Search

    Select Website Language

    Your reading shouldn’t stop at your textbooks. Summer is the perfect time to explore different literary genres, expand your vocabulary, and keep your mind sharp for the upcoming semester without the pressures of heavy coursework. From historical analysis to southern gothic horror and dark academia fantasy, this list has what you need to reach your summer reading goals. 


    Tulsa Speaks: A City Council, Reparations, and Race in America Today by Kristal Brent Zook (June 9)

    In 2021, Tulsa, Oklahoma observed the centennial of the 1921 Black Wall Street massacre where over three hundred African Americans were killed at the hands of white Tulsa residents. 

    Award-winning journalist Kristal Brent Zook chronicles the behind the scenes work following the centennial – focusing on the city councilors’ fight for systemic equity and reparations for the Greenwood District. 

    By analyzing Tulsa’s efforts towards accountability, this book works as a case study on how the rest of the U.S. can reconcile its violent history. 

    Our Sister’s Keeper by Jasmine Holmes (June 9)

    East Cobb is a wealthy all-Black city in 1920’s Mississippi, considered a utopia by many. But behind this prosperity, hides a secret the women must carry to protect their community. This psychological horror explores themes of heavy emotional labor and generational trauma in a perfect combination of southern gothic and historical fiction.

     

     

     

     

     

    We’ve Been Here Before: How Rebellion and Activism Have Always Sustained America by Angela P. Dodson and Michael I. Days (June 9)

    Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Days and New York Times editor Dodson explore how activism and rebellion have shaped America and how it will continue to influence society in the future. 

    The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation by Nicole Carr (June 16)

    Award-winning journalist Carr details the systemic barriers that shaped modern health disparities. The book highlights the Black doctors who fought against the system to secure better healthcare for Black patients. 

    The First Family by Granger (June 16)

    A murder has been committed on a mythical HBCU campus. A student’s investigation threatens to expose the school and all its secrets. This dark academia fantasy follows students as they grapple with past grudges and forbidden desires.

    A Pair of Aces by Heather Terrell and Victoria Christopher Murray (June 23)

    This historical fiction novel follows two trailblazing women as they collaborate to bring down a notorious mob boss in the most scandalous trial in New York City history.

    The Broken Hearts Agency by Clarence A. Haynes (June 23)

    A supernatural plague is sweeping through Washington D.C. A private investigator and her team follow the clues to unearth an evil force that feeds on human desire. 

    The Revelation of Dionne Daphne by Mara Brock Akil (June 30)

    In a debut novel by the creator of ‘Girlfriends’and ‘Being Mary Jane’, Akil delves into the life of a successful magazine editor on her journey of self discovery.

    The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders (July 7)

    Audrey Lamb has inherited a rural Mississippi farm from her deceased father. She quickly finds out the land is haunted by her ancestors who watch over the living. Desperate for cash, Audrey has to choose between a lucrative offer to sell the farm or preserving the generations of family history attached to the land.

    Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu (July 7)

    This coming of age story explores the friendship of two childhood best friends as they pursue their dreams of being artists in the competitive New York City art scene. Their bond begins to push the boundaries of friendship as they face feelings of infatuation.

    The Jailhouse Lawyer by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull (July 7)

    Duncan was falsely accused of murder at 19 years old and spent nearly 30 years in prison. While incarcerated, he learned the law, and became a “jailhouse lawyer” who helped hundreds of inmates overturn wrongful convictions while securing his own freedom.

    The Haul: A Heist Novel by Gary Phillips (July 7)

    O’Conner is a former thief now living as a middle-class citizen. He comes out of retirement to organize a multi-million dollar heist that targets a tech billionaires secret bunker. As the operation unfolds, he is forced to confront the ghosts of his buried past.

    Politics and Poetics by Melba Joyce Boyd (July 21)

    Award winning author and professor Joyce Boyd examines the literary works of activist Frances E.W. Harper and how her feminist voice carries into today’s society.

    Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (July 21)

    The final part of the Harlem Trilogy follows furniture store owner and part time criminal Ray Carney as he navigates the 1980s New York scene.

    The Wound is Where the Light Enters: A Memoir of Resilience by Chris Young (August 4)

    This memoir details Young’s life from a poverty-stricken childhood to a wrongful life sentence under harsh drug laws, and his journey of education and self-redemption.

     




    The post
    15 Books By Black Authors to Add to Your Summer Reading List first appeared on The A&T Register.
    Previous Article
    Confessions of a Fruit Fly!
    Next Article
    New YA Novels to Read This Summer

    Related College Updates:

    Are you sure? You want to delete this comment..! Remove Cancel

    Comments (0)

      Leave a comment