Every year I say I’m going to read more and every year I get by reading the absolute bare minimum. It is so easy for me to get lost in a book. It’s just as easy for my book shelf to collect dust. This year is a bit different though. By narrowing down my reading goal seasonally, I hope to keep track of my progress... We’ll see how that goes. I’ll keep you posted. For now here is my TBR list for spring 2022.

Detroit ‘67 by Dominique Morisseau | hardcopy - Dominique Morisseau is an American playwright, show editor, actress, and producer from Michigan. She recently worked as Co-Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless”. Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project, a 3-play cycle. Detroit 67 is a play about a set of siblings living together during the race riots that rattled Detroit, Michigan, in the summer of 1967.

Trifles by Susan Glaspell | ebook - Trifles is a 1916 one-act play. Glaspell’s inspiration for writing the play was based on a true crime story of the murder of a farmer. Glaspell was a journalist, novelist, playwright, and actress. When the farmer, John Hossack was murdered, Glaspell was the journalist working on the case for the Des Moines Daily News. I’m so excited to get into this one!

Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill | ebook - Caryl Churchill is a British playwright from London, England. Cloud Nine explores the themes of sex, race, gender, and politics with its sharp comedic point of view and a dash of imagination. Churchill is known to write dramatic pieces that involve sexual politics, feminist issues, and power abuse. Although many of her art was written before the year 2000, they are all still relevant to our time today. As a black lady living in America, I definitely face these issues frequently and I know I’m not the only one.

More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth | hardcopy - Elaine Welteroth is a woman of many hats. She has written for the show Grown-ish, appeared on Netflix and Abc News, and is known as an award winning journalist that took on Teen Vogue and became Conde Nast’s youngest Editor-in-Chief. I took her Master Class on Creating Your Dream Career and immediately fell in love with her. I found out about her book, More Than Enough, a while ago though I never got to reading it. Now that I’m holding myself accountable for reading more, I can’t wait to begin this book. It might be the first one I read from this list tbh.

My Broken Language by Quiara Alegria Hudes | ebook - Quiara Alegria Hudes just oozes with talent. She is best known for writing the book as well as the film adaptation for In the Heights. She has also written Water by the Spoonful. My Broken Language is a memoir and just published 3 months ago!

Finding Me by Viola Davis | hardcopy - Viola Davis is an icon. She is an actress, producer, philanthropist, and co-founder for JuVee Productions. Viola Davis is the first African American to receive the Triple Crown of Acting. Finding Me is an in-depth look into the mind and life of Viola Davis. This is the book I am most excited to read this season. I have preordered it since it is said to be released in about two weeks.

I am a Girl From Africa by Elizabeth Nyamayaro | hardcopy - Elizabeth Nyamayaro wrote this inspiring book about herself. I am interested in reading this memoir about when she was a little girl living in Zimbabwe, Africa. Nyamayaro and her family experienced a drought and were on the brinks of dying when a United Nations aid worker helped revive her. She has completely turned her life around and is now a Senior Advisor for the United Nations.

Good Company by Cyntiha D’aprix Sweeney | hardcopy - Good company is a novel that continues to catch my eye. It was released in 2021 and is known as a New York Times Bestseller. The novel tackles relationships and trust. Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney works as an author in Los Angeles. She is widely known for her award winning novel, The Nest.

Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight by Julia Sweig | hardcopy - Lady Bird Johnson graduated with a degree in journalism and history. Being of a journalist background it was in her nature to record events and experiences she encountered throughout her life and during her time as first lady for the 36th U.S. President, Lyndon Johnson. Julia Sweig, the author of the book, is a writer and scholar known for her books, long form essays, and involvement in US-Latin relations.

Have you read any of the books on my Spring 2022 reading list? Let me know in the comments down below!

xo,

Shanae