10 Black Authors Share Their Favorite Books by Fellow Black Writers

"White Teeth" ($10, originally $18)

"I read Zadie Smith's debut, 'White Teeth,' when it first came out in 2000, and for me it was a monumental shift. The wonder of seeing one of my contemporaries who was also mixed-race and Jamaican writing about people like me, people like us, in the diaspora, was both refreshing and inspiring. It was such a delicious discovery to experience characters of various ethnicities navigating immigrant life in England. It was not only fascinating to see how race and identity played out in another country, but it made me realize that my own voice and experience of otherness (being Black/mixed-race Jamaican) in the US was both unique and had value. And in doing so, it freed me to begin thinking of my writing as something others might one day want to consume."

— Robinne Lee, author of "The Idea of You"

"Honey & Spice" ($14, originally $28)

"I'm obsessed with this all-around-dreamy romance. 'Honey & Spice' is about a UK university student, Riki, who hosts a radio show and becomes embroiled in a 'fake relationship' with Malachi, a love interest so adorable he (almost) made me miss college dating. A heartfelt, witty love letter to R&B."

— Tia Williams, author of "Seven Days in June" and "A Love Song for Ricki Wilde"

"Brown Girl Dreaming" ($6, originally $11)

"A coming-of-age tale written in gorgeous and lyrical verse. I've gone back to this book again and again whenever I need a bit of inspiration."

— Nicola Yoon, author of "One of Our Kind" and "The Sun Is Also a Star"

"This Great Hemisphere" ($26, originally $29)

"This is Askaripour's second novel and it is a brilliant adventure set 500 years into the future where the political and social landscape is dictated by whether or not someone is born invisible or visible. It's a tricky concept to wrap your head around at first, but with skill and sensitivity, Askaripour draws us into this new world so that the reader is able to see the ways that privilege is allocated to those with the most power and the ramifications of that for the rest of us. I loved everything about this novel. It had my heart pounding at times. It made me think. It made me consider concepts like family and genetics and destiny. I want everyone to read it!"

— Danielle Prescod, author of "Token Black Girl"

"Black Girl You Are Atlas" ($18, originally $19)

"As a young-adult author, I am inspired by the work and longstanding career of Renée Watson. She writes across a variety of categories and genres, uniquely approaching each story while featuring Black girl/women characters that embody vulnerability, strength, love, and growth. I highly recommend her latest, 'Black Girl You Are Atlas,' a semi-autobiographical collection of poems about growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender."

— Kim Johnson, author of "This Is My America" and "The Color of a Lie"

"The Monsters We Defy" ($15, originally $19)

"A book that I have recommended many times is 'The Monsters We Defy' by Leslye Penelope, a supernatural heist caper set in Prohibition-era Washington DC. If you combine vivid imagery that pops off the page, an empowered Black woman protagonist who gives us a taste of history, her steamy love interest, and a cast of spectacular supporting characters (both human and not) — you'll have a sense of this imaginative page-turner that delivers a fresh and fantastic perspective on Black American culture."

— Jayne Allen, author of the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy

"A Hungry Heart: A Memoir" ($19, originally $22)

"Now, if I were to tell you that Gordon Parks has written at least three autobiography-memoir mashups, you'd probably ask, 'Why?' And I would say, 'Because this man has Lived,' with a capital L. Parks was a groundbreaking photographer, film director, author, poet, composer — the very definition of reinvention without limits. Need I say more? OK, just a bit: 'A Hungry Heart,' Parks's final memoir, chronicles the extraordinary life of a man who, from a young age, was on a mission to make his mark. It's impossible to read this and not be in perpetual awe or turn the final page without finding your own heart hungrier for more."

— Mateo Askaripour, author of "Black Buck" and "This Great Hemisphere"

"Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms" ($9, originally $17)

"I like to think that if Alex Wise (from my middle-grade fantasy series Alex Wise vs. the End of the World) met Cameron Battle, they'd be best friends, though they might have disagreements over trying to protect the other. We need more stories where Black boys get to be queer and gentle and deserving of love and kindness. I'll always appreciate Jamar and his artistry for making Black gay boys feel seen at a time when so many of us either feel invisible or targeted. Jamar also has another middle-grade series launching next month with 'Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic,' which I'm really excited to read and for kids around the world to finally have in their hands."

— Terry J. Benton-Walker, author of the Blood Debts and Alex Wise vs. the End of the World series

"Salvage the Bones" ($10, originally $18)

"I remember reading this book on vacation in Cabo, while a hurricane slammed our resort. Even without that coincidental backdrop, it's one of the most powerful, raw, intensely beautiful novels I have ever encountered. Ward's writing is so vivid and absorbing."

— Tiffany D. Jackson, author of "Storm: Dawn of a Goddess" and "Allegedly"

"The Women of Brewster Place" ($14, originally $17)

"I'm telling my age here, but it was the television miniseries adaptation — starring Oprah Winfrey, Lynn Whitfield, and Robin Givens — of this novel that led to my discovery of what would become one of my favorite books. I was 12 years old when I watched the miniseries. During the opening credits of part one, I saw that it was based on a novel. I went to the library the next day to check it out and became obsessed with how Naylor crafted the story, which was basically a series of short stories about each woman. They felt so real, and the storytelling was so rich. It was the first character-driven book I ever read. Naylor's writing has haunted me ever since."

— Jumata Emill, author of "The Black Queen" and "Wander in the Dark"

Yerin Kim is the features editor at PS, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.