Geek Gals, it’s still summer! Don’t let back-to-school ads bum you out! No more vacay? That’s okay! There is still time to lay back, relax, and enjoy a great book. This list consists of books you should read this summer.
https://tenor.com/embed.jsGrab one of these fab books and an iced latte or iced green tea and escape!
If you like afrofuturism:
Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed is the story of Doro and Anyanwu, two immortal Africans with extraordinary abilities. Doro is a spirit who can take on any body and Anyanwu is a shapeshifter. Their worldviews on how to run villages and eventually travel to the New World are vastly different which results in a clash of wills that spans generations and continents. Butler’s novel touches on themes of patriarchy, colonialism, and eugenics. The novel is a great read if you want to lose yourself in another alternate history with its own repercussions. Amazon Prime Video will adapt Wild Seed into a drama series. It should premiere in winter 2020.
If you like silkpunk (what is Silkpunk, you ask? It’s Steampunk with Asian origins and themes):
Jade City by Fonda Lee
Fonda Lee describes her novel as a perfect mix of The Godfather with magic and kung fu thrown in for good measure. Jade stones are a precious commodity in Lee’s fantasy island of Kekon and rival clans fight for control of the jade market. Lee has written young adult novels and this is her first novel for “grown-ups”. Jade City is perfect for escaping into both the past and the future!
If you like Game of Thrones:
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
O’Mally’s novel is full of lords, ladies, chevaliers, rooks and bishops–all part of a mysterious organization known as the Checquy. Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in London with amnesia and realizes she is a part of this group and has been given a secret assignment. The Checquy’s mission is to protect Great Britain from supernatural forces (think Men in Black crossed with Harry Potter). Starz adapted the book into a TV series, which premiered recently on June 30, 2019. The cast that includes Olivia Munn and Joely Richardson.
If you like true crime:
Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Karen Kilgraff and Georgia Hardstock, moderators of the immensely popular podcast, “My Favorite Murder,” have their first book! Detailing their paths to podcast fame, both ladies discuss their battles with depression, eating disorders and addictions. They relate how tracking down interesting true crime and whodunits helped both women cope with their issues and collaborate on developing their podcast. . It reads just like having a conversation over coffee with a good friend.
If you like true chick lit:
The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe
The Beach House is the first of a series of books that takes place in a beach house on the idyllic South Carolina coast, where three generations of Southern women escape to the beach, learn about sea turtles and low country ecology. There’s a cheesy romance, but what’s a summer beach read without it? It also might put you in the mood for some shrimp and grits.
If you like magic realism:
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Need to get away? Head down to 1900s Mexico and follow the story of star-crossed lovers Tita and Pedro. Each chapter starts with a recipe (that all sound amazing) that is connected to seminal family events and traces the history of Tita and Pedro’s love affair. The 1992 movie is in Spanish and is a faithful adaptation of the book. I’m always skeptical about movies adapted from books and this one passes the test and makes you want to eat ALL THE FOODS.
If you like alternate history:
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
This touching story of Cora and Caesar, two slaves during the Confederacy who escape their Georgia plantations via the Underground Railroad. In Colson’s vision, the Underground Railroad is an actual train that runs underneath the country. The railroad has stops at safe houses and secret passages to safety. This novel is prescient in its look at racism in the past and how racism is still in our present. Colson’s novel won many awards and will eventually be adapted into a movie.
If you like inspirational women:
Wolfpack by Abby Wambach
Need some GIRL POWER in your summer? Pick up this manifesto where in two-time Olympic medalist Abby Wambach’s story, we’re the wolves and not Little Red Riding Hood, lost in the forest! Instead, Wambach calls for women to discover their power, not only in themselves, but in the wisdom of women and sisterhood. Married to author and activist Glennon Doyle Melton, Wambach has also started the Wolfpack Endeavor. The Wolfpack Endeavor is a workplace training program to empower women in the workplace. Pick this up and join the pack!
So there are some juicy reads to bite into! Any other suggestions for a good summer read? Chime in, Geek Gals!
Featured image credit: Angello Lopez/Unsplash
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