One of the biggest tasks I gave myself for 2021 is…reading more. I was one of those “gifted” kids who did the Accelerated Reader program and blitzed through all of the Harry Potter books in two or three days. I could stay up for hours upon hours just reading hundreds of pages at one time. Well in about high school, a switch flipped and it feels like I haven’t fully finished another book outside of assigned reading for class. So rather than just binging Netflix shows, I decided to work on that. I now switch off Netflix and listen to audiobooks while I’m getting things done! There are 3 audiobooks I’ve managed to finish over the last two or so months, and I’m excited to share them with you now!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue –
This was a book that TikTok put me on actually! So I wanted to check it out and give it a chance because it had some RAVE reviews and it truly didn’t disappoint. It’s an amazing book, but also a fantastic audiobook. This was the first one I listened to and it did take me a minute to get used to the audiobook format, but with such a riveting story, it’s hard to not listen! I don’t want to spoil it too much, but Addie’s story and the “dark academia” vibes are hard to pass up! Highly recommend!
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl – Issa Rae
Okay, it’s Issa Rae, do I need to say more? I hope not. Issa’s humor shines through and really resonated with me as a fellow awkward, introverted Black girl. This book really made me think about my own life and voice, but also the similar situations I’ve also experienced over the last 24 years. It’s been a lot of fun, anxiety and grimaces, but part of what truly made me myself! Issa’s humor and writing are fantastic, and I’ll definitely be relistening to this again.
We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True – Gabrielle Union
This book is the therapy session I didn’t ask for, but also that I didn’t know I needed. I originally picked it up because I love Bring It On, but I quickly realized that I didn’t know a lot about Gabrielle Union. I also didn’t realize just how similar our stories are. Sifting through audiobooks, I found that this was a book that I just couldn’t stop listening to. It’s about 7 hours long, which isn’t too long for audiobooks. It was a laugh, but also tough at times. I resonate with many of her stories, especially about my childhood. Through humor and honesty, I loved hearing how she coped and the lessons she left me with to carry forward into my life moving forward.
I look forward to reading new books soon, but these really were impactful on my life. It’s hard to think that I made it through 3 in 2 months, but I did and I feel GREAT. I’m looking forward to making it through even more now! I’ll have more recommendations soon, but also in my email list! So be sure to sign up here to get the latest updates!