I grew up just outside of Atlanta – the city too busy to hate. I went to college in downtown Atlanta near the Auburn Avenue district and was privileged to watch the funeral process for Hosea Williams in 2000. I have walked the streets where Martin Luther King, Jr and John Lewis marched. I have been in the buildings where various organizations planned their marches and where the Atlanta Daily World published articles about their work. I have been humbled by the gravity of their fight while walking through the Civil Rights Museum downtown and in listening to the likes of Lewis and Julian Bond recount their most defining moments to audiences. This week, we are honoring the legacy of these leaders who stood up (or sat in) for what they believed in. Do you have any stories about these visionaries? Share them in the comments below!
Here’s the books I’m looking forward to discussing with you this week. Grab your copies of these books by clicking the images below:
RWL Reading Challenge – Week 3: Civil Rights Movement
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Posting on Monday, January 15th
This book was originally published in 1995 and shows the journey of one family from Flint, Michigan, who travel to see their family in Birmingham. Set in 1963, this book will show the struggles faced by people of color in the south during a very turbulent and uncertain time. This book has some lessons that could easily be carried forward to the current times as well.
Here’s some other great books that would work for this prompt in popular genres:
- Best Seller: The Help, Kathryn Stockett
- General Fiction: Take My Hand, Dolen Perkins-Valdez
- Romance: Have No Shame, Melissa Foster
- Mystery/Thriller: The Last House on the Street, Diane Chamberlain
- Nonfiction: Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Pattillo Beals
- Kids: Loving vs Virginia, Patricia Hruby Powell & Shadra Strickland
Upcoming Book Festivals
Posting on Wednesday, January 17th
I’ve been looking into book festivals to attend this year and there are several coming up around the Southeast in the next few months. I’ll walk you through each and what to expect when you get there!
US States Challenge – Week 3: Arizona
Sunset Over Chocolate Mountains
by Susan Elderkin
Posting on Thursday, January 18th
I don’t remember exactly why, but this book came up in discussions with a book club last year and it’s been on my TBR list ever since. This is a beautiful story about restarting life and finding yourself…even in the middle of a desert.
Here’s some other great books that would work for this prompt in popular genres:
- Bestseller: Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult
- General Fiction: Almanac of the Dead, Leslie Marmon Silko
- Romance: Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan
- Thriller: By the Light of the Moon, Dean Koontz
- Nonfiction: Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly, & Jeffrey Zaslow
- Kids: Sing Down the Moon, Scott O’Dell
Rotating Posts – Week 3: Sponsored Post
Long After We Are Gone
by Terah Shelton Harris
Posting on Saturday, January 20th
I first heard of this author in 2023 when I attended a book signing event for her debut novel One Summer in Savannah. I am so excited to read this one as well!
This post contains affiliate links.
What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Thread Collectors, Shaunna J Edwards & Alyson Richman
- Current audio book: The Great Divide, Christina Henriquez
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
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