Category: Monthly Book Recommendations

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Recommendations-August 2025

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

As summer comes to a close and fall approaches, grab a book or two to make the transition a smooth one. So as the month closes, see August’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • Blood in the Water ~Tiffany D. Jackson
  • This Motherless Land ~Nikki May
  • Colored Television ~Danzy Senna
  • Red Clay ~Charles B. Fancher
  • Weird and Wonderful You ~Zaila Avant-garde
  • The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic ~Lindsey Stewart
  • Sky Full of Elephants ~Cebo Campbell
  • The Strangers: Five Extraordinary Black Men and the Worlds That Made Them ~Ekow Eshun
  • When The Harvest Comes ~Denne Michelle Norris
  • Great Black Hope ~Rob Franklin
  • Sunstruck ~William Rayfet Hunter
  • Flirting Lessons ~Jasmine Guillory

As always, don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

And remember, you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Black Bookstore Adventures, Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk...

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-July 2025

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Summer Breeze…Check….Sitting Poolside…Check…Good Book…Double Check!! Alright, good people, we are back with another edition of “Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations”! As always, there is a little something for everyone, even the kiddos!!

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Check out July’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • You’ve Got a Place Here, Too: An Anthology of Black Love Stories Set at HBCUs ~Edited by Ebony Ladelle
  • If I Could Go Back ~Briana Johnson
  • The Girls Who Grew Big ~Leila Mottley
  • Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler ~Susana M. Morris
  • King of Ashes ~S.A. Cosby
  • Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship ~Dana A. Williams
  • I Got You: A Brother’s Promise ~Derrick Barnes
  • Swing Time ~Zadie Smith
  • Lonely Crowds ~Stephanie Wambugu

As always, don’t forget to support your local bookstores!! Matter fact, for all my Chicago readers, or if you need to build out your bookstore network, check out these Black-owned bookstores in the Chi:

Don’t forget you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Celebration, Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations- June 2025

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Summer is a great time to start reading a new book!! There are so many great spaces and places where you can get your literary fix! To be honest, summer is when I get to catch up on a lot of books that have been added to my “To Be Read” list. As a matter of fact, two of the books on this list I am currently reading (Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson and Rivals by Jilly Cooper)! Since we are also halfway through 2025, this is a great time to find your next read and accomplish one of the New Year’s resolutions!

June is also Caribbean Heritage & Pride Month, so I definitely added a few nuggets under each theme for your reading pleasure.

Photo by Perfecto Capucine on Pexels.com

Check out June’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • Good Dirt: A Novel ~Charmaine Wilkerson
  • Awakened ~Kelechi Okafor
  • Necessary Fiction ~Eloghosa Osunde
  • The Taking of Jake Livingston ~Ryan Douglass
  • Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson ~Tourmaline
  • Putting Myself Together ~Jamaica Kincaid
  • This is Not a Ghost Story ~Amerie
  • The Jumbies ~Tracey Baptiste
  • Better Must Come ~Desmond Hall
  • Eight Days: A Story of Haiti ~Edwidge Danticat
  • Rivals ~Jilly Cooper (I was fascinated by the Hulu TV series, so I had to read the book!!)

As always, don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

Don’t forget you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-September 2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Fall is Officially Here, but the reading doesn’t stop. This month’s list includes everything from a hip-hop memoir to a crime-thriller novel, historical fiction, and a yummy cookbook. Nothing like chilling on your porch, balcony, or favorite park, taking in the autumn winds with a cup of warm apple cider and a good book. Let me help with finding your next literary treat!!

Check out September’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • AfriCali: Recipes from My Jikoni ~Kiano Moju
  • Razorblade Tears ~S.A. Cosby
  • Gods of Jade and Shadow ~Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • We’re Alone ~Edwidge Danticat
  • First in the Family ~Jessica Hoppe
  • Who’s That Girl? ~Eve
  • Like Happiness ~Ursula Villarreal-Moura
  • Lovely One ~Ketanji Brown Jackson
  • We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People ~Nemonte Nenquimo

And as always, Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

And just in case you need some stylish apparel to keep you warm as you read, check out this Black woman-owned site, The Trini Gee with some cute fits!!

Don’t forget you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-August 2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

The sun is out let’s find a good place to cool down
Is just me and you now, are you the one
For me to spend the summer time

~”Summertime Anthem” ~Eric Roberson

Nothing like a summer breeze and a good book to get you in the mood!

Check out August’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • And So I Roar ~Abi Daré
  • Far from the Tree ~Virginia DeBerry and Donna Gray
  • The Secret Library ~Kekla Magoon
  • Never Saw Me Coming ~Tanya Smith
  • Woke Up No Light ~Leila Mottley
  • Lone Women ~Victor Lavalle
  • Where We Stand ~Djamila Ribeiro
  • Hangman ~Maya Binyam
  • Summer is Here ~Renee Watson

Don’t forget you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Black Bookstore Adventures, Feature Spotlight, Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-July 2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

We are deep into the summer as we close out another HOT month! You know I could not leave you without another list of literary goodies!! Plus it’s Leo Season! As we continue to dive into Summer let me make sure I share some more finds to get you through the next month! This list is packed with lots of romance, thriller, coming of age, some poetry, a literary manifesto, and trust me every one is a page turner!! So let’s not delay the wait any longer!!

