Here are 100 books that No Limits fans have personally recommended if you like No Limits. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Bippity Bop Barbershop

Ciara L. Hill Author Of Shiloh and Dande the Lion: Embrace diversity, accept others, and courageously be yourself!

From my list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an African American woman with an African-American son, on a mission to ensure that more books positively affirm black boys. Growing up, I moved every two years due to my father’s military service. Through those experiences, I grew up appreciating various cultures, diversity, and the importance of different voices having representation. As a licensed therapist in the mental health field for over 15 years, I see the incredible impact that books reflecting authentic representation can bring. I love reading and writing books featuring African-American protagonists for all children and families to read, love, and enjoy, hoping that readers will gain a new positive perspective.

Ciara's book list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences

Ciara L. Hill Why Ciara loves this book

Bippity Bop Barbershop is a love letter and a rite of passage for black and brown boys everywhere.

It highlights the experience of a young boy named Miles as he gets his first haircut. This story is so relatable to me and others because it highlights many things that happen at the barbershop within the African-American community.

The watercolor illustrations are stunning and go hand in hand with the story.

By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley , E B Lewis (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bippity Bop Barbershop as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

In this companion book to the bestselling I Love My Hair, a young boy, Miles, makes his first trip to the barbershop with his father. Like most little boys, he is afraid of the sharp scissors, the buzzing razor, and the prospect of picking a new hairstyle. But with the support of his dad, the barber, and the other men in the barbershop, Miles bravely sits through his first haircut. Written in a reassuring tone with a jazzy beat and illustrated with graceful, realistic watercolors, this book captures an important rite of passage for boys and celebrates African-American identity.


If you love No Limits...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of The Adventures of Joshua and Pip: Calvin the Catfish

Ciara L. Hill Author Of Shiloh and Dande the Lion: Embrace diversity, accept others, and courageously be yourself!

From my list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an African American woman with an African-American son, on a mission to ensure that more books positively affirm black boys. Growing up, I moved every two years due to my father’s military service. Through those experiences, I grew up appreciating various cultures, diversity, and the importance of different voices having representation. As a licensed therapist in the mental health field for over 15 years, I see the incredible impact that books reflecting authentic representation can bring. I love reading and writing books featuring African-American protagonists for all children and families to read, love, and enjoy, hoping that readers will gain a new positive perspective.

Ciara's book list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences

Ciara L. Hill Why Ciara loves this book

The Adventures of Joshua & Pip: Calvin the Catfish is a lighthearted and fun story that takes readers on a fishing adventure.

Throughout the story, Joshua and Pip try to catch the infamous “Calvin the Catfish.” Children and adults will laugh throughout the story as they try to guess what will happen next. You’ll have to read the story yourself to find out if “Calvin the Catfish” is real or just a tall tale.

I appreciate that this story is relatable and shows that African-American boys enjoy the same activities that other children from different backgrounds enjoy. The strong messages within the story include patience, perseverance, joy, and creativity. 

By John A Light , Jamie R Gandy (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Adventures of Joshua and Pip as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

On a humidly hot day, Joshua and Pip are geared up and ready for a great day of fishing. On the way to Ogeechee Lake, they see a sign that challenges them to catch Calvin the Catfish. Pip is ready and willing to accept the challenge. However, Pip and Joshua soon find out that catching any fish, let alone the great CALVIN THE CATFISH, takes lots of patience and a little luck.


Book cover of Max and the Tag-Along Moon

Ciara L. Hill Author Of Shiloh and Dande the Lion: Embrace diversity, accept others, and courageously be yourself!

From my list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an African American woman with an African-American son, on a mission to ensure that more books positively affirm black boys. Growing up, I moved every two years due to my father’s military service. Through those experiences, I grew up appreciating various cultures, diversity, and the importance of different voices having representation. As a licensed therapist in the mental health field for over 15 years, I see the incredible impact that books reflecting authentic representation can bring. I love reading and writing books featuring African-American protagonists for all children and families to read, love, and enjoy, hoping that readers will gain a new positive perspective.

Ciara's book list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences

Ciara L. Hill Why Ciara loves this book

This is a beautifully written story highlighting young Max's tender relationship with his grandfather.

Before Max leaves to return home, his grandfather assures him that the tag-along moon will always be there and remind him of their time together, even if his grandfather is not physically with him.

Max and the Tag-Along Moon is comforting, peaceful, and a great reminder of unconditional love, acceptance, and positive familial relationships.

