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Must Read Books
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items I enjoy reading, but seldomly venture outside of autobiographies. I enjoy reading about peoples' lives from their voice as only they can tell their story. Here's a list of my favorite autobiographies, and books that I've completed, are in the process...
I finally saw Kamala Harris in-person during her book tour. We were given the book during attendance, and I read it within a week. I loved the stye of the book as she wrote it like a diary or journal detailing 107 days from the time she decided to ru... down during the 2024 election season.
107 Days: Harris, Kamala - Books
I saw Justice Jackson on her book tour as she made a stop in Chicago, and held a Q&A. She is a very lovely woman and her story of rising from South Florida to completing college, law school, and taking the bench on the Supreme Court made me cry. ...
Lovely One: A Memoir: Jackson, Ketanji Brown
I have yet to actually read Ms. Tina's book, but I am excited to delve in to her upbringing and her life as a single woman again. For the most part, I avoided all of her interviews to not spoil the book for me, because I know it will be a great read.
Matriarch: A Memoir, Tina Knowles
I am surprised it took Kerry this long to get a book deal! Surely I was expectng a book deal right after Scandal finished. Spoiler alert, but my biggest surprise was to learn that Kerry conceived via a sperm donor was told of this family secret only ...
Thicker than Water: A Memoir: Kerry Washington
,I purchased Becoming on pre-order and was so excited to dive in! I knew only surface level details about Michelle before reading Becoming. Before I moved to Chicago, her book educated me on what the Great Migration was. I am proud to see her fully l...
Becoming: Michelle Obama
@moodyfoody aka Toni Chapman frequently appeared in my search results on social media when I was searching for weeknight recipes or special recipes for a dinner party. Toni recently released her cookbook, Everything's Good which focuses on down-home,...
Everything's Good: Cozy Classics Cookbook
Another educational autobiography for me. I'd visited South Africa on a university trip over 10 years ago, but I knew very little about Mandela or apartheid. Reading Trevor Noah's book shed light on how apartheid was set up, what it modeled, and how ...
Born a Crime: Stories from South African Childhood
The Vanishing Half had been talked about for over a year before I finally read it, and it did not disappoint. It's out of my repertoire to read fiction, but I am not mad I did, only mad that it took me so long to do so. If you're a fan of historical ...
The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett
I am not a sports girlie, so I had no idea who Lamar Odom was before he appeared on Keeping up with the Kardashians. Seeing him with Khloe was captivating, but I never paid attention to the headlines during their separation, and hardly knew what was ...
Darkness to Light: A Memoir by Lamar Odom
Gabrielle Union has been in the industry for decades and finally got her story out in We're Going to Need More Wine. Reading about her upbringing in California, to her unfortunate attack at Payless allowed me to understand her more as an actress and ...
We're Going to Need More Wine, Gabrielle Union
Before his relationship with Keyshia K'aoir, Gucci was not on my radar. To me, he was another troubled rapper in and out of jail, and I probably only knew a handful of his songs from the radio. His autobiography was informative to me as someone who h...
It was an easy read, and everyone in my office wanted to read it after I finished. If you haven't already, catch up with his autobiography to be ready for sequels: Guide to Greatness, and Episodes.
It was an easy read, and everyone in my office wanted to read it after I finished. If you haven't already, catch up with his autobiography to be ready for sequels: Guide to Greatness, and Episodes.
The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
I purchased this book while still watching the Netflix series, but did not start the book until I finished the series. The series is so emotional, but still funny and dramatic. Piper's book is more educational and less of a tear jerker. Piper's book ...
Orange Is the New Black: My Year in Prison
The Mother of Black Hollywood she is! Jenifer has played the mother on many black sitcoms and movies over the years, and finally hit mainstream when she appeated as Anthony Anderson's mother on Black-ish.
Jenifer Lewis' memoir touched on her upbringing, life in New York City, Broadway, and how HIV/AIDS impacted the lives of her friends and those working in the industry in the 1980s. Another great read for those who are and are not familar with Ms. Lew...
Jenifer Lewis' memoir touched on her upbringing, life in New York City, Broadway, and how HIV/AIDS impacted the lives of her friends and those working in the industry in the 1980s. Another great read for those who are and are not familar with Ms. Lew...
The Mother of Black Hollywood: Memoir by Jenifer Lewis
Obama's first book after his presidency. It's a lengthy read, and IMO often overshadowed by Michelle Obama's books, but it sheds light on the presidents decisions in office, and his desire to make the country great for all Americans.
A Promised Land Barack Obama
I'd followed Aurora James on Instagram for years while she had her shoe label Brother Vellies. Reading her book, I learned so many tidbits about her upbringing, first that she is Canadian, her family battles with domestic violence which led to an eating disorder, and her grit of forming her company out of sheer drive by meeting with artisans in person all across the world. During the pandemic, she started the 15 Percent Pledge on the b...
Wildflower: A Memoir by Aurora James