Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
by Manning Marable
Who could have planned for the attention this book has gotten? Its author passed away days before its release. The biography delved into personal aspects of Malcolm X much to the dismay of Malcolm X’s daughters.
The Kid
by Sapphire
Sapphire’s follow-up the commercial blockbuster PUSH (which was adapted in 2009 into an Academy award-winning film.) promises to be another hit. The Kid chronicles the coming-of-age of the son of Precious.
Silver Sparrow
by Tayari Jones
Set in 1980s Atlanta, this coming-of-age story has all the ingredients of a hot summer read: lies, friendship, and betrayal. What happens when a man has two families and two half-sisters threaten to unravel everything?
Midnight and the Meaning of Love
by Sister Souljah
This latest installment to Sister Souljah’s ongoing saga takes urban lit to new heights with her Sudanese love-striken Ninja protagonist.
The End of Anger: A New Generation’s Take on Race and Rage
by Ellis Cose
Across multiple generations of African Americans, this new book is a timely update to the ongoing conversation about race in Post-Obama America.
Book of Blues
by Courttia Newland
Exploring blues as music and aesthetic, Courttia Newland, one of the UK’s hippest black writers, explores how friends, family, and strangers navigate love in this collection of stories.
No One in the World
by E. Lynn Harris and R.M. Johnson
Fans of the late bestselling author will be pleased by this high-stakes suspense of family drama, race and class with a contemporary black gay spin.
Starting Over
by LaToya Jackson
To the dismay of some, this memoir is not a tell-all. Instead, it’s a survivor’s tale of overcoming an abusive relationship, a tribute to her famous younger brother and a look at mysterious details of his untimely death.
How to Get Out of Your Own Way
by Tyrese Gibson
This new memoir chronicles the road to stardom from the actor-singer who rose to fame after an appearance in a Coco-Cola commercial debut back in 1994.
A Man From Another Land: How Finding my Roots Changed My Life
by Isaiah Washington
A new memoir revealing the transformative power of knowing where you come from. Famed actor, Isaiah Washington, was the first to be granted dual citizenship based on DNA.
The Deal, The Dance, and The Devil
by Victoria Christopher Murray
A timely novel — after the recession hits, the high-rolling Langstons are offered five million dollars to abandon their morality. Will they take the money?
Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?
by Toure
Maybe we’re a far cry from a post-racial nation, but this books raises interesting points about the fact that we’re definitely beyond the sixties paradigm of talking about race in America.
Who Are We — And Should it Matter in the 21st Century
by Gary Younge
A fascinating look at how politicized identity is around the globe. At this juncture in history, more attention needs to be spent looking at the ways we’re more alike and how on a basic level—we all have mutual interests.
Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office
By Zach O’Malley Greenburg
A smart analysis of the way hip-hop icon Jay-Z has used his hustler-acumen to become a consummate businessman with an enviable brand comparable to Ralph Lauren and Oprah Winfrey.
The Help
By Kathryn Stockett
This New York Times bestseller about a young writer who becomes interested in the plight of the black maids in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s — is out in paperback— just in time for its movie debut this summer starring Viola Davis.
Regardless of how you read — be it traditional hardback, electronic device, or smart phone — summer is the perfect time to retreat in the shade with a good book. theGrio has put together 15 titles (so you don’t have to.) Our summer reading picks are diverse — including fiction, pop culture, and revelatory memoirs and biographies of some of our biggest cultural icons of the past half century.
Some choices include: Jay Z, Kathryn Stockett, Malcolm X A Life Of Reinvention, Manning Marable, Sapphire, The Help, and Tyrese Gibson
