7 Relationship Books by Black Authors that Everyone Should Read

This year I decided to do the Good Reads 2020 Book Challenge. I have been trying to find a way to read more for pleasure and I love a competition. I’ve come across some great books thus far and wanted to share them with you all. And since I’m focused on improving love and relationships  – especially in the African American community – I’m sharing 5 relationship books by Black authors that everyone should read.

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Relationship Books on Communication

The basis of any good relationship is communication. These books will help you avoid the communication mistakes that can kill yours. 

Now, I couldn’t recommend all these great books and leave out mine, right? Shameless plug. Learn what it means to be loved in a safe space and the 5 key steps to achieve it in my book Experience B.L.I.S.S.™ in Your Relationships.

MODE ONE by Alan Roger Currie

This one was written for the fellas, but ladies you will definitely get something out of it. Do your mate’s attempts to communicate his needs fall flat or lose your attention? Roger Alan Currie addresses how to fix that using the 4 Modes of Verbal Communication. The best of those is Mode One. Read it free on Kindle with Kindle Unlimited.™

Disclaimer: The author writes to single men from a heterosexual point of view. Take from it what you will and leave what you won’t. The principles work for everyone.

Book Synopsis: In this 2017 updated version of his best-selling self-help book, Currie defines the four ‘modes’ of verbal communication that all single heterosexual men tend to exhibit with women of interest. This book seeks to prevent these men from finding themselves relegated to a woman’s dreaded ‘friend zone,’ and provoking women to view them instead as more of a potential husband, long-term boyfriend, or casual sex lover.

Related Post: 5 Relationship Mistakes You’re (Probably) Making

Relationship Books on Sex

Let’s not beat around the bush (pun totally intended). Sex is a key factor and a source of frustrations for many couples. These relationship books by black authors will help your get your whole sex life.

Pleasure by Dr. Hilda Hutcherson

Dr. Hilda Hutcherson shares the good, the bad, the ugly, and the divine in this complete guide on sex, Pleasure: A Woman’s Guide to Getting the Sex You Want, Need, and Deserve. This book completely changed my marriage and the way I approached sex with my husband. 

Book Synopsis: After writing “What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex” Dr. Hilda Hutcherson was flooded with questions about how to make the act of lovemaking more desirable. Pleasure is a complete guide to sex that covers anatomy, emotions, bad mindsets, and physical challenges one can overcome to make sex more pleasurable. She answers all the questions from how to find your own g-spot to the safest ways to use sex toys to spice up your love life. The book is well organized to help you find exactly what you’re looking for quickly. 

Related Post: This Book About Sex Changed My Marriage

Relationship Books On Dating

Dating can be fun and exciting but it is also the time where you discover he ain’t the one. These relationship books on dating will help you figure that out. 

The Wait by Devon Franklin and Meagan Good

Harold and I did not wait until we were married to have sex. I don’t think that’s had any negative effects on our relationship, but I’ll never know. If you’re looking for a fresh start to a new relationship, this may be the book for you.

Book Synopsis: Faced with starting a new relationship and wanting to avoid potentially devastating pitfalls, DeVon and his wife, Meagan, chose to do something almost unheard of in today’s society—abstain from sex until they were married. In The Wait, the couple shares how the life-changing message of waiting, rather than rushing a relationship, will help you: find the person you were meant to be with, connect on a deeper level and discern your date’s integrity, and become the best version of yourself.

It’s Complicated by Paul Carrick Brunson

When it comes to dating and relationships, emotions complicate things more than necessary. Paul Carrick Brunson uncomplicates these issues with his candid and modern approach to matchmaking. A must-read if dating apps and online communication are a part of your dating strategy.

Book Synopsis: Finding and keeping a mate has never been harder. New rules are needed to navigate the complicated and changing modern-love landscape. If someone wants to find “the one,” what are the guidelines he or she needs to know, now that online dating and Google-searching a prospective love interest are the norm? In It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have to Be), Brunson tackles relevant questions such as: Is marriage right for my personality type? How can I date more than one person without hurt feelings?

Relationship Books on Marriage

If you’ve already said “I do” these relationship books by Black authors will help you keep the spark in your marriage for years to come. 

Happy Wives Club by Fawn Weaver

When I was in college I told my boyfriend that at a certain point I wanted to quit working and raise my children. He asked me why I didn’t want to do anything with my life. Being a happy wife is definitely a controversial notion and Fawn Weaver decided to elevate the idea that marriages are thriving.  

Book Synopsis: Fawn Weaver was happily married and running a successful business when she realized the public perception of marriage didn’t match her own. After starting The Happy Wives Club blog and building a community of over 400,000 happy wives, she took her project to the next level. Fawn traveled the world interviewing wives on the keys to a happy marriage. She found 12 common themes in happy marriages and shares them through the stories of the women she encountered.   

Marriage 101 by Jewell Powell

I have always believed that a couple should spend more time planning a marriage than they do planning a wedding. This faith-based guide will help you plan a strong, healthy marriage in just 8 weeks. Read it free on Kindle with Kindle Unlimited.™

Book Synopsis: Your marriage can be strong, healthy, happy, and blessed. Marriage coach Jewell Powell shows you how in this 8-week plan for marital success. In “Marriage 101,” you will discover God’s purpose for marriage, how to develop godly character, how to communicate effectively, and much more. With biblical examples, study questions, and Scripture meditations perfect for individuals or couples, you will be challenged to examine areas in your life that may need change so that your marriage can thrive.

Becoming Married, Staying Married by Marcus Small

Over 50% of American marriages end in divorce and African American couples face a number of different challenges that make staying married even harder. The nine principles shared in this book are ones Harold and I rely upon through the rough times.

Book Synopsis: In Becoming Married, Staying Married, couples will be encouraged to see marriage as a process that never ends. Together they will reflect on current realities particular to African American couples. They will also discover nine key principles that are required for healthy marriages, including concepts like self-awareness, flexibility, maturity, and forgiveness. Practical suggestions on how to further enhance each quality are included, in addition to African proverbs and biblical Scripture that relate to marriage.

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What relationship books by black authors are you reading?