Audiobooks by Black Women | Libro.fm
It goes without saying that there’s no shortage of must-listen literature written by Black women. Even so, those authors might be underrepresented in your reading repertoire—because Black writers, editors, and other publishing professionals are underrepresented in the publishing industry as a whole.
Research shows that as of 2020, despite slow growth, Black writers still made up just over 6% of authors in the U.S. Readers might not have the power to single-handedly change that statistic, but we can shift our own habits. Common recommendations include the classics and household names—Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, Tayari Jones, Roxane Gay, etc.— and these women should absolutely be on your TBL list if you haven’t read them yet. Below, we’ve gathered some of many modern classics, all recommended by our bookseller partners, and their scope is massive—looking at not only the very real struggles of Black women but also their joy, romance, friendships, and unbridled imagined worlds.
Contemporary Fiction
Luster
“Luster centers on Edie, a young black woman working in New York publishing and barely making rent each month, who finds herself navigating a suburban white couple’s open marriage. This novel is filled with unexpected turns taken at breakneck speeds. It seamlessly examines the plight of millennials living under capitalism along with the complications of intimacy and race, all while finding both the humor and profound sadness in those things. This is a multifaceted and brilliant book, as well as an extraordinary debut from Raven Leilani.”
— Billy Butler • Bookshop Santa Cruz
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“The warmth and compassion of these stories can’t be overstated – they made me hungry in every way possible. Deesha Philyaw sets up snapshots that feel deeply intimate without voyeurism, universal without vagueness, and Janina Edwards brings it home.”
— Harry • Kepler’s Books and Magazines
Homegoing
“Homegoing is an epic narrative that is sure to become a treasured staple. Two sisters in Ghana are marked by fiery tragedy: one is married off to an English slave trader, and the other is sold to be a slave in America. The story follows their descendants generation by generation. Homegoing will break your heart over and over, impress you with the resilience of the human spirit and the amazing power of forgiveness, and leave you optimistic and in awe.”
— Nichole McCown • Bookshop Santa Cruz
Romance
The Proposal
“The Proposal is a smile in book form. Carlos is fun, smart, and loves to cook — he’s also not perfect, not horrible, just the normal quirks. Nikole has some issues too. The two meet, enjoy each other’s company, and try to make their quirks fit together. Guillory writes these wonderful, engaging romance stories that are totally realistic and charming – think of the best cocktail party story you’ve heard about how a couple met, and this book will be better. Funny, uplifting, and lighthearted, The Proposal is a perfect Friday night date.”
— Julie Karaganis • Cabot Street Books & Cards
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
“I am so here for this book! Chloe Brown is now one of my favorite heroines in a romance. It was incredibly refreshing to have a main character with a chronic illness. I have a chronic illness that is invisible as well and felt truly represented by this book. The love story and love interest Red was super swoon-worthy. These are complex characters and I loved Chloe’s sisters – I can’t wait for the next book in the series! Also – the audiobook for this is AMAZING! The narrator Adjoa Andoh is officially one of my favorite narrators now.”
— Christine • BookBar
Seven Days in June
“Fans of second chances and epic teenage love will fall hard for this book. There is just so much feeling and feelings. Chemistry just crackles off the page.”
— Zinna • A Great Good Place for Books
Science Fiction & Fantasy
The Midnight Bargain
“If you had to decide between your magical ability and love, which would you choose? Of course, it’s not that simple when your marriage will save your family from bankruptcy, but also take away more freedoms than you know. Sorcery, historical romance, feminism, female friendships, and reproductive rights — this enjoyable novel had everything | needed.”
— Marika McCoola • Porter Square Books
Gingerbread
“Helen Oyeyemi’s beautiful, sweet, almost sing-song voice is the perfect narration for Gingerbread‘s quirky and magical story. The novel flows like a river, twisting and turning in unexpected but pleasurable ways as we explore Perdita, her mother Harriet, and the mystery of their gingerbread recipe. Taking elements from traditional folk stories and blending them perfectly with modern struggles Helen has created a bedtime story that will fill your day with magic floating just outside your vision and a pull to get back to bed to listen more!”
