2026 may be halfway over, but there's still plenty of book releases by Black and brown authors to look forward to. We've catalogued the ones we're most excited for from different genres in no particular order
1. Capone I by Jahquel J. and Capone II by Jahquel J.
The Delgato/Inferno/Caselli Series has been EVERYWHERE on social media and we're finally getting the traditionally released paperback copies which means bookstores are finally able to have the series on their shelves. As a huge fan of the series, I'm excited as a reader and a bookseller to get my hands on these.
2. Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones
Taking place in the Blackfeet Reservation, the same setting of Graham Jones' novel No Good Indians this novel sheds light on boarding schools this horror is perfect for fans of Stephen Graham Jones and Tananarive Due's The Reformatory.
3. Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias
Would you feed your sibling to crocodiles for revenge? The main character in this book would answer yes (but we hope your answer is no, especially if any of our siblings are reading this). Politics, corruption, sibling rivalry, and family secrets all wrapped into one novel.
4. The Disappearers by Marlon James
This novel takes place in 1980's Jamaica as they follow eight gay men after a tragedy. A tale of how survival can look different for individual people in a society that doesn't accept them. "It is both a dramatic page-turner and an unflinching exploration of queer life in Jamaica during the 1980s and 1990s."
5. The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson
What happens when the "good Black" makes a split second decision that impacts the way he is seen by his white counterparts. This novel, filled with dark humor, explores this question through main character, George Washington Jonson, a cop of 10 years as his "perfect" suburban life is upended.
From the author of the Legacy of Orisha Series, The Siren is a dark academia book brimming with feminine rage, secret parties, and intrigue as the story grapples with a woman's darkness. Following Emery, a college girl with secrets of her own.
7. Desperate Bodies by Lydia Mathis
A debut collection of short stories on the ups and downs of the everyday lives of Black girls and women. Through peculiarity, humor, and horror, this collection depicts the imbalance of power that Black girls and women face during ordinary everyday experiences.
8. Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana
Your next obsession: this new adult romantasy duology. Magic. Fae. Multiple Prophecies. Dark academia. We're already obsessed.