8 Self-Help Books For & By Black Women

“I need help” — three words I don’t like to say out loud, especially in front of someone. It’s a sentence I can barely utter to myself. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with asking and seeking help. And help can take various forms; from traditional therapy to a coffee date with a friend. For me, after a year that tested me significantly, I sought the comfort of my OG die-hard companions: books. 

As a voracious reader of fiction books, I ventured back into the world of non-fiction self-help books and memoirs to help me navigate some of my personal stumbling blocks. Through the advice of Black authors who have lived, rich, complicated and unique lives, I have found motivation, ideas, clarity and solace. Depending on who you speak to, self-help books have a weird stigma (think, finance bros and their obsession with the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad) but there is a wealth of informative self-help books, tailored to the vast and unique experiences of Black women living and working in the Western world.

From essays on intersectional feminism to financial advice (let’s secure that pay rise in 2025!) to learning how to decolonise the way we think about our beauty, these are eight self-help books written for and by Black women which are worth their salt. 

Sunday Times Bestselling author, speaker and online personality, Candice Brathwaite-Aboderin, helps readers ‘unlock the life you deserve’ with the recent release, Manifesto. I purchased this book for a few reasons: Candice Brathwaite is proof of someone unlocking a deserving life (from what she shares on social media), from watching Brathwaite compete in fitness competitions, to sharing her wisdom as a mother, to dressing in incredible outfits. Manifesto feels like a friend guiding you into the version of you they believe you can be.

Manifesto by Candice Brathwaite is available to buy on Amazon, £14.

I chose to listen to Shonda Rhimes’ Year Of Yes audiobook rather than read the physical book and it was a great idea. The creator of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and Bridgerton speaks with the cadence and rhythm of her famous character Olivia Pope (played by Kerry Washington), and her personal story is brought to life with her undeniable wit and humour. In Year Of Yes, released in 2016,  Rhimes briefly details her road to becoming one of the most… but overcoming her “Nos”. It meant saying yes to public speaking, yes to her health and yes to life. The book questions who we are when we let ourselves embrace all we can be, without letting the comfort of saying no to new things and opportunities hold us back. I can’t wait to listen to this again in 2025.

Year Of Yes by Shonda Rhimes is available at Waterstones, £8.99

A few years ago I crossed paths with Irish-Nigerian author, Emma Dabiri, in the lift of a major British broadcaster. Everyone in that large lift was white, except us, and both of us were wearing our afros very big and wide. She gave me a knowing smile which I returned. At the time, Dabari had just released Don’t Touch My Hair, an incredibly insightful investigation into “the very serious business of our hair, as it pertains to race, gender, social codes, tradition”. Disobedient Bodies continues this work by encouraging its readers to embrace our “unruly beauty”. The short essay is empowering (and funny!) and will make you examine where certain ideas about our “disobedient bodies” derive from. As someone who works in and around the beauty industry, it's a great reminder that “for too long, beauty has been entangled in the forces of patriarchy and capitalism: objectification, shame, control, competition and consumerism. We need to find a way to do beauty differently.”

Disobedient Bodies by Emma Dabiri is available at Amazon, £5.53

How many of us have claimed that this is the year we’re setting boundaries with work, family, friends and WhatsApp groups, to spend another year letting that boundary be crossed? Guilty. In Set Boundaries, Find Peace, bestselling author and licensed therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab, details clear and actionable steps to help create sturdy boundaries in your life  — because protecting your energy, peace and clarity in this current climate is a necessity. Set Boundaries, Find Peace shares techniques rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to “help us identify and express our needs clearly and without apology - and unravel a root problem behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more.” 

Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide To Reclaiming Yourself is available at Amazon, £14.99

At this juncture in my life, I realised that I can’t continue to love money but not have a love of financial literacy. I am taking a “there’s rice at home!” approach to money in 2025. Based on the idea that women need to discuss money more, Bola Sol’s book acknowledges the psychology behind some negative spending habits as well as practical finance tips to help you plan for bigger financial goals. Your Money Life makes the big dreams — running a business, a wedding, buying a house, babies, whatever! — feel just that more feasible to achieve. 

When the former First Lady speaks, we listen. In The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama shares her toolkit for “staying hopeful and balanced in today's highly uncertain world.” With insightful reflections and stories from Michelle Obama’s awe-inspiring life (becoming the first African American First Lady of the United States, for one), the book asks readers to hone in on their light in the face of darkness — whether that means celebrating our small victories to understanding exactly what it means “to go high” when they go low. From navigating the challenges of parenting to learning to reject negative reinforcement and shine regardless, The Light We Carry encourages us to carry on in spite of fear. 

The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama is available at Amazon, £7.00

Is it possible to self-heal? With the guidance of Alexandra Elle’s bestselling book, How We Heal, processing difficult emotions and choosing a more peaceful existence is within our capabilities. The book includes a four-part framework for healing that involves journaling and meditation rituals that are easy to follow and digest. How We Heal also hears from leading voices in the wellness space who share stories and advice for those looking to heal through community and mend their hearts.

It would be wrong to not include one of Oprah Winfrey’s many books in a self-help list. In a time where it seems many (on social media) are reevaluating their life’s purpose, finding alternative ways to live and are on a ‘journey’, The Path Made Clear (released in 2019) challenges readers to “figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be, and begin to honour your calling in the best way possible.” According to Winfrey, that’s our real job. The Path Made Clear includes some advice from a few famous names but the real power of the book is how it urges readers to step into their purpose and become intentional about the steps they take to fulfil their calling. 

The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey is available at Amazon, £6.99

OK, sure, comedian and essayist Samantha Irby says Quietly Hostile is not a self-help book (“This is not an advice book. Samantha Irby doesn’t know anything” — literally reads the blurb) but I dare you not to feel comforted and/or seen by the relatable and truly hilarious collection of essays. Through brutally honest essays, Irby explores Black womanhood in America, her struggles with body image and physical health struggles, her relationship with her wife and her experiences with mental health. So while not a self-help book, Quietly Hostile, gives us space to get real for a moment.