🎙️Episode 1: What Should I Read This Summer? - A 10-Minute Guide to Books that Actually Matter

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🎯 IF YOU LIKE STORIES ABOUT AMBITION, OVERCOMING ODDS, AND STRONG PERSONAL JOURNEYS:

📘 Becoming by Michelle Obama –If you love biopics, inspirational speeches, or The Crown, this memoir gives you the real journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House. A story about identity, growth, and using your voice with purpose.

📙 Educated by Tara Westover –If you liked Unorthodox or Maid on Netflix, this is for you. Tara escapes a survivalist, isolated childhood to eventually earn a PhD from Cambridge. It’s raw, honest, and empowering.

📗 The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls –Think Shameless meets Little Miss Sunshine. A dysfunctional family, a brilliant narrator, and a story of survival, grit, and finding freedom from your past.

🕰️ IF YOU’RE A HISTORY BUFF OR LOVE STORIES BASED ON REAL EVENTS:

📕 Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup –A powerful firsthand narrative about freedom stolen and injustice endured. If you appreciated the film or are interested in historical memoirs rooted in truth, this one is essential.

📘 Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose –For fans of Saving Private Ryan or The Pacific, this one’s all about the bond between WWII soldiers. Honor, trauma, and what real courage looks like.

📘 Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt and Vine Deloria –Love cultural history or spirituality? This narrative blends memory, Native American tradition, and the legacy of the Lakota people. Deep, reflective, and unlike anything else on the list.

🌎 IF YOU'RE INTO POLITICS, SOCIAL ISSUES, OR INVESTIGATIVE WRITING:

📙 Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser –Think Supersize Me in book form. A hard look at what we eat, why we eat it, and who’s profiting off it. You’ll never look at a drive-thru the same.

📕 The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea –For fans of Border Wars, this chilling true story follows 26 men crossing the Arizona desert—and what happened next. It’s poetic, devastating, and politically urgent.

📗 Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance –Want to understand working-class America? Or like shows like Justified or Friday Night Lights? This one blends memoir and sociology in a way that sparks conversation.

📕 Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates –Written as a letter to his son, Coates explores race, power, and American identity. If When They See Us or 13th hit hard for you, this will, too.

📗 Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich –She goes undercover as a minimum-wage worker and exposes the truth behind “making it” in America. If you’re interested in labor, class, and economic justice, this one’s sharp and eye-opening.

🧠 IF YOU’RE A THINKER, A WRITER, OR LOVE ANALYZING SUCCESS:

📘 On Writing by Stephen King –Part memoir, part writing manual. If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel or just understand how language works, this one’s surprisingly fun, funny, and full of practical wisdom.

📘 The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe –If you love Top Gun, Hidden Figures, or anything NASA, this one dives into the world of early test pilots and astronauts. It’s adventurous and very American.

📙 Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell –What makes people successful? Is it talent, timing, or luck? If you like TED Talks or Freakonomics, you’ll devour this one.

📙 Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins –Do you put pressure on yourself to do it all? Are you that student who juggles APs, sports, and clubs? This one's for you—and yes, it hits hard.

🧬 IF YOU LOVE SCIENCE, MEDICINE, OR ETHICS:

📗 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot –Science, race, and ethics all collide in this story of a woman whose cells were taken without permission—and changed medicine forever.

📕 Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan –What happens when your brain turns against you? This is part medical mystery, part memoir—intense, fast-paced, and unforgettable.

🌍 IF YOU LOVE HUMAN STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD:

📙 Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez –A hairdresser opens a salon in war-torn Afghanistan. No, really. It’s funny, touching, and full of resilience and cross-cultural connection.

📕 There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz –This is one of the most powerful pieces of journalism you’ll ever read. It follows two brothers in a Chicago housing project, and it will break your heart in the best way.

🧩 IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT:

📗 The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore –Two boys. Same name. Very different fates. If you liked All American or When They See Us, this one’s urgent, relevant, and perfect for reflection.

📙 Black Boy by Richard Wright –A literary memoir full of vivid imagery and emotion, capturing growing up Black in the Jim Crow South. It’s powerful, poetic, and essential.

📘 The Color of Water by James McBride –If you like This Is Us or stories about identity and family, this one—about a biracial boy and his white Jewish mother—is moving, layered, and beautifully written.

📝 Final Words:

So—what should you read this summer?Pick a book that speaks to YOU.Find something that’ll stretch your thinking or tell a story you’ve never heard before. Because in AP Lang, you’re not just preparing for a test—you’re preparing to engage with the world.

And remember:📅 Your file folder project is due the first day of school.💡 You’ll use this book all quarter.🧠 And this is your first chance to show me what kind of thinker and reader you are.