My First Love...

Reading....


As a child, I remember loving to read and loving being read too. I can recall reading every Baby-Sitters Club book in the series and then progressing to books to like Flowers in the Attic soon after... (How did that happen?)


Anyway, as time passed, my interest in books waned and I started getting involved in a lot of other activities. Reading became a thing I did when I had to do it for school, etc. How could I have abandoned the one thing my grandmother told me to never stop doing?! :(


Well earlier this year, some 20 years later, I started to realize that I really missed this thing that I loved. Magazines and the Sunday newspaper just were not cutting it. Today, I realize I want my imagination back. I feel the urge to soak up tons of information and feed my brain. I want to stay up until 3am because I just can NOT put a great book down. I want to get wrapped up in a story to the point it feels real. I want to understand the world beyond my own two eyes and ears. I want to hear other opinions and expand my knowledge.  I want to feel empowered, shocked and motivated. I want to get to the end of a book and hate that it is ending. I want to feel the sense of  accomplishment that is felt when you discover something new and share what you have learned.


And so, it has begun...


I started out this year reading some self help material on prayer, relationships, finances and making your dreams come true.

• "The Everyday Guide to Prayer" Andrew Murray Humble Creek
• "Saving Your Financial Soul. Parable of the Paycheck" by Brian Edward Ayers
• "Put your Dream to the Test" by John Maxwell
• "In Search of the Proverbs 31 Man" by Michelle McKinney Hammond

Then I hit a bit of a road block. I just wasn't buying books. In August, two things happened. My friend Sonya invited me to the "Sojourner Book Club" meeting. She has attended for several years and I have heard heard talk about the fellowship on a number of occasions. The invite was right on time. I attended the first meeting of the year and enjoyed the company of some wonderful women until the wee hours of the evening. Next, I purchased and IPad, with IBooks. (greatest purchase ever). This enabled me to get going with my reading because I had a reading deadline and the books were easily accessible. We are a couple of months in and the reading has focused on black women in today's society and on motherhood.
Book List

• "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" Amy Chua
• "Black Women Redefined: Dispelling Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama" Sophia Nelson

I have also picked up some recommended reading about what else, black women and relationships.... 

• "Is Marriage for White People?" Ralph Richard Banks

All of my highlights and notes for this one say SMH. I will have to write a special blog post just for this topic. :)

Moving forward, I plan to tackle the Book Club suggestions, politics, black history and the black power movement, some fictional fun and of course some more self help..  (can never have too much right?) Here is my list for some short term future reading:

• "Sister Citizen" Melissa V Harris-Perry
• "Are You Living Together or Dying Together" Wanda Ross Padilla
• "Decoded" Jay Z
• "Get Out of Your Own Way" Tyrese
• "Commanding Your Morning" Cindy Trimm
• "Think and Grow Rich" Napolean Hill (which by the way, I have started at least 5 times)

All my avid readers, please feel free to give me some suggestions. I would love to hear about whats on your list.

Happy Reading.....