What I Read in 2018

Second Suns documents the unlikely partnership between an American and a Nepalese ophthalmologist on a mission to cure as much of the world’s curable blindness as possible. As a physician, I spend many moments pondering the extreme privilege we experience here despite our broken medical system, and the tale of these two inspiring surgeons really drove that point home. It is quite a fascinating story.

Worth Reading

I don’t even remember what landed this book on my to-read list given that I have only watched a few things featuring Taraji Henson, but I’m glad for whatever it was. This was a highly enjoyable memoir with lots of funny and touching personal stories as well as timely insights on race, feminism, perception of poverty, and more. I listened to this as an audiobook and would highly recommend that option if it is available to you!

Worth Reading

This memoir by a young woman and monther diagnosed with breast cancer hit so close to home. Having lost my own mother to terminal cancer at the age of 10, this brought back many feelings and memories that had mostly been buried away. I often had to put this book down and take breaks while I processed through it, but ultimately it was an enjoyable read. Whether we like it or not, this could be startlingly relevant to any of us, any day, and Nina Riggs poignantly articulates her end of life experience.

Must Read

This book is not an easy one, but it is one that I think is truly essential for everyone to read, absorb, and understand as they move about the world. It is extremely well researched and documented, but the truths within are painful. I started out reading this as a physical book but eventually switched to audio because I was having trouble willing myself to pick up and keep reading. For white people to help dismantle the structures set in place by white supremacy, we must truly understand what those structures are. This book is part of where you start.

Must Read

This book was sort of funny and mindless when I initially read it, but it wasn’t particularly insightful for me and when I think back on it now, it seems like a lot of mansplaining. Thanks to plenty of past traumas and the fact that my online presence elicits invasive personal questions, insecure people trolling a message board to shit talk me, and even doxxing, I stopped giving a f*ck quite a while ago. I don’t really think you need this book to live happily. If these sort of things really are a struggle for you, associate with people who live their lives as they wish and you’ll figure it out.

Not Worth Your Time

I picked this book up on a bit of a whim and also likely due to library availability. It was a fun and somewhat magical tale that kept me entertained from beginning to end. If you are looking for a nice escape in the form of a book, this is a good one.

Worth Reading

When they call you a terrorist is a powerful memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter. Her personal family history is deeply intertwined with what led her to become an activist fighting against racial injustice. There are many moments in this book which are heartbreaking and completely unforgettable. I recommend audio since this is read by the author, lending even more meaning to this highly personal narrative.

Must Read

I was fortunate enough to read many eye-opening books this past year and Hunger was definitely one of them. While I think nearly everyone deals with body image issues to some degree, this intimate portrait of Roxane Gay’s own struggles with her weight is unforgettable. It examines how her weight impacts her daily life in relation to food, exercise, going places, sex and intimacy, and simply just existing and taking up space in the world. I think of it often and it continues to help my practice compassion and remember that everyone is dealing with something I know nothing about.

Must Read

Overdressed is an incredibly thorough and well researched examination of the fast fashion crisis and the weight of its human and environmental impact. This is truly one of the most life changing books I have ever read, and has completely transformed my shopping and consuming habits even beyond the realm of fashion and clothing. Read my full review here, but more importantly, read this book!

Must Read

This is one of those books where every single line is so good, you would end up highlighting the entire book if you tried to pick the best parts. It is one of those books that you want to press into the hands of everyone that crosses your path and say, “Go read this immediately!” It is also a book that I believe every single white person needed to read, period. Ms. Oluo masterfully and clearly explains important and often misunderstood topics including privilege, cultural appropriation, micro-aggressions, intersectionality, and much more.

Must Read

Cecile Richards is a true hero and icon who I once had the pleasure of meeting in person. The former longtime president of Planned Parenthood shares an absolute wealth of inspiration in this memoir full of her history as an activist working for social causes and political campaigns. I especially loved reading about how she balanced her incredibly busy career with being a mom of three now grown children. Her unflagging drive and tenacious personality can’t help but inspire you to find more ways to get involved in the causes that matter to you.

