5 Books I'm Determined to Read Before I'm 31
Reading has been a passion of mine since Elementary school, if not before. But until lately, life had made reading non existent on my radar. Now since I've made myself pick up books, I feel the all too familiar pull of reading coming back. It's not the easiest thing to make time for, but I believe that you make time for what's important, and you reap the rewards of your dedication.
As my 31st birthday stares me down, I'm challenging myself to read these 5 books. Whether it's a book of motivating quotes, encouragement from a fellow weirdo, or just a plot to get lost in, they peak different interests and I'm going to see what they have in store for me. Can I make it through each before November 14th? Let's see!
"The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl" by Issa Rae
“Black people of all shapes, sizes, and personalities value the moisturizing product known as body lotion. Lotioning alleviates ashiness. To be “ashy” is to be unkempt. Lotioning is the very least one can do to be socially presentable and physically acceptable. Cocoa butter, shea butter, and aloe vera are black-people essentials; some treat the moisturizing process as a meditative ritual. Some use only as much as necessary to cover the ashiest areas (knuckles, elbows, and knees). But all understand its importance.”
The 365 quotes that begin each day's entry range from African proverbs to wisdom from Oprah Winfrey, Malcolm X, Terry McMillan, Bill Cosby, Rosa Parks, Spike Lee, Marian Wright Edelman, Alice Walker, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among hundreds of other diverse and accomplished people of African descent.
"Yes Please" by Amy Poehler
"Saying 'yes' doesn't mean I don't know how to say no and saying 'please' doesn't mean I am waiting for permission."
"Prep" by Curtis Sittenfield
“But I was living my life sideway. I did not act on what I wanted, I did not say the things I thought, and being so stifled and clamped all the time left me exhausted; no matter what I was doing, I was always imagining something else.”
"I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual" by Luvvie Ajayi
"I'm judging all of us for being sh*tty humans by being culture vultures, homophobic jackasses, racist trolls, sexist douchebags, and born-again hypocrites."