Check out July’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • Midnight Rooms ~Donyae Coles
  • Bluff: Poems ~Danez Smith
  • Beyond Policing ~Philip V. McHarris
  • Blessings ~Chukwuebuka Ibeh
  • Red at the Bone ~Jacqueline Woodson
  • Did Everyone Have An Imaginary Friend? (Or Just Me): Adventures in Boyhood ~Jay Ellis
  • Sounds Like a Plan ~Pamela Samuel Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith
  • Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples ~Carole Boston Weatherford and Mavis Staples

And as always, Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

If you need a few recommendations check these out:

And just in case you needed this reminder ….. #ItsLeoSeason

Don’t forget you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-June2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Books on top of Books, this is definitely something that you will not see a shortage of whether in my home or office (especially recently!!). Nothing like adding a new literary treat to your rotation! As I prepare for my upcoming trip, I have a few books that will be getting me through my vacay!! As summer is officially here make sure you don’t forget to grab a book for you, one for your friend, and an extra for good measure!!

Check out June’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • The Bookshop Sisterhood ~Michelle Lindo-Rice
  • The Rich People Have Gone Away ~Regina Porter
  • Daughter of the Merciful Deep ~Leslye Penelope
  • The Lion’s Den ~Iris Mwanza
  • Between Friends & Lovers ~Shirlene Obuobi
  • Blackheart Man ~Nalo Hopkinson
  • Do What Godmother Says ~L.S. Stratton
  • Rage: On Being Queer, Black, Brilliant and Completely Over It ~Lester Fabian Brathwaite
  • The Volcano Daughters ~Gina Maria Balibrera
  • The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read ~Rita Lorraine Hubbard & Oga Mora

And as always, Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

Happy Black Music Month!! Happy Pride Month!! Happy Juneteenth!! and Happy Summer Solstice!!

Don’t forget you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-May 2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

TGIF!! I know you thought, did Dr. G forget about us? Not at all, closing out the month with a few literary gems to get you prepared for the summer. And I can literally vouch for each of the books…you say how? Well, they are all a part of my personal library!! Matter of fact a few of them are even on my summer reading list. So grab your wallets and add some books to your carts!! And as always, Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

Check out May’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • A Thousand Words on Race and Hope: Light For the World To See ~Kwame Alexander
  • Nigeria Jones ~ Ibi Zoboi
  • Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way ~Jeffrey Blount
  • Blackness is Burning: Civil Rights, Popular Culture, and the Problem of Recognition ~TreaAndrea M. Russworm
  • Feenin: R&B Music and the Materiality of BlackFem Voices and Technology ~Alexander G. Weheliye
  • Souls of Black Folk: A Graphic Interpretation ~W.E.B. DuBois & Paul Peart-Smith
  • Life, I Swear: Intimate Stories from Black Women on Identity, Healing, and Self-Trust ~Chloe Dulce Louvouezo
  • Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair ~The KSU Museum & HIRMER

As an Extra Bonus…If need something to do for the summer and want to support your favorite author, check out these upcoming Book Festivals:

And as always, remember you can always go back and check out previous lists in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Feature Spotlight, Monthly Book Recommendations, On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-April 2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Happy Tuesday!! You didn’t think I forgot about ya??!! Not at all!! April Showers bring May Flowers!! Well at least here in Richmond :-)!! As those rainy days turn into days full of sunshine, don’t forget to pick up a book or two to get you through the day! Closing out the month with some literary goodies!! And as always, Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

Photo by Thought Catalog on Pexels.com

Check out April’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • Skin & Bones ~Renée Watson
  • Summer on Highland Beach ~Sunny Hostin
  • Little Rot ~Akwaeke Emezi
  • Sports Superheroes ~Stephen Curry
  • Great Expectations ~Vinson Cunningham
  • I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays ~Nell Irvin Painter
  • Come & Get It ~Kiley Reid
  • Allow Me To Introduce Myself ~Onyi Nwabineli
  • Anita De Monte Laughs Last ~Xochitl Gonzalez
  • One Of Us Knows ~Alyssa Cole

As an Extra Bonus…If you are in the Atlanta area, check out The Negro Motorist Green Book, an exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian, Candacy Taylor. This exhibition offers an immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America and how the annual guide served as an indispensable resource for the nation’s rising African American middle class and evidence of a vibrant business class. The Negro Motorist Green Book exhibit will be on display at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, GA till June 23rd, 2024…See More Info Here

(l-r and 1940 cover edition, “Separate but equal” in practice a separate “Negro Area” at Lewis Mountain in Shenandoah National Park, and founder/creator Victor Hugo Green, Photo Credit: New York Public Library copy and National Park Service)

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And as always, remember you can always go back and check out 2023’s lists and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!

Posted in Celebration, Monthly Book Recommendations, On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-March 2024

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

It’s Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate than by highlighting a few books by some AMAZING women writers!! Even put in a few extra ones for you!! And as always, Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Check out March’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • How to Live Free in a Dangerous World ~Shayla Lawson
  • Colliding With Fate ~A.E. Valdez
  • Under the Udala Trees ~Chinelo Okparanta
  • So Let Them Burn ~Kamilah Cole
  • The Black Girl Survives in This One ~Edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell
  • With Love, Miss Americanah ~Jane Igharo
  • Believe ~Leigh-Anne Pinnock
  • Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now ~Dana L. Davis
  • Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix ~Ibi Zoboi
  • Night Wherever We Go ~Tracey Rose Peyton
Photo collage of March Book Recommendations

As an Extra Bonus…Got a ton of books, but need to organize them? How about “Quotes by Iconic Women Bookends” created by Kristen and Lindsey Archer! Some of the icons available to purchase include, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, Katherine Johnson, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Angela Davis, Sojourner Truth, Kamala Harris, Sonia Sotomayor, and Gloria Steinem. You can find these at Uncommon Goods.

And as always, remember you can always go back and check out 2023’s lists and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!