10 Books to Get Lost in this Summer
With summer officially beginning and COVID-19 restrictions lifting, people are rushing to the nearest beach, airport or pool. After a year and a half of social distancing, remote learning and Zoom sessions, everyone is ready to return back to some type of normalcy, while remaining as safe as possible.
This sudden surge creates the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax and delve into a good book. Whether at a beach, at a pool or on vacation, a good book could take you on an adventure of a lifetime as you get lost in the universe created by the author. From revolutionary self-love to enchanting Black girl magic, these 10 books provide the perfect landscape for any reader to get lost in this summer.
“Love is a Revolution” by Renée Watson
Renée Watson beautifully tells a love story that goes deeper than any romantic relationship. The New York Times bestselling and award-winning author details a young woman’s journey to finding herself and loving her authentic personality. “Love is a Revolution” opens with Nala Robertson meeting Tye Brown at an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday. The rest of the book follows how their romance sparks Nala’s revolutionary journey to self-love.
“Ace of Spades'' by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Described as a mixture of Cecily von Ziegesar’s “Gossip Girl” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé tells the story of two Black students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, at an elite academy as they battle against an anonymous antagonist. The mystery tormentor, who goes by Aces, reveals secrets about the two newly-elected senior class prefects that threaten their futures and turn their lives around. Exploring themes, such as racism, white supremacy and homophobia, Àbíké-Íyímídé delivers a heart-racing and twisty thriller for her writing debut.
Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson tells the riveting story of a young woman and her journey to embrace her voice. Enchanted Jones, who dreams of being a famous singer, finally believes that her aspirations are taking flight when R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. Then, Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands, no recollection of last night and a question on her mind: Who killed Korey Fields? With a dead body and potential motive, all signs point to Enchanted. The instant New York Times bestseller exposes the horror behind the closed doors of the limelight and follows Enchanted as she finds the power behind her own voice.
“While We Were Dating” by Jasmine Gulliory
Officially releasing on July 13, Jasmine Gulliory continues to quench the thirst of romance readers worldwide. Following the theme of the majority of her other books in the Wedding Date series, this stand-alone novel is based in California and loosely connects to the book universe that she has created. The sixth highly-anticipated romance novel release from the New York Times bestselling author follows the love story between movie star Anna Gardiner and ad campaign manager Ben Stephens, who is related to “The Wedding Party” character Theo Stephens. The duo's romance swells when their light-hearted banter turns serious and their real-life fling blossoms into something more.
“Concrete Rose” by Angie Thomas
From the international phenomenon Angie Thomas comes a prequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller “The Hate You Give.” Exploring Garden Heights 17 years before the events of her breakout novel, Thomas tells the story of seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter. Having to be the man of the house after his father, who was a former gang legend, goes to prison, Maverick starts to deal drugs for the King Lords. Between the money, his girlfriend and a ride-or-die cousin, life is not perfect, but he is managing it. However, when he finds out that he is a father, the news uproots his life and changes his entire perspective. “Concrete Rose” follows Maverick’s journey to becoming a real man.
“The Other Black Girl'' by Zakiya Dalila Harris
An instant New York Times bestseller, “The Other Black Girl” follows the story of Nella Rogers, who is the only Black employee at Wagner Books. When the twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant is just about fed up with the isolation and microaggressions in the office, a shining light comes in the form of a new employee, Harlem-born and bred Hazel. Finally having someone to relate to thrills Nella, until a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to the Office Darling and Nella is back where she started. On top of that, Nella begins to receive a series of hostile messages causing to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play. In her debut book, Zakiya Dalila Harris delivers a whip-smart and dynamic thriller complete with sly social commentary.
This instant New York Times bestseller puts a literal meaning to Black girl magic. “Legendborn” follows the story of sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews who wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home after her mother dies. The perfect escape to Bree seems to be a residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC Chapel Hill until a magical attack happens on her first night on campus. After a failure to erase Bree’s memory unlocks her own magic and a buried memory about her mother’s death, she will do anything to find out the truth. After recruiting Nick, a self-exiled member of the Legendborn, and learning about an upcoming magical war, Bree must decide whether to take down the secret society or join in their fight.
“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
Named the best book of 2020 by the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR and more, “The Vanishing Half” follows the Vignes identical twin sisters who grew up to be polar opposites, despite growing up together in the same small, southern black community that they ran away from at the age sixteen. While one sister returns to their hometown with her black daughter, the other secretly passes for white and her white husband knows nothing about her past. While the fates of the twins have remained intertwined, this story explores what happens when their daughters’ storylines intersect. Voted one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year, Brit Bennett writes a riveting, emotional family story that spans from the 1950s to the 1990s.
“Queenie” by Candice Carty Williams
In her debut novel, Candice Carty Williams tells the very unique, honest and unapologetically Black story of Queenie Jenkins. The book follows the twenty-five-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London who works at a national newspaper as she copes with a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend. Seeking comfort in the wrong places, Queenie embarks on a journey to answer the questions that modern women must face when trying to find their place in today’s world. Voted as one of TIME’s 100 Best Books of the Year and One of NPR’s Best Books of 2019, “Queenie” is a brutally honest story about a woman’s journey to find who she is and where she belongs.
“The Stars Beneath Our Feet” by David Barclay Moore
Soon to be adapted into a movie directed by Michael B. Jordan, “The Stars Beneath Our Feet” follows a young boy’s journey as he tries to navigate his way toward a different path. In the wake of his brother’s death due to gang violence, twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul uses a Christmas gift and the prospect of building a Lego city at the community center as an escape to the pressure to follow in his brother’s footsteps and join a “crew.” In his debut novel, David Barclay Moore portrays not only Lolly’s struggle against grief, violence and adolescence, but also Lolly’s strength as his spirit helps him build the foundation for the rest of his life.