Worth Reading

This is a fast read that might seem like fluff, but also happens to include plenty of themes relevant to present day event, particularly in regards to the #MeToo movement and how we view the perceived wrongdoings of women versus men. It was a fun little book with enjoyable characters and a story I won’t soon forget.

Worth Reading

I have already posted a few times about what an important book I think Rest in Power is. The story of Trayvon Martin’s murder and the “justice” system that favored his killer cannot be told often or loudly enough. Told in alternating chapters by his parents, this account of his life, death, and how it helped to spark a movement is simply essential reading.

Must Read

I’ve been hearing of Brené Brown for years but this is the first book I have read by her. I was a bit skeptical initially because it seemed self help-ish and that’s not typically a genre I enjoy. However, it included a lot of interesting social science which has always fascinated me. There was a lot in this book that is relevant to my own life and I especially liked the portion related to vulnerability.

Worth Reading

I don’t really want to give any description at all of this book so as not to spoil it. I will simply say that it is definitely the best novel I read this year. I devoured it in just a few days, and loved the plot, characters, and timely themes.

Worth Reading

This book pleasantly surprised me. I thought the premise and the cover (I know, I’m not supposed to judge that way) were a bit twee, particularly coming from a person with such massive privilege. As it turns out, much of what this book addresses was highly relevant to me and my own personal experiences, particularly regarding how our culture responds to or, in many cases, ignores entirely bereavement both at home and in the workplace. My own experience of losing my dad suddenly during my residency training was made far more traumatizing by terrible treatment and lack of understanding from my boss and superiors at work. Option B examines many of the cultural tendencies relating to grief and the grieving, and I think these are important things for everyone to consider both for yourself personally and for how to respond when someone in your world is grieving.

Who doesn’t love a good David Sedaris book? I would venture to say only those who haven’t read him yet. His latest book Calypso was as quirky and hilarious as all the rest have been, and had me laughing out loud quite often. There was at least one story that caught me completely off guard and left me very emotional but generally, this is the stellar dryly humorous writing we have all come to know and love from David.

Worth Reading

Black Ink is a carefully curated collection of writings from 25 black writers, past and present, related to the power of the written word. While I was familiar with most of these writers before, the majority of these essays were new to me. This book is full of brilliance and I think often of many of the writings it contains. The insight and perspectives gave me much to ponder and I expect I’ll come back to it again over the years.

Worth Reading

As someone who spends a large amount of time thinking about race as well as food, The Cooking Gene is an incredibly fascinating book. While Southern food is well accepted and loved as a genre of cuisine, who actually owns it is a debated and controversial topic. Michael Twitty researches his own genealogy and traces what he finds to culinary traditions that made their way to the American South from continental Africa by way of the slave trade. His musings are highly thought provoking and even though I read this months ago, I find myself pondering his words frequently.

I do feel the need to give the disclaimer that this is a very very long book. I listened to the audio version because none of the libraries I have access to had copies of the book. If I had tried to read the physical book, I am almost certain I would not have finished it, so I am glad it worked out this way in the end.

Worth Reading

(As taken from my full review) If you haven’t yet experienced the true pleasure of reading Rupi Kaur’s work, do yourself a favor and check out Milk and Honey. The book itself is like a small collection of treasures and each poem feels like a special secret treat. Something to turn over in your mind as often as you like, marveling at its evocative construction as well as its meaning to you and to others.

Must Read

I have been a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates for a while now, so when I saw this aptly titled book that seemed to fit so thoroughly with my feelings about the current state of our nation, I knew I needed to read it. Despite what you might imagine, this isn’t a love-fest for Barack Obama but more of a cultural examination of what led to his election, how his race and the ensuing backlash affected his ability to effectively govern, and what it all means going forward. I bought my own copy as soon as I returned this to the library because I know I will be referring to it for years to come.

