Lhea J. Love's 2017 Reading Challenge

Alrighty! I am going to try to read 100 books this year. Usually, I read between 30 and 70 books... Let's see how close I get this year!

Books Completed in 2017:
1. Who Moved My Cheese
2. Jimmy's Blues by James Baldwin (Poetry)
3. The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner
4. 1984 by George Orwell
5. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes
6. Flatland by Edwin Abbott
7. Pulling Back the Shades by Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery
8. (Un)Qualified by Steven Furtick
9. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10. The Elements of Style
11. The 5 Love Languages of Children
12. Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
13. Coming Out My Box by Tawana Honeycomb Petty
14. Educating Black Girls by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu
15. The Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward
16. How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil
17. Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
18. What a Girl Needs from Her Mom by Cheri Fuller
19. Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
20. The Lucky Daughter by Mariama J. Lockington
21. The Information by James Gleick
22. To Be a Machine by Mark O'Connell

Welcome LheaJLove, and good luck with your year's reading !

Love your shelves!

Thanks Bryan and Ron! Good luck with your reading too!

Every year my church has a leadership conference for those who are the leaders of the ministries at the church. And every year we read a book. This book which we read together is always the first book of the year.

My goal is to read 100 books each year.

On average, I complete anywhere between 30 and 70 books each year. I have never quite made it to the 100 mark. But, maybe this will be the year.

I read this book a long time ago, while I was in college at the University of Michigan, or soon thereafter. It's one of those "business books" that everyone in corporate America reads at some point in their careers.

I actually really enjoyed reading this for a second time. This fable is all about change.

I realized that I need to work on myself and how I adjust to change. Sometimes I spend so much time comparing myself to my peers. I compare myself to my sorority sisters; I compare myself to my siblings. Why is everyone married but me? Why does everyone have a successful career but me?

Sometimes when my life changes -- when I have a mental health issue, when I don't have a career, when I am single -- I need to lace up my running shoes and look for new cheese. I can't sit there complaining about why that woman shares her cheese with her husband. Or why another woman makes a lot of cheese on her job. I have to worry about me... and my daughter.

This book was a nice wake up call for 2017.

I also enjoyed what my church members had to say about this book. I am glad that we read it. This is definitely a book that I will return to at later points in my life.

James Baldwin is, quite possibly, my favorite writer of all time. He was everything that I want to be. He is undeniably, the greatest essayist in the English language. His novels, autobiographical and true, are still taught in many schools through out the country. And today, I had the pleasure of rereading his poetry.

Honestly, his essays are his best work.

But there is value in reading Jimmy's Blues.

There is commentary on the American white man: "They have never honoured a single treaty/ made with anyone, anywhere." There is coverage of human sexuality: "And,/ Terry, the torn,/ wishes he'd never been born/ because he was found sucking a cock/ in the shadow of a Central Park rock." And there are remnants of conversations with God.

As I read, I could not figure out why his poetry is not quite as beautiful as his nonfiction. His essays are the greatest prose poems ever written.

He never quite captures the rhythm that cuts loose in The Price of the Ticket.

Still, to study Baldwin is to study a master. I may never reach his level of genius. But I can try, day after day, decade after decade, to reach his level of truth.

If you are interested in Baldwin, I would recommend reading every essay he ever wrote. If you've done that, I would read his novels. If you've read all of his prose, then I'd pick up his poetry, just for the heck of it.

3. Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

Perhaps it goes without saying: I am obsessed with books. I like the feel of the cover between my fingertips; I enjoy a well designed cover. I like deckle edges with French flaps. But perhaps most of all, I love books about books. I love when writers talk about writing.

Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees is my favorite book about the writing life. I probably have read this book, whole or in part, every year for the past ten years. I return to these pages, again and again, because when I read Lerner I feel understood.

She gets me. From bipolar to eczema, she has described my life from pre-adolescence to adulthood. She understands me in ways that my Facebook Friends and family do not.

And so when I read this book, The Forest for the Trees, I fantasize about having a relationship with an agent and an editor who understands me as deeply as Lerner does. I might need a little hand holding in the beginning... and a little persistence to find the right publishing imprint.

I think that every writer should have this book on their bookshelf. Just so they won't feel so alone.

I admit, I enjoy the first half of the book more than the latter. I could read the first chapter every day of my life for the rest of my life. The first part of the book describes the characteristics of writers. The second half of the book describes the publishing process. And as I send out query letters and manuscripts and book proposals to agents, the second part of the book is becoming more and more relevant in my life.

I am a poet. I am a novelist. I am a blogger. In my head, I, too, am a philosopher.

I have a 550 page novel that needs to be rewritten. I have a 250 page memoir that needs to be edited. I have a 50 page poetry book that needs a publisher. And I have a popular history book which I have not written at all. I would like to adapt my novel into a screenplay. And one day, I would like to complete a second novel. Perhaps, when I am older I will complete a popular philosophy book.

