“The Moment We Met” by camila baker | “Why didn’t you tell him?” by Carmen Rita Wong | Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Shivak | “Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World” by jessica nabongo | “Honey and Spice: A Novel” by bolu babalola
Nothing says summer like a long day at the beach or lounging by the pool. And nothing makes a day spent relaxing and watching the waves ebb and flow better than reading a good book. Just so you know, you don’t have to go to the ocean to get involved in a page turn. Spending a lazy Sunday lounging in your favorite easy chair or curled up in your bed at night before the lights go out are also great opportunities to indulge in a heartbreaking romance, historical novel, or memoir.
To that end, here are five of our favorite beach reads to toss in your bag along with your sunscreen or if you’re headed on a road trip, try the audio version for some hands-free time while you’re on the go. the the road.
Check out these five books and add them to your summer reading list today.
“The Moment We Met” by Camille Baker
For many people, the 30th birthday is considered fundamental and this is the case of the Tiwanda Harris of the “Moment We Met” of camila baker.
For many people, turning 30 is a turning point and for Tiwanda Harris it is absolutely groundbreaking. In “The Moment We Met” by camila bakerTiwanda’s story unfolds as she moves into her third decade and the young businesswoman discovers who her mother was as an adult. [IS THE MOTHER DEAD?] After that, she gets a chance to launch her career, and if that’s not enough, she was sent a dating app called Met, which promises to help her finally find her soul mate.
Since art tends to imitate real life, balancing all these things is difficult. Still, Baker takes us on a journey through some touchy subjects while he stays true to the rom-com theme. So take off your shoes and relax your feet while he enjoys this novel because he won’t be able to put it down.
“Why didn’t you tell him?” by Carmen Rita Wong
If you’ve ever had trouble defining who you are or wondered where you fit in, this memoir will bring up all kinds of emotions. Former CNBC host and author Carmen Rita Wong takes you on his incredible journey, which really unfolds after the passing of his mother, Lupe, who was harboring secrets that would lead Wong to question her identity. In “Why Didn’t You Tell Me?”, we are transported through his upbringing and cultural journey in the 1970s. From his life in Harlem with his extended Dominican family to his time with his immigrant father in Chinatown and the moment when who was transplanted to New Hampshire, where her mother remarried her stepfather, an Italian-American.
Although Wong’s relationship with his mother was strained for most of his upbringing, it is further complicated when Lupe dies, leaving Wong to resolve questions about his paternal heritage. The journey leads to a better understanding of who his mother was and why he made certain decisions. While the theme is heavy, this is one page turner you’ll definitely want to throw in your beach bag.
Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak
Set in the 1800s, Zoe Sivak’s “Mademoiselle Revolution” is a moving historical novel that tells the story of a biracial heiress who flees her home in Paris during the Haitian revolution. While that’s an intense theme, the author is also unflinching in her descriptions of her and her choice of words, some of which we’d rather forget. However, Sivak’s quote from william wilberforce in chapter four, “You can choose to look the other way, but you can never say you didn’t know again,” is a reminder of the value of knowledge. Additionally, the book encompasses love, resentment, racism, colorism, identity, and what it means to belong, making this debut novel almost impossible to put down, available August 2.
“Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World” by Jessica Nabongo
If you’ve ever imagined what it would be like to leave everything behind and take off, traveling to exotic lands, Jessica Nabongo has done just that and documented it in her new book, “Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World.” Nabongo , traveler and photographer, she is also the first (and only) documented black woman to visit all 195 countries in the world.
In this unique and fun-filled memoir, you’ll learn, among other things, how he played dominoes in Cuba, rode dog sledding in Norway, crossed a border in Guinea Bissau, and learned to lasso from black cowboys in Oklahoma. Perhaps the most important thing about this book is that the world is a big, beautiful, adventurous place waiting to be explored if you dare.
âHoney and spice: a novelâ by Bolu Babalola
If you’re in the mood for something a little messy and fun, then you’ll want to lose yourself in “Honey and Spice: A Novel” from bolu babalola. She meets Kiki Banjo, the protagonist of the story. She is a smart and funny young black British woman who is not interested in finding love. as host of brown sugar, the university’s student radio show, Kiki warns the women on campus not to fall for the players. Except she forgets to follow her own advice when she gets caught up in a fake relationship that she soon loses control of, forcing her to reexamine her views on her love.