In this week's installment of our summer reading series, we hear from one of the world's top female wrestlers. Toccara Montgomery will compete in Athens in the 72-kilogram weight division. Here's a list of what she's recommending for reading this summer:
'The Coldest Winter Ever,' by Sister Souljah
One of Montgomery's friends lent her this novel by rap star and political activist Sister Souljah. The book chronicles the life of Winter Santiaga, a 17-year-old Brooklyn girl whose drug-dealing father moves the family to Long Island.
'Milk in My Coffee,' by Eric Jerome Dickey
Another of Montgomery's favorite authors is Eric Jerome Dickey. She likes how Dickey uses fiction to address human foibles and real-life relationships. Her favorite book by Dickey is Milk in My Coffee, about the romance that develops between a black engineer and a white artist.
The 'Goosebumps' Series, by R.L. Stine
Montgomery says her father has been the greatest literary influence in her life. Some of the first books he gave her were from R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series. These stories feature monsters and the children that do battle with them.
'Curious George'
Montgomery is an education major at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. In her classes, Montgomery has also been reading children's books.
"I think back to when I was that young," Montgomery says, "how I was trying to figure out the world and it oftentimes got me in trouble. So, I've always recommended Curious George books."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
