set in the late 1600’s, Jacquotte Delahaye dreams of the open seas, and so, in disguise as a man named Jacques, she establishes her reputation as a seaman. Finding that she is not at all alone in concealing her identity in the arduous world of nautical exploration, Jacquotte plunges into a wild journey to find treasure, wealth, love, freedom and fame.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Language as Liberation by Toni Morrison (2/3)

Toni Morrison’s recorded collection of lectures explores the inextricable links between race, identity, and writing. Literary cannon, less universal and more of a mere echo of authorial identity; Morrison positions language as a tool that unveils hidden truths. Toni Morrison’s posthumous publication of Language as Liberation examines the profound power of words.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

Desiree, January, Monique, and Nakia are just beginning to carve a path in the world as they grow from budding adults to seasoned women. The four women traverse the complexities of life including the sometimes-crippling existential crises that come with romances, families, and careers. Their unbreakable bond stretches but never breaks as the women haphazardly trek through life.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole

Hopeful student Ellory Morgan enters a seemingly esteemed university hoping to make a mark as a new student. Unbeknownst to her, Warren University stands rooted in a long history of nefarious deeds committed against racially diverse figures in the desire to remain ever powerful. Ellory falls into a conundrum as she seemingly recognizes the university more than she should, and in her search for answers she uncovers more than she is prepared for.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Look by Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama, an incredible fashion icon and influential advocate for radical change, reflects on the evolution of her fashion and the ways that she honed the space to be more than aesthetics appreciation. Obama creates opportunities to speak about the world’s most challenging issues in a space previously regarded as superficial. In this new book, she beautifully captures the reinvention of advocacy melding fashion and social activism.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Fate chose Eniiyi to be the mirror image of a deceased relative, and, to make matters worse, she was born the very day the woman was laid to rest. She attempts depart from the towering shadow of her aunt to unveil the truth cloaked beneath generations of lost love. Diving headfirst into a world of murky mysticism, Eniiyi ventures out to discover whether she, too, is subject to the family’s predestination or whether she can evade the heartbreaking fate.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor

A classic artist, Wyeth, grapples with connecting to his work and conceptualizing the inherent value of black artistry. Tension grows when he discovers a seemingly forgotten black artist. After meeting Keating, an intriguing person who spent time as a Seminarian, the two engage in spirited debates considering life’s biggest mysteries.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon