I’ve really missed doing Friday Favorites, and since no one was currently hosting it, Cait @ Functionally Fictional decided to jump into the gap. Each week, she provides a prompt, and I get to talk about my favorite books that fit the topic. Feel free to join in – the more the merrier!

It’s officially Black History Month here in the United States. On Tuesday, I discussed some of my favorite Black authors, but it was tough to narrow my list down to just ten. So I’m going to talk about some more of my favorite Black authors that I didn’t get a chance to discuss on Tuesday!

1. Dhonielle Clayton — I love her range when it comes to YA stories: she writes compelling contemporary stories, romance, and fantasy, but my favorite is her series starting with The Belles.
2. Leslye Penelope — after getting a copy of The Monsters We Defy, I fell in love with the way she wrote a historical fantasy set in the heart of Black Broadway. I even learned a few new things simply by reading this book, and it sent me down a whole new path in online research afterwards.
3. Rivers Solomon — one of the very first physical ARCs I got was a copy of The Deep. If you haven’t read this, I highly recommend it. It’s a short yet powerful book about the lingering effects of the slave trade set in a fantasy setting with mermaids.
4. T.L. Huchu — the Edinburgh Nights series is absolutely outstanding, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment. If you haven’t picked up The Library of the Dead, check it out! It’s a dystopian fantasy featuring a young Black girl who can communicate with ghosts, using techniques passed on down through the generations from her African ancestors.
5. Namina Forna — if you haven’t heard about The Gilded Ones, I don’t know where you’ve been hiding, but you need to run out and grab this incredible African-inspired fantasy immediately. It’s the ultimate female empowerment story, with so many surprising twists and turns.
6. Ayana Gray — Beasts of Prey was her debut novel, and features not only an African-inspired setting, but also addresses some incredibly important issues like grief and mental health, which are so relevant and great to see being brought up in YA books.
7. Bethany C. Morrow — she came to my attention with her book A Song Below Water, about sirens and mermaids, but I also really loved her darker book, Cherish Farrah. She discusses identity, being Black in a society where that is often viewed as dangerous or a threat, and social justice.
8. Elizabeth Acevedo — as an Afro-Latina, I felt like her books definitely belong on this list, and I didn’t want to overlook this important demographic. She talks about this in some of her books, and she brings up other timely issues that affect many teens, like grief, loss, teen pregnancy, growing up in the hood, and identity issues. I especially loved her novel in verse, The Poet X, but you can’t go wrong with any of her books.
9. Kalynn Bayron — her queer books are all incredible, but I especially loved This Poison Heart, which incorporates Greek mythology and plant-based magic into the story. I haven’t found a single one of her books that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed, including her retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
10. Kacen Callender — Felix Ever After was one of those books that has stayed with me long after reading it, giving voice to a memorable character sharing his trans coming-of-age experience, finding his place in the world, and discovering his own found family.

Who are some of your favorite Black authors? Have you read any books by these authors?