Conversations' 50 Summer Reads of 2011

by Cyrus Webb for Conversations Book Club/Conversations Magazine

What does it take to be a great Summer read? For me the book has to be entertaining, educational and worth my sharing its message with others. In the past, Conversations has recognized 25 titles that I think would be perfect to take along with you during the Summer months and enjoy during your down time. Since I am celebrating my 36th birthday in July of this year, I then thought it would be fun to extend the list to 36 titles worthy of your consideration. So how did I end up with a list of 50? To be honest, the roster of authors I have had the pleasure of reading over the past year have made it much too difficult for me to narrow it down any further.

Here you have the titles that I have personally read and enjoyed and believe you will as well. For the first time in the 4 years I have compiled this listing, I am also including the publisher's information. Why? Because I think they deserve credit for producing what I consider to be amazing books. As is my custom I put all books on a level playing field, meaning you will find self-published authors here as well as established authors. This is important, because I think it shows how the world of publishing has changed and that what matters is not how you are published but what you are publishing.

Enjoy this roster of non-fiction and fiction titles, and make sure to let the authors know that you appreciate what they are doing for the world through books.

NON-FICTION TITLES (Listed in no particular order)

"The Paper Garden", Molly Peacock (Bloomsbury)
"A Happy You", Elizabeth Lombardo, MD (Morgan James)
"Pharoah", DaPharoah69 (KOE Publications)
"Lord Jennings", DaPharoah69 (KOE Publications)
"Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy" , Shellie Rushing Tomlinson (Penguin)
"The Warmth Of Other Suns", Isabel Wilkerson (Random House)
"Miracle Man", Robert B. Haas (Bascom Hill)
"Black and Bulletproof", Marcus Hardie (New Horizon Press)
"Evel", Leigh Montville (Doubleday)
"I Had Every Excuse To Fail, But I Chose None", Sebastian K. Young (Skybash Publishing)
"Running Scared", Robert Leon Davis (Kregel Publications)
"Soulshaping", Jeff Brown (North Atlantic Books)
"Life Is What You Make It", Carl Mathis (Tate Publishing)
"Year Of Our Lord", T. R. Pearson (Mockingbird Publishing)
"What Every Fat Girl Wants", Roxanne Harris (Unknown)
"Expand This Moment", John Selby (New World Library)
"Bad Dog (A Love Story)", Martin Kihn (Pantheon Books)
"The Way Of The Happy Woman", Sara Avant Stover (New World Library)
"Incognito", Michael Sidney Fosberg (Incognito, Inc.)

FICTION TITLES (Listed In No Particular Order)

"The Loss Of Certainty Series (Jackson/The Gamble/River Rising)", T. P.Jones (Synergy Books)
"Journal Of A UFO Investigator", David Halperin (Viking Publishing)
"Soul Trapper," F.J. Lennon (Atria)
"In The Shadow Of Swords," Val Gunn (Errant Press)
"More Boy Than Girl," Tony Lindsay (Penknife Press)
"The King Of Diamonds", Simon Tolkien (St. Martin's Press)
""Heartbreak Of A Hustler's Wife," Nikki Turner (One World/Ballantine)
"Private Sessions," Nigel Barto (I Universe)
"The Kitchen Daughter," Jael McHenry (Simon & Schuster)
"The Disgruntled Wives Club," Portia A. Cosby (Distinct Publishing)
"Dancing Her Dreams Away," Alretha Thomas (Diverse Arts Collective)
"Come Sunday Morning," Terry E. Hill (Urban Renaissance)
"Diary Of A Stalker," Electa Rome Parks (Urban Renaissance)
"Witches Of East End," Melissa de la Cruz (Hyperion)
"The Map Across Time," C.S. Lakin (Living Ink Books)
"Suspicions," Sasha Campbell (Dafina)
"Killing Them Softly," Roy Glenn (Escapism Ent.)
"The Butterfly's Daughter," Mary Alice Monroe (Simon & Schuster)
"Just Wanna Testify," Pearl Cleage (Ballantine Books)
"L. A. Summer," Sheryl Mallory-Johnson (Wanasoma Books)
"The Murderer's Daughters," Randy Susan Meyers (St. Martin's Griffin)
"Contrary Creek," Tom Walker & Mary Walker Baron (Wheatmark)
"Exposure," Therese Fowler (Ballantine Books)
"Caught In The Middle," Jennifer Luckett (nHouse Publishing)
"Split Second," Catherine Coulter (G. P. Putnam's Sons)
"Finding Frances," Janice M. Van Dyck (Winston Higgins Press)
"Now You See Her," Joy Fielding (Simon & Schuster)
"Stalina," Emily Rubin (Amazon Encore)
"Southern Discomfort," LaTonya Jones (Plenary Publishing)
"The Dawn Country," Kathleen O'Neal Gear & W. Michael Gear (FORGE)
"The Sandalwood Tree," Elle Newmark (Atria)

Our Summer Reads Of 2011 will be included in our Summer Issue of Conversations Magazine that is being released on June 13, 2011. Find details at www.conversationsmag.com.

To find out information about past titles featured on Conversations' Summer reading list, visit www.thebestbookclub.info. CONVERSATIONS: Feeding Your Love Of Life!