Yet another goal I set pre-COVID, was to read more books. The universe heard me and answered back with a swift "checkmate":
"Oh, you'd like to read more books? How about I render you unemployed, thus freeing up more time in your day as well as instituting a quarantine to ensure you have no social life at night either. Ta-da! Ample reading time! You. Are. Welcome." -The Universe
But all jokes aside, one of my "pros of the pandemic" has sincerely been the slower pace and ample free time for self care, which for me includes reading and listening to audiobooks. Although I still have several more books on my list that I hope to finish before the end of the year, I thought I would list my top ten (in no particular order) that I've enjoyed thus far:
1. The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
2. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
3. Big Magic by Liz Gilbert
4. Read My Hips by Kim Brittingham
5. Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
6. Becoming by Michelle Obama
7. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
8. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
9. Binge by Tyler Oakley
10. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
In sticking with my theme of gratitude, I have chosen to read a variety of memoir and self help style books interspersed with a few fictions. I love books that offer primarily one of two things:
1) Relatable and applicable stories of triumph/overcoming
2) A story with rich imagery that offers delightful escape from "real world" problems
I am grateful for the plethora of female authors that constantly inspire me and am equally as grateful for the proliferation of podcasts that feature these voices, such as "Unlocking Us" by Brene Brown and "The Michelle Obama Podcast."
Representation is imperative, specifically in areas of media. We need to share the spotlight with minorities across the board. Women, people of color, people with differently abled bodies, LGBTQIA+ bodies, young bodies, old bodies, bodies experiencing mental illness, etc. The more we normalize normal bodies, the greater the sense of acceptance and community we can build.
If you can't recall the last you book you've read or if you've been putting off reading that book on your nightstand in favor of scrolling through Twitter, take this as your divine push to pick up that dang book and start reading. Listen to the podcast your friend has been gushing about. Break your routine of numbing behavior with something that requires a bit more brain power and imagination.
For an extensive list of books I've read this year and links to purchase them, check out the "On my Bookshelf" tab.
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