Get Lit: Romance, Roots and Real Talk Became Page Turners This June

The month with the longest day of the year offered plenty of daylight to spotlight June’s standout books, which spanned complicated romance, twisty mysteries and illuminating essays.

Tia Williams’ The Missed Connection gives us a story about how navigating a devastating occurrence takes its toll on relationships. Williams isn’t the only writer who delved into connections: celebrated author Walter Mosley explores love in all forms—romantic, familial, and platonic—in his new coming-of-age novel, while a Christian contemporary romance jumps into a fake relationship that’s certain to turn into more.

Thrillers abound as Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon come together to create a thriller of intrigue, betrayal and heart-stopping romance in Breakout. A murder mystery in the queer community is exposed in There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood: A Novel.

Showing they are true hyphenates, supermodel-becomes-author, as Winnie Harlow dropped her debut picture book about a spunky, stylish little girl who learns that what makes her stand out is what makes her special. TV creator Mara Brock Akil turned a page to gift us her first deeply personal novel. Grammy Award winner Kevin Olusola of Pentatonix and international life coach Donovan Dee Donnell joined forces to create a lyrical blueprint to a better life with God as the foundation.

For those who love a backstory, Opal Lee, the mother of Juneteenth, tells hers, while
Lucas L. Johnson digs deep into the 50th anniversary of Alex Haley’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Roots and its landmark television adaptation that first aired in 1977. Author Amena Brown gathers a collection of insightful essays in Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl.

With all these great reads, it seems only right to throw a book party. Event planner and entertaining expert Amber Mayfield Hewett, founder of the supper club To Be Hosted, has penned a read with all the tips to make certain your reading gathering is a success.

Happy reading!