Summer is here and it is also time to get into some summer reading. In school, there used to be summer reading lists, book reports, and required reading for the upcoming school year. Once school ended, a lot of us left reading behind. Summer is the optimal reading season for many reasons. For one, you can sit outside, by the pool, at the beach, or the park, and enjoy the beautiful weather while you read. Second, it’s free if you have a library card! Most libraries can even order books that customers request. Finally, it can be fun to put your own life aside for a little while and enter into a world that is completely different from the usual hustle and bustle.
Without further ado, here are five books that are perfect for some fun summer reading!
1 – How To Build a Fashion Icon by Law Roach
The world’s first and only Image Architect (he trademarked it, you know), Law Roach is best known for his exemplary styling of Zendaya and Celine Dion among others. In his book, he outlines how to curate a timeless wardrobe no matter the aesthetic or price point. He also forays a bit into his personal life and how he worked to become the icon we know and love (or love to hate). How to Build a Fashion Icon diverts from standard fashion tips we’re used to and really delves into creating personal style that is true to the reader.
2 – Reel (and Score) by Kennedy Ryan
Reel is the first book in a three-part Harlem Renaissance series (Score is the second and it was released this year). Reel follows Neevah Saint, a free-spirited Broadway performer plucked from obscurity and cast in the lead role of a big budget blockbuster. Her director, Cannon Holt, is a no-nonsense, stoic, visionary that is still grieving a tragic loss. Their paths cross during the production of the film and both of their lives are forever changed from the experience. Reel is a perfect poolside read.
3 – Unruly: A Guide to Reclaiming Your True Self by Shelah Marie
Unruly implores Black women to stop settling for lives that don’t suit them. It urges the reader to find their authentic self and to embrace the peace in living that truth. Filled with journal prompts and affirmations, Unruly is a journey of self-love and a little tough love that will help the reader get out of their own way. It demands you build the life that you want to experience and also provides the building blocks on how to start.
4 – Matriarch by Tina Knowles
Matriarch is a memoir about the life of Celestine Knowles, better known as Mama Tina. While Mama Tina is most notably the mother of Beyoncè and Solange Knowles, she is also a seamstress, cook, hair aficionado, and so much more. This book details her life through childhood, motherhood, love, and loss. A woman who worked hard and instilled that ethic into her own children as well as other women around her. Matriarch is her journey of self-discovery, and the reader is allowed a peek behind the scenes.
5 – Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen
Curvy Girl Summer follows Aaliyah James as she navigates the often-unfavorable world of dating as a plus size woman. Aaliyah is on the hunt to find a boyfriend weeks before her thirtieth birthday party to prove her family wrong about her love life. She meets a bartender who offers to help her vet her potential suitors… and the rollercoaster begins. This book is full of ups and downs, both humor and heartache. It’s an insightful read from a plus size perspective.
Featured image/photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash.
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