Gabrielle Union: TOP TEN BOOKS

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Gabrielle Union courtesy of Michael Lavine

Starting with roles in such teen movie classics as She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Bring It On, as well as the hit comedy Ugly Betty, the actress Gabrielle Union has built an impressive resume, and currently stars in the the BET series, Being Mary Jane, for which she received an Image Award from the NAACP. Union has talked frankly about her experience as the survivor of sexual assault, a subject she revisitsalongside vivid insights on being black in Hollywood—in her 2017 memoir, “We’re Going to Need More Wine.” On a recent book tour, Union’s candor encouraged others to tell their own stories of abuse, creating a powerful space for survivors of sexual assault. The experience often left Union in tears, but determined to make sure that all voices were being heard. “I think the floodgates have opened for white women,” she told The New York Times in December. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence whose pain has been taken seriously… Whose pain is tolerable and whose pain is intolerable. And whose pain needs to be addressed now.”

Below are Gabrielle Union’s favorite books, available to purchase individually or as a set.

$156.94 BUY ENTIRE BOOK COLLECTION
1

Americanah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
One of my favorite novels of all time. A sweeping, beautifully told love story that spans two countries and holds the reader captive to the last page.
$16.00
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2

The Idea of You

Robinne Lee
It is rare to find literature that is as entertaining and sexy as it is smart and profound. Robinne’s book appears to be one thing on the surface but provides the reader a much deeper, complex, insightful journey that she will not soon forget.
$15.99
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3

A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara
I'm still mourning the end of this book and my time with these beautifully written characters. This book pulls you in and holds you close and you will find yourself lost in its pages and searching the streets for these characters you've been rooting for.
$17.00
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4

Fates and Furies

Lauren Groff
A delicious novel told from both perspectives of a marriage and all its nooks and crannies we tend to keep to ourselves. The book spans 24 years and the reader is along for this layered roller coaster ride.
$16.00
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5

The Color Purple

Alice Walker
My favorite Alice Walker piece that tells the stories of black women in the South in the 1930s. If you've seen the movie, you will find the book to still be timely and relevant and painfully moving.
$14.95
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6

Between the World and Me

Ta-Nehisi Coates
As written to his son, Coates’s poignant and gripping essays that tackle race in America. The book has been a great resource when having the difficult and necessary conversations about race with teens and adults.
$25.00
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7

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison
The first book I read as a young adult that truly spoke to me about egocentric beauty ideals and white supremacy. I saw myself clearly in these pages as Pecola searched to be seen. A powerful, powerful book.
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8

An Untamed State

Roxane Gay
My first introduction to Roxane Gay’s writing — it changed me. I saw myself eerily and perfectly reflected on the pages of her harrowing debut novel. I finally felt understood as I sat frozen reading this book.
$16.00
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9

The Warmth of Other Suns

Isabel Wilkerson
This sweeping piece about the decades-long migration of African Americans who left the South for the North, Midwest and West for better lives. This book helped me to understand my own family and offers so much information that it continues to be a much valued resource in my house. Beautifully written and leaves no stone unturned.
$17.00
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10

The Autobiography of Malcom X

as told to Alex Haley
Based on interviews with Malcolm X between 1963 and his 1965 assassination. The book explores Malcolm X's philosophies and his evolution. I've reread the book once a year since college and have found myself just as moved each time as the first reading.
$19.00
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