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

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-July 2025

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

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-September 2024

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

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

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-May 2024

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

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

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

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!

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

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-February 2024

As Black History Month comes to a close, I wanted to make sure you get a few literary gems to add to your cart!! An array of Black and diasporic stories waiting to be read!! Don’t forget to support your local bookstores!!

Check out February’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • The Neighbor Favor ~Kristina Forest
  • Long Way Down ~Jason Reynolds
  • Rise To The Sun ~Leah Johnson
  • How to Die Famous ~Benjamin Dean
  • Blood at the Root ~Ladarrion Williams
  • The Church on Ruby Road ~Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
  • Legendborn ~Tracy Deonn
  • Shubeik Lubeik~Deena Mohamed
Photo Collage of February’s Book Recommendations

As an Extra Bonus...Check out this queer Black indie bookstore in Vancouver, Washington, The Romance Era Bookshop!! Check out a quick tour from their IG page below:

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

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

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-January 2024

Well, we are almost a month into 2024, how are you feeling?? Still, needing a good book to read? Needing to replenish your library? Looking for your next literary escape? I got you covered!! Starting a new year with a new list of recommendations.

Check out January’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:

  • A Love Song for Ricki Wilde ~Tia Williams
  • Black Meme ~Legacy Russell
  • Medgar & Myrlie: Medgar Evers and The Love Story That Awakened America ~Joy-Ann Reid
  • James ~Percival Everett
  • The Blueprint ~Rae Giana Rashad
  • Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir ~Walela Nehanda
  • Dead in Long Beach, California ~Venita Blackburn
  • The American Daughters ~Maurice Carlos Ruffin

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!

An Extra Bonus…For all my candle and book fans, check out this literary treat below…

You can purchase this candle and others at Noble Objects!!

Posted in Celebration, On the Desk..., On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s “Top 23” Books of 2023!!

It’s that time of year again when I share my Top Books of the Year! And once again the books do not disappoint. I am always thankful when I get some leisure reading in, especially with my busy schedule. Whether it’s on the plane, sitting poolside or by the beach, or while I’m under the hairdryer reading something new or revisiting a classic is very much necessary.

As an extra bonus a few of the books on this year’s list even got turned into Hulu and Netflix television series, now that’s pretty exciting!

So without further ado (in no particular order), check out Dr. G’s Top 23 Books of 2023!

As I always like to say ‘Happy Reading’ and make sure you support your local bookstores!! Look forward to sharing with you all in 2024!!

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

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-October 2023

Photo by Charles Parker on Pexels.com

When are in full Autumn mode!! So what better way to finish out the month than to find a good book to dive into! Much like in the summer, I quite enjoy sitting on my balcony, feeling the cool breeze come through, while the sun hits my face! To get you in the Fall mood, I have a nice selection of literary treats for you to pick from below.

Get those coins ready!!

Check out this month’s recommendation below:

  • Family Meal ~Bryan Washington
  • Goodbye Earl: A Revenge Novel ~Leesa Cross-Smith
  • How Far You Have Come ~Morgan Harper-Nichols
  • Black Joy ~Edited by Charlie Brinkhust-Cuff and Timi Sotire
  • Holler, Child ~Latoya Watkins
  • You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty ~Akwaeke Emezi
  • The Princess of Thornwood Drive ~Khalia Moreau
  • Danni’s Juke Joint Comfort Food: ModernDay RecipesOle Skool Flavas ~Danni Rose

As an extra bonus spotlight, check out this Black-owned bookstore in Houston, TX called “Kindred Stories”!!

Don’t forget to support your local bookstores and libraries!!

And remember you can always go back and check out the previous month’s list and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!

“The writer cannot expect to be excused from the task of reeducation and regeneration that must be done. In fact, he should march right in front.”

-Chinua Achebe