Now that summer is upon us, I made it a goal to read a lot this year. Summer is the perfect time to take a break from daily struggles, regroup, and reconnect with yourself. Whether that’s sitting on a beach or in your backyard, you have the opportunity to ground yourself with a good book.
Add these five books to your reading list this summer.
“There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America” by Amy Argetsinger
I love this book so far. I’ve read up until chapter four and I’m hooked. Coming from someone who has very little Miss America pageant experience, I love seeing the history that came before me and what might continue to come. The Miss America pageant has a long-standing history and it’s so fun to learn about. You might not think this book is for you, but there’s a little bit of everything in this book that I think any audience could enjoy.
Summary: “There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.”
“The League” by John Eisenberg
I have not touched this book yet but I’m very excited to read it. Being an NFL fan and reporter, I can’t wait to dive into the deep history about the league. This book is super exciting to me and it’s next on my list after I finish There She Was. It’s also going to be cool to see how Miss America and the NFL overlap in history even as both books discuss different things.
Summary: “In The League, John Eisenberg focuses on the pioneering sportsmen who kept the league alive in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, when its challenges were many and its survival was not guaranteed. At the time, college football, baseball, boxing, and horseracing dominated America’s sports scene. Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell believed in pro football when few others did and ultimately succeeded only because at critical junctures each sacrificed the short-term success of his team for the longer-term good of the league.”
“Hunger” by Roxane Gay
I’ve read through half of this book, but I need to restart it anyway. Of the half that I read, I can tell I relate to this book heavily. I got to attend a conference years ago to hear Roxane speak, and she’s incredible. I’m so excited to finish this book and take some things that she learned about herself and her body and apply them to my life.
Summary: “As a woman who describes her own body as “wildly undisciplined,” Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care. In Hunger, she casts an insightful and critical eye on her childhood, teens, and twenties—including the devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life—and brings readers into the present and the realities, pains, and joys of her daily life.”
“The Fresh Prince Project” by Chris Palmer
When I was in Barnes & Noble looking for my next poetry book to buy, I came across a black book with the iconic spray paint letters “Fresh Prince” on the front. This was enough for me to get the book (as someone who took advertising classes and knows the tricks about product packaging drawing you in.) But as a TV studies student, I want to read this before I get back to my classes in the fall.
Summary: “With fresh eyes on the show in the wake of 2022’s launch of Bel-Air, a Fresh Prince reboot on NBC’s Peacock, The Fresh Prince Project brings us never-before-told stories based on exclusive interviews with the show’s cast, creators, writers, and crew. The Fresh Prince Project is an eye-opening exploration and celebration of a show that not only made Will Smith a household name but helped redefine America’s understandings of race, sex, parenthood, and class.”
“homebody” by Rupi Kaur
Loved this book when I read it and loved it even more when I read it again. Rupi’s work is wonderful and relatable. I own this and a few other copies of her books, but I think homebody is the perfect summer read.
Summary: “Rupi Kaur constantly embraces growth, and in homebody, she walks readers through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of the self. homebody is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself – reminding readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family and embrace change. illustrated by the author, themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here.”
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