— Genavieve • Books & Company
Children of Blood and Bone
“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character’s perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be.”
— Kelly • Mysterious Galaxy Books
Nonfiction
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation
“The spirit and essence of ‘America’ are things quintessentially, essentially elusive. In South to America, Imani Perry — native Black Southerner, award-winning author, Princeton professor — submits a gorgeously written, eminently worthy entry in the search. Crafting a compelling balance between recorded history, current events, and personal experience, Perry charts the evolution of the United States through the intriguingly and heartbreakingly contrary South, always charting a course with hope for what ‘America’ could be.”
— Jocelyn • Bookshop Santa Cruz
Finding Me
“A powerful story about self-understanding and determination to seizing the life you want.”
— Thiloma • Four Points Books
The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother’s Life in the Detroit Numbers
“I listened to this and it was read by the author herself. She did a fantastic job conveying her book and atmosphere. Fannie Davis was an amazing woman. She was smart, savvy and so generous. She loved her children and made sure that her daughter felt no food or housing insecurity despite the risks of her business running numbers. What the author did especially well was to incorporate history (African American migration, redlining neighborhoods, mortgage scams, history of Detroit, and the lottery) and how it effected her family. Bridgett Davis truly written a memoir about her mother that honors her legacy and does it justice.”
— Audrey • Belmont Books
Excellence behind the mic: iconic Black women narrators
Bahni Turpin: The master of character and emotion
It’s hard to keep track of Bahni Turpin’s accomplishments: nine Audie Awards, fourteen Earphone Awards, a place on AudioFile’s list of Golden Voice Narrators, to name just a few. One of her most celebrated narrations is for Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give, recommended by Tattered Cover bookseller Kristen: “This bestselling, powerful young adult novel about social justice and one teen girl’s effort to fight for what is right, will leave you breathless. The narration by Bahni Turpin is hands down the best l’ve ever heard. This is such an important book it should be required reading for life in general. Or listening. Definitely listening.”
January LaVoy: A versatile voice for thrillers and drama
January LaVoy is perhaps best known for her role as Noelle Ortiz in the megadramatic soap opera One Life to Live. It’s no wonder that writers and readers of thrillers and high-stakes drama—including books by Harlan Coben, Patricia Cornwell, and Amy Tintera—are drawn to her voice. Most recently, LaVoy received critical acclaim for her narration of Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson; AudioFile magazine raves, “Always warm and sympathetic, LaVoy adjusts her pace and tone to signal shifts as the story moves between the pre-Civil War South and the current day.”
Adjoa Andoh: Bringing global and out-of-this-world stories to life with elegance
Adjoa Andoh’s list of acting credits is overwhelming, including roles in celebrated shows like Doctor Who, The Witcher, Bridgerton, Broadchurch, and more. It makes sense, then, that she would be a reader and critic favorite as an audiobook narrator. Andoh won an AudioFile Earphones Award for the above-mentioned Get a Life, Chloe, but she’s a beloved voice in science fiction. Recommending Nnedi Okarafor’s Remote Control—a novella about a young woman traveling with Death in near-future Ghana—Buttonwood Books & Toys bookseller Kimi says, “The audiobook was brilliantly narrated by Adjoa Andoh, whose voice is so beautiful l almost listened twice. She gives such gravity to Sankofa while also making it clear that she is a child.”
Robin Miles: The gold standard for narrative history and prose
Robin Miles is a multiple Audie Award winner and has narrated books by some of the literary world’s heaviest hitters: Roxane Gay, Edwidge Danticat, and Jacqueline Woodson. She’s also N.K. Jemison’s go-to, for good reason. In bookseller Minna’s recommendation for Jemison’s The Fifth Season she says, “Robin Miles is one of the best narrators in the industry, and I would listen to every book she narrates. Her voice is rich and complex and she gives every character a distinct personality and voice. The Fifth Season is one of the best fantasy books ever written, and certainly one of the best audiobooks l’ve ever listened to.”
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