Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Here's My Summer Reading List, What's On Yours?

Occasionally I get questions from the Twitterverse about what books are must reads.  My must read won't be everyone else's must read, but with a gentle nudge from the Twitterati, I'm giving you the list of what I'm reading this summer.  I'll also throw in a few "already reads" that I've enjoyed and think you will to.  I'm behind on my 144 books in 12 months challenge and my African Diaspora challenge, so I'll be reading at least 12 books a month, if not more.  Look for my list of books on the 1st of each month.

2010 Summer Reading List (June)
Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of An American People by Helen Zia
32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter
Sima's Undergarments for Women by Ilana Stanger-Ross
The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama
The Sport of the Gods by Paul Laurence Dunbar
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin
Colorblind by Precious Williams
Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, DC by Jesse J. Holland
A Taste of Honey: Stories by Jabari Asim
Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black by Gregory Howard Williams
Persian Girls: A Memoir by Nahid Rachlin
Under the Dome by Stephen King

Already Reads

Laugh Out Loud Hilarious

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
the Broke Diaries by Angela Nissel
Mossy Creek by Deborah Smith
Honey Hush: An Anthology of African American Woman's Humor by Daryl Cumber Dance

Contemporary Lit
Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice
Glorious by Bernice McFadden
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots by Susan Straight

Historical Fiction/Memoirs
The Black Rose: The Dramatic Story of Madam C.J. Walker, America's First Black Female Millionaire by Tananarive Due
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Russka: The Novel of Russia by Edward Rutherfurd

Non-fiction
What to Say and How to Say it: Models, Speeches and Letters for All Occasions by David Belson
Why Black People Tend to Shout: Cold Facts and Wry Views from a Black Man's World by Ralph Wiley
Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America by Richard Majors
When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: My Life as a Hip Hop Feminist by Joan Morgan
Straight Up, No Chaser: How I Became A Grown-Up Black Woman by Jill Nelson

Have you started drafting your summer reading list? What's on it? What one book do you have to read this summer?

12 comments :

  1. *siiigh* You have some GREAT books listed here. I also have a list that I've been trying to work on. Where does all the time go?!

    To Do List: MUST find time to read!!! (I miss it, I sincerely do!)

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  2. 12 books a month?! You are every writers dream! Thank you! I like your list and would also add Lori Tharps upcoming debut novel Substitute Me.

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  3. Great list! Thanks- I'm researching them on Amazon right now!
    Andrea
    www.greatthoughts.com

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  4. Great list! I've read a few, have a few on my wishlist and added one- A Taste of Honey. I've also had Life on the Color Line on my shelf for a while. Guess I should dust it off and read it, eh? Oh and get ready for that catch up readathon... :)

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  5. I keep books in the bathroom, the car and by the bed. Even if it's just 10 minutes a day, you have to find the time to read. Like when you're on Twitter...

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  6. Thanks Carleen. If I didn't have to work for a living, I'd be perfectly content to read good books & watch bad TV all day. I'll definitely add Substitute Me.

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  7. Thanks Andrea. Think about doing a guest post if you find a book you really like on the list.

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  8. Yes! You need to set a date soon. My African Diaspora challenge is looking mighty poor these days. I'm hoping to remedy that with some of my summer selections.

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  9. I am loving the summer list and cannot wait for the book reviews! Two of the books on your list I have read before. "The Broke Diaries" should be an easy read for you. It took me no time to finish that one (maybe because it was like a bio for me LOL). "Memoirs of a Geisha" was an excellent read as well. However I put it down for like three months before picking it back up, reading, and getting into it. When I finally got into the book......I really got into it. Much better than the movie (isn't all books like that though!!). Have fun reading!!!

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  10. Wow, you're my hero for rocking 12 books in one month. I can barely make good on this promise to read one a week. I'm looking forward to reading CHILDREN OF THE WATER this summer, and right now I'm listening to UNDER THE DOME on my daily walk. I'm not going to lie, it's hard-going. I have to keep on switching it to something a little lighter, because so far, it's been nothing but hours of death and gore. But I'm hoping it will start picking up soon...

    I'm listening to A SPOT OF BOTHER by Mark Haddon in the car, reading BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK on my iPad, and reading WELCOME TO UTOPIA by Karen Valby as my physical book. Hopefully they'll all be read by the end of summer.

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  11. A couple of books that are on your list to read are also on mine.

    But a couple of must reads for the summer are:
    The Long Song by Andrea Levy
    The Hundred Tousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
    The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
    Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

    I have read and recommend the following be on your summer reading list
    Perfect Peace - Daniel Black
    Island Beneath the Sea - Isabel Allende

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  12. Is Under the Dome hard to listen to because it's so lengthy or because of the topic? I picked it up from the library and was overwhelmed with how big it is. I don't know if I can make it through it in the next few weeks. It may have to be my "all summer long" read.

    I've heard great things about Bitch is the New Black. How goes it so far?

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