Reading The Forest for the Trees was the perfect way to start my year. Yes, I am an ambivalent writer. No, being a natural or a self-promoter doesn't help. Yes, I've become a fire-touching-neurotic writer over the years.

But Lerner was right, the only rejection that matters is your own. I've decided not to give up.

If it takes me one month to find an agent, so be it. If it takes me one decade to find an agent, so be it.

I'll be reading and rereading this book all along the way.

Are you a writer? Are you a poet-novelist? A essayist-screenwriter? Well, you might like this book. This book will remind you that you aren't (completely) crazy and you aren't alone.

Since the inauguration of Trump, 1984 has been number one on Amazon's best sellers list. Thus, I was inspired to reread this classic work.

I am so glad that I did.

Yesterday was #HolocaustMemorialDay. It was an appropriate day to read one of Orwell's most important works. As a descendent of mostly African slaves (and a few slave owners), I don't have any known Jewish blood coursing my veins. However as a member of the oppressed class, I am concerned about all forms of oppression. And so I say: #NeverAgain.

1984 is most important to me because of the notion of "thought crimes". When I first read this book in middle school, the idea of being punished for one's thoughts seemed impossible. More than futuristic, it seemed like science fiction, with the emphasis on fiction rather than science.

Now, in 2017, we have the reality of functional MRI machines. It is published, peer reviewed fact that scientists can see visual images of what you are thinking about while you are connected to an fMRI machine. And since DARPA (ARPA) funded the first email in the 1970s and I didn't hear "you've got mail" until 1995, I always assume that the US government is about 20 years ahead of the research they publish in Nature and Science.

Another thing that I thought about while reading 1984... is that this notion of "Big Brother" is nothing new for Black folks. It says, "But in the future there will be no wives and no friends. Children will be taken from their mothers at birth, as one takes eggs from a hen." As a Black person, my lineage has been there -- done that. In fact, that was the first 200 years of existence in this country.

The third thing that I thought about while reading was the notion of a violent revolution. Since college, I have considered myself a peace activist. Not only do I oppose the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan... I oppose all war. I believe that in the 21st century, war is monetarily profitable but socially and morally and politically unnecessary.

Thus, I was surprised when I read the pages of the book highlighting the brotherhood. I didn't remember that they agreed to be willing to kill innocent people and harm children.

This reminds me of when I first read The Wretched of the Earth (Les Damnes de la Terres) by Franz Fanon. Because he called for a violent uprising, I could barely stomach to read the book.

This is where I recognize my privilege as a 21st century Black woman.

I agree with Orwell's notion of the three classes of society. The highest class wants to remain in power. The middle class wants to steal their power. And the lowest class barely realizes that they are oppressed. This is true.

But it is obvious that I have never been physically bound by chains or beaten with a whip. Perhaps there are circumstances of oppression so brutal where they only option is a violent course of action.

In all of my 21st century American privilege. I believe we have passed the necessity of war.

But as a black woman who's grandparent's grandparents were born into physical bondage -- American slavery, as a writer who is writing books about the underground railroad, 1984 makes me question my own theories and my own belief systems. Is there really a peaceful way for oppressed people to stop being oppressed?

Or is Orwell right, does the middle class just use words like "equality" and "justice" to get what they want out of the impoverished class, while the poor remain poor and the rich remain powerful?

I love George Orwell.

A few days ago, I mentioned that James Baldwin was the greatest essayist ever to write in the English language. I must add an amendment. Orwell, too, is the greatest essayist. So this year I will definitely be rereading The Price of the Ticket (Baldwin Essays) and In Front of Your Nose (Orwell Essays).

I am enjoying your thoughtful comments on your reading, Lhea. You've inspired me to pick the James Baldwin selection for my February nonfiction read from President Obama's reading list. You might be interested in the thread. The link is below and you don't have to be a member of the 75 book challenge group to participate--just post in the thread!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/247375

Hi Ronincats!

I love, love, love The Fire Next Time. I hope that you enjoy it as well. And thank you so much for showing me that thread! WOW! What an amazing set of reading lists. There are quite a few books that I want to read on that list.

I starred* the thread so that I can come back to it.

I've never read 100 book in one year in my life! Perhaps I should have been in the 75 book or 50 book group. LOL. But I'm going to give it my best shot this year...

I appreciated your comments very much. I am 65, just retired, learning to live on a fixed income, and suddenly the rug seems to be pulled out from under me. I first read 1984 when I was in high school (the 60s). I read through all the futuristic dystopias imagining we had just survived the worst threat.... the Cold War and nuclear devastation, communist take over etc. I became politically awarer and interested with Vietnam, but never really felt threatened through that time. I realized there were plenty of flaws in our country (Man-created) but still and to this day believe in the values the founding fathers based this country on and the progress we had made in freeing all from slavery, giving all the right to vote, allowing immigration with relatively few stipulations. My and my husband's career choices were to teach in low-income poverty-level communities in rural areas.... so rural that TV signals don't reach, and well over 50% of the population can't afford satellite programming --- the oppressed, but don't know it!

