Celebrating Black authors

As Black History Month comes to an end, I want to share a few of my favorite Black female authors who made me fall in love with reading.

After reading “Seven Days in June” by Tia Williams, my perspective on love and loss shifted entirely. This bestselling novel follows writer and single parent Eva, who reconnects with Shane, an old flame from her past who she has not seen in 15 years. As their story unfolds, it is without question that they have undeniable chemistry. However, their story showed how one must work on themselves first before committing to another person to avoid leaving both parties destroyed, no matter how much one loves another.

“Instructions for Dancing” by Nicola Yoon is a fun, witty novel that might have left me with a tear in my eye. This YA romance is centered on high school senior Evie Thomas, who has denounced love after coming to terms with her parents’ divorce. Following a bizarre encounter, Evie can miraculously see how a couple’s relationship will end the first time she sees them kiss. If that was not enough, she meets X, who makes her reconsider her stance on what it means to genuinely love someone. Yoon is also the mind behind “Everything, Everything” and “The Sun Is Also a Star,” which were both adapted into films.

Taking a step outside the realm of romance, Tiffany D. Jackson will have you flipping through the pages like a gymnast on a mat. Jackson specializes in mystery and thrillers with her novels such as “Grown,” “The Weight of Blood” and my personal favorite, “Allegedly.” Her style consists of moving back and forth between time periods, much like Williams, where the past and present meet in the end, and it always begs the question: Who really is the bad guy?

As someone who used to despise reading, my skin burned whenever I entered a library just like a vampire would as they came into contact with sunlight. However, over the past month, I found myself in an "enemies to lovers" trope with reading. Thanks to the addictive storytelling of these authors, I find myself picking up a book every chance I get.