Reading Honorée Fanonne Jeffers’s words is a revelation. She writes about the public and private lives of Black women, people who stand at the intersection—or crossroads—of several identities. Each essay explores the multifaceted nature of Black women’s lived experiences in America throughout history and in our present times of political polarization and upheaval.

Ojibwe journalist Mary Annette Pember writes about the history of Indian Boarding Schools through her lens as the daughter of a boarding school survivor. As Pember delves into her mother’s story, she also includes research into the long-lasting impact of generations of Native children being forced to attend these “schools” across North America.

In 1972, Maurice and Maralyn sell everything and hit the open sea. Everything goes well until a tragic incident ends up setting the couple adrift, fighting for their lives in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. In 2025, everyone seemed to be talking about this book. It was one of The New York Times’ top ten books of the year, and was named a best book by NPR, Vogue, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, and more.

In the first major biography on James Baldwin in 30 years, Nicholas Boggs organizes the happenings of Baldwin’s life through the lens of the love Baldwin experienced. I’ve lost track of how many awards this biography has been nominated for, not to mention the seemingly endless number of “best of” lists it landed on in 2025.

King of Kings came out in 2025 and would go on to become a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a New York Times notable book, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and a winner of the Kirkus Prize. The book is a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat sort of book about the history of the Iranian Revolution. With its easy narrative style, it captures readers’ attention from the very first page.