It's sweltering outside, which means only one thing: time to curl up in the air conditioning with a good book. And then take that book outside when the temps take a dive, or the wind kicks up. Here's what I'm reading this summer.

Hello and welcome back to Productivity, Without Privilege! I’m your host, Alan Henry, and my book, Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized, is an excellent addition to your own summer reading list, if you haven't picked it up yet. If you already have a copy, consider supporting me and this newsletter by either sending me a tip here or subscribing to my Patreon, which gives you early access to this newsletter, among other perks. 

Summer is more than underway, and here in New York City, it's been whiplash of sorts, both extremely, unbearably hot and then almost chillingly cold in the span of a few weeks, which means it's time to carry on a tradition that I started last year, sharing my summer reading list with you! I’ll include fiction and nonfiction, books that I’ve finished, and books that are on my reading list to get through this summer, and a few that I’m eagerly looking forward to. 

Again, I promise, this isn't just a list of "That Book Everyone's Talking About," or "Book that definitely doesn't need my help getting sold because you've probably already read a review of it." This is about books I'd love to chat with a friend about over coffee, books that moved me or drew me into their worlds, and in at least one case, a book that I didn't even particularly enjoy, but I thought was important regardless.

If you'd like to shop this whole list in one go, head over to this list on Bookshop and buy from your favorite indie bookstore! It helps them, and it helps me too (yes, these are affiliate links, so I get a tiny cut of your purchase. Thank you!) So let's get started: Here are my picks below, with descriptions from each book’s publisher, listed alphabetically by author’s last name. 

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Tyrant Lizard Queen, by Riley Black: Tyrannosaurus rex is a prehistoric celebrity. Exceeding 40 feet in length and weighing over 9 tons, the largest individuals of this dinosaurian species were intimidating predators capable of crushing bone and consuming more than a hundred pounds of flesh in a bite. But the last of the tyrant dinosaurs had a life beyond ripping and tearing. More than 66 million years ago, T. rex courted each other, nested, watched over their offspring, slept, drank, and explored ancient floodplains inhabited by a fantastic cast of impressive dinosaurs like the huge long-neck Alamosaurus and burly, three-horned Torosaurus. For the first time, the life story of this impressive, sensitive predator is told as if you were there to watch it unfold.

In her latest prehistoric nature walk, bestselling and award-winning author Riley Black follows the life of plucky T. rex Snaggletooth from the time she hatches through her tumultuous adulthood. The prehistoric forest Snag emerges into is full of danger, and yet, as Riley weaves the latest fossil discoveries into the story, the carnivorous dinosaur survives to play, court, fight, sleep, nest, and more as she grows up in Cretaceous North America. She tussles with rival tyrannosaurs, hunts for delectable prey, and finds soft moments of connection in the forest. Even the most die-hard dinosaur fan will come away with a new perspective and appreciation for the Tyrant Lizard Queen.

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Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke: Piranesi's house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls lined with thousands upon thousands of statues. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; and waves thunder up staircases, while rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

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I Am the Night, by Daniel Dockery: At a time when televised cartoons—especially within the superhero genre—were often over-looked, Batman: The Animated Series introduced an entire generation of soon-to-be Batman fanatics to the caped crusader. The series triumphed into what is largely considered one of the best superhero cartoons of all time, and the best depiction of Batman mythology in any format.

But the road to genre-defying and genre-defining success was hardly guaranteed. Along the way, co-creator Bruce Timm and his team of artists at Warner Bros Animation battled a landscape that was often antithetical to their aims with Batman. Internal struggles led the writing team and the network to debate everything (literally everything) about how best to depict Batman—from whether or not the eco-friendly hero would have a recycling bin in the Batcave to how many women he was allowed to kiss onscreen.

In I Am the Night, Daniel Dockery lovingly deep dives into Batman: The Animated Series and the cartoon renaissance it inspired, becoming the definitive primary source for new and old fans of the series alike. Including exclusive interviews with the team behind the cartoon and many never-before-shared insights about the series, I Am the Night will surprise even the staunchest of Batman enthusiasts and capture what made people first fall in love with the series. As many ups and downs as the DC Cinematic Universe may have, Batman is eternal–and so is Batman: The Animated Series.

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Coffee, for Here, by Morgan Eckroth: Coffee, for Here is both a practical handbook and a guide to building real coffee skills at home, designed to help you brew with confidence and curiosity. Whether you’re just beginning your coffee journey or ready to refine your technique, Morgan — your friendly internet barista — meets you where you are, breaking down each step so even more complex methods feel approachable.

The book explores coffee from bean to cup, covering origins, flavor profiles, and how coffee is grown, roasted, and tasted. Morgan then walks you through every major brewing method, including pour-over, French press, AeroPress, Moka pot, cold brew, and espresso, with clear instructions, illustrations, and QR-code video walkthroughs. You’ll also learn how to build a streamlined home coffee bar and master espresso fundamentals like shot pulling, milk steaming, and latte art.

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Black Genius, by Tre Johnson: Black genius sits at the heart of the American story. In his probing essay collection, Black Genius, cultural critic Tre Johnson examines how Black American culture has, against all odds, been the lifeblood of American ingenuity. At times using his own personal and professional stories, Johnson surveys Black cities, communities, and schools with an ever-watchful eye of what transpires around Black mobility.

With a passion for complex storytelling and pulling from both pop culture and American history, Johnson weaves past and present making his case for the genius of innovation. As he examined his findings, Johnson couldn’t help but wonder about the brilliance of the every day. Specifically, the creativity of the 90’s graffiti-style airbrush tee, his aunties packed weekend bus trips to Atlantic city, and the razor-tongued, socially-sharp, profanity-laced monologues of comedian Dick Gregory.

Again and again, he asks us to ponder—are these not obvious examples of genius?

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Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi: In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.

Over the course of one summer, four customers visit the café in the hopes of making that journey. But time travel isn’t so simple, and there are rules that must be followed. Most importantly, the trip can last only as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold.

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Warrior, Princess, Assassin, by Brigid Kemmerer: WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his land is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that their royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his kingdom flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how this blaze began.

PRINCESS. With enemies advancing on Astranza, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Jory and Ky dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves and the maddening king who keeps getting under his skin.

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Envy, by Stacy S. Kim, Ph.D.: Widely viewed as a negative aspect of human nature, envy can function as a powerful motivator for change and personal growth when viewed with the right lens. We all want things that other people have. It’s natural, yet we are ashamed of how it makes us feel—a mix of inferiority, ill will, and injustice. From a young age, we’re taught that comparison is the thief of joy. But as a first-generation Korean American, Dr. Stacy S. Kim was also raised viewing envy from a different lens—in Korea, people openly make social comparisons and express envy to better their lives.

As a social scientist and career coach, Dr. Kim spent years unpacking envy’s dichotomy, realizing that by expanding our view of what it can produce, we’ll ultimately be able to use it to our advantage. When we examine our envy in a more positive light, we can learn what we want, whom to emulate, and how to get it. Envy is for those of us who do everything we can to build our best life yet still find ourselves feeling behind. Thanks to social media and smartphones, we can experience this negative emotion at any hour, anywhere, and the feeling remains largely buried and unspoken. But through personal stories, interviews, and research, Dr. Kim provides concrete strategies on how to convert unexamined reckless use of envy into a guiding force and powerful motivator.

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Just like last year, you can tell that I'm reading a mix of fiction and nonfiction. There are also some preorders on this list from people I know whose books I'm really looking forward to, as well as some other books I really enjoyed.

