As we prepare to let go of summer, I mourn a little. Drinking wine while reading on my patio has been my favourite summer pastime. But at least as summer gives way to fall, September 2024 promises to be a powerful month for new book releases by Black and BIPOC authors. 

Here the six books at the top of my list this month. But the full list of upcoming titles span diverse genres, from historical fiction to science fiction, offering gripping stories and fresh perspectives. 

Here are the six books at the top of my list…

Who’s That Girl: A Memoir by Eve – September 17 

This book has been on my radar for months, I love Eve, not only her music but the way she’s evolved as a woman. This fearless, empowering, and inspirational memoir takes a look at the hip-hop sensation. Eve explores her rise to stardom as a female MC, her lasting legacy on pop culture and music, and her incredible yet enduring struggle balancing her personal life with her professional one.

Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell – September 10 

In this exquisite speculative novel set in a world where white people no longer exist, college professor Charlie Brunton receives a call from his estranged daughter Sidney, setting off a chain of events as they journey across a truly “post-racial” America in search of answers.

Lovely One: Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson – September 3 

In this inspiring, intimate memoir, the first Black woman to ever be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court chronicles her extraordinary life story.

With this unflinching account, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson invites readers into her life and world, tracing her family’s ascent from segregation to her confirmation on America’s highest court within the span of one generation.

Habits for Healing: Reclaim Your Purpose, Peace, and Power by Nakeia Homer – September 17 

I love Nakeia Homer’s words and books. In this latest collection, Homer analyzes the premise of what impacts you doesn’t have to define you. Turning concepts like boundaries and self-care into practical rituals that can transform your life Habits for Healing is the next inspiring step on your mental health journey.

Colored Television by Danzy Senna –  September 3

This is a dark comedy about second acts, creative appropriation, and the racial identity–industrial complex.

Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez – September 10 

In Tias and Primas, the follow-up to her acclaimed debut For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts, Mojica Rodríguez explores these archetypes. Fearlessly grappling with the effects of intergenerational trauma, centuries of colonization, and sexism, she attempts to heal the pain that is so often embodied in female family lines.

Here are additional diverse books coming out this month that you should add to your list:

• Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers
• Karaoke Queen by Dominic Lim
• Thriving Postpartum Embracing the Indigenous Wisdom of La Cuarentena by Pānquetzani
• A Place Between Waking and Forgetting by Eugen Bacon
• Abolish Rent: How Tenants Can End the Housing Crisis by Tracy Rosenthal; Leonardo Vilchis
• Blood on the Brain by Esinam Bediako
• Real Ones a novel by Katherena Vermette
• A Sunny Place for Shady People Stories by Mariana Enriquez
• Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities that Shaped a Borough by Prithi Kanakamedala
• The Whole Man: 40 Spiritual Reflections from Black Men on the Head, Heart, Hands, and Soul by Rasool Berry, Dr. Maliek Blade, Jerome Gay
• Lakshmi’s Secret Diary by Ari Gautier

• Vengeance Feminism: The Power of Black Women’s Fury in Lawless Times by Kali Gross
• Shine Bright Anyway: 90 Affirmations That Declare You Are Enough When the World Says You’re Not by Faith Broussard Cade
• Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit
• The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew
• She Changed the Nation: Barbara Jordan’s Life and Legacy in Black Politics by Mary Ellen Curtin
• Yonder Come Day: Exploring the Collective Witness of the Formerly Enslaved by Jasmine L. Holmes
•  The Dating Countdown by N.G. Peltier
• Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
• The Most Famous Girl in the World by Iman Hariri-Kia
• Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz
• Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari
• The Ending Fire Trilogy #3 by Saara El-Arifi
• Caring Well: 90 Self-Care Devotions for the African American Caregiver by Jeanne Porter King
• A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen by Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling
• The Love Habit: Daily Self-Care Practices for a Happier Life and Healthier Relationships by Rainie Howard
• Staying Power: A Guided Journal to Living Changed, Connected, and Confident by Sarah Jakes Roberts
• Kaleidoscope by Brenda L. Thomas
• White Boy/Black Girl: What Our Differences Can Teach Us, One Honest Conversation at a Time by Adaeze and Chad Brinkman
• The Little Book of E by E. Ethelbert Miller
• Carl Weber’s Kingpins: Queens 3 by Erick S. Gray
• Murder in Berkeley Square by Vanessa Riley
• Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton
• We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado
• We’re Alone Essays by Edwidge Danticat
• Countess by Suzan Palumbo
• Armed with Good Intentions by Wallo267
• Guava and Grudges by Alexis Castellanos
• Faeries Never Lie: Tales to Revel In edited by Zoraida Córdova
• First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream by Jessica Hoppe
•  Ida in Love and in Trouble by Veronica Chambers
•  Now You Owe Me by Aliah Wright
• Strive: 8 Steps to Find Your Awesome by Venus Williams
• Guide Me Home by Attica Locke
• Magically Black and Other Essays by Jerald Walker
• Before the Mango Ripens by Afabwaje Kurian
• A Novel Christmas by Charity Shane
• Christmas in Spite of You by K.C. Mills
• The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison
• Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau 
• Out of My Dreams by Sharon M. Draper
• It Happened One Homecoming  by Cheris Hodges
• Elevator Pitch by Evelyn Leigh
• Endgame by Ola Tundun
• At the Waterfall: A multiracial forced proximity romance by Smardline Sufra 
• Rage: On Being Queer, Black, Brilliant… and Completely Over It by Lester Fabian Brathwaite
• I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America by Don Lemon
• Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith by Rickey Smiley

Here are diverse children’s books coming out in September 

• Ayo’s Adventure: Across the African Diaspora from Afro to Zulu by Ain Heath Drew 
• The Oracle’s Door: Prequel to Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott
• Halima, Superhero Princess by Emily Joof
• My Hair Can by Matt Forté, Illustrated by Sophia Green
• Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
• Clutch Time: A Shot Clock Novel by Justin A. Reynolds
• Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer
• Dear Dad: Growing Up with a Parent in Prison — And How We Stayed Connected by Jay Jay Patton and Antoine Patton
• Fortunes & Frenemies (Wildseed Witch Book 3) by Marti Dumas
• What’s Yours Is Mine? by Faith Knight
• The Idea in You: A Picture Book by Questlove, Illustrated by Sean Qualls
• The Boldest White: A Story of Hijab and Community by Ibtihaj Muhammad, Illustrated by Hatem Aly
• Black Star by Kwame Alexander
• Stacey Speaks Up by Stacey Abrams aka Selena Montgomery, Illustrated by Kitt Thomas

Which ones are you adding to your list this month? Let me know in the comments.