Well, I am starting a book club and 1984 is my first suggestion. The reason I am commenting is that I would like your permission to send your review to the group as a discussion 'starter'. May I ? I appreciate your reflection and perspective. I also wish to share with my grandchildren, seven are mixed/black, one mixed/Chinese, and only one full Caucasian. I am third generation from a Swiss immigrant.

Thanks!

Enjoying your insightful and intelligent thread LheaJLove, reminds me I need to reread 1984, thanks and read on !

Koontzs!!! I am soo flattered! So honored!

Please, please, please feel free to use my review. And after the book club meeting. Please respond on this thread and let me know what your memebers thought!

I am so excited and intrigued!

Thank you so much for this opportunity. (I wish I was a part of a book club like that!)

I live on fixed income, too. (Even though I am only 32 years old). I wish you, your children, your grandchildren and your former students all the love, health, wealth and happiness in the world!

Keep in touch!

Hi! Nice to hear from you again bryanoz! Talk to you later!

I love Langston Hughes.

Through Twitter, I found out that yesterday (February 1st) was Langston Hughes' birthday. What a perfect way to start Black History Month. So I pulled out a short book of his selected poems and fell in love.

One of my favorite poems in the world is "Suicide's Note"

The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss.

There has never been a truer poem. This poem and all of its brevity, got me through high school. When I felt like no one in the world understood, Langston understood.

But it's not all serious. Langston Hughes had quite a sense of humor. I loved the poem, "As Befits a Man"

I don't mind dying --
But I'd hate to die all alone!
I want a dozen pretty women
To holler, cry, and moan.

I don't mind dying
But I want my funeral to be fine:
A row of long tall mamas
Fainting, fanning, and crying... (skipped verse)

When they let me down,
Down into the clay,
I want the women to holler:
Please don't take him away!
Ow-ooo-oo-o!
Don't take daddy away!

One thing that makes me holler, is the fact that it is 2017 and the Black community is still dealing with police brutality. It seems like something that should have vanished with lynching. Or better yet, slavery. But here we are. Langston Hughes has a poem about it. I think he would shake his head to know that we are still dealing with this 100 years later.

"Who But the Lord?"

I looked and I saw
That man they call the Law.
He was coming
Down the street at me!
I had visions in my head
Of being laid out cold and dead,
Or else murdered
By the third degree...(verse skipped)

Now, I do not understand
Why God don't protect a man
From police brutality.
Being poor and black,
I've no weapon to strike back
So who but the Lord
Can protect me?

Langston Hughes' poetry will get you through somethings. It is timeless. Langston will help you to understand America, understand Blackness, understand poverty, understand love.

Today, I rediscovered a great poem, "Mother to Son". I've decided that I am going to print this poem out and hang it on the wall of my daughter's bedroom.

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor--
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't bee no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now--
For I'se still goin', honey.
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

I think the only poem that I love in this world is Langston Hughes' "Theme for English B".

What a pleasure to read Langston. What an honor to follow in his footsteps. I hope that his legacy never dies. May we never forget him.

Love Langston's poems. I teach them every year as well as something about his life. Inspiring for my students.

Hey swimmergirl! I love Langston, too.

What other poets do you teach? I'm always looking for something good to read.

Long, long ago, when I was young, I wanted to become a theoretical physicist. I still think about math and science from time to time. I still wonder what would have happened if I did not quit.

And so I decided to read one of the most important books of my youth, Flatland by Edwin Abbott.

This pocket sized book tells a story which may very well change your understanding of the physical world. What is the 4th dimension? Some have reasoned it to be time, but I never liked that explanation.

This is a short book. You can read it in one sitting. But once you understand the story, you'll never see the universe the same again.

I'm a bit late to this party but I'm really enjoying your reviews. I also have a copy of Flatland on my shelves, which I need to get to. Plus you've inspired me to seek out some of Baldwin's essays. Thanks for adding to the wishlist!

>15 LheaJLove: I just read The Ways of White Folk, which was written in the thirties but is still relevant today. I had never heard of Langston Hughes (I'm in Australia), so it was a lucky find.

Thank you for your thought-provoking reviews, and for the Langston Hughes poetry.

jfetting -- Welcome to the party! LOL. Glad to have you here.

I love, love, love Flatland. There's nothing like it.

James Baldwin's essays STING. He is the most direct and poetic writer to ever write about race relations in the united states. Almost every nonfiction book written by a Black person begins with a James Baldwin quote. Okay, okay... not everyone. But he is quoted quite a lot.

