Diverse Books Coming Out in February That You Should Add to Your List

Happy Black History/ Black Futures Month. Although February is a shorter month, there’s no shortage of books to read and awesome books coming out this month. 

Here are seven books coming out this month that are on the top of my list: 

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde Tia Williams – February 6th 

After absolutely loving Seven Days in June, I cannot wait to read Tia Williams’ latest. I love the way Williams’ writes and weaves a story, giving the reader time to sit and enjoy it. Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.

Brooklyn by Tracy Brown – February 27 

If you read my blog at all or follow me on social you know that I adore Tracy Brown and her book ‘White Lines’ was one of the first books I ever fell in love with. Sadly Brown passed away late last year so this will probably be her last book. This book follows master manipulator Brooklyn Melody James From DC to Maryland, Brooklyn burns bridges and breaks hearts. What she doesn’t realize is that someone is prepared to end her reign of terror. As she faces her killer and her fate, Brooklyn’s stunned that justice comes from the least likely place.

The Gilded Ones #3: The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna – February 13th 

Listen, if you know about this series then you know, and us die hards have been waiting for book three for awhile and I am over the moon that it’s almost here. Mere weeks after confronting the Gilded Ones—the false beings she once believed to be her family—Deka is on the hunt. In order to kill the gods, whose ravenous competition for power is bleeding Otera dry, she must uncover the source of her divinity. But with her mortal body on the verge of ruin, Deka is running out of time—to save herself and an empire that’s tearing itself apart at its seams.

When Deka’s search leads her and her friends to the edge of the world as they know it, they discover an astonishing new realm, one which holds the key to Deka’s past. Yet it also illuminates a devastating decision she must soon make…Choose to be reborn as a god, losing everyone she loves in the process. Or bring about the end of the world.

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury – February 27th

I’ve been hooked on Liselle Sambury’s writing ever since reading Blood Like Magic, and I can’t wait to dig into this new one. This one is a psychological thriller and follows Sunny Behre. After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, Sunny tries to find the real killer and clear her brother’s name. I hear there are twists and turns and it is a wild ride. 

Dancehall Rebel by Stacey Robinson – February 6th

I adore Stacey Robinson, her writing captures the essence of the Jamaican community, and it is both refreshing and spot on. After self-publishing several books her latest, Dancehall Rebel is a YA novel published by Lorimer & Company. In this one a teen shares her dad’s vibrant Caribbean musical legacy but is burdened by the homophobia that comes along with it. She needs to find a new path for the music and for herself. I can’t wait to read it. 

Out of Body by Nia Davenport – February 6th 

When I read the description for this book I was instantly intrigued. This is a high-stakes, propulsive YA thriller with a body-swap twist thoughtfully exploring themes of friendship and identity, and it looks juicy.

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson – February 13

In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writes about her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender. Black Girl You Are Atlas encourages young readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and celebration. With full-color art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout, this collection offers guidance and is a gift for anyone who reads it.

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

• All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi
• Dysfunction Junction by Robin W. Pearson
• Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin
• The Blue Pickup by Natasha Tripplett, Illustrated by Monica Mikai
• Walking with Our Ancestors: Contemplation and Activism by Barbara A. Holmes
• Nina Simone in Comics! by Sophie Adriansen
• My Side of the River Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez
• Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver
• The Fox Wife Yangsze Choo
• The Land in Our Bones by Layla K. Feghali
• The Rise of Rage: Harnessing the Most Misunderstood Emotion by Julie A. Christiansen
• Frenemy Fix-Up Yahrah St. John
• Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
• Last to Eat, Last to Learn: My Life in Afghanistan Fighting to Educate Women
• Ours, by Phillip B. Williams
• Yumbo Gumbo by Keila V. Dawson
• American Imam: From Pop Stardom to Prison Abolition by Taymullah Abdur-Rahman
• Lore of the Wilds Analeigh Sbrana
• No Better Time by Sheila Williams
• The American Daughters A Novel by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
• The Partner Plot Kristina Forest
• Girls with Bad Reputation by Xio Axelrod
• Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne 
• Relit by Sandra Proudman 
• Smoke Kings by Jahmal Mayfield 
• Tears of Gold by Hannah Rose Thomas 
• Advertising Revolutionary by Jason P. Chambers 
• Global Anti-Asian Racism Edited by Jennifer Ho
• Inside Harare Alcatraz and Other Short Stories by Andrew Chatora
• Batshit Seven by Sheung-King
• Redwood Court Fiction by DéLana R. A. Dameron
• No Better Time by Sheila Williams
• How The Boogeyman Became A Poet by Tony Keith Jr.
• The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala
• Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned In School by Tiffany Jewell
• Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo 
• Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories by Sandra Proudman

If you’ve read any of these books, please let me know what you thought of them. And if you have any book recommendations, I’d love to hear them in the comments below. Happy reading, everyone!