One silver lining of 2020 was that I had time to sit down with a bunch of good books. In the beginning months of the pandemic, I spent a lot of my time in bed reading. This fall I took several really incredible classes which focused on African literature and African American literature. Here are some of the books I had the chance to read this year!
1. Someone Knows My Name, Lawrence Hill
While I was studying abroad in Capetown, South Africa, I took a class focusing on the lived experiences of Africans who were taken to America through the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Someone Knows My Name was one of the first texts we covered. It is a heavy read, but such an incredible (and important) story.
2. Born A Crime, Trevor Noah
I bought Born A Crime while I was in Capetown, but didn’t end up reading it until I was back home. Trevor Noah is such an incredible storyteller, and I loved every page of this book. We ended up covering this book in a History of Africa class I took in the fall, and I was super excited when I saw it on the syllabus.
3. A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn
I’m honestly not entirely sure what prompted me to get this book. While I was abroad I realized how little I actually knew about my own country, and told myself I needed to brush up on my American history lessons. Interestingly enough, Zinn was a professor at BU, and my dad took one of his classes a while back.
4. Untamed, Glennon Doyle
If you know me you know that I am absolutely obsessed with Glennon Doyle. I read Untamed in 2 days. I subsequently downloaded the audiobook on Audible and began listening to it in the car and at night while I fell asleep. I believe Glennon is one of the best writers and thinkers of our time, and I fiercely recommend you consider reading this book. Untamed helped me consider the ways I think about myself and my place in my community and the world.
5. Educated, Tara Westover
I was recommended this book about a year ago, purchased a copy, and watched it sit on my bookshelf for months. I had the chance to read it during the beginning of quarantine, and I was absolutely obsessed. I am currently applying to grad school to become a teacher, and this book really opened my eyes to the true privilege and gift that it is to have an education.
6. Carry On Warrior, Glennon Doyle
I ended up reading Glennon’s memoirs a little out of order (Carry On Warrior comes first). In this memoir, Glennon writes about her struggles and victories in overcoming addiction and an eating disorder. With each of Glennon’s books, I gained even more appreciation and gratitude for her incredible story.
7. Love Warrior, Glennon Doyle
It was interesting to read Love Warrior after reading Untamed – Love Warrior is a redemption story in which Glennon fights to patch up her marriage with her husband, Craig. At an event where Glennon was promoting the launch of Love Warrior, she met Abby Wambach and instantly fell in love. Relatively soon after she divorced Craig and set off to begin a life with Abby. While Love Warrior is about Glennon’s fight to save her marriage, I read a lot of it as a fight to save herself.
With my obsession for Glennon, quickly came an obsession with Abby Wambach. Glennon and Abby are quite frankly the best power couple out there. I looked up to Abby as a kid while I was playing soccer. Now, reading about Abby’s struggle with addiction and finding her identity, I have a newfound appreciation for her. Abby has gone through a lot, and it warms my heart to see her speaking so courageously and openly about her struggles.
Wolfpack is a really quick, worthwhile read. Based on Abby’s 2018 Barnard College commencement speech, Wolfpack was written as a message of leadership for young athletes. The audio version of this book is only about an hour, and I love listening to it while I’m running.
10. The Street, Ann Petry
The Street was the first novel we read in my African American Literature class this fall. It is a heartbreaking, raw, and real book about being black and living in Harlem in the World War II era. It really opened my eyes, and I highly recommend it.
11. Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
I read this book in high school, and saw it again on the syllabus for my African American literature class this fall. I appreciated having the chance to read it again.
Another book that I read in high school, Things Fall Apart, was covered in my history of Africa class this fall. As with Their Eyes Were Watching God, I am thankful that I had the chance to read this again.
I had heard lots of people recommending this book, and I was really excited when the CHAARG book group selected this as our first read. I read this book in 2 or 3 days, and I could not get enough of it. The ending was jaw-dropping and left me sitting on the couch not knowing what to think. I highly recommend it!
Trigger warning: sexual assault
This memoir may be triggering for survivors of sexual assault.
For over 3 years, the victim of the Stanford sexual assault case was known to the world as Emily Doe. In 2019, Chanel Miller identified herself as the woman Brock Turner had assaulted. Know My Name is Miller’s story. I was at a loss for words while reading this memoir, and I still am. I believe that every single male on every college campus needs to read this book. The whole world needs to hear the words of Chanel Miller.
One more book that I read in high school that appeared again on my Fall 2020 syllabus was The Bluest Eye. Covering this book in my African American literature class gave me the chance to read Morrison’s haunting, moving novel one more time. The Bluest Eye is hard to read, but the discussions that my class had added a whole new layer to the book for me.
Between the World and Me is another book I think that every single person should read. Ta-Nehisi Coates is an incredible writer and thinker, and his story is one that people need to know. Following the murder of George Floyd, countless people turned to Between the World and Me. This is the story of Ta-Nehisi Coates, but it is also the collective stories of hundreds of years of white supremacy and hatred. It is a letter from Ta-Nehisi Coates to his son, as well as a letter to the entirety of America.
17. How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
A friend gave me this book over the summer. This book is a reminder that it is not enough for me, for us, to “not be racist”. We must be actively antiracist.
This was the second book on the CHAARG Book Club’s list. I read Little Fires Everywhere this fall, between chapters of the books I was reading in all of my classes.
I first heard of Group when Reese Witherspoon recommended it on her Instagram. After that, I saw so many people reading and raving about this book. As someone who’s gone through a lot of group therapy, I was really interested in reading Group. I think it’s a really valuable insight into the group therapy process.
20. A Promised Land, Barack Obama
When I got home from school for the semester I found out my mom had ordered Barack Obama’s new memoir, A Promised Land. To say I was excited would be a massive understatement. I’m currently reading this book and I absolutely love it. It’s over 700 pages, though, so hopefully, it doesn’t take me until 2021 to finish :)
That’s all from me… happy reading!