Looking for way to elevate your living space? Coffee table books add color, texture, and layers to a table or nook while showcasing your unique interests. Perhaps part of the reason why coffee table books continue to appeal to us is that their contents often awaken the emotion of awe and wonder. They’re often full of stunning and impressive imagery, and it’s no mystery why awe feels good to us. Another positive emotion a coffee table book can evoke is nostalgia, as it might contain images of childhood toys or of a musician who was popular when the reader was younger. 

Check out these coffee table books written by Black authors.

1“Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments” by Carell Augustus

A visionary photography book that brings together the best of classic Hollywood with today’s iconic Black entertainers for an immersive experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Features a foreword by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and an afterword by beloved entertainer Niecy Nash!

2“Justice of the Pies” by Chef Maya-Camille Broussard

In Justice of the Pies, Chef Maya-Camille Broussard shares more than 85 recipes for sweet and savory pies and other mouthwatering creations that put her social mission–based bakery on the map.

3“Home with Rue: Style for Everyone” by Kelli Lamb

Home with Rue is a compendium of inspirational and accessible ideas to help anyone imagine, plan, and create their ultimate living space. Written in the signature Rue voice and full of beautiful images of real homes lived in by real people, it features thoughtfully curated advice, how-to information, and resources. Each chapter focuses on a different space and explores a variety of complementary aesthetics. Woven throughout are expert insights, concise tips and tricks sharing why certain decorating methods work, and quotes from top designers on their creative processes and favorite details or memories of a space.

4“Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style” by Shantrelle P. Lewis 

Described as “high-styled rebels” by author Shantrelle P. Lewis, Black men with a penchant for color and refined fashion, both new and vintage, have gained popular attention in recent years, influencing mainstream fashion.

5The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World by Jessica Nabongo

The Catch Me if You Can: One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World by Detroiter Jessica Nabongo
The Catch Me if You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World by Detroiter Jessica Nabongo

Beautifully illustrated with many of Jessica Nabongo’s own photographs, the coffee table book documents her remarkable experiences in each country as the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world—shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections.

6“AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home” by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Hays

A powerful, visually stunning celebration of Black homeownership, featuring inspiring homes and family histories of notable Black Americans.

Buy “AphroChic” here

7“The Modern Day Black Alphabet,” by Ariel Robinson

The Modern Day Black Alphabet is a children’s photo book by Ariel Robinson. This book started as a simple photo series to keep Arial occupied while being quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic but now has blossomed into a full book.

Buy “The Modern Day Black Alphabet“ here

8“Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora” by Bryan Terry

In this stunning and deeply heartfelt tribute to Black culinary ingenuity, Bryant Terry captures the broad and divergent voices of the African Diaspora through the prism of food. Includes contributions from more than 100 Black cultural luminaires from around the globe.

Buy “Black Food Stories, Art and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora” here

9“Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion,” by Marcellas Reynolds

To date, there has never been a book devoted exclusively to top black models. Supreme Models fills that void, paying tribute to black models past and present.

Buy “Supreme Models” here

10“BLACK FUTURES” By Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham

A collection of work—images, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more—to tell the story of the radical, imaginative, provocative, and gorgeous world that Black creators are bringing forth today.

Buy “BLACK FUTURES” here.

11“GLORY: Magical Visions of Black Beauty” by Kahran Bethencourt 

From Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, the dynamite husband and wife duo behind CreativeSoul Photography, comes GLORY, a photography book that shatters the conventional standards of beauty for Black children.

Buy GLORY Here.

12“Black Is Beautiful” by Kwame Brathwaite

In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan “Black Is Beautiful.” This monograph—the first ever dedicated to Brathwaite’s remarkable career—tells the story of a key, but under-recognized, figure of the second Harlem Renaissance.

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