Looking for a book to read in February? Kwame Alexander stopped by the 3rd hour of TODAY on Feb. 3 to share his recommendations.
Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher, author and producer who has written over 40 books.
His next book, “Why Fathers Cry at Night,” out in May, is a pastiche memoir, featuring poetry, recipes and artifacts from his years growing up and evolving into the person he is today.
Below, find a thriller, unconventional romance, memoir and more.
Best read for Black History Month
‘Fearless and Free: A Memoir’ by Josephine Baker
This is Josephine Baker’s story in her own words. The American-born French dancer, singer and actor dictated her life story to Marcel Sauvage while she was alive, who published the memoir in 1949. Now, it’s in English.
“Her voice is very strong in this story, and she is the best kind of person to read about. She is very funny and witty, humble and kind, and extremely eccentric — she kept about every animal as a pet at some point in her life, and she sneaks puppies across borders multiple times,” Alexander says.
The book covers her early life, rise to fame, war effort and artistic development. “Here’s a surprise: many people already know this, but I feel like it is not common enough knowledge that Josephine Baker was a French counterintelligence agent during WWII. She would perform for and party with Axis leaders and feed their secrets back to the French Resistance. After the war, she was presented with a Medal of the Resistance for her work,” he shares.
Best romance
‘Crush’ by Ada Calhoun
Is it a love story, or is it something else entirely? “Crush” is a novel about the dissolution of a 21-year marriage, using Calhoun’s experiences as a “jumping off point.” The main character and her husband have an “agreement” where she’s able to kiss other men. Then, she starts to develop feelings for one.
“Calhoun has ghostwritten many celebrity memoirs, so it is possible that people unfamiliar with her have actually read and enjoyed her writing before,” he says.
Best book to screen
‘The Unbreakable Boy’ by Scott Michael LeRette
Austin is born with both brittle-bone disease and autism, odds that are one in four billion.
“But what makes Austin truly unique is his joyous, funny, life-affirming worldview that transforms and unites everyone around him — especially his dad, Scott M. Lerette, who wrote this heartbreaking and inspiration true story with Susy Flory,” Alexander says.
The movie adaptation comes out on Feb. 21, which features a fictionalized version of Austin and shows that “being ‘unbreakable’ is not about physical strength, but the inner strength that comes from embracing love and grace, even in the most trying times.”
Best thriller
‘Leave No Trace’ by Jo Callaghan
“Leave No Trace” is a thriller with futuristic elements. This is the second book in Jo Callahan’s series about a British police officer and her AI hologram assistant, Lock, who appears to the world as a Black man.
“Kat Okonedo created Lock after her brother was unjustly arrested and beaten by police officers, in the hopes that a transparent and rule-following AI could change the culture of policing in Britain. You will at some point root for the killer, which seems unbelievable given the gruesome details of the murder at the start of the story,” Alexander says.
Best kids’ read
‘All the Blues in the Sky’ by Renée Watson
Renée Watson is a Newbery Honor–winning author who was close to the late poet Nikki Giovanni.
This latest novel for young people uses poetry to tell a story of grief and hope, about a 13-year-old whose best friend was killed in a hit and run.