8 Books Philadelphians Are Reading This Summer

Whether you’re escaping a heatwave indoors or soaking up the sun by the pool, summer is the perfect time to crack open a new book. And while most summer reading recommendations come from celebrities or experts, a book recommended by a neighbor or friend certainly has its place.

Here are eight books from Philly community members and leaders to add to your summer reading list:

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Jared Beck, Alain Locke School in Mill Creek

This Soviet-era literary novel is recommended by Jared Beck, community education coordinator at Alain Locke School in Mill Creek. The Master and Margarita, Published in 1967, it is a satirical critique of the Stalinist Soviet Union, told with black humor and supernatural elements, featuring Pontius Pilate and Satan’s visit to Moscow. The book is one of Russia’s most popular and widely read novels and was recently successfully adapted into a film.

“It was such a fun read. I love reading magical realism (especially in the summer months) because it’s so easy to immerse yourself in a new world,” Beck said.

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

It’s not about a boy by Myah Hollis

Yace Sula, Philadelphia Film Society

A coming-of-age story for teens can be essential for any summer reading list. This recommendation from Yace Sula, education and program coordinator for the Philadelphia Film Society, is about a girl struggling with the grief of the past who suddenly finds a long-lost sister. Author Myah Hollis is a Pennsylvania native who describes her debut novel as follows: euphoria meets Girl in pieces.

“It’s a very refreshing look at the harshness of adolescence and how we deal with grief for the dead and sometimes the living,” Sula said.

“I think it will be an empowering read for people who are still processing childhood trauma as adults.”

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

The island of missing trees by Elif Shafak

Bareeq Barqawi, former chairman of the Network of Arab American Professionals in Philadelphia

More than a typical summer romance, this love story tells the story of two teenagers on opposite sides of the conflict between the Greek and Turkish communities of the island nation of Cyprus. When war breaks out and drives them apart, one of them returns to Cyprus decades later to find his lost love. Bareeq Barqawi, former chairman of the Philadelphia chapter of the Network of Arab American Professionals, recommends the story because he believes the teenagers’ forbidden romance under a symbolic fig tree adds a unique layer to the story.

“The novel’s exploration of the impact of conflict and displacement on individuals and communities is universally relatable and therefore a timely and thought-provoking read,” she said.

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

The Ultimate Guide to Raised Beds and Container Gardening for Beginners by Olivia Phillips

Keisha Hudson, Defender Association of Philadelphia

Do you dream of a garden full of blooming tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and more? According to the promising short description, this book – a must-have for the home gardener – is “your key to deriving joy and benefit from home-grown produce and flowers.”

For Keisha Hudson, chief counsel of the municipal Defender Association of Philadelphia, which provides legal representation to the city’s poorest defendants, working in the ground is the ultimate relaxation.

“I chose this book because I’m gardening this year and growing our own herbs and vegetables. Gardening is meditation for me,” Hudson said.

Check it out on Amazon.

Philadelphia, corrupt and complicit: A city’s fight against a dirty word by Brett Mandel

Jacqueline Wiggins, North Philadelphia attorney

Lincoln Steffens made the infamous comment in 1904 that Philadelphia was “corrupt and complacent,” and a century later, author Brett Mandel thinks the moniker is still justified. Jacqueline Wiggins, a North Philadelphia activist, heard Mandel speak about his book at a book signing, and it has become her summer read.

“A friend and I went to Mandel’s book signing a few months ago. He advised me not to look at the table of contents to find names of people. I couldn’t help myself.

“While the focus is on the city’s current and past history of corruption and the consequences of ‘human weaknesses,’ particularly in the cases of Johnny Dougherty and Bobby Henon,” Wiggins said, “other names in the book gave me great ‘shock and awe,’ coupled with my own feeling of ‘I knew something was going on…'”

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

The intersectional environmentalist by Leah Thomas

Carmela Dow, Friends of Malcolm X Park

This textbook examines the connections between environmentalism and racism, arguing that empowering marginalized people is connected to protecting the Earth. The author, Leah Thomas, is a young activist whose organization Intersectional Environmentalist creates programs and builds partnerships that support environmental justice efforts and education.

Carmela Dow, a director of the Friends of Malcolm X Park, recommends this book because she believes its message is essential for leaders, companies and movements.

“I felt ready to take action, to interact positively with others and to live together in a way that secures the future of the Earth, humanity and all the species we interact with,” she said.

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain by Louis Cozolino

Bryan Belknap, Philly Bridge & Jawn

If you’re already in the back-to-school spirit this summer, Bryan Belknap, founder of the Kensington-based nonprofit Philly Bridge & Jawn (PB&J), recommends this book to better understand how the structure of our brains affects how we feel and think. Belknap said he’s using what he learned from his book to develop PB&J’s program, which pays Philadelphia youth to cook meals for each other.

“We are in the midst of a gun violence and opioid epidemic, and just emerging from the isolation of the COVID pandemic, it has (never) been more important to teach people tools to deal with toxic stress and trauma. This book shatters myths like ‘What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,'” he said.

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

The false white gospel by Jim Wallis

Chad Lassiter, Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations

Chad Lassiter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, spends his day looking for ways to help Pennsylvania’s nearly 13 million residents live together peacefully despite their differences. His summer reading list reflects that mission: Rural White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy by Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman; We are the leaders we have been looking for by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.; and Metaracism: How systemic racism destroys black lives – and how we can break free from it by Tricia Rose.

But the one he is reading is The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming the True Faith and Re-establishing Democracy by Jim Wallis, who discusses how to save both democracy and the church from the ravages of white Christian nationalism. “I choose these books because our democracy is facing enormous challenges and I need to draw not only on inspiration but also on deep knowledge that is full of themes of social justice and social change.”

Check it out on Amazon And Bookstore.

Other Recommendations: