October 2025 Books By Black Authors We Can’t Wait to Read

It’s a new month, which means it’s time for an all new list of amazing books from Black authors set to hit the shelves. This month has something for everyone, from moving memoirs to dystopian fantasy. Now that the long, hot summer is making way for sweater weather, you’re going to need a book or two to curl up with when you’ve run out of things to stream.

These are the books by Black authors we can’t wait to read.

“The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as  a Memoir” by Roy Wood Jr. (October 28)

From Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Roy Wood Jr. comes “The Man of Many Fathers,” a hilarious collection of life lessons he learned from men who entered his life after he lost his father as a teen. Trevor Noah called it “Honest, raw, and an absolute treat to read.”

“A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight For Black Political Power” by Abby Philip (October 28)

In “A Dream Deferred,” CNN anchor Abby Phillip looks at Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns and how he drew on his experience organizing during the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. Martin Luther King to build a coalition of urban working-class people looking for political change. 

“Recipes From the American South” by Michael W. Twitty (October 15)

From James Beard Award-winning author and culinary historian Michael W. Twitty comes “Recipes From the American South,” a collection of nearly 300 recipes that celebrate the unique flavors of the Southern United States.

“Coach” by Jason Reynolds (October 14)

“Coach” is part of bestselling author Jason Reynolds’ “Track” series for middle-grade readers. In the latest book, we meet the team’s Coach as “Otie,” an aspiring track star who is inspired to run by a “lucky” pair of Jordans that his father gave him. But everything changes when the shoes and his dad disappear.

“Dead and Alive: Essays” by Zadie Smith (October 28)

“Dead and Alive” is a collection of essays from Zadie Smith in which she reflects on everything from the current sate of government to the passing of beloved writers like Toni Morrison and Joan Didion.

“Three Or More is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012 – 2025” by Jelani Cobb (October 14)

Jelani Cobb, staff writer at The New Yorker and Dean of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, has curated a collection of his reflections on how we got from Black Lives Matter to the MAGA movement and where we might be going next in “Three Or More is a Riot.”

“Black History is Your History” by Taylor Cassidy (October 14)

In “Black History is Your History,” Taylor Cassidy, creator of the viral TikTok series “Fast Black History,” makes learning fun and interesting for YA readers, sharing inspiring stories of figures from Black history she wished she’d learned about in school…but didn’t.

“Racebook” by Tochi Onyebuchi (October 21)

Tochi Onyebuchi’s “Racebook” is a collection of personal essays that looks at the relationship between race and the internet since the late 1990s.

“The Leaving Room” by Amber McBride (October 14)

“The Leaving Room” is a beautiful novel in verse that takes place over the course of four minutes. The story centers around two souls between life and death who fall in love.

“Curdle Creek” by Yvonne Battle-Felton (October 15)

“Curdle Creek” is a thrilling dystopian novel centered around Osira, a 45-year-old widow who travels to different realms to find a place she can call home.

“King of the Neuro Verse” by Idris Goodwin (October 14)

“King of Neuro Verse” is a novel about Pernell, a Black teenager living with ADHD, who is on a mission to show off his freestyle rhyming skills and become King of the Cypher.

“As Long As You’re Mine” by Nekesa Afia (October 1)

“As Long as You’re Mine” is the story of Thea Ross, a professional ballerina who is deeply shaken when her father commits suicide and leaves behind a note confessing to a murder. Thea goes on a search for the truth that leads her to uncover dangerous secrets buried in 1930s Hollywood.

“Let Me Be Real With You” by Arshay Cooper (October 14)

In “Let Me Be Real With You” Arshay Cooper draws on his personal experience growing up on Chicago’s West Side to motivate readers to make positive changes within themselves and in their communities.