Back in late July, I shared some of my favorite books starring older adults with our weekly email update subscribers. The piece resonated with our avid reading community who had their own beloved titles and series to share.

Book Recommendations from the NNV Community

• “I just finished Camera Girl, a fascinating coming of age portrait of Jackie Bouvier.  It is a perspective on her life and personality, talents and aspirations that I had never heard in such detail.  It really draws a very different image of her than the one we most often associate with her, as well as her eventual bond with JFK. I highly recommend it.” Recommended by Renee Howatt, NNV member
• “Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. The author took Charles Dickens' David Copperfield and moved the story to 1990s era Appalachia during the early opioid epidemic. The characters, the story, and the setting were all very compelling. It is not a cheerful book, and was, at times, devastating, but it was really excellent. It has definitely stuck with me since I read it back in June.” Recommended by Leslie Pace, NNV Communications Coordinator
• “I've been nostalgic for Italy, especially Sicily.  I've begun reading Sicily by John Julius Norwich.  It's a very detailed history.  For mysteries one can't do better than the Commissario Montalbano series by the recently deceased Andrea Camilleri. Another favorite place in Italy is Venice.  Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series is set in Venice.  Makes me feel like I am there.” Recommended by Eilene Robb, NNV member and volunteer
• “New book by local author, Deborah Kalb--(yes, my daughter). Off to Join the Circus is the name of a delightful, humorous book about a suburban DC family sent into a tizzy when an aunt reappears after being gone for more than 60 years.  Her impact is huge, funny, touching.  ENJOY!!!” Recommended by Marvin Kalb, NNV newsletter subscriber and a very proud Poppa

NNV’s Racial Equity Book Group Recommendations

Our Racial Equity Book Group has been busy this year, too, eagerly devouring an ambitious and diverse selection of books and media including: 

• From Here to Equality (2^nd Ed.), by William Darity and Kirsten Mullen. Darity was the Duke Professor interviewed in the "Justice" episode of the New York Times’ 1619 series.
• The 1619 Project created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine
• The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. This epic story was named a best book of the year by The Washington Post and The New York Times.
• King, A Life by Jonathan Eig. This is a new biography of Martin L. King, Jr. drawing on newly released documents. "One of the strengths of this biography of King is that the author took care to discuss the role of women in the Civil Rights movement, pointing out how often they were sidelined, ignored, and uncredited even though they were active and important contributors.  This led us to decide that our next book will be on one of those women and her work: Ella Baker." 

The next meeting of the Racial Equity Book Group will be on Wednesday, November 15 at 2:00 pm. The book will be Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement by Barbara Ransby. 

If you’d like to join NNV’s Racial Equity Book Group, please email us or call 202-935-6060. This book club is for members and volunteers only.

What’s on your fall reading list?  Send your recommendations to info@nnvdc.org.