10 Good Books You Don’t Want To Miss Out On in 2022

With all that is going on in the world it's becoming more and more difficult to find time to actually sit down to read anything other than Instagram, facebook or texts. Balancing work, family and a personal life is enough to make you skip getting cozy, cuddling up and picking up a new book. Sometimes the process of trying to find something that interests you, is enough to make you change your mind. Well, if that's the case, we’ve got you covered. As part of the GoodLooks Biannual “Good Book List”, we’ve curated a list of BIPOC titles, stories, poems and works of art that you don’t want to miss out on in 2022. These Black, Indigenous and People of Color writers will help you to connect the lives of women of all backgrounds, our identity, how we love, experience joy and better yet our unique perspective in this complex world. Enjoy , you’ll thank us later.

1. Finding Me by Viola Davis (April)

Like many talented artists before her, critically acclaimed actress Viola Davis shares her life story in her memoir, Finding Me. The highly anticipated autobiography takes readers on a journey of Davis’ impoverished childhood, to her high school, and on to a full ride scholarship to Julliard, and the revered actress that the world knows. In an exclusive interview with Oprah Magazine she described why she wrote Finding Me "Sharing my story is incredibly frightening but liberating. More importantly, it’s my way of helping people feel less alone in a world that is so isolating. It’s part of the building block of my legacy."

2. Bless The Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire (March)

This next book was written by one of the collaborators on Beyonce’s Lemonade album. Award winning Somali British Poet Warsan Shire, in her first full-length poetry collection, Shire uses words to build beautiful imagery of her journey from young girl to womanhood. This collection of poems share stories of women from all walks of life. From immigrants, to teenage girls, mothers, daughters and more! While the book doesn’t come out until March 1, Shire’s latest body of work is already receiving praise. “Warsan Shire’s exquisite, memorable, and finely tuned poems articulate a depth of experience that never fails to surprise and profoundly move me, as she so powerfully gives voice to the unspoken.”—Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other

3. You Don’t Know Us Negroes And Other Essays’ by Zora Neale Hurston (January)

You Don’t Know Us Negroes is a collection of essays written in a span of three decades by the remarkable Zora Neale Hurston. For the first time readers will be able to get insight into the writer's mind, by reading the first comprehensive collection of her essays, articles and more! Similar to her other work, these essays give an in depth look at the Black experience, and the role that systemic racism plays in it. Hurston covers everything from enslavement, Jim Crow era, and more!

4. The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe (April)

You may know Janelle Monae for her beautiful face, grammy-nominated music or her successful acting career. Now you can meet the artist like never before in her debut book The Memory Librarian. Monae, along with 5 collaborators have written a collection of stories inspired by her critically acclaimed album Dirty Computer. The Afro-futuristic book explores identity expression, love, time, and technology.

5. You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi (May)

Author Akwaeke Emezi introduces readers to Feyi Adikola in her latest novel You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty. The story follows a young woman who is trying to learn how to love again after dealing with the loss of her significant other 5 years prior. Emezi’s storytelling takes readers on a journey of love, loss, and healing.The book will also be making its way to the big screen as . Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society will develop the movie with Amazon Studios.

6. The Trayvon Generation by Elizibeth Alexander (April)

This powerful novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author and poet Elizabeth Alexander, reflects on America’s grim history of both systemic and overt racism. Originally an essay published in the New Yorker 2020, Alexander observed and reflected on the challenges of Black youth in America. The Trayvon Generation expands on the viral essay.

7. Miss Me with That: Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, and a Few Hard Truths by Rachel Lindsay (January)

The Bachelor’s first Black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, shares her story in her own words with her first book Miss Me With That. Known to speak out about her experiences during and after the franchise, Lindsay gives readers insight into her experiences on ABC’s popular show, and her life off camera. She expands on conversations she’s discussed about the lack of diversity in reality television, Black Lives Matter movement and more.

8. And The category Is…: Inside New York’s Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community by Rickey Tucker (January)

If you’re a fan of FX’s Pose, or are curious about Ballroom, this book is for you! Author Rickey Tucker gives readers an inside look at the history behind New York’s infamous Vogue, House and Ballroom community. Described as a “love letter to the legendary Black and Latinx LGBTQ underground subculture by Penguin Random House, the book includes exclusive interviews LGBTQ/POC Ballroom members—Lee Soulja, Benjamin Ninja, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and more—whose life, work, and activism drive home that very category.

9. Anonymous Sex by Hillary Jordan and Cheryl L-Lien (February)

Anonymous Sex is exactly what the title suggests, a collection of sex stories written by different women. Together, 27 different authors share a glimpse into their sex lives, leaving readers guessing who wrote what. These women share sex stories that involve comedy, love, obsession and everything in between! If you’re not completely sold yet, here’s what reviewers are saying: "An anthology in the form of a parlor game, Anonymous Sex invites readers into the imaginations of some our best novelists, letting us marvel at their talents and desires while wondering who wrote what and if it even matters. A book of pleasures and secrets-- and great fun to read." --David Ebershoff, author of The Danish Girl and The 19th Wife

10. No Filter And Other Lies: By Crystal Maldonado (February)

The second novel from Puerto Rican YA author Crystal Maldonado, follows, Kate Sanchez is essentially living a double life, as she pretends on social media to have it all together, when in real life, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not only that, but she technically stole the public image she’s created, and when one of her posts goes viral and the person she’s been stealing from sees it, she has to keep everything from falling apart.