Again, this is a lot of books, and I don’t think I’ll get them all done by the end of summer, but that's okay. I'm just glad to be reading more. I find it a form of self-care to take time to read for myself instead of constantly handling the whims and needs of others, not to mention reading a diverse mix of books and authors. I particularly enjoyed Black Genius, which I know I highlighted in a previous newsletter, and Before the Coffee Gets Cold was a really nice, breezy read. I'm in the middle of Warrior, Princess, Assassin, and honestly, it's taking me for a bit of a ride, in a good way.

So, if you see something above that looks interesting to you, by all means, support the authors (and me, for that matter) by picking it up. And if you have your own suggestions for the list, or maybe for a future reading list, send them to me! Just hit reply and start typing.

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“Digital Colonialism”: U.S. Demands to Access Africans’ Data Raise Privacy, Sovereignty Concerns, by Sharon Lerner and Anna Maria Barry-Jester: This story is a few months old, but I've been stewing on it for a while, and I wish it were a bit more widely read. The highlights are pretty clear, and should be no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention: The current administration perceives the world, including its own citizens, as a source to be monetized and exploited rather than a public to be served. It's especially true when it comes to countries that white supremacists aren't in love with, including virtually all of the African continent. If there's no value to extract, it's worthless, according to them, and in this case, the value is health data. And they're holding aid money hostage until they can get that data, which they promise will be anonymized, but obviously can't be properly anonymized or redacted before they get it (or else it won't have the same value, of course.) It's an incredible piece of reporting and writing.

On Together Is Helping Me Whittle Down My To-Do List, by Gita Jackson: I'm actually a big fan of parallel play and co-working, and I don't get to do it nearly as often as I'd like. I've considered streaming my coworking sessions and just muting for things like meetings, but as a writer and editor, watching me work is probably a bit more boring than watching a visual artist or a musician do their thing. That said, when I do have friends who use games like On Together, gogh, and Spirit City: Lo-Fi Sessions, I'm always down to join them. This piece explores some of the things I've discovered with friends that I never thought to share: it's actually great for productivity. Body doubling can be helpful; that part's not new, but doing it through games and with friends from far away is a great way to feel closer to my friends who are also just trying to work on their own to-do lists.

AI Hiring Tools Can Yield Racial Bias and Systemic Rejection, by Rishi Bommasani, Sarah H. Bana, Kathleen A. Creel, Dan Jurafsky, Percy Liang: One thing I think about a lot as the AI bubble continues to inflate (and hopefully, soon, pops) is that this entire industry owes Timnit Gibru an apology, and we've stopped talking about that fact. She, among many others in those early days, warned us all about the risks of embracing AI too quickly and without making safety, validity, and ethics a priority. And here we are: feed garbage into AI from a system of hiring and firing that's flawed from the start, and you'll see those same flaws pop up in the results of that system. But of course, that's by design, and the same people rushing to embrace it will likely shrug off the rampant racial discrimination it perpetuates as nothing worth caring about. Ask me how I know. If the original study above is a little dense for you, consider this piece in Fortune as an addendum/explainer.

A bunch of you already know that I watch YouTube like a lot of people watch TV—mostly documentaries and cooking videos from channels I trust enough to provide good, accurate information to their viewers. And one of those channels is the Indigenous Food Lab, which I stumbled upon after catching some of their YouTube Shorts where folks share the names of edible plants in the different languages of America's indigenous peoples, like this one for what we call goldenrod in English.

The main focus of the channel is, of course, cooking and recipes. As someone who adores Native foodways but finds them dreadfully (but predictably) underrepresented in food media, I love learning about new (to me) ways of preparing food that I've either taken for granted for years, or only recently learned has been growing in my backyard or in my comunity for thousands of years. If you're a fan of cooking shows with a dose of history and culture, and who isn't, the channel is for you. Head over and subscribe.

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That's all for this edition of Productivity, Without Privilege. If you enjoyed the newsletter, consider supporting me by dropping me a tip here or by subscribing to my Patreon for early access to the newsletter and my other projects. I promise, your support makes it all possible. I’ll see you back here soon.