Worth Reading

Given the amount of lunatic propaganda regarding immigrants pumped into the world by conservative “news” outlets, this lovely novel was a timely read. The book tells the story of a Cameroonian immigrant trying to make a better life for himself and his family in America, what seems like a land of promise and possibility. The twists and turns of the book aren’t entirely surprising as the gleaming American dream isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ultimately it feels like a heartbreaking meditation on what really matters and how we treat our fellow humans.

Worth Reading

This book is an absolutely crazy ride, made all the more mind blowing because it is a true story. This memoir from Tara Westover, the daughter of fundamentalist Mormons is unforgettable. Her childhood and adolescence are more than troubling, leading to a harrowing personal journey to extract herself from that life. It is really hard to wrap my mind around the fact that she is my contemporary and this happened in modern times.

Must Read

I know I may sound like a broken record, but this is another book I deeply believe every single person should read (or listen to). Esther Perel is a brilliant therapist focusing on love, sex, and relationships, and her work always astounds me. Mating in Captivity is a vital examination of the frequent discord between domestic relationships and sexual desire. This book provides enormous food for thought that is relevant to all our personal lives, but also to how we view and discuss relationships, marriage, and sexual connection as a society, and also how we might change the conversation with our children so that generations to come might manage these issues more successfully.

Must Read

This is another book I picked up largely due to its availability at my library. If someone had described it to me beforehand, I may have opted not to give it a try because anything in the realm of science fiction is generally not my cup of tea. However, this book hooked me from the first page and I was completely engaged through the very end, dying to see how it would turn out. It was very entertaining and I think would be a great escape read for vacation or whenever you want a break.

Worth Reading

Dr. Tweedy’s book describes with grace and nuance the ways in which his race affected his medical training and career. One of the earlier passages describes his excitement of entering a lecture hall in the first few days of medical school only to be mistaken by the professor for a janitor who was needed to fix the lights. In addition to more experiences such as this, he also examines how race is addressed within medical education in our country. I can attest to his impression that it is misunderstood, white washed, and that our current approach badly needs an overhaul. His is a valuable perspective that is vital both for those working in the medical field as well as for patients.

Worth Reading

The Girl Who Smiled Beads tells the true story of Clementine Wamariya, a refugee who fled the Rwandan genocides as a child. While I have learned some of this horrific tragedy before through other books, this is the first account I have read documenting the experience of a child from that time. To see neighbors and friends murdered, live in unspeakable conditions in refugee camps, and try at all costs to find some measure of stability, is nearly impossible to imagine. This is not a feel good book, but it is essential that we bear witness to such accounts in order to do better both from a humanitarian perspective as well as with how we receive refugees who settle here.

Worth Reading

I think the best thing I can say about this book is that it completely blew my mind. I’m embarrassed to say that before reading it, I knew very little about North Korea beyond the fact that they are ruled by a dictator who possesses a nuclear arsenal. This book was an eye opening account of what life is like there and the harrowing experience of Yeonmi Park as she and her family did everything they could to escape. I learned so much and have the utmost respect for her and her family’s drive to do whatever they needed to survive.

Must Read

Sometimes I think the exactly right book comes into your life at exactly the right time, and that is what happened for me with this book. I read the entire thing during a long plane ride and it was the perfect thing to savor and enjoy slowly. Another incredible gem from Rupi Kaur, this book is a gorgeous follow up to Milk & Honey.

Worth Reading

It’s hard to articulate how I feel about Fear. Nothing in it particularly surprised me, which in and of itself alarms me. It is well researched and even handedly reported, and likely will become an historically important account of this disastrous time. If you are already overwhelmed by reading the daily news, I’m not sure this will add much value but at least confirms much of what has been gleaned from the press at large.

Worth Reading

I think the subtitle of this book says it all: “Black dignity in a world made for whiteness.” Austin Channing Brown writes beautifully about her experience as a black woman in a world where white is the default setting, and this is a perspective we all need to take into consideration far more frequently. This is an important account that helps unveil the structural racism in place in our world, and in doing so, provides all of us with better understanding to help go forward and dismantle these systems we have perpetuated.