By Floyd Cooper ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Max and the Tag-Along Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Experience the wonder of the moon following you home with a Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator! Great for Father’s Day and Grandparent’s Day!

Max loves his grandpa. When they must say good-bye after a visit, Grandpa promises Max that the moon at Grandpa’s house is the same moon that will follow him all the way home. On that swervy-curvy car ride back to his house, Max watches as the moon tags along. But when the sky darkens and the moon disappears behind clouds, he worries that it didn’t follow him home after all. Where did the moon go—and what about…


If you love Ashley Finley...

Book cover of Memento: A Novel in Dreams, Thoughts, and Images

Memento by Cordelia Schmidt-Hellerau,

Sine, a professor of creative writing, accompanies Sam, a neuroscientist, on a conference trip to a Hotel Castle. Sam wants to present a new device, the "monitor." Sine hopes to recover from tending to her mother who just passed away. 

When they arrive, Sine is in a dream-like state. Real…

Book cover of Delectable Vegetables

Ciara L. Hill Author Of Shiloh and Dande the Lion: Embrace diversity, accept others, and courageously be yourself!

From my list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an African American woman with an African-American son, on a mission to ensure that more books positively affirm black boys. Growing up, I moved every two years due to my father’s military service. Through those experiences, I grew up appreciating various cultures, diversity, and the importance of different voices having representation. As a licensed therapist in the mental health field for over 15 years, I see the incredible impact that books reflecting authentic representation can bring. I love reading and writing books featuring African-American protagonists for all children and families to read, love, and enjoy, hoping that readers will gain a new positive perspective.

Ciara's book list on positively affirming African-American boys' experiences

Ciara L. Hill Why Ciara loves this book

This is an easy-to-read story that follows a young boy named Jo Jo Bean, a picky eater.

The story is relatable to many children who avoid vegetables and are considered picky eaters. Children will be able to relate to what happens throughout the story, and you may even find that your child will try some vegetables after reading the story.

Story themes include healthy eating, parental encouragement, and helping children make positive choices. Lastly, Delectable Vegetables has a QR scan code for the book's theme song at the end.

By Trace Wilkins Francis , Hh Pax (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Delectable Vegetables as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

The mealtime struggles in households across is a classic tale. Parents want to make sure their children are eating healthy meals. This humorous book is the second edition and includes a scannable music code for the book's theme song. It is a perfect read for children in grades K through 2 and just what parents need for the picky eater. Jo Jo Bean comes up with a plan to avoid eating vegetables for good. Will Jo Jo Bean's plan work or will he decide to give vegetables a try?


Book cover of A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "a Course in Miracles"

David and Deborah Kozich Author Of Absolute Love: The 12 Principles of Love in Life and Business

From my list on creating deep love awareness.

Why are we passionate about this?

We have been fascinated by the power and energy of Love as far back as either of us remember. Each of our life's purposes revolves around the belief that Love is the most powerful force in the universe. We support our LoveFoundation and mission to bring Love awareness to individuals and to the world. We are both transformational life coaches and believe and teach that love is essence. Our mission is to change the paradigm of the world from fear to Love, building on the foundation of Absolute Love, restoring hope and faith into the hearts of the world.  

David and Deborah's book list on creating deep love awareness

David and Deborah Kozich Why David and Deborah loves this book

A Return to Love creates an inspirational story about trusting love as an absolute reality.

Marianne uses her own experience to enhance the lives of others. The results of returning to love help one to stay in the realm of answers with a new level of awareness. Perspective shifts, and love thoughts occur at a deeper level. Mindful celebrations are shared including grief and acknowledgment of disappointments to help one process and forgive to honestly celebrate new beginnings.

Courage is taught as one learns to celebrate the spiritual warrior within to face fear and anger with the brilliance of returning to love. Unconditional love is a gift available to all.  

By Marianne Williamson ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked A Return to Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Back by popular demand -- and newly updated by the author -- the mega-bestselling spiritual guide in which Marianne Williamson shares her reflections on A Course in Miracles and her insights on the application of love in the search for inner peace.

