Favorite Books of 2020

There are few things I take more seriously than sincere book recommendations. I like my physical books beaten and battered by the time I'm done with them. Writing in the margins and annotating are vital to my personal learning process. It's a form of dissecting the book, breaking it down to better understand it. However you choose to digest books--physical, digital, audio-- In no particular order, these were some of the books that helped me out through this historically tumultuous and weird year.

The Mess I've Made vol. 1 - Belinda Louis

This gem of a book can fit in the palm of your hand. Vulnerable. Honest. Poetic. I’m waiting on volume 2! An interview with the author can be read here.

Men Cry In The Dark - Michael Baisden

Quote: “I guess you never can tell what’s going on inside a person’s mind, even when that person is one of your best friends.”

God Wears Durags, Too - Joel L. Daniels

“No one, and I mean no one, owes you anything - not their hearts, their energy, their love, their time. humility allows us to be fluid in that way. not everything is centered or revolves around us receiving what we ‘feel’ we are deserved and owed.” - Joel L. Daniels

I revisit this book annually. It’s pulled from the twitter feed of the incredible writer & human @joelakamag. Love this dude!

The Mind of Wallo267

“Don’t you ever put an expiration date in your dreams.” - Wallo267

A turbo shot of energy and positivity. “And it’s just like that.”

The Science of Getting Rich - Wallace Wattles

“Every person naturally wants to become all that they are capable of becoming.”

“The desire to do it is proof that you have within you the power that can do it.”

Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life - Cleo Wade

This book is like cup of hot chocolate on a frigid winter day:

“Be the reason someone realizes how simple it is to be nice.” - Cleo Wade

“Our stories may take twists and turns that create barriers between us and our gratitude, but when we start by finding gratitude in small ways, we will begin to build the momentum we need to find gratitude in big ways.” - Cleo Wade

The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

This book was gifted to me out of the blue. I was told it was really good. I agree, it was. It beautifully illustrates how in some form or fashion all of our lives are intertwined. Highly recommend.

“The Captain grinned. ‘The way I see it, that’s what we’re getting here soldier. That’s what heaven is. You get to make sense if your yesterdays.’ ”

Take the road to creativity and get off your dead end - David Campbell, Ph.D

I was visiting an Aunt and found this beat-up copy on her shelf. I asked her could I have it. I could tell she wanted to say no, until I informed her that she had a brand new copy of the same book on the same shelf. She relented. I practically sat down and read nearly half of it in one sitting. Really interesting.

Quote: “A new idea—a new work of art, a new discovery in science, or an innovative corporate plan—requires enormous amounts of energy, time, and dedication. Consequently, whereever you find creative people, you also find hard workers.”

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander

I read this at the top of the year, it’s still on my mind. A VERY important book.

Telling True Stories : A Nonfiction Writer’s Guide - Edited by Mark Kramer & Wendy Call

A treasure trove of wisdom from a ton of writers. Learned a great deal from this book. Definitely a book to reference and return to. If you’re interested in writing (or communicating for that matter) this might be a valuable addition to your ever-expanding book list.

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere: Stories - ZZ Packer

I love the way Packer writes. Period. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Quote from one of the stories: “Perhaps, as she’d learned in her high school biology class, all bodies’ cells regenerate, and within seven years’ time, all cells have died and been reborn, and you are truly a new person.”

Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs - Henry Carroll

Introduced me to some really interesting photographers. The takeaway: Go SHOOT! Go CREATE!

Making Movies - Sidney Lumet

Mr. Lumet is a legend. Mr. Lumet is a craftsman. This is my second time reading it. Reading this is like sitting with a master. You’re simply listening and learning. Mr. Lumet passed away in 2011. But through this he’ll still be teaching for generations to come.

Feck Perfuction - James Victore

As the title distorts: fuck perfection. Try things. Keep trying. One of my favorite quotes from the book: “Your voice is the story you put into everything you do.” Fantastic book.

Another Quote: “The answer is to burn it all down and trust that you can build a better, roomier life.”

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

I’ve been such an Anne Lamott fan since reading Bird by Bird. Her writing is just…..so her.

An underlined passage in the book: “Something inside me that was stiff and rotting would feel soft and tender. Somehow the singing wore down all the boundaries and distinctions that kept me so isolated.”

Directing: Film Techniques & Aesthetics - Michael Rabiger & Mick Hurbis-Cherrier

So MANY lessons in these pages. Something to return to very often.

Quote: “All artists and craftspeople agree that there is an artistic process, and that living it means traveling the most significant and exhilarating journey of your life. At the beginning, you get clues. Clues lead to discoveries. Discoveries lead to movement in your work, and movement leads to new clues. it never stops opening new doors to meaning, and keeps revealing connections to an ever larger whole.”

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves - Glory Edim

I may not be the exact target audience for this book, but I absolutely loved it. Beautiful Black Women sharing how the impact of reading changed each of their lives for the better. Such a lovely book.

Quote: “Reading allows us to witness ourselves. Being a reader is an incredible gift, providing me with a lens to interpret the world. Most important, it has invigorated my imagination and allowed me to choose which narratives I want to center and hold close.” - Glory Edim

The Science of Success: Love / Health / Business / Life (Time Magazine Special Edition)

Randomly saw this magazine during quick stop at a Walgreens. I saw the title and was interested. Some really insightful articles within. “Success” is so subjective. But that’s a good thing. We each get to choose for ourselves what it means. That’s the best part.

Chalk Outlines of Snow Angels - Jasmine Mans

Newark’s Poet Jasmine Mans’ pen wields a power that I simply marvel at.

Quotes:

* “How can you squeeze a child’s soul out of her and dare her to be a kid again?”

* “Black boys have gotten fed up with their prayers drowning by bedside / They load their guns into the sky / To make sure God is listening.”

The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires - Dennis Kimbro

Powerful book.

Quote: “If your outlook revolves around abundance, you will seek freedom.”

Black Power: Politics of Liberation - Kwame Ture & Charles V. Hamilton

Powerful and timely.

Quote: “If a nation fails to protect its citizens, then that nation cannot condemn those who take up the task themselves.”

Happy Reading & Happy New Years!