Contributed by Scott Lipscomb

You probably have seen Kunta Kinte from Roots, or Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in the Star Trek: The Next Generation franchise, or the Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton. The newly announced Jeopardy guest host recently started a book club in partnership with the app Fable.

Many viewers grew up with a love of books and reading due to the show “Reading Rainbow” which aired on PBS from 1983-2006.

“As a lifelong advocate for literacy, the opportunity to launch my book club on Fable’s wonderful new platform is extremely exciting and timely,” Burton said in a statement Tuesday. “This partnership will help foster the importance of storytelling while sharing my love of reading.” via USA Today

The first title chosen was “Go Tell It on the Mountain” , a 1953 novel by the legendary black author James Baldwin. The next two titles are rounded out by Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” and “The Fire This Time,” a poetry and essay collection edited by two-time National Book Award-winner Jesmyn Ward.

Outside of his new book club, Burton is excited to begin work with the talk show Jeopardy. “This is something that I really think is a good idea,” he said, appearing on an April episode of USA TODAY’s The Mothership podcast. “I think it’s a good fit of what the show is, what the show requires and what I feel like I bring to the table.”

After longtime host Alex Trebek passed away to cancer, the show has not announced a new permanent host. Burton looks to provide “justice to the legacy of Alex.”

What books will you be looking to read this summer?