'The View' co-hosts' summer 2021 reading list

Summertime is the best time to unwind and get lost in a good book, or few!

All week, the "The View" co-hosts will share their summer reading list in a series called, "Ladies Get Lit," showcasing their favorite books to read for summer 2021. Find out the co-hosts' favorite books to head outside, kick back and get lost in this summer.

JOY BEHAR'S SUMMER READS

"Leonardo da Vinci" by Walter Isaacson
In the book "Leonardo da Vinci," Walter Isaacson provides new information about the Renaissance-era polymath. For instance, Joy Behar found out that da Vinci was born out of wedlock and because of that, he was free to become a great artist among other achievements.

If he has been born within the legitimacy of a marriage, he would have followed in his father's footsteps as a notary, the book reveals.

"The Amateur Marriage" by Anne Tyler
This bittersweet, engrossing novel explores a mismatched married couple and the consequences of that mismatch, spanning three generations.

It's the story of Michael, who was immediately smitten the minute he meets Pauline during wartime in Poland. Sadly, they rush into marriage and turn out to be hopelessly incompatible.

It's ultimately the story of two people who love each other, yet can't stand to be together.

MEGHAN McCAIN'S SUMMER READS

"Charade: The Covid Lies That Crushed A Nation" by David Marcus
The book tackles the myths, half-truths and what some believe to be flat-out lies that were spread by the media and politicians during this pandemic.

Author David Marcus takes a deep dive into how those in power, like governors, experts and corporations, further consolidated power and changed the very concept of American freedoms. He chronicles how Americans were stripped of their rights, such as attending church or running a business.

The question that remains is what lessons have we learned from the coronavirus crisis and whether Americans will ever allow this kind of power consolidation to happen again.

"Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth" by Noa Tishby
Noa Tishby is an Israeli-American who wrote this book to help people understand the history of Israel and zionism.

It has a strong autobiographical narrative as she integrates her personal and multi-generational family story with the history and development of Israel beginning in biblical times, to WWII, to the modern Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Tishby also tackles popular misconceptions that have led to misinformation in the hopes of debunking many of the myths surrounding Israel.

SARA HAINES' SUMMER READS
As the mom of a 5, 3 and 2-year-old, the books on Haines' summer reading list are the ones she loves to read with her kids.

"The Caterpillar and the Butterfly" by Michael Rosenblum
"The Caterpillar and the Butterfly" by Michael Rosenblum tells the story of a caterpillar named Fear that is afraid of everything: lightning storms, other critters, bullies and making new friends.

When Fear meets a brave butterfly named Faith, Fear learns the importance of courage and how it helps you experience the world and find joy.

This book send an important message to children that fear is faith turned inside out.

"The Invisible String" by Patrice Karst
In this children's book, twins Jeremy and Liza learn from their mother that we're all connected by an invisible string made of love. The string is the tie that binds us together and it reaches all over the world.

The story uses a simple approach to teach a lesson about love and overcoming loneliness and separation. No matter where we go, we're never really alone, because love is always connecting us through the invisible string.

SUNNY HOSTIN'S SUMMER READS

"The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett
A New York Times bestseller and one of former President Barack Obama's favorite books, "The Vanishing Half" is a novel about identical twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one Black and one white.

The story goes beyond issues of race; it explores the lasting influence of someone's past, which shapes a person's decisions and expectations in their future.

"Paper Gods" by Goldie Taylor
Atlanta Mayor Victoria Dobbs is a Harvard-trained attorney. When her mentor is gunned down alongside a congressman, Victoria works with a washed-up reporter to investigate a series of assassinations.

Victoria finds a piece of origami – a "Paper God" – tucked inside the congressman's Bible, and it turns up again and again, always after someone is killed. She uncovers a conspiracy that reaches into the heart of the city's political machine.

"Summer on the Bluffs" by Sunny Hostin
Sunny Hostin's debut novel, "Summer on the Bluffs," offers a world to escape to this summer.

Taking place on the island of Martha's Vineyard, the books tells the story of three 20-something women's relationship with their godmother, Amelia Vaux Tanner. Over the summer, she reveals to her goddaughters how and why she came into their lives.

The three women from all different backgrounds spend one last golden summer together with their godmother before moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart.

Sometimes secrets bring people together or tear them apart, but you'll have to read the novel to find out which one happens!

WHOOPI GOLDBERG'S SUMMER READS

"Anansi Boys" by Neil Gaiman
"Fat Charlie," as his father called him, thought there was nothing wrong with his so-called "normal" life until his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn't know the secrets his dad was keeping, including a brother, who showed up at his doorstep one night

The brother he never knew makes "Fat Charlie's" life more interesting, and a lot more dangerous.

"Sex, Race, and Robots" by Dr. Ayanna Howard
In this audio book-only, roboticist Dr. Howard, explores how the tech world's racial and sexual biases are infecting artificial intelligence with profoundly negative effects.

She reveals how the world of computer programmers, which largely lacks women and Black people, is creating thinking machines that too often think like their flawed creators and discusses how governments are using supercomputers to track COVID-19 patients and monitor Black Lives Matter protests.

"The Whiteness of Wealth" by Dorothy A. Brown
Dorothy Brown is a law professor and tax policy expert who gives an exposé of racism in the American taxation system. After going to law school, she realized that her parents, a plumber and a nurse, were paying an unusually high percentage of their income in taxes.

Brown demonstrates how American tax law rewards the practices of white people while pushing Black people further behind.

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