Williamson reveals how we each can become a miracle worker by accepting God and by the expression of love in our daily lives. Whether psychic pain is in the area of relationships, career, or health, she shows us how love is a potent force, the key to inner peace, and how by practicing love we can make our…


Book cover of The Giving Tree

Bryan Paul Brouwer Author Of The Forever

From my list on illustrated books that celebrate children as they are.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a father of grown children, and I once believed there would always be more time. The ordinary days felt endless, until they weren't. My children grew, and the days I wished away became the ones I missed. The loss of my son made time feel different. Since then, I see people differently. We spend much of life shaping, correcting, and comparing, while each person is already becoming who they are. I am drawn to stories that honor people as they are, imperfect, different, and unrepeatable, because simply being here is enough.

Bryan's book list on illustrated books that celebrate children as they are

Bryan Paul Brouwer Why Bryan loves this book

The Giving Tree. Unconditional Love. Sacrificial Love.

I first read this when I was young. I was heartbroken for the tree and furious with the boy. In fact, I would cry on the inside as the tree became less. Not fully understanding that the tree was really becoming much more.

As I've matured, I've come to understand that more important than myself is a vision of love that is giving of myself, in a deep, meaningful way. 

To me, this book conveys that the heart of life is not possession, but devotion.

By Shel Silverstein ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Giving Tree as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

As recommended by Meghan Markle as the one book she can't wait to share with her child - the timeless fable about the gift of love

Once there was a little tree ... and she loved a little boy.

So begins the classic bestseller, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk ... and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree…


If you love No Limits...

Book cover of Salvation in the Sun

Salvation in the Sun by Lauren Lee Merewether,

In an age of splendor, a heretic king strips Egypt bare—forcing his queen to quell rebellion and plunging his children into a conspiracy against the crown.

Salvation in the Sun follows Nefertiti as she ascends the throne beside Pharaoh Amenhotep—soon to become Akhenaten—just as he declares war on Egypt’s ancient…

Book cover of This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us

Terra McDaniel Author Of Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief Through Spiritual Practices

From my list on grieving without getting overwhelmed by despair.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been to hell and back over the years. After experiencing childhood abuse, I lived through a succession of traumas with my family including fraud, painful experiences in church ministry, a death threat, and a catastrophic house fire accidentally started by my mother-in-law. While I was helped by counseling, prayer, and caring friends and mentors, something was still missing. I needed to process all that pain and loss but didn’t know how. I had to learn how to grieve. Over years of rebuilding, I’ve lived the lessons of lament and know the healing that is possible when pain is metabolized. 

Terra's book list on grieving without getting overwhelmed by despair

Terra McDaniel Why Terra loves this book

I discovered Cole Arthur Riley through her breath prayers and curated wisdom around liberation through her Black Liturgies account on Instagram. Her words in this book are poetry and good medicine for my soul.

Her story of learning to love her physical body as she lives with chronic pain is wise and freeing. I didn’t know how much I needed her wise reimagining of the story of the garden, the fall, and what it means to find home. 

By Cole Arthur Riley ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked This Here Flesh as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her stunning debut, the creator of Black Liturgies weaves stories from three generations of her family alongside contemplative reflections to discover the “necessary rituals” that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.

“This is the kind of book that makes you different when you’re done.”—Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter

“Reaches deep beneath the surface of words unspoken, wounds unhealed, and secrets untempered to break them open in order for fresh light to break through.”—Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and…


Book cover of Mausoleum of Flowers

Olatunde Osinaike Author Of Tender Headed

From my list on contemporary poetry books revisiting music.

Why am I passionate about this?

I listen to about eight albums of music per week. At least one per day and another of that bunch gathers a re-listen, though more warrant the same! Listening is my favorite hobby. I name it like one would rock climbing or gardening, and though we are here connecting through words and swapping ideas, it all starts with my ear. I most want to feel what I’d like to know, and it is possible that music sometimes held the work of thinking on my behalf. In writing my book, I was most interested in what it meant to be offered the world in such a personal yet composed way each day. 

Olatunde's book list on contemporary poetry books revisiting music

Olatunde Osinaike Why Olatunde loves this book

Love is made more possible by every violence it has overcome.

Throughout Summerhill’s sophomoric collection, I found myself turning toward play, both in the pause that suddenly arrived after a line that hits and in the music I turned on after a line that urged reconsideration.

Even for the avid fan of Frank Ocean’s discography, this book serves as a vital push toward questioning what it is we deem valuable. A must-read for self-declarations of grace and hope in the face of racial, historical, and social brutality. 

By Daniel Summerhill ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mausoleum of Flowers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A poetry collection that celebrates Black culture, creativity, and memory.