I hope that you enjoy both!

Hi pamelad!!!

I would love, love, love to visit Australia.

And I'm so glad that you found Hughes! He's quite possibly the greatest Black American poet. There's none like him.

I've been meaning to read The Ways of White Folk for YEARS... I'm actually glad that you mentioned it.

Talk to you later!

Whew! Where do I begin? (Sex! Sex! Sex!)

Last week, I was given this book, Pulling Back the Shades, by a friend of mine. Let me tell you, I am so flattered and thrilled. There is nothing greater than reading a new book.

This book is a Christian response to 50 Shades of Gray, which I must admit. I have never read.

However, I do own a collection of erotica. Specifically, Black erotica. And, I do enjoy watching pornography. Again, Black pornography. I like my characters to be dark and nappy headed with African features. Even in erotica and porn, I like my characters to be Black like me.

I enjoyed reading this book.

However, I am much, much, much more radical than Dannah or Dr. Juli.

The entire premise of the book is that people are designed to be sexual BUT only with a husband. So, don't masturbate, don't have oral sex, don't watch pornography and don't read erotica before marriage.

Even in the context of marriage the authors are against pornography and erotica. And things like anal sex and spanking are pretty much off limits even for the committed, married couple.

As I said, I enjoyed reading this book. However, this book is very, very, very far from my reality.

I guess I'm as radical as they come. I am an outspoken ally to the LGBTQAI community. I endorse radical acceptance of gay folk.

And, I read the bible from the perspective of the oppressed, not from the perspective of the protagonist. I read the bible from the perspective of all the people who are killed in God's name.

Because of my radical nature, I have a different understanding of sin.

But, I absolutely respect where Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slatterly are coming from. Because I was raised and Baptized in the Christian church, I understand deeply the normal hermeneutics of the text.

My main argument about this book is that it offers absolutely no solutions.

Let's say I was a Christian and I was trying to live by modern American standards of Christianity. This book suggests no masturbation, no oral sex, no pornography and no erotic literature. But how? This is simple if you happen to get married at the age of 18 or even 29. But how should you conduct yourself if you are 30, 40, 50 or 60 years old and have never been married? Should you not kiss? Should you not watch sex scenes in movies? Should you not go to nightclubs?

The authors say that you should run from pornography and erotica and never look back. But, they don't offer any solutions for post-adolescent living for 10, 20, 30 years without sexual contact with yourself or another human being.

I can't recommend this book for single people without being an all out hypocrite. I highly recommend masturbation as a way of keeping yourself celibate. Then again, I highly recommend pornography and erotica as well.

I think this book is best for married people who are unhappy with their sex lives. Most of the narratives in this book are about women who are sexually unhappy with their husbands. This book doesn't offer many solutions for them either... but sometimes it's nice to read a book that you can relate to.
So, in short. I am not a minister. I have not been called by God to read, interpret and discriminate the bible. As far as I know, I was put on Earth to be a writer. And to encourage people not to commit suicide.

So, I would suggest that you pray and talk to your pastor (or spiritual mentor) about the guidelines that you want to live by in your own sex life.

As for me, I highly recommend masturbation for men and women. I do not think that it is a sin.
I highly recommend pornography and erotica for couples... if both parties enjoy pornography and erotica. Or if you don't want to bring other people into your bedroom, you can videotape yourselves or write your own sexy love stories, love poems and love letters.

I actually recommend pornography and erotica for single people, too. But like I said. I'm not a minister. Not even close.

Personally, I like the Best American Erotica series that comes out every year. Erotic short stories. My favorite book is Best Black Women's Erotica 2. (Like I said, I prefer reading about the sex lives of Black people.)

Lastly, if you are going to write a book encouraging sexual purity, be as SPECIFIC as possible. If you want people to stop watching porn, give an example of what to watch instead. If you want men to stop masturbating daily/weekly, give a concrete example of what to do when you have the physical urge to masturbate. If you want people to wait until marriage to have sex, give concrete example of what to do if you are 40, 50, 60 years old and you still aren't married.

I respect everyone's religious beliefs.

But one thing that I learned while I was doing interviews for my novel is... A LOT OF PEOPLE LIE. Especially people in the church. They won't talk about how much they masturbate, or watch pornography (or cheat).

Writing a book like this is easy... if you want Christians to LIE about their sex lives.

But if you want Christians to actually WALK the WALK. Then I would suggest very specific examples of how to live that life.

Hey, I can't offer any suggestions to Christians trying to be pure. Clearly I read erotica, watch porn, masturbate... and occasionally engage in sexual relations with the opposite gender.

But I respect the struggle. And so if you are trying to live upright before God, more power to you. In my own radical way, I am, too.

I love you and I support you all.

Wow Lhea, appreciate your thoughts and honesty. Not sure I'll read Pulling Back The Shades but you reminded me about Flatland which I've always meant to read.
Hope you can get over here to Australia sometime !

