Just like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince said, it’s “summer, summer, summertime!” If you’re vacationing to sandy beaches this season, or you’re just dreaming about beach getaways from your temperature-controlled couch, diving into a good book is a good way to pass the time.
This July, you can enjoy a new read from The View host Whoopi Goldberg, whose graphic novel spawns a new superhero. Or learn about Mary McLeod Bethune in an intimate biography by Noliwe Rooks. From period-driven and dystopian fiction to the study of shark life, there’s a book for every type of reader out there this July.
Midnight Rooms
Donyae Coles (July 2)
Orabella is a young biracial woman in the Victorian Era who marries a stranger to help pay off her family debts. Once in her new husband’s decaying home, she feels herself slipping away, finding it impossible to draw the lines between dreams and reality. It’s ghosts, guilt and familial bonds for those who love gothic, creepy and existential mysteries.
Price: $28
False Idols
K’wan (July 2)
The prince of urban literature gives us a new juicy read about the dethroning of New York City’s patriarch Chancellor King, which leads the city’s “monarchy” in Five Points into a bloody battle for the crown.
Price: $18
The Great Hemisphere
Mateo Askaripour (July 9)
Sweetmint, a young invisible woman, has to abandon the perfectly crafted life she’s created to find her missing brother and save him from a murder accusation. This story is an eye-opening Dystopian adventure set in a future world.
A Black Woman’s Guide to Getting Free
Tamara Winfrey Harris (July 9)
In this exploration of liberation, author Harris offers six pillars of living free. It’s designed to help fellow Black women create a sustaining practice to mature their well-being along their freedom journey.
Price: $22
It’s Elementary
Elise Bryant (July 9)
A Black mom gets caught up in the mysterious disappearance of her daughter’s school principal at a predominantly white school. Her razor-sharp investigation will challenge her views on parenting, friendship and elementary school politics. For all the moms who get a little too involved in their children’s PTA.
Price: $15
The Change
Whoopi Goldberg and Jaime Paglia (July 9)
Goldberg gets graphic in this this new novel! Isabel Frost is going through the change, and it gives her some unexpected superpowers. Her comic-loving grandson and irreverent best friend help guide her through these newfound abilities.
Price: $18
The Day Madear Voted
Wade Hudson (July 9)
It’s 1969 and Charlie and Ralph are joining their mom, Madear, who is voting for the first time in her life. This colorful children’s book shares the plights Black people endured to finally get the right to vote, and the importance of doing our civic duty. Illustrated by Don Tate.
Price: $19
SHARKS DON’T SINK: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist
Jasmin Graham (July 16)
The marine biologist and co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences reveals her challenging journey to flourish outside the traditional confines of academia, inspired by her innate connection to nature’s most misunderstood animal—the shark. Sing your teeth into this one.
Price: $26
A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune
Noliwe Rooks (July 23)
Exploring the legacy of one of America’s towering educators, this intimate biography shines a light on a woman who dared to center the progress of Black women and girls in the larger struggle for political and social liberation. Henry Louis Gates Jr. serves as series editor.
Price: $28
Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)?: Adventures in Boyhood
Jay Ellis (July 30)
The ‘Insecure’ alum takes us to a place many have visited but few discuss in their adulthood: their childhood friend. In this hilarious and insightful memoir, Ellis introduces us to his, Mikey, and shares how his imginary buddy helped shape him as a boy and into the man he is today.
