Top 5 Saturday is a weekly post that is hosted by Mandy at Devouring Books.

The rules:

• Share your top 5 books of the current topic — these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
• Tag the original post (This one!)
• Tag 5 people.

This week’s topic is #OwnVoices books!

I’m really excited about this one, especially since I’ve read a lot of really great OwnVoices books lately. So I’m going to talk about 5 of my favorites.

1. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson — there was so much to love about this book. As in, I can’t say enough good things about it. OwnVoices rep: Black, queer

2. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo — this was another incredible book. I’ve fallen in love with Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing and she’s definitely one of my favorite authors. It’s such a moving and relatable story about loss, grief, hurt, family, forgiveness, and love. OwnVoices rep: Afro-Latinx

3. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna — I loved the West African-inspired world building, the characters, the plot, and the action involved in the story. It’s such a cool break from the typical European influenced fantasy world, and the story itself is amazing! I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel already. OwnVoices rep: West African

4. Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore — this awesome book takes a unique spin on the dancing plague (which actually happened), but it also juxtaposes it with events in present day California. It’s a really well-told story and I loved how everything played out. OwnVoices rep: Latinx, queer, transgender, nonbinary

5. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi — I’ve only recently discovered how much I love heist novels, and this one is a prime example of a really good heist novel with a highly diverse cast of characters. OwnVoices rep: Indian/Filipina

What are some other OwnVoices books that I need to check out? Share your faves, and feel free to join in on Top 5 Saturday!