A very interesting response to what appears to be a rather lackluster book, Lhea. Seems to be the equivalent of abstinence preaching except for adults rather than teens (in terms of being realistic in following through in real life). I think you make some excellent points. All things in moderation.

Including moderation !!

Last week was a great week. I received TWO books as gifts. The second book, which I received from my Pastor's wife, was (Un)Qualified by Steven Furtick.

Oh, how I loved this book.

When I fall in love with a book. I fall in love on many different levels. I fall in love with the cover design, I fall in love with the texture of the paper, I fall in love with the lengths of the paragraphs. I adore the editing.

I loved this book because it was a well written, well edited book. It saddens me when books about Christianity are poorly constructed, horribly written. It troubles me.

This book, is a book that I can recommend. This is a book that I can buy and buy again for a friend.

This is the book I wish I had written.

The entire premise of the book is that God does not call the qualified, God qualifies the called. I may be imperfect, but God can still use me. This is a book that anyone can relate to.

Furtick discusses his concept of the "third word". Basically, how do you fill in the blanks after the words "I am". For me, my third word is "failure". In my head I see myself as a failed poet, a failed novelist, a failed mother and a failed woman.

Reading this book, challenges me to change my "third word". Perhaps God doesn't see me as a failure. Perhaps God wants to change my name.

My favorite chapter is waaay at the end of the book. This chapter was all about comparison. And oh my, this chapter was written for me. The chapter is entitled, "The Problem with Pinterest". It offers an alternate definition of the social media website: "Pinterest is a visually driven social media platform strategically designed for nonstop, twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week reminders that you kids are not as well dressed as your neighbors' kids, that your home is decorated in the most amateur fashion imaginable, that the pictures you take are bland and artless, that you did a terrible job planning your wedding, and that you live a generally tedious, monotonous existence -- unlike everyone else, whose lives are categorically awesome at all times."

WOW. Well isn't that the story of my little Pinterest-Facebook-Twitter-Instagram life?

I am always comparing myself to other people. My Facebook and Instagram is filled with updates of all my sorority sister's marriages and babies (not out of wedlock). My Twitterfeed is filled with updates of poets and novelists and writers my age being published by The New Yorker or Penguin Randomhouse.

And I think to myself, "Lhea you're a failure." There goes that "third word".

I will definitely be reading this book again and again. I know I didn't get it all the first time. I believe that this book can help me gain confidence that God has a plan for my life even though I am imperfect. I am loveable and valuable, even when I fall short.

As a writer, I appreciated his clear, readable prose. Furtick uses a lot of alliteration. I enjoyed it immensely. "Just imagine how far ahead civilization would be if we didn't spend the first eighteen years of our lives dealing with potty training and pimples and puberty and proms." Oh and I love the use of the repeated coordinating conjunction. I write like that, too. So much better than a comma.

This is the perfect book for the imperfect Christian, which clearly is all of us.

I will definitely be buying other books by Furtick. And I can't wait to read this one again.

I am a bibliophile. I read books; I write books. I collect books, I buy books. I read books for breakfast, I fall asleep with books at night. My world revolves around my daughter, my church and my books.

Now that my daughter is six, reading books with her has become a large part of my daily routine.

This is the second time that I've read Between the World and Me. But this time is vastly different from the first. When I read the book the first time, I thought of the beauty of the stylized prose and the significance of the political message. This time, I read the book as a parent.

"What I know is that fathers who slammed their teenage boys for sass would then release them to streets where their boys employed, and were subject to, the same justice. And I knew mothers who belted their girls, but the belt could not save these girls from drug dealers twice their age."

I loved this passage of the book. As a parent, I have been trying to figure out whether I can raise my daughter in a violence-free household. Clearly, I was raised by the belt. But the violence didn't save my brother from committing suicide. And the violence, probably didn't help my mental health, either.

Since I live in the hood, Ta-Nehisi's prose is real to me. All of my neighbors do drugs (at least weed) and my apartment is always surrounded by the stumble of alcoholics. How can I teach and remind my growing daughter how easily she might lose her body?

As a writer, I appreciated rereading this book. One of the main reasons I enjoyed reading this book is because the writing is so much stronger than Ta-Nehisi's memoir, The Beautiful Struggle. It is amazing to witness the growth of a writer.

When I read, "the elevation of the belief in being white, was not achieved through wine tastings and ice cream socials, but rather through the pillaging of life, liberty, labor and land; through the flaying of backs, the chaining of limbs; the strangling of dissidents; the destruction of families; the rape of mothers; the sale of children..." I wish I had penned those phrases.

I highly recommend this book, perhaps most especially, to those who are not Black.

It is very clearly stated and easy to follow.

