We had a busy summer here at the Washington Council of Lawyers. In addition to some amazing events, we launched our very first virtual #BookClubFriday series. Members sent in suggestions for books they were reading or wanted to read this summer, and in some cases, fun facts about themselves. If you missed these posts, do not fret, we have recapped all of them here, and suggested some other great book lists from which to select your next literary adventure. Thank you to all who participated, and we’ll pick this list back up next summer.

And now, without further ado, we present our Washington Council of Lawyers, 2019 Book Club Friday Reading List:

1 & 2: Our first two suggestions came from Communications Committee Member Ava. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a multi-generational narrative that incorporates twentieth-century Korean and Japanese history. True Refuge by Tara Brach is a great read for anyone exploring meditation and mindfulness, and the author teaches locally at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C.

3: Board Member Etienne is reading Teaching Law: Justice, Politics, and the Demands of Professionalism by Robin West. The book discusses how the study of justice and the political sources of law can help improve the quality of legal education. A great read for all of our members who are educators!

4: Board Member Mia took us back in time with her suggestion of A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy. “The book is a powerful reminder of the critical role immigrants have played in America,” she says about this choice.

5: Board Member and Communications Co-Chair Prianka had us doing a deep dive on the quest for inner peace with her selection The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer.

6: Communications Committee Member Ayush’s provocatively titled suggestion, Sex and the Constitution by Geoffrey R. Stone, offered a great discussion of the relationship between law and sexual conventions in the western world.

7: Washington Council’s Administrative Director Jean-Marie had members working to manage chronic stress with her suggestion The Healing Self by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Rudolph Tanzi.

8: Board Member Jack had us deep in thoughtful discussion with his choice, The Chief by Joan Biskupic, a biography of Chief Justice John Roberts.

9:  On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, author of The Hate You Give is Communications Director and Board Member, Alexis’ choice for summer reading. She likes that it continues to tell the story of Garden Heights but with different characters and perspectives.

10: Executive Director Nancy Lopez took our book club to the next level with her bi-lingual suggestion of Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming. Nancy attempted reading it in Spanish because the English version had a 37 person waitlist at the library. It’s a work in progress.

11: Board Member and D.C. Bar President Susie Hoffman is reading The Woman’s Hour by Elaine Weiss. She was inspired to read it after the Bar decided to hold a conference commemorating the centennial of the 19^th amendment. It’s a compelling story and, though we know how it ends, is still a nail biter!

12: Board Member Rachel took us back in time for an overlooked history lesson with her choice, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Did your history class skip from reconstruction straight to the civil rights movement? If so, then this beautifully-written account of the Great Migration of southern blacks after the Civil War is a must-read.

13: And finally, we’re ending our list with a selection from Board Member Deborah, who suggests the book $2 a day-Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathyrn Edin and H. Luke Schaefer. A great follow-up read if you’ve participated in our poverty simulation, or if you want to dive deeply into the issue of poverty in America.

Still searching for more suggestions? Why not try celebrity book list suggestions from Bill Gates, Oprah, and former President Barack Obama.

Finally, if you’re looking for some fresh reads for fall, the National Book Festival is taking place here in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, August 31, 2019. More info here. 

*Sent us a suggestion but don’t see it on this list? We tried to compile every suggestion received at the time of publication of this blog, but if we missed yours, please find it on our social media channels!