Must Read

Required reading for all of humanity is what this book is. As we have seen as the #MeToo movement came to light and continues to progress, far too many women and many men have experienced rape or sexual assault. It is a tragedy the way our society devalues women and dismisses their experiences as a matter of course, and that is all the more reason books like Not That Bad are precisely what we need. Visibility, understanding, and hopefully compassion and empathy, and ultimately a shifting of power dynamics so that perpetrators of these crimes will no longer feel so free and emboldened to commit them in the first place.

Must Read

I knew almost nothing of the Golden State Killer before reading this book, other than possibly hearing the name referenced once before. This true crime investigation is gruesome and chilling, but also incredibly impressive thanks to the home detective work of the author Michelle McNamara. Sadly, she passed away suddenly before completion of the book but her family and close colleagues in this endeavor helped fill in the gaps to complete the manuscript. This book describes in detail the many sexual assaults and murders of the victims, so I would not recommend this for anyone sensitive to such topics.

Worth Reading

I purchased Silver Sparrow on a whim after finishing up all the other books I had brought with me on vacation. I knew after reading An American Marriage that Tayari Jones wouldn’t let me down, and I was right. Another excellent novel with an intricate plot, well developed characters, and thought provoking themes, this was an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Worth Reading

It’s always a pretty cool feeling to read a book by someone you know, and it’s even cooler when the book is full of fascinating information that is also highly relevant to our daily lives. Dr. Lehmiller’s book Tell Me What You Want examines data from a large scale survey about people’s sexual fantasies and desires, what we can learn from these data, and how we can make use of this knowledge in our own lives. As someone who loves learning about sex and relationships in both social and scientific contexts, this was so interesting from beginning to end. Bravo, Justin!

Worth Reading

This is such a beautifully written book. This is another work of fiction that has so many timely lessons for today’s world. The main story line is about a transgender child, but it feels like a sorely inadequate description to say that. This novel is such an evocative portrayal of motherhood and family life, and I just can’t recommend it highly enough. I never wanted this book to end.

Must Read

When I picked up this book, it was simply because it was Roxane Gay and I can never get enough of her writing. I didn’t realize this was a book of short stories. Every time I read short stories, I remember how much I enjoy them. This book is chock full of memorable stories surrounding women and the issues they face in their lives. While these stories are fiction and some have a magical component to them, the feelings they evoke in the reader are undoubtedly real. This book is haunting, searing, hard to read at times, and one I won’t soon forget.

Worth Reading

This book has an unbelievable number of reasons it interests me. It is written by a gender studies professor from my own hometown where I also attended college, and describes her experience of living and dying with terminal ovarian cancer, which I deal with heavily at my job on a weekly basis. The author is also a mother, and having lost my own mother to cancer (at a relatively younger age), it interested me from that perspective as well. She discusses a lot of important topics related to ovarian cancer including its relative obscurity as compared to more marketable cancers such as breast cancer, and the ways in which we fail at discussing and responding to the more unpleasant aspects of living with terminal illness.

Worth Reading

Eloquent Rage is the perfect title for this book, as it beautifully captures Dr. Cooper’s impressions of being a black feminist in America right now. She is brilliant and so well spoken as she covers topics such as respectability politics, pop culture’s portrayal of black men and women, and the role of black men in all of this, among many other things. She is down to earth and writes in a clear, straightforward manner that is simultaneously touching and cutting.

Must Read

This book is SO IMPORTANT. I hadn’t planned on it being my final book of the year but it happened to work out that way and it seemed so fitting. After a year reading many books focused on race, white privilege, and white supremacy, what I have learned is that I can never stop learning about this topic. It will never be enough, there is no endpoint in this endeavor. We must keep doing all we can to learn, educate, and dismantle these systems of oppression built to keep the status quo. This particular book is written by a black woman born in the UK and explains the history of racism in Britain which is something I knew nothing about prior to reading this. Her bracing account gives clear context to widespread and insidious modern day racism, and is sure to change the way you view things going forward.

Must Read