The first portion of this book is the strongest, most beautifully written prose that I've read since James Baldwin. It is breathtaking and true, urgent and necessary.

This will not be the last time that I read Between the World and Me. As I navigate what it means to be a Black parent of a Black child in the hood of Detroit, I will pull this book back out as something to relate to, something to learn from and something to build off of.

I hope that others read and reread this book. I hope that others enjoy.

Also found Between the World and Me a powerful read although I'm sure it meant much more to you than me as a white Australian with adult children.
Thanks for the reviews.

Slowly catching up on this thread! Loving the reviews, have taken a James Baldwin book bullet. :) (I've previously read Go Tell it on the Mountain and thought it was great; the library has The Price of the Ticket and I've reserved it.)

Good luck with your reading goals for 2017!

I thought Between the World and Me was spectacular. Definitely worth a read (and reread).

Every year, I learn how to write. And every year, I forget everything that I have learned.

One of my favorite books on grammar is The Elements of Style. It's amazing; it's short. Every writer should have this on their bookshelf.

I've noticed how I have grown stylistically as a writer. When I was younger, I took this book as gospel. I agreed with every sentence in this book. Now that I'm older, I notice that there are things that I hold to and other things that I disagree with.

Nonetheless, I can't think of a better book on the English language.

I will definitely be reading this again.

Heeeeey guys!

I am so glad that you all loved Between the World and Me... I loved it too!

11. The 5 Love Languages of Children

Well, if I'm going to read anywhere near 100 books this year, I need to read much, much faster!

Yesterday, I began what may very possibly be the most important book I have ever read in my life: The 5 Love Languages of Children.

This is the first parenting book that I have read since I was pregnant. Since I did not raise my daughter from age 1 through 5, I missed out on walking, potty training, learning how to talk. Now, my daughter has completely different needs.

Recently, we took the Love Language Profile for Children (Ages 9-12). She's only 6, but she really enjoyed taking the online test. The first time she took it, her primary love languages were Receiving Gifts and Quality Time.

Sounds about right to me.

I absolutely loved this book. It was clearly written and well organized. It was rooted in Christianity but not too heavy handed. Anyone can enjoy this book.

I highly recommend learning your child's love language. And your spouse's. And your own. It can definitely change your life.

I will definitely reread this text. I liked the sections which discussed discipline. That is something that I have battled with even as a non-custodial parent.

I am definitely interested in raising an emotionally-healthy, functional adult. Right now, I have no idea how to do that... Gary Chapman's book is a great first step in figuring out tangible things you can do with and for your child that will have a positive impact on their life for the rest of their life.

I highly recommend The 5 Love Languages. I can't wait to read it again.

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12. Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

Now I see what all the fuss is about.

THIS is how you write a poem.

"but you'll never forget yourself
the way god forgets
his hands."

Night Sky with Exit Wounds is perfect. The subject matter is piercing; the word choice is careful; and, the endings of each poem are breath taking. My heartbeat followed the rhythms of the words and I lost myself again and again.

I enjoyed the work so much, that I found myself wondering what poets Ocean Vuong grew up reading. An Emily Dickinson epigraph on page 57, a Whitney Houston mention elsewhere... Ocean left clues.

"...Maybe we pray on our knees because god
only listens when we're this close
to the devil..."

I might spend my life trying to achieve what Ocean has in just a few short decades. And honestly, after a hundred years, I might never reach his mark. I won't be surprised if this is the greatest book of poetry that I read all year.

I will definitely be purchasing everything that Ocean writes from now on.

"In Vietnamese, the word for grenade is 'bom,' from the French 'pomme,' meaning 'apple.'

Or was it American for 'bomb'?"

"If I Perish Writing Poetry"

if I perish writing poetry
i'll rebirth as elegy
scribe haiku between the clouds
testify soliloquy
spit rhyme in abecedarian
breathe creation allegorically
I will prose before the sunrise
and sonnet nocturnally
--Tawana "Honeycomb" Petty

I loved Tawana's book, Coming Out My Box.

Peering into this book, I saw the woman that I hope to become, the writer-activist that I want to be. I loved this book because it touched on all the topics that I care about: Black Womanhood - Activism - Water Rights - Flint Water - Palestine - Grace Lee Boggs - Anticapitalism - and more...

This book was a wake up call to me. I could be doing more. I should dedicate myself to being a writer-activist.

Personally, I would love to get a literary agent and publish my novel (Order of the Oppressed), my memoir (Nobody's Darling) and my history book (Men of Oppression)...

But Tawana has inspired me. Maybe I should self-publish my poetry book "The Flagellant".

I loved that Tawana added a few essays at the end.

I am so inspired. I am inspired by the woman that Tawana is. As an activist, she makes me believe that change is possible. As a writer, she makes me think... maybe I should self-publish my poems while I am waiting for a literary agent/publisher to take me on.

