GET LIT! Sunny Hostin Takes Us Back to the Beach and Other Black Authors to Soak Up This May
Written by Xander Zellner on May 8, 2024
The rays are getting warmer, and this May is bursting with incredible page-turners by Black authors. The View co-host Sunny Hostin continues to feed our summer reads with the third book in her Summer Beach series. Darius Rucker, a pioneer in Black country music, reveals the intimate moments of his life in his new memoir. Grammy-winning gospel artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard is helping us all stay on the course with her self-help guide. Get ready to dive into these reads and expand your mind while celebrating the richness of Black voices.
Do It Anyway: Don’t’ Give Up Before It Gets Good
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (May 7)
A gospel artist of the decade, Cobbs Leonard’s new book shares her journey through unforeseen challenges while holding to an unshakable God, discovering that our greatest breakthroughs come when we make the courageous choice to show up and do the hard things anyway.
Price: $18
Blood at the Root
LaDarrion Williams (May 7)
Malik, a teenager on the run from his past, finds a family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed inside an HBCU for the young, Black and magical. But his search for answers about his heritage, powers and what really happened to his mother exposes cracks in this mystical community.
Price: $19
Race to Kindness
Orion Jean (May 7)
At only 13 years old, Jean had brought items to the food insecure and donated books in underserved areas. Now the author, public speaker and advocate has written a story about a boy who accomplishes small acts that add up to a bigger wave of kindness, showing that everyone matters and everyone can make a difference.
Price: $18
Ella: A Novel
Diane Richards (May 7)
It’s a celebration of the “First Lady of Song” before she was known as the “Queen of Jazz.” Written by a former Whitney Houston backup singer, the book explores Ella’s life, from her days as a 15-year-old backup singer and convicted mob employee to her electrifying debut at Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night.
Price: $28
Say Good: Speaking across Hot Topics, Complex Relationships, and Tense Situations
Ashlee Eiland (May 7)
What you say reflects on your life and character. This book helps you discover the power of stewarding your unique voice through a four-part discernment process: passion, accountability, influence and relationship―to understand the spaces, ways and times where your words are needed.
Price: $17
Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony
M.K. Asante (May 21)
In this emotional memoir, Asante shares how he connected with his brother’s son, Nasir, as the young 18 year old lay in a hospital bed, fighting for his life after being shot nine times. Asante’s goal was to introduce his nephew to the family history the young man had never known and save him from the streets that had taken his father.
Price: $27
Control
Omar Tyree (May 21)
In this thriller from the NAACP Image Award-winning author, six talented but dangerously toxic personalities in the entertainment hotbed of Atlanta push their psychologist to her own vulnerable limits … and possibly beyond.
Price: $28
Pack Light: A Journey to Find Myself
Shilletha Curtis (May 21)
A job loss during the pandemic was not in vain. Curtis shares her transformative and healing hike from Georgia to Maine, on which she confronted the roots of her trauma in this memoir.
Price: $28
Summer on Highland Beach: Summer Beach, Book 3
Sunny Hostin (May 28)
Great ready for a fun summer read with ‘The View’ co-host’s third book in her Summer Beach series. This time, in the midst of tense family drama, Olivia Jones must decide if she wants to return to the beautiful life she’s created in Sag Harbor or finally achieve her dream of having a family and home to call her own in Highland Beach.
Price: $30
Life’s Too Short: A Memoir
Darius Rucker (May 28)
The co-founder of Hootie and the Blowfish takes us on a remarklable journey of his life and his 40-plus year music career. The memoir shares his triumphs and missteps, set to the soundtrack of the artists that shaped him.
