These books make the perfect gift for Detroit lovers

“Haunted Detroit” by Nicole Beauchamp

Beauchamp is a paranormal investigator from Michigan, and with Detroit having no shortage of historic buildings, there are plenty of places to catch a scare in Motor City.

In “Haunted Detroit,” Beauchamp will take you through some of the most haunted spots in the city, including The Whitney mansion, The Leland Hotel, and more.

Beauchamp said, “I would like those with a penchant for the mysterious and spooky to visit and support the local businesses, and I want to educate people on some of the city’s more obscure history and paranormal happenings.”

As for what’s next, Beauchamp said she does in-person events across the state all year long, including lectures, paranormal investigations, haunted walking tours, and more!

“Haunted Detroit” is available on Amazon, as well as major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Barnes and Noble.

“Detroit Revealed: A Different View of the Motor City” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Leslie Cieplechowicz was working as a Detroit EMS paramedic when she learned all about the more obscure places in the city, and that’s what inspired her to write “Detroit Revealed.”

“I wanted to share these hidden gems to show how rich and vibrant the City of Detroit is and how much it has to offer,” she said.

The book shows off the imagery of the Motor City that people may have never seen before or walked by without even noticing.

According to Cieplechowicz, she wants people to get excited about visiting and exploring Detroit, and “realize there is more to the city than just the wonderful larger attractions.”

Next up, Cieplechowicz is working on two other photography books – one about the attractions in Michigan’s thumb region, and one highlighting the historic sites following US-24 from Lapeer, Mich. To Peoria, Illinois.

You can purchase “Detroit Revealed” on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, and more.

“Colin Sent Me Detroit edition: You probably have no idea who he is. That’s why it’s funny” by Colin McConnell

Colin McConnell, also known as “ColinDetroit” on social media, knows all about Motor City, and his book is perfect for people visiting and looking for things to do.

In the book, Colin includes over 120 of his favorite spots in the city to experience, with the goal of helping people break down a day and make the most of it.

He breaks down the spots by category and even gives the reader the ability to leave a review for each location they visit.

“My intention is to showcase local spots and give some exposure to the places you may not have been before or have not been in some time,” he said.

He also recently came out with a book for children called “BEE Kind: Act of Kindness Tracker,” and he has a second edition of “Colin Sent Me” coming out with a whole new list of spots.

You can purchase the Detroit edition on Amazon or at BooksbyColin.com.

“Uphill: A Memoir” by Jemele Hill

Emmy Award-winning journalist and former SportsCenter co-host Jemele Hill is a Detroit native, and her memoir is expected to come out on Oct. 25, 2022.

The memoir will cover Hill’s life as she talks about overcoming many things in her life and creating her own path.

“Jemele Hill’s world came crashing down when she called President Trump a “white supremacist”; the White House wanted her fired from ESPN, and she was deluged with death threats. But Hill had faced tougher adversaries growing up in Detroit than a tweeting president,” the book’s description reads. “Beneath the exterior of one of the most recognizable journalists in America was a need—a calling—to break her family’s cycle of intergenerational trauma.”

The book has great reviews with quotes from Gabrielle Union, Tamron Hall, Tarana Burke, and many more.

“Uphill” will be released on Oct. 25, 2022, and is available to purchase through the Macmillan website.

“The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World” by Jessica Nabongo

Jessica Nabongo made history in October 2019 when she became the first Black woman on record to travel to all 195 countries in the world.

Nabongo, who was raised in Detroit by Ugandan parents, shares her travel adventures on her blog, “The Catch Me If You Can,” and also turned them into a book where she reveals her top 100 destinations from the global adventures.

“I got my first passport when I was four or five years old. What I didn’t know at the time was how generous life could be and that I was being handed the world to explore,” Nabongo said in her introduction on the Amazon page for the book.

According to her “about the author” page, you can find Nabongo tending to her plants at her home in Detroit when she’s not traveling the world.

You can purchase her book on her website.

“How It Happens" by Jean Alicia Elster

“How It Happens,” published by Wayne State University Press, tells the story of Elster’s maternal grandmother, who was born in Tennessee in 1890.

It’s a continuation of the plots that started in Elster’s two other novels, “Who’s Jim Hines?” and “The Colored Car.”

“Through three successive generations of African-American women, Elster intertwines the fictionalized adaptations of the defining periods and challenges—race relations, miscegenation, sexual assault, and class divisions—in her family’s history,” the book’s description reads.

The book is available to purchase through Wayne State University Press.

“My Robot Gets Me: How Social Design Can Make New Products More Human” by Carla Diana

Carla Diana, the head of 4D Design at Cranbrook Academy of Art in metro Detroit, will host the first in-person book launch for her book as part of Detroit Month of Design.

The book talks all about the relationship people have with their “smart” products, and Diana “describes how new technology is allowing designers to humanize consumer products in delightfully subtle ways.”

You can learn more about the book launch on the Cranbrook website, and her book is available on Amazon.

“The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers” by Patrick Harris II

It’s all about teachers in Patrick Harris’ memoir, “The First Five,” in which he shines a light on the realities of teaching, especially those in the first five years of a teacher’s career.

At the same time, Harris II explains changes that could be made in the education system.

“The work we do together throughout this book and beyond will leave you feeling hopeful, empowered, and challenged. No matter where you start, know that this work is ongoing. Give yourself grace. We are in this together, for the long haul,” the book’s description reads.

You can purchase the book through Amazon, Heinemann, and other websites.

“We Want Our Bodies Back” by Jessica Care Moore

Jessica Care Moore is the founder and CEO of Moore Black Press and has received several honors from different organizations. The Detroit native, who lives in a historic neighborhood, published this collection of poems in support of Black women.

“This searing poetry collection is filled with moving, original stanzas that speak to both Black women’s creative and intellectual power, and express the pain, sadness, and anger of those who suffer constant scrutiny because of their gender and race,” the book’s description reads.

You can purchase this book and her others on her website, jessicacaremoore.com.

“Lavonne’s Kitchen” by Lavonne Fulton

Lavonne Fulton has been catering and providing event services in metro Detroit for more than a decade, and in Lavonne’s Kitchen, she publishes some of her best recipes and food photos from over the years.

The subtitle of the book says it all: “Learning to cook with love.”

The book is available to purchase on the Lavonne’s Kitchen website.