What We’re Reading
Summer book recommendations from me and my Linesisters.
I am a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and was initiated into the Mu Pi Chapter at Spelman College in the Fall of 2015. Much of how I define sisterhood, love, forgiveness, and empathy can be attributed to my line Recrudescent L.T.U. 39, Cru for short. I’ve learned such a great deal from them, that I wanted to share the wealth of knowledge with the rest of the world.
Because reading is a powerful way to gain perspective and build community, we are sharing books that we love written by black women or people of color.
Bianca’s Picks:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Genre: Contemporary/Fiction
An American Marriage is a tragic love story about social injustice, friendships, unimaginable circumstances and the effects it has on newlyweds, Celestial and Roy. The novel takes you through an array of emotions as you learn that Roy was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to twelve years for a crime he did not commit,. During this time, Celestial finds comfort and love in her bestfriend, Andre. Through the lens of these three characters, you’ll get an intimate look into how they each deal with the past while attempting to move forward.
Difficult Women by Roxanne Gay
Genre: Feminism/Short Stories
Difficult Women is a collection of stories from women of different socioeconomic backgrounds whose relationships are all haunted by past crimes or emotional blackmail.
The stories range from a woman, married to a twin, that pretends not realize when her husband and his brother impersonate each other, to a girl’s days in fight club. The book delves into each woman’s personal life, as transformative or scandalous as it may be. 10/10 would highly recommend.
Jillian’s Pick:
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper
Genre: Autobiography/Feminism
Brittney Cooper’s book, A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower, discusses the emotional complexities experienced by black women in America caused by religion, love, sex, Black culture, and American society. She validates the feelings of her black women readers, then encourages us to use our emotions as fuel to keep speaking up and fighting for change.
I first read this book in the summer of 2018, but recently revisited after listening to J. Cole’s “Snow on tha Bluff.” The line “But shit, it’s something about the queen tone that’s bothering me,” prompted me to revisit the arguments presented by Cooper. The author has a way of communicating complex and often intimidating topics in a casual and digestible way. Eloquent Rage equips its readers with the language to challenge the patriarchal ideology that has been normalized in our society.
Jordyn’s Pick:
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
Genre: Spirituality/Psychology
The Seven Spiritual Laws provided me with a guide to helping me figure out what my dreams are, and instructions on how to achieve them. The book changed my perspective on what success looks like and how to get there; I have applied this book to every aspect of my life.
Meredith’s Picks:
Believe Bigger: Discover the Path to Your Life Purpose by Marshawn Evans Daniels
Genre: Religion/Personal Development
Takeaway: Life is seems to be going perfect, until a paradigm shift occurs. That shift ,big or little), might initially make you feel like your world is falling a part, but it’s actually The Lord making room for something bigger and better.
During that shift or storm in your life, don’t be afraid to ask The Lord to do exceedingly and above all that you can ask. Actually, the purpose of the shift is for you to seek The Lord and put Him first so that amazing things can occur in your life. When God lifts you up and fulfills promises that you did not have even dream of asking Him, He will then use you to help others. However, this occurs when you first have the courage to believe bigger!