A year ago, I set a new intention – to read 60 books by the end of 2018. A challenge I had given myself for the second consecutive year and one I still must say I’ve yet to reach. This year I came four books shy, eight closer than my 2017 attempt. The seemingly overzealous goal was first impressed upon me after reading a statistic that said the average CEO will read 60 books a year yet the average person will take in 4-5. Although my number has always been somewhere in between, I use this as a challenge to actively monitor the books I’m reading and ensure that I’m spending time away from technology and into creative spaces.
Last year I shared my favourite books from the year and this year I’d like to do the same. Whatever number of book(s) you plan to read in 2019, I highly recommend the following:
Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
This book is in fact a must read. Seven Fallen Feathers is a well-researched and difficult story exposing the systematic racism and realities of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The book is about seven unsolved deaths of high school students in Thunder Bay and exposes ongoing issues Indigenous youth and families face. As I read, I had to go back and confirm that it was written and published in 2017 instead of the distant past. The book educates readers on the appalling history of Indigenous-White relations.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Embedded in the fictional and modern-day story of an African American labour and delivery nurse and the racism surrounding her caring for a baby of a white supremacist, the book tackles current issues and challenges. Picoult’s beautifully crafted story goes inside the minds of the characters and challenges readers to question their beliefs on race, privilege, and justice.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
This thought provoking book is ironically about how we think and how our split-second decisions are made. It changes the way you understand every decision you make as it considers the positive and negative impacts on adaptive unconscious. The notion of subconscious bias and how much of an impact it has on our social awareness of stereotypes and prejudice is eye opening.
That’s What She Said by Joanne Lipman
Labelled “no man shaming” directly on the cover, That’s What She Said is a book filled with data from the most recent studies and informative stories on the gender gap and how it affects our world. Although sometimes a discouraging reminder on the issues that are still far too prevalent today, the book shows how we win by closing the gender divide.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Last but certainly not least, Becoming is a mesmerizing story that I never wanted to end. Michelle Obama shares a deeply honest reflection sharing the experiences that shaped her – growing up on the South Side of Chicago to her days as a corporate lawyer, balancing motherhood to living at the world’s most famous address. The story will fill your soul with inspiration and hope, with a gentle reminder of just how lucky we were to have the Obama’s.
Happy reading!
Sara
