Former President Barack Obama Recommends Books to Read This Summer
In a recent interview with the New York Times, journalist Ezra Klein asked avid reader and former president Barack Obama what books he would recommend for the summer. Obama had three recommendations to help fill up your summer reading queue: The Overstory by Richard Powers, Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey, and the works of Mark Twain, whom Obama described as the “most essential of American writers.”
Nikesh Shukla Explains Why He Turned Down an MBE
Last month, Nikesh Shukla—British screenwriter, podcaster, and author of nonfiction, adult fiction, and YA fiction including Run, Riot and Brown Baby—was offered a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to literature as part of the Queen’s birthday honors list. He turned it down. Today in an article written for The Guardian, Shukla explains why he turned down this title, explaining, “I cannot think of anything I want less than to be a member of that empire.”
Book n’ Cook Classes Will Educate Kids About Juneteenth
The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has partnered with Legacy Taste of the Garden and Urban Seeds to offer a summer Book n’ Cook series for the children of Evansville, Indiana. Book n’ Cook will be a series of five free classes on how to cook with local produce, where food comes from, and what people from different backgrounds like to eat. Each class will have an accompanying book. The program, open to third through fifth graders, will give out free books and all the ingredients kids will need to cook and take the class virtually from their homes. Because the first class is on Juneteenth, the class will concentrate on African American farming roots and food culture. The kids will prepare a strawberry rhubarb cobbler. Families are encouraged to sign up for all five classes, and you can register here.
What Rioters Like to Do While Listening to Audiobooks
From completing puzzles to taking long walks, Book Riot contributors share some of their favorite audiobook activities and multitasking methods.