Best Books By Black Women Summer 2021

Skip navigation!

Begin Slideshow

Designed by Anna Jay.

Welcome to Hot Book Summer. From books about queer joy to snappy page turners you can read in a weekend, true crime books without the violence against women to Unbothered's picks of the best books written by Black women now, R29 has got your summer reading list sorted.

Hi, Melissa and Natalie from Black Girls Book Club here. For us, summer reading isn’t just a thing to do, it's the thing to do.

Reading hits the enjoyment spot in between the family barbecues, rooftop brunches, cocktail parties and those small gatherings in the park that turn into a full-blown party once someone’s uncle turns up with a jerk pan and a sound system. We may not be out of the pandemonium of lockdowns just yet but literary fiction written by Black women is really sweetening up summer. We've been blessed with debuts by phenomenal new writers as well as long-awaited releases from some of the best writers around.

So let's get into our Unbothered Summer Recommended Reads – or as we like to call it: "Black Girls Book Club presents: books to add to your TBR pile this summer and other stories."

More from Books & Art

The 57 Most Erotic Books You Will Ever Read

by Shannon Carlin

In Defence Of ‘Chick Lit’

Reading has always been a joyful experience for me. Since the moment I was old enough to sit still and read a book, I have spent many of my waking hours do

7 Books That Tell A Forgotten Black British History

The origins of Black British history (the who, what, why, when and where…) remain a constant source of confusion and contention in the UK, with many

These Feel-Good Photos Celebrate Friends & Their Clubbing Outfits

“Nothing could better signify the fashions of Glasgow than the club culture the city has to offer and the people who get dressed up to enter these sp

by Joanna Cresswell

Yomi Adegoke’s The List Is A Cautionary Tale For The Chro...

Yomi Adegoke refuses to look up reviews of her debut novel, The List, online — especially on TikTok, a side of the internet she openly admits she’s “

by L'Oréal Blackett

These Nostalgic Photos Celebrate The Girls Of Cornwall

Growing up in rural Cornwall, photographer Francesca Rowse often found herself questioning her place as a young woman. “It’s a very patriarchal cou

by Joanna Cresswell

8 Summer Reads For Every Type Of Holiday Destination

by Maybelle Morgan

These Photos Capture The Bond Between A Mother & Daughter Just 17...

by Joanna Cresswell

These Photos Tell The Love Story Of A Past Relationship (NSFW)

by Joanna Cresswell

Reflective Photos Of Daughters Who Have Lost Their Mothers

Berlin-based photographer Marina Hoppmann was just 17 years old when she lost her mum, Ria. The two of them had been exceptionally close and the experience

by Joanna Cresswell

Growing Up, My Mother and I Couldn’t Understand Each Other ...

I began writing my memoir without knowing how it’d end — a strange thing to say about a type of book that’s literally comprised of the memories that

In Pictures: Young People Living With ADHD

London-based Norwegian photographer Nora Nord was diagnosed with ADHD in 2018, when she was in her early 20s. It was an immensely freeing feeling, she says

by Joanna Cresswell

R29 Original Series