I am so glad that I picked up Tawana's book. I am definitely inspired to keep writing, keep fighting.

14. Educating Black Girls by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

I have decided to start a "Parenting" Library. Welp, my daughter is 6 years old... so it is about damn time.

This month I read Kunjufu's Educating Black Girls. It is marketed towards teachers, but I found it extremely valuable. Kunjufu has been on my radar because of his book Countering the Conspiracy to Detroy Black Boys. So I was excited to see what he has to say about the state of Black girls in America.

The main thing that I realized from reading this book... is that I live in a bubble. I grew up middle class. I have a degree from the University of Michigan. My Black classmates have degrees from Michigan, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, Yale.

Because of my bubble, sometimes I fail to realize what's really going on in America.

So Kunjufu informed me that:
-- 87% of Black girls are below proficient in math
-- The average ACT score is 17.
-- Less than 40% of college aged Black girls are college ready
-- One out of every two Black females has an STD.

This book was important to me because I am trying to figure how to make sure that my daughter does not become a (negative) statistic. I would love for her to become an artist, an athlete, a scholar or anything else that she wants to be. If she wants to go to an ivy league, I want that option to be available to her.

This book gave me a few ideas about intelligent Black women role models that I can introduce to my daughter over the next 10 years or so. Many people, like Maxine Waters, Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, Alice Walker and Nikki Giovanni, I already knew about. Other folks, I need to do my own research and learn more about.

I will definitely reread this book... and read other books about how to educate a Black child.

I definitely want my daughter to have the best the world has to offer...

I bought this book because I support Black writers. I wish I could buy every book every published by a Black Author.

However I will say, this book could have been titled anything.

I am not sure what this book had to do with the essay "The Fire This Time" or James Baldwin. Maybe it wasn't supposed to.

The most important lesson I learned from reading this book... is that James Baldwin left some pretty big shoes to fill. From this book I realized, maybe there isn't anyone in my generation who could write as beautifully as James Baldwin. I definitely didn't find anyone in this collection.

I was glad that I bought this book simply because I try to support Black folk. I would hope that they support me.

However, you might be more satisfied if you actually read James Baldwin's essays instead.

>37 LheaJLove: Those are some horrifying statistics. I had no idea (I too live in a bubble).

I placed a hold on a collection of Baldwin's essays and am finally, finally the next person in line for it. Thanks for the book bullet!

I read Baldwin's The Fire Next Time last month and agree that he left huge shoes to fill--sorry this book didn't make a better job of doing so. And I remember going to a workshop by Dr. Kunjufu back when he first published Developing Positive Self-Images & Discipline in Black Children in the mid-80s--he was a dynamic force then and it's good to see he's still active.

Right now, my favorite books of all times are Bluest Eye, The Price of the Ticket, The Elegant Universe, Radical Evolution...

And now, How to Create a Mind.

I loooved this book. About 12 years ago, I realized that I was a transhumanist. I dig Artificial Intelligence, I love genetic advancement and I am excited about augmented reality.

Honestly, I wish that I could buy The Elegant Universe, Radical Evolution, How to Create a Mind and some Michio Kaku for every person in the hood. The future is here. I don't want my brothers and sisters to get left behind.

This book is a great introduction to everything you need to know about post-modern science. In this book, you'll get a run down on theoretical physics, engineering, computer science, neuroscience and philosophy.

If there is anything that you are unfamiliar with from neurotransmitters to Turing machines, from qualia to supercomputers... just google it, wikipedia it and keep reading.

How do you feel about artificial intelligence? How do you feel about genetic enhancements? How do you feel about 21st century technology?

Now is the time to think about it.

We need Black folk in STEM. We need Black activists and leaders and politicians and parents who understand technology.

I loooved this book... I will definitely be reading more Kurzweil. And when I do, I'll let you know what I think.

jfetting... Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with living in a bubble. To a certain extent I am trying to create a bubble for my daughter to keep her safe...

Ronincats... I definitely want to read more of his work. Maybe I'll start with the book that you mentioned.

Thanks for reading guys!

I'm a biologist by training, so I read pop genetics with a very critical eye, but I LOVE Michio Kaku's books on physics. The Future of the Mind is one of my favorites.

17. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

To be honest, I don't like to read and research the biographies of white men. As a Black woman, I find it unhealthy to model myself after white guys. I admit that I had seen this book before many times... but I didn't purchase it until I noticed it on sale at a local book vendor.

I shocked myself. I really, really, really enjoyed the book.

This was the perfect time to read Elon's biography. I am currently in a Java bootcamp learning to code. I have always been obsessed with science and technology... I finally have my chance to leap in.

In many ways, I agree with Elon Musk. Humans should be a multiplanetary species. As a transhumanist, it probably goes without saying that I am all about space travel and space colonies.

