Read Anything Worthwhile Lately?
Photo credit: Belathee from Rachel Fleit's Single Women & Their Spaces Home Tour
Let's talk reading. Have you been doing much? Little? None at all? Only via screen consumption? Managing Editor Brooke Klauer shares the books and more books that are on her radar right now.
"Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams and more reading helped me make my dreams come true." - Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I love to read (which is no secret). But is it just me or has is been difficult to discern with which books to spend our hours lately? I vacillate between wanting pure escapism to all-the-books-that-teach-me-all-the-things. In truth I've found myself with a little of both. Some bought (support independent bookstores!), some borrowed (visit your local library!), all very much wanted.
Here's what has been keeping me busy as of late, as well as what's in the stack, ready and waiting:
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (this made my top ten books EVER list. It's phenomenal. Read it.) And also on my list is her new release Transcendent Kingdom, which is getting rave reviews.
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare (my dear friend reads a book per week, on average, and this one came highly, highly recommended)
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni (see above comment, same applies)
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (this was an absolute delight from start to finish)
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman (so necessary and needed right now)
Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity and Change by Maggie Smith (remember Good Bones?)
On the state of the world (and how to approach it):
Where to Begin by Cleo Wade ("We spend so much time thinking we don't have the power to change the world. We forget that the power to change someone's life is always in our hands.")
Recommended Articles
Mixed Emotions: Kay Brown on Finding Her Place as a Multi-Racial Millennial
“I think I would be considered somewhat of a white passing standard, but it diminishes the fact that I am still half black”
Single Women & Their Spaces: Freelance Creative Vanessa Labi's Northern California Home
"There’s such a joy and peace to having your own space. It’s really special when fostering creative pursuits, and I think that’s why I’ve hung onto it."
Raising Kids Who Are Actively Anti-Racist: Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs and Adam St. Bernard Jacobs Are Teaching Us How
"We’re both intentional about centering our parenting around justice and creativity and are also big believers in always being a work in progress."
I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers
Thank You For Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth about Voting in America by Erin Greiger Smith
A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy
Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsberg on Life, Liberty, and the Law by Jeffery Rosen (immediately pulled this off my bookshelf for a full reminder-deep-dive upon hearing the news)
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik (may I suggest the easily digestible and highly-sharable-with-children Young Reader's Edition)
For guiding the creative spirit:
The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron (I finally gifted myself a copy of this book, and it just may be the gentle nudge we all need to move forward)
The Little Book of Life Skills by Erin Zammett Ruddy (need all the expert tricks I can absorb right now)
And for the mom in me, and possible you, a few recommendations that have been earmarked:
Extraordinary Parenting: The Essential Guide to Parenting and Educating at Home by Eloise Rickman ("Parenting can be a truly radical act. The way in which we raise our children can have a profound positive (or negative) impact on our families, our communities, and our world.")
The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning and Life by Julie Bogart
The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies
The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon (I love all of her reasoning, tips and encouragement, as well as book suggestions for kids of all ages)
Now tell us, what's on your nightstand?
