My Summer Reading List

I just arrived in London from Frankfurt and spent some time in the airport browsing the book store to get a sense for the hot reads of the summer. I love to have a book nearby to pass the time when traveling or waiting out a rain delay...an inevitable part of the grass court season.

So today I want to share with you what’s on my to-be-read list in case you’re looking for some suggestions as you make your own summer reading plans.

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

I love YA fiction and have no shame in reading it as an adult! This novel has it all - a bit of romance, an advice segment on a radio show, and ambitious teens.

Love Radio has been described as Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star. It follows Prince Jones, who thinks he has all the answers because, at seventeen, he has his own segment on Detroit’s popular hip-hop show, Love Radio, where he dishes out advice to the lonely and brokenhearted. Truth is the only romance in his life is from the stories of his listeners. He wants to fall in love but being the main caretaker for his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and his little brother means there’s little time for much else.

But then he meets Dani Ford. Dani is a young woman on a mission: ace senior year, win a scholarship, and move to New York City to become a famous author. She’s convinced a romantic relationship could derail her plans. Nonetheless, she gives Prince just three dates to convince her that he’s worth falling for.

Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis

I pre-ordered this book for my mom and stepdad, but honestly, I think anyone will enjoy it. We all know Josephine Baker as the legendary singer and most highly-paid female entertainer in Europe at her time. What many of us don't know is the role she played as a spy once the Nazis banned her from the stage.

Prior to World War II, Baker was a music-hall queen, known for her singing, dancing, beauty and sexuality. When the Nazis seized her adopted city, Paris, she was banned from the stage, along with all “negroes and Jews.” Instead of returning to America, she stayed and became a spy for the Resistance. Using her role as a French Nurse paratrooper as a cover, Baker emerged as a formidable spy and was hailed a hero in the US, France, and Britain.

Through letters, journals, and rigorous research, Lewis shares a story of Baker most don’t know but that we all need to read.

My America - Recipes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi

I had to throw a cookbook in this list! I love tasting different cuisines and learning about cultures through the lens of food. My America is a journey through the African Diaspora, showing the origins and history of the diverse food traditions in our country and sharing the stories of the people who brought them here. From Nigerian Jollof, Puerto Rican Red Bean Sofrito, and Trinidadian Channa (Chickpea) Curry to Jambalaya, Baby Back Ribs, and Red Velvet Cake, these global home recipes represent the melting pot of American cuisine.

This book has more than 125 recipes, so I'm confident everyone can find a recipe they enjoy in this book!

Finding Me: A Memoir – Viola Davis

Who doesn't love Viola Davis? I'm always inspired by the memoirs and first-hand recollections of successful people. I love getting an inside account of the experiences that shaped them and their perspectives.

Here’s what Ms. Viola Davis had to say about her memoir:

Glucose Revolution - The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar - Jessie Inchauspé

I discovered biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, otherwise known as The Glucose Goddess, on Instagram. Her straightforward charts and hacks on how to adapt daily behaviors and eating habits to smooth out our glucose levels are approachable and easy to incorporate. As someone who really has to watch her sugar intake and monitor glucose levels, I'm always learning and adapting my behaviors.

The Home Edit Life – Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin

My love for Clea and Joanna at The Home Edit is no secret. (Side note - sending all my love and prayers to Clea during her breast cancer fight!). I'm currently in the process of organizing our new house in Boston and need all the organizational inspo I can find. I love feeling organized and having processes in place so I can focus on my family and training. Looking through the pages of this book really soothes me.

Atomic Habits - James Clear

This book is a few years old, but it has come highly recommended from a lot people I respect. After seeing it on the shelves at every airport bookstore I pass, I decided to pick it up and look forward to reading it this summer. I balance a lot between my on-court tennis and off-court businesses, so just like I enjoy organizing my home, I like creating structure in my schedule and routines.

Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson

I got this recommendation from Jenna Bush Hager while watching The Today Show one morning. The book is in development to be a Hulu series, so I wanted to get in early before the show comes out. I was intrigued by the Caribbean-American family story. The novel follows Byron and Benny who, after the death of their mother Eleanor Bennett, are left with a puzzling inheritance: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. As the story unfolds the tales challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

What’s on your TBR list for this summer?