Dear Readers,
Thank you for your patience while I was on break. I lost a very dear Friend tragically and my pen 🖊️ just wouldn’t write.
Grief is a gripping and strange emotion. I have no doubt it was her that whispered to me this morning “keep writing”. She loved the blog. ♥️😢🖤 . Through this time books have been a great comfort to me. So here it goes…..
Last year I wrote a post announcing my books to be read. I read quite of few planned books, even more non-planned. I enjoy setting a TBR each year in order to be sure I follow my favorite Authors and books that will fulfill my curiosity. I also enjoy reading books in various settings and places to increase my learning of varied cultures in their voice.
This list was incredibly hard. Rating a book 5 stars is super meaningful to me as I like to consider several elements in the rating:
- Writing and prose
- Setting and description
- Character layers and complexity
- Authenticity of writing
- Overall ponderance (did it challenge my thinking)
Although these books are not of the same genre, or even category each left me with something I needed to take away.
- The Gift of Rejection by Nona Jones
- Great spiritual-based read if your looking for something quick but power packed. If you’ve read some of Ms. Jones past books you may realize some stories are repeated while reading. However, her lessons are new, fresh and equally as giving.
- PraiseSong for Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson
- I’ve tried her cornbread recipe once. That’s how much I loved this book! Her recipes and the stories behind it allowed us to peer into her window, and maybe even smell a few of wafts of goodness. Her stories made me remember my own ancestors in a way that felt original.
- The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward
- I was VERY skeptical when I started reading this book. There was absolutely no way someone can ever come behind James Baldwin. He was a once in a century writer. However, several authors coming together seemed to fit the brilliance of this one man. I also enjoy short stories from various viewpoints. It gives the book a bit more flavor. Great read.
- Bits and Pieces by Whoopi Goldberg
- I talked about this book in a previous post. It definately deserved audio book of the year and YES I feel she was cheated by GoodReads. HA! There were times her retelling of stories made me quite literally laugh out loud. Listening to her read her own words was a pleasure and a gift. Great listen!
- I Hate the Ivy League by Malcolm Gladwell
- Every year somehow some way Mr. Gladwell ends up in my reading list. This was a quick but fun listen as I wxamine options with my future college kid. Some of his perspectives gave me a new view into the Ivy League process and post-graduate future. I was particularly intrigued by the lived experience of diverse grads. Good read for both future students and parents alike.
- Fighting for our Friendships by Danielle Bayard Jackson
- In the Book “Fighting For Our Friendships” Ms. Danielle Bayard Jackson writes
Women who have strong bonds receive more emotional support, have more career advancement, make more money, experience more satisfaction in their romantic relationships, and are better able to regulate their emotions. That alone should intrigue you in this book! She uses both science and research to help us better understand relationships and why the “werk‘ is necessary. Really great read.
- In the Book “Fighting For Our Friendships” Ms. Danielle Bayard Jackson writes
- Poverty, by America by Mathew Desmond
- Mr. Desmond is the Director of an Eviction Lab at Princeton. His insights on the housing crisis were intriguing to me, as I don’t often enough see the innovations of such work make it to the actual people. However, he gave us a very clear blueprint both big and small ways we can change our thinking on poverty to lift all. I appreciate his perspectives, even the ones I don’t agree with. After reading, his writing put him on the list of folks I’d love to grab coffee with and swap ideas. Great read!
- A Cup of Flour A Pinch of Death by Valerie Burns
- Okay… so I love cupcake mysteries! An emerging categories for folks like me that can’t possibly read all intense books each year. Ms. Burns is one if not the favorite authro for me in this category. I knew who was the spy the whole time! Yes!! I love this series and now have a new favorite character in Ms. Van. Ughh love her and can envision her hats! Simply great read bravo Ms. Burns! When’s the next one? My computer is ready to buy!
- 7 Days in June by Tia Williams
- This book is a fictional tale of two people circling back to each other in June. Since both main characters are Authors. It’s very bookish. However, the writing is impeccable, immersive, and at times heart wrenching.
- The God of Good Looks
- Really great read set in Trinidad. In my opinion, this book shows how one woman can overhaul her life one small step at a time.
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