Sophisticated Summer Reads

My cousin sent me a text a few days ago asking for the titles of a few good books she could read. After sharing my list of summer reads with her I decided to put together a summer reading list for the blog as well. Here are just a few of the books I've read and am planning to read this summer! 

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Welcome to the Real World, by Lauren Berger 

 I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, and when I did I read it in less than a week. Much like in her "All Work, No Pay" guide for interns (which I wrote about here), in this book, Berger literally creates a blueprint for recent grads trying to successfully maneuver in the workforce. 

The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever, by Teri Agins 

Written by Teri Agins, a former fashion reporter for the Wall Street Journal, this book is a must read for anyone contemplating a career in fashion. I'm only two chapters in, but so far I've got a thorough understanding of why, in terms of couture clothing and haute couture designers, some are more financially successful than others. I also love about this book Agins' beautiful sentence structure and word choice. 

Contagious: Why Things Catch On, by Jonah Berger 

Someone recommended this book on Linkedin for bloggers and marketing professionals. It was a quick read, but offered great advice and a clear understanding of necessary methods for creating buzz. If you are a blogger looking to build your audience or create better content, I would suggest reading this book. 

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, by Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth

My mother happened to be watching the film adaptation of this book a few days ago. It stars the legendary Ruby Dee, who passed recently. I came in on the tail end of the movie but was so intrigued that I ordered the book the same day. Twin sisters Saddie and Bessie Delany each lived to be more than 100. They went to St. Augustine college in Raleigh, NC (S/O to the 919!) and later made NYC home. These women were pioneers in the African-American community and I was truly inspired by their story.

The Man From Essence: Creating a Magazine For Black Women, by Edward Lewis

In the July issue of ESSENCE Magazine an excerpt of this book by Edward Lewis, one of the four founders of the magazine was featured. In the excerpt, Lewis describes what it was like to see all of he and his partners' hard work come together at the first ever ESSENCE Music Festival. ESSENCE is one of my favorite magazines, so I'm really interested in learning more about its history. 

#GIRLBOSS, by Sophia Amoruso

I literally have seen the cover of this book appear on my Instagram feed 1,989,416 times --- okay so maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but really, everyone is reading it. In it, Sophia Amoruso, the founder of clothing site, Nasty Gal tells her story and also offers some advice about Girl Power. I'm always a supporter of strong and successful women, so I'm quite looking forward to reading it and seeing what all the hype is about. 

I'm sure I'll be adding to this list as the summer continues, and as I do, I'll share. So, what are you reading?