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Summer is the perfect time to dive into that romance novel, historical fiction or other literature that’s been burning a hole in your bookshelf. No beach bag or carry-on luggage is complete without a good book. A poll conducted by ThriftBooks and published on SWNS Digital found that summer is the busiest reading season and that some of the more popular selections include romance novels, mysteries and books that have been turned into Netflix shows. While there are dozens of genres to choose from, given everything happening in the world right now, you deserve to curl up to a nice feel-good book. Books are the ultimate escape, and this is a good time to escape to somewhere warm and fuzzy. So here are feel-good books by Black authors to lose yourself in this summer.
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are
By Elaine Welteroth
Get it on Amazon
This pseudo-memoir is so wildly popular that it’s now being developed into a TV series. It comes to us from former Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth, and tells the story of her experience being at the intersection of many crossroads – familial and professional. She grew up in an interracial family, and explores her struggle for identity in that setting. She later climbs the ranks of the media world, often finding herself the only Black female boss in many rooms. It’s an empowering story about finding who you are and asserting that – even when it feels impossible.
Black Cake
By Charmaine Wilkerson
Get it on Amazon
Black Cake takes your imagination on an international tour as estranged siblings Byron and Benny Bennett dive into the mysterious past of their recently deceased mother, Eleanor Bennett. Eleanor leaves behind a recipe for her famous Black cake, along with a voice recording sharing the adventurous and dangerous secrets of her life before she had her children. The novel explores the idea of how the choices of one individual can change the fate of their bloodline forever. It’s one of those feel-good books that will make you feel some not-so-good things first, but in the end, it’s worth it. It is currently in development to become a TV series for Hulu, with Oprah Winfrey as one of the producers.
Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix
By Ibi Zoboi
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Author Ibi Zoboi took Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice and rewrote it with all-Black characters, in a modern setting. If you loved the near missed connections, romantic day dreaming and sibling comradery of the original Pride and Prejudice, you’ll enjoy this creative remix. It takes place in Brooklyn, New York, where its protagonist, Zuri Benitez, is grappling with the rapid gentrification happening in her neighborhood, all the while entertaining flirtations from the sons of the new neighbors – the Darcy family – while tackling college applications.
I Almost Forgot About You
By Terry McMillan
Get it on Amazon
The same entertaining and intuitive author who brought us How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting To Exhale delivers once again in this fun summer read. The perfect escapism/wish fulfillment story is about Dr. Georgia Young, who, feeing stuck in a rut, leaves her stable job as an optometrist and her home to go on an adventure of a lifetime – and take a second chance at love. The story has vibrant characters and lough out loud, deeply relatable moments.
You Should See Me In A Crown
By Leah Johnson
Get it on Amazon
If you’re craving a good underdog story full of moments of courage, high school nostalgia and a little magic, check out You Should See Me In A Crown. It tells the story of Liz Lighty, a young, shy Black girl from a family of humble means living in an otherwise wealthy Midwestern town. Her plans to escape it all by attending the college of her dreams fall apart when her financial aid doesn’t come through. And then, she has to participate in the one tradition she’s always rejected – the prom – in order to compete for the prom queen scholarship that could put her back on track to her dreams.
Have We Met?
By Camille Baker
Get it on Amazon
This flirty and fun books plays on a common fantasy: what if we could find our past romantic missed connections? Would one of them be “the one?” The story’s protagonist, Corinne, gets the chance to find out when a mysterious dating app called Met appears on her phone, promising to reconnect her with four potential partners from the past who got away. But, all along, she’s developing feelings for a man outside of the app and has to choose between the allure of what could have been…and what’s right in front of her.
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