I’ve been doing an annual book list for years now. It started a few years back when I realized that I had only read 1 or 2 books that year. I was so disappointed in myself. I mean, I could have blamed new mom life and the constant fog that was sleep deprivation but really?
I couldn’t invest 10 minutes a day to dive into a book? For YEARS?
That’s unacceptable.
I’m a writer but before I was a writer, I was a reader. Being an avid reader it what gave me the confidence to put my own words out there for public consumption. I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing and in order to become a better writer, I must, I have, I NEED to be a voracious reader.
This may not be the case for everyone. I don’t think everyone cares to read. And that’s fine. As for me and my brain, I am far more creative and just happier when I’m regularly reading.
That said, here is my list. I’ve really been wanting to dive into more biographies and more fiction this year. Self-help continues to be one of my favorite genres. I want to focus more on the lives of others (instead of obsessing over my own) and being taken away into the worlds the fictitious characters.
Also, I have no number goal of how many books I want to read. Some months will be easy to consume 3-4 books and there may be times where I go months without touching a book. So what. This isn’t high school. I’m not going to force myself to read. It will be organic or nothing at all. Still, having a list, I feel, at least makes it easy for me to slide through to my library, Amazon or Audible accounts to quickly grab something of interest.
Many of these books are written by women and Black women.
I’m cool with that.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Books I’ve Read So Far
An American Marriage – Tayari Jones
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
Allegedly – Tiffany D. Jackson
Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (my 4th time reading this)
Anonymous Acts – Christina C. Jones
Around the Way Girl – Taraji P. Henson
Behind Closed Doors – Kimberla Lawson Roby
Binti – Nnedi Okorafor
Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood – Trevor Noah
Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown
Crazy Rich Asians – Kevin Kwan
Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks – Barry McDonagh
Difficult Women – Roxane Gay
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time – Brian Tracy
Everybody’s Got Something – Robin Roberts
Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay – Phoebe Robinson
Feud – Phyllis B. Williams
Fledgling – Octavia E. Butler
Freshwater – Akwaeke Emezi
Getting Schooled – Christina C. Jones
Hunger – Roxane Gay
Inevitable Conclusions – Christina C. Jones
Inevitable Seductions (Inevitable #2) – Christina C. Jones
Love Warrior – Glennon Doyle Melton
Mudbound – Hillary Jordan
My Love Story – Tina Turner
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More – Janet Mock
Silver Sparrow – Tayari Jones
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
The Bomb Life – Claire Sulmers
The Hypnotist’s Love Story – Liane Moriarty
The Last Black Unicorn – Tiffany Haddish
The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir – Jenifer Lewis
The Morning Miracle – Hal Elrod
The Untelling – Tayari Jones
Well, That Escalated Quickly – Franchesca Ramsey
We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True – Gabrielle Union
Who Asked You? – Terry McMillan
Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison – Shaka Senghor
Books I Want To Read
The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams
Book – Tererai Trent
Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living and Growing the Queen Within – Latham Thomas
Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela
Black Cool: One Thousand Streams of Blackness – Rebecca Walker, Gates, Jr., Henry Louis
Queer Africa – Karen Martin, Makhosazana Xaba
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) – Don Miguel Ruiz
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – Steven C. Hayes
How to Love a Jamaican: Stories – Alexia Arthurs
Wrestling with the Devil: A Prison Memoir – wa Thiong’o, Ngugi
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Period Pain – Kopano Matlwa
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” – Zora Neale Hurston, Deborah G. Plant
The Ways of White Folks: Stories (Vintage Classics) – Langston Hughes
Piercing Me Together – Renee Watson
Still Can’t Do My Daughter’s Hair – William Evans
The Terrible: A Storyteller’s Memoir – Yrsa Daley-Ward
The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America – Tamara Winfrey Harris
Ghosts Of The Tsunami: Death And Life In Japan’s Disaster Zone
– Richard Lloyd Parry
Eating Animals – Jonathan Foer Safran
Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek
This Mournable Body – Tsitsi Dangarembga
To Sell Is Human – Daniel H. Pink
Hi, Brittany. I’ve read three of the books on your list. The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir, Around the Way Girl, and Born a Crime. Trevor Noah’s was my favorite, but Taraji P. Henson’s was a close second. Jenifer Lewis’ was ok for me. I think you’ll enjoy all three though.
I can’t wait to dive into Taraji’s! Trevor Noah’s book was soooo good.
I recently finished Gabrielle Unions book and it was great. I also really enjoyed a book called “rabbit:the story of Ms Pat”
Adding these to my list!