5 Books to Read for Independence Day
5 Books to Read for Independence Day
This list has everything from short stories on the future of our democracy, to a real-life American Dream story, to a fun-easy read for those who need an escape, to finding independence from a restrictive country. Browse the list below for the perfect book to read this weekend.
1 - The DNA of Democracy by Richard C. Lyons
5 Books to Read for Independence Day
From the publisher:
An American poet writes a compilation of historical vignettes, discerning the future of our democracy by rediscovering the combative, instructive, fascinating past of tyranny and democracy. Just as DNA is interwoven in every aspect of the human body, tyranny and democracy have their historically distinctive DNA that have shaped our democracy today. From Israel’s Ten Commandments, to the Athenian Constitution, to Rome’s Twelve Tables, to the overthrow of kings in England and America, Lyons traces democracy from its historical roots to the modern day, constructing a blueprint of what defines tyranny or democratic government in The DNA of Democracy. In this definitive guide, Richard C. Lyons documents the struggle for power between tyrants and heroes across time and place. Chronicling the acts of tyrants which are expressive of tyranny’s DNA, and the rebellions of heroes and the forms of law which are democracy’s DNA—Lyons outlines the roots of democracies, by telling the tales of tyrants who ironically gave them birth—births of rebellion! This book serves as a how to contemporary guide on identifying the menace of a tyrant when you see one!
2 - More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
5 Books to Read for Independence Day
From the publisher:
In this part-manifesto, part-memoir, the revolutionary editor who infused social consciousness into the pages of Teen Vogue explores what it means to come into your own—on your own terms
Throughout her life, Elaine Welteroth has climbed the ranks of media and fashion, shattering ceilings along the way. In this riveting and timely memoir, the groundbreaking journalist unpacks lessons on race, identity, and success through her own journey, from navigating her way as the unstoppable child of an unlikely interracial marriage in small-town California to finding herself on the frontlines of a modern movement for the next generation of change makers.
Welteroth moves beyond the headlines and highlight reels to share the profound lessons and struggles of being a barrier-breaker across so many intersections. As a young boss and often the only Black woman in the room, she’s had enough of the world telling her—and all women—they’re not enough. As she learns to rely on herself by looking both inward and upward, we’re ultimately reminded that we’re more than enough.
3 - Heels of Steel by Barbara Kavovit
5 Books to Read for Independence Day
From the publisher:
She's shattering the glass ceiling, one building at a time.
Bridget Steele's father taught her two things: how to build and how to fight. With those skills, she created her own company and began building for New York City's elite. Often the only woman in the room, she's faced sexism, corruption and harassment, but armed with her designer hard hat and steel-toed stilettos, she's up for any challenge. Bridget figured out quickly she had to be ten times better just to be considered equal.
Even with a stellar reputation, this scrappy young woman from the Bronx can't seem to gain access to the old boys' club. She doesn't fit in the world of her extravagantly wealthy clients nor with the powerful men in commercial real estate and construction. But this single mom has the loyalty of her construction crew and she never gives up. With her quick wit and determination, she won't let anyone get in the way of her dream--including the irresistible man who is also her biggest competitor. She's learned the hard way that if she wants the view from the top, she'll have to build it herself.
4 - Death on the River by Diane Fanning
5 Books to Read for Independence Day
From the publisher:
In Death on the River, bestselling true crime author Diane Fanning recounts a tragic kayak accident that left one man dead―and his fiancée arrested for his murder.
A DREAM GETAWAY. A REAL-LIFE NIGHTMARE...
It seemed like the perfect romantic afternoon: a kayaking trip for two on the Hudson River. But it ended in tragedy when beautiful, blonde Angelika Graswald called 911 to report that her fiancé, the handsome and athletic Vincent Viafore, had fallen into the choppy frigid waters. Authorities assumed it was an accident. But when the bereft bride-to-be posted videos of herself doing cartwheels on social media―shortly before Vincent’s body was found―suspicions of murder rose to the surface…
After hours of questioning, Angelika made several shocking admissions. She said she felt “trapped” and fed up with Vincent’s “demanding” sexual lifestyle: the nightlife, the strip clubs, the threeways. “I wanted him dead,” she had said, even though she insisted that she didn’t kill him. But as more lurid details emerged―including a $250,000 life insurance policy―a killer question remained: Did Angelika remove the plug of her fiancé’s boat…and knock away his paddle as he sank?
5 - Leaving the Witness by Amber Scorah
5 Books to Read for Independence Day
From the publisher:
A riveting memoir of losing faith and finding freedom while a covert missionary in one of the world's most restrictive countries.
A third-generation Jehovah's Witness, Amber Scorah had devoted her life to sounding God's warning of impending Armageddon. She volunteered to take the message to China, where the preaching she did was illegal and could result in her expulsion or worse. Here, she had some distance from her community for the first time. Immersion in a foreign language and culture--and a whole new way of thinking--turned her world upside down, and eventually led her to lose all that she had been sure was true.
As a proselytizer in Shanghai, using fake names and secret codes to evade the authorities' notice, Scorah discreetly looked for targets in public parks and stores. To support herself, she found work at a Chinese language learning podcast, hiding her real purpose from her coworkers. Now with a creative outlet, getting to know worldly people for the first time, she began to understand that there were other ways of seeing the world and living a fulfilling life. When one of these relationships became an "escape hatch," Scorah's loss of faith culminated in her own personal apocalypse, the only kind of ending possible for a Jehovah's Witness.
Shunned by family and friends as an apostate, Scorah was alone in Shanghai and thrown into a world she had only known from the periphery--with no education or support system. A coming of age story of a woman already in her thirties, this unforgettable memoir examines what it's like to start one's life over again with an entirely new identity. It follows Scorah to New York City, where a personal tragedy forces her to look for new ways to find meaning in the absence of religion. With compelling, spare prose, Leaving the Witness traces the bittersweet process of starting over, when everything one's life was built around is gone.
