I don’t know about you but in my school days, we were forced, I mean encouraged to read a lot 😅. Whether it was for literature class or a research project…books were a mega source of knowledge, insight and experience. Looking back, books gave us life! Even if it was by living vicariously through a fictional character.
As a teen, I remember being an avid reader even outside of school. Reading was such an escape for me and my imagination. But somewhere in my mid-twenties, that all stopped. Like many of my millennial friends, I forgot that “reading” could count as a leisurely activity. But why?
Did school burn out our brains?
Did we lack the time and energy once we entered the world of work?
Would our minds rather be seduced by the flashy likes of Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok?
Were we just too cool and too easily bored by good old-fashioned books?
Well, I decided to find out for myself. Where did my passion for books go and could it be reignited? Last year I accepted a challenge to read again; at least one book per month. Things got steamy! I read books that got me fired up in all the right ways. Today I want to share some of my favorites with you:
BECOMING
Seeing the documentary on Netflix this week reminded me of just how special this book was to read. In her autobiography, I felt like Michelle Obama was my bestie and we were able to connect as women of color going through big life transitions. As Michelle is creating a new future for herself after being “First Lady”, I find myself creating a new future of my own: becoming a wife, moving to a different city and taking on new ambitions with my career. She keeps it sooooooo real but even when things get heavy, she carries the weight with grace and poise. All I can say is I want to be like her when I grow up.
RICH DAD POOR DAD
This book surprised me! It validated so many choices I had been shamed for making: choices to pursue a creative path, start my own business and become an entrepreneur. Where others may have seen a waste of precious time and education, this book showed me that many of the steps I’ve taken up until this point were necessary. Experience is truly the best teacher and author, Robert Kiyosaki, is no stranger to it. I love how he tells the story of his two “dads” as a symbol of the two paths we can all choose in life. I sped through this book like it was a novel. Every time I was introduced to new financial ideas, it was through compelling real-life stories that made me think “OMG this could be us”…which is exactly what I said to my husband after every chapter LOL.
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
I had to choose between this one and The 4-Hour Work Week. But this wins because it teaches you more than just how to be come successful in a highly capitalistic society. With his book, Stephen Covey has created a foundation for how to live your life, how to treat others, how to value your time. From family, to friends, to business the book is truly a gem. I will admit, it was not the easiest read. I’d be curious to know what the audiobook is like because it felt a bit like reading a psychology text book. But once you get past that tone, wow, it’s full of solutions to just about every problem you could face in life. I can definitely see myself re-reading this one for years to come.
So there you have it: my top three to date. Honestly, these are books I would pay my unborn children to read as soon as their little brains can handle it LOL but that’s just the future Caribbean parent in me!
If you’re inspired to check one of these titles out, let me know how you like it. And if you’ve read any of them already, I would love to hear your thoughts! I’m always down for good book banter. I’m also eager to explore some more fiction now… so if there’s a novel you can’t get enough of lately, hook a sister up!