First off, a fun summer read for 2009 is the engaging Drama Queer by Frank Anthony Polito. This coming of age novel is a wonderfully sweet and funny tale about Brad Dayton, a charming gay high school kid who is fairly comfortable about who he is and just trying to live his life while pursuing love and his dream of graduating from school plays to Julliard. This was a true treat to read as was What We Remember by Michael Thomas Ford. This suspenseful story involves family secrets, lies, and a murder mystery that will have you anxiously anticipating what turns up on the next page. This well-written, well-paced novel has lots of interesting twists and turns and is worthy of your attention.
For those of you with a political science bent The Breakthrough: Politics In The Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill is a must read. It's an insightful book that speaks to black candidates and candidacies on the local, state, and national levels over the past 50 years and talks about the developments that led to Obama's "breakthrough" victory last November. Additionally, Ifill reports on a "new generation" of black leaders that have made breakthroughs on state and local levels and what the future holds.