My love of reading is one of the many reasons I became an English teacher years ago. Ironically, perhaps, I find it difficult to make myself read now; like many I find myself easily distracted and feeling pressure to complete tasks. Reading feels like a luxury, or it feels like a chore. Somehow neither feel right.
And yet I am a believer in the power of reading. I’ll spare the sermon.
I challenged myself to read more last year, and having read several other peoples’ lists at the end of 2018, I decided to make my own. I think I read more books in 2018 than in several years combined (not counting children’s books read repeatedly, and with love).
I wish I could, like some have, say that I read 100 books this year. As a recovering English teacher, I probably did read the equivalent of several books in student work every year, but now, without the stacks of papers before me, I have time to read other texts both for learning and for pleasure.
I will say that if it wasn’t for Audible, I wouldn’t have finished as many.
But then, too, perhaps my 21-books per year pace suits me; I can savor the texts. Approximately 2 books per month seems admirable, and probably does match my pre-teaching life. Maybe. I never counted before, that I recall.
Anyway, here are the books I enjoyed this year (not in any particular order):
- The Book of Joy by The Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams
- Practicing Presence by Lisa J. Lucas
- The Power by Naomi Alderman
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- Educated by Tara Westover
- Aware by Dan Siegel
- Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson
- Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain by Zaretta Hammond
- Inferior by Angela Saini
- Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward (and many others)
- The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
- Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
- Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
- The Strength Switch by Lea Waters
- Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chödron
- Made Whole by Cristina Curp
- Craveable Keto by Kyndra Holley
- The Habit Blueprint by Patrick Edblad
- PBL Playbook by A.J. Juliani
Many of these books are on teaching or education. Several are on race in America, as I am challenging my understanding of whiteness and white privilege – and trying to see how to help us move forward. Others are on positive psychology or positive education. And then there are the philosophical and spiritual books – mostly with a Buddhist focus, but all of them helping me to heal, accept, and challenge old habits of behavior and thinking.
Every single one of theses books contributed to my growth and understanding in some way this year.
I often read several books simultaneously, each serving a different domain or purpose. On my current shelf/Audible listening list are:
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
- The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff
- White Rage by Carol Anderson
Next up in the queue are:
- We Got This by Cornelius Minor
- Building Resilience in Children and Teens by Kenneth R. Ginsburg
- The Hope Circuit by Martin Seligman
- Your Change Blueprint by Michelle McQuaid and David Cooperrider
- Resilient by Rick Hanson
…and a list of other books I’ve not yet purchased. But I will.
Looking back I can clearly see through what I’ve read all that I’ve learned and what I’ve been seeking to learn. How I have changed is less perceptible, but I know I’ve been impacted by all of these books – how I look at the students I serve and how I wish to better serve them, how I relate to the people around me and how I’d like to have better relationships with everyone… including myself.
My quest to do better and be better is perhaps no more evident in my life than it is in this list. Which means I still have a lot of work to do, but I am grateful for the learning that others have provided. I will continue to strive for the life of a bodhisattva: May my life be of benefit to all beings.
What have you read this last year? What recommendations might you suggest?
