I started 2020 off with so many big goals.
One of which was to get back to a childhood love of mine. Reading.
Life has a way of sometimes making you forfeit the very things that fed your soul, expand your mind, and fuel your imagination. It’s almost as if life gives you great treasures and then snatches them away to see if you really cared about them. How cruel. For a time that is what life did to me. It gave me adventures, stories, history and challenged my perspective with the turn of each page. Then, all of a sudden, I was forced to focus on survival. And let me tell you, when you are concerned about surviving the last thing, you’re interested in in getting lost in a book.
2020 was my chance to reclaim a love I had lost but deeply longed for. There were books I’d read here and there but not like I once did, consuming books like food. At the top of 2020 I was determined to rekindle the old flame. Then suddenly, the pandemic. Side Note: I am really tired of the pandemic being the marker for so much in recent years, but such is life, I guess.
Anyway, I really wanted 2020 to be the year I reclaimed my time from social media and properly invested it back into the OG of learning and discovery. Books.
Well, that didn’t exactly happen the way I thought it would. At the top of last year, I fleshed out an entire list of books I aspired to read (CLICK HERE TO SEE MY 2020 BOOK LIST), categorically organizing them by what I thought I needed at the time. God had different plans.
I did not end up reading half of those books Chillle.
Instead, I plunged headfirst into more scripture. I read and studied so much scripture during the pandemic, along with attending weekly, 2 bible studies and 3 prayer calls for months on end. It was as if God was putting me through a bible study bootcamp, or better yet, a personal revival. Through the thick of the pandemic, I was truly being the church (Click here to download my free guide: How to Be the Church). It was altogether intense and necessary.
Towards the end of 2020 I began reading again. As I stated, most of the books on my 2020 book list were not read but I have no regrets because instead of consuming what I thought I needed God gently pushed those books aside and slid me the book that will always be relevant to the times.
Once I did get back into reading, I noticed I was more interested in the stories of people’s redemption and growth.
Here is a list of books I did read and a brief description on what I liked and/or took away from it
1. We’re going to need more wine: Gabrielle Union is an incredibly entertaining storyteller. I really enjoyed learning about her life. She was raw, revealing, and surprisingly relatable.
2. Things I wish I knew before my mom died: Blogger, Podcaster and Author Ty Alexander gets real about grief and the inevitability of death. I cried, laughed, and gave this book two snaps up.
3. Choosing Forgiveness: I am ALWAYS asking God to help me apply holiness (Check out my Intro to Applying Holiness post here), and the truth is I do not always get it right. I am good for holding a grudge and cutting people off and every now and then I must remember that apart of applying holiness is choosing forgiveness. Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth gets me together with the truth of God’s word and practical application every. single. time. This is a MUST read and reread.
4. Atomic Habits: I read this book with the intention to develop better habits for life and business and learned new strategies for discipleship. Awesome read. I will definitely be reading again.
5. Black Privilege: I am not a fan of the brutal, ruthless “honesty” of Charlamagne, but I was intrigued to know how he got to where he is. His story truly speaks to working your way to your goals. Aside from some of his language this book was awesome and sure to inspire any young black man looking to pull himself up by the bootstraps.
6. Big Bold & Beautiful: I have been a Kierra Sheard fan since she began singing. We are close in age and have a lot in common so naturally I wanted to read her first book. She has developed a tribe and community that is LOYAL you hear me. I admire her work ethic and really enjoyed this book as it was very insightful and inspiring.
7. Lost and Found: Sarah Jakes Roberts’ bounce back is UNMATCHED. While many may believe that she was just a privileged young lady growing up, she most certainly struggled, prayed, and WORKED her way to a life full of purpose and intention. Another inspiring book that proves you do not have to submit to your circumstances.
8. The Bible Is Black History: Required reading for all that came through the diaspora. The Bible Is Black History is a book that needs to be studied and broken down in every black church in America. (Click HERE for my full review).
9. The Year of Yes: Shonda Rhymes is television royalty, and I was so intrigued at the mindset of such a talent continues to produce hit after hit. Yes is a powerful response to life that can render some very surprising and rewarding responses. I really enjoyed how her life unfolded as she sometimes begrudgingly said YES time after time.
10. Own Your Moment & Take the Stage: I am always working to be a better gospel music minister. This book gave confirmation to so many of the things I’ve taught and new insight to things I’m still learning. This book should really be a course as the information in it serves more than one plate. I’ll be picking this one up again for sure.
11. Grace Over Grind: Being born again is about more than our eternal life. It also restructures how we live in the here and now. Grace Over Grind offers God’s way of doing business and debunks the myth of balancing it all. Shae Bynes also teaches more Kingdom Entrepreneurship principles in her podcast which I love as well.