From Kendrick to Kanye, to a Sunday in Oakland with Frank Ocean's falsetto in the foreground, Mausoleum of Flowers is still life set against the backdrop of demise. Daniel Summerhill's sophomore collection grabs fate by the throat and confronts it. What does it mean to continue living when your friends are dying beside you? This collection melds an exploration of spirituality and rebellion with Black tradition. Summerhill's poems invite the reader near in order to self-excavate and explore tones of loss, love, and light.


Book cover of Every Voice Ain't From God

Lakisha Johnson Author Of Almost Destroyed

From my list on African American Christian fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had a love for Christianity since I was a child. However, it wouldn’t be until years later that the love for it would turn into a passion for penning Christian Fiction. I began my journey in ministry in 2014 and two years later, I released the first novel. Since then, God has allowed me to write on many different topics I’ve now recognized were needed. I want others to see Christian Fiction doesn’t have to be boring or dry, but can be entertaining, inspirational, and full of life. This is why I’ve chosen these books as recommendations and I hope the readers will enjoy them even more than I have.

Lakisha's book list on African American Christian fiction

Lakisha Johnson Why Lakisha loves this book

If you’re looking for Christian Fiction with jaw-dropping suspense, twists, turns, and drama, this is the book. The characters are so defined that I renamed Zakari as Zacrazi because he was just that. He was the type who knew he was doing wrong and would pray while doing it. This book will have you trying to figure out the ending beforehand.

By Tanisha Stewart , Carrie Bledsoe (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Every Voice Ain't From God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A psychological thriller with jaw-dropping twists and turns, and characters whose antics will leave you speechless… A story about love gone right, then wrong.

Zakari has known Nicole was the one since high school. He prays about whether their relationship is meant to be and receives confirmation one night during a church service. Zakari and Nicole are getting married!

Until she breaks up with him the next day.

Zakari plunges into a pit of despair, then Nicole reaches out and tells him they can be friends, maybe rekindle their relationship after college? Elated, Zakari agrees and bides his time until…


If you love Ashley Finley...

Book cover of Foxfire in the Snow

Foxfire in the Snow by J.S. Fields,

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…

Book cover of Mama Day

Rebe Huntman Author Of My Mother in Havana

From my list on women, magic, and spirituality.

Why am I passionate about this?

At age 49, I traveled to Cuba to find a version of woman- and motherhood large enough to hold all I wanted to be. And it was there, among the island’s mother saints and goddesses, that I found the mirror I was looking for. In this list, I share five books that reconnect us with the spiritual mothers who might show us the way back to ourselves. From Luisah Teish’s New Orleans household magic to Gloria Naylor’s mystical Willow Bay, we meet the goddesses, conjure women, and “women who know” who shine a light on the power and multidimensionality of the feminine through the lens of spirit, faith, and identity.

Rebe's book list on women, magic, and spirituality

Rebe Huntman Why Rebe loves this book

What a delight to cozy up with the fictional island of this novel, an imagined liminal space on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, we are told “got spit out from the mouth of God, and when it fell to the earth it brought along an army of stars.” Even more delightful, we are told that when He tried to reach down and scoop them back up, He found Himself shaking hands with “the greatest conjure woman on earth.”

Thus we meet the “great, great, grand Mother” of Willow Springs, the archetypal first mother who could “grab a bolt of lightning in the palm of her hand; use the heat of the lightning to start the kindling going under her medicine pot,” and heal “the wounds of every creature.” I love how deeply feminist, mystical, and immersive this novel is: a page-turner I return to whenever I want to…

By Gloria Naylor ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mama Day as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With a new introduction by Robert Jones, Jr, author of The New York Times bestselling novel, The Prophets

'Gloria Naylor is a brilliant word-worker and a breathtaking story-teller. Mama Day is her masterpiece' Tayari Jones

'A sweeping, ambitious, gorgeous novel - takes you by the throat and refuses to let go. Mama Day is a stone-cold masterpiece' Carmen Maria Machado

Between Georgia and South Carolina is an island you won't find on any map. Only a single wooden bridge connects it to the world. In Willow Springs people still honour their ancestors, who arrived as slaves back in the time…


Book cover of Bippity Bop Barbershop
Book cover of The Adventures of Joshua and Pip: Calvin the Catfish
Book cover of Max and the Tag-Along Moon

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Interested in African Americans, spirituality, and God?

African Americans 848 books
Spirituality 347 books
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