We're recommending Black authors that we have read and/or are excited to read! It's important to diversify your reading habits so we're here with a list of authors you may want to check out. No spoilers in this episode - just a list of authors you should definitely support throughout the year, not just during Black History Month.

Our Personal Must Read Authors:

• Yaa Gyasi
• Oyinkan Braithwaite
• P. Djèlí Clark
• N.K. Jemisin
• S.A. Cosby
• Helen Oyeyemi

Historical Fiction:

• Yaa Gyasi
• Colson Whitehead
• Toni Morrison

Memoirs:

• Michelle Obama
• Trevor Noah
• RuPaul
• Gabrielle Union
• Nicole Byer
• Michelle Buteau

Young Adult (YA):

• Leah Johnson
• Elizabeth Acevedo

Non Fiction:

• Bryan Stevenson
• Joseph Graves
• Margot Lee Shetterly

General Fiction:

• Zadie Smith

High Fantasy:

• Tomi Adeyemi
• Octavia Butler
• Even Winter
• Marlon James

Short Stories:

• Deesha Philyaw

Romance:

• Alexa Martin
• Beverly Jenkins
• Jasmine Guillory
• Kennedy Ryan
• Claire Kann
• Kimberly Lemming

Research Study Link

Re: Book Bans:

Daryn looked for statistics on book bans as they relate to Black authors but couldn't find much. There's this article about a study done on books banned in 2023 which found women of color to be disproportionately represented in the Banned Book List but obviously, a lot can change in 2025. Hop over to Instagram and let us know if you know of a better, more current study.