In other ways, I completely disagree with him. He seems to have a deep seated fear of artificial intelligence. I think the prospect of AI robots destroying mankind makes a wonderful sci-fi flick; however, I worry more about humans with advanced technology doing what they always do: genocide, homicide, slavery, rape, exploitation.

Other than our enthusiasm for space exploration, Elon and I have nothing in common. Apparently, Elon rented out an English castle for his 30th birthday. I read that and thought: WOW. Things white men do.

I thought it was interesting that Tesla tried to create an office in Detroit. Fail. Since I live in Detroit, I can completely see how that didn't happen. It's too bad. Telsa is exactly the type of company I would love to work at (once I learn a lot more).

I really enjoyed the sections about SpaceX. Prior to reading this, I didn't know anything about the company. I only followed Tesla. Now, I definitely think I need to keep my eye on them...

I really enjoyed reading this biography. It was worth the money, worth the read.

18. What a Girl Needs from her Mom by Cheri Fuller

I admit, I am a book snob. I always judge books by their covers, and their formatting, too. Because of this, I assumed that I would not like Fuller's book on parenting.

I was wrong.

While the M on the cover appears to be partially cut off and the font could have been a size or two larger, I actually learned a lot from this book on parenting.

The most important thing that I realized while reading this book... is that my daughter, born in the 21st century, is going to have an entirely different childhood than me (born in the 80s, grew up in the 90s). I facebook, I instagram, I tweet. I'm all over social media, I tell myself.

It never dawned on me that my daughter's generation might think that facebook is whack (or whatever word they come up with for old, outdated, uncool). While I read this book, I realized that I don't Snapchat or Vine and I've never even heard of Poof, Omegle, Whisper, Pheed or Yik Yak.

I'm sooo out of the loop.

Other than that, I thought it was interesting that this was a Christian book. I wasn't expecting that. But it wasn't too heavy handed, not too preachy. But every now and then the author would reference a bible verse or two and then mosey on her way.

This book suggests that I should become a student of my daughter. I plan to do just that. I really want to help her to discover who she is and who she wants to become. I would be proud of her whether she was a dancer or an astronaut, an engineer or a lawyer. I just want to help her be happy and healthy and proud.

I'm starting to build my parenting library. I definitely have a lot to learn. I'm so glad that I read this book ... most especially, because of the sections on the impact of the internet (social media) on girls growing up in the 21st century.

Cheri Fuller has given me so much to think about.

19. Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Have I ever told you that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was my hero?

It all started years ago when I went on a date with Nigerian guy (who happened to know the man who became Chimamanda's husband). This guy raved and raved about Chimamanda. I took his advice and read Purple Hibiscus.

I loved it... but Half of a Yellow Sun changed my life.

I absolutely loved her book of short stories That Thing Around Your Neck. (wow!) But I haven't read Americanah yet. I liked her last short book: We Should All Be Feminists.

And I love Dear Ijeawele.

I had no idea that this would be a letter written to a friend about how to raise a feminist daughter. This is perfect timing because I am building my parenting library.

I don't agree with Chimamanda 100%... and I'm okay with that. Chimamanda doesn't like the notion of chilvary; she believe it implies weakness on the part of the woman. And she doesn't like the notion of a man being the head of the household.

I get Chimamanda's brand of Feminism. I wonder if she met me, she would deem me "Feminist-Lite".

Who knows.

I really enjoyed this book. I'll definitely read it again. This book has given me a lot to think about as I begin to structure my identity as a parent, my identity as a mother of a girl.

I recommend that everyone read everything Adichie has written. Why? Because she's a genius.

I can't wait to see what's next.

20. The Lucky Daughter by Mariama Lockington

Throughout my life, I have had peers that I look up to. There are always writers that are my age but whose works surpass me in emotion and depth. Mariama is one of those writers who inspires me, provokes me, paralyzes me.

No one deserves a book deal (or two) more than her.

The Lucky daughter is... A past life. Foreign territory. Heaven and hell. Beauty. Transparency. And genius.

"Upon moving back to Michigan i plant a garden & become re-aquainted with my sister" is the poem I wish I could write. It is by far the best poem I've read all year. It is the poem I will return to again and again.

I am so excited about Mariama's art. I can't wait to read what's next.

21. The Information by James Gleick

I love science; I love information. I am obsessed.

And since I am learning how to code, what better book to read than the history of information theory?

I loved this book. It was fun to read about Charles Babbage and Claude Shannon, Alan Turing and Francis Crick.

In some ways, this is the book I wish I could write. In the 21st century there will be more women scientists, more people of color theorists. The whole dynamic of history will change.

And when it does, I would love to read (or write) a Gleick-style history of how the world changed.

I would love to read Glieck's Chaos and Genius. But I get the feeling that I would love anything that he's ever written.

22. To Be a Machine by Mark O'Connell

For the last ten years, at least, I have been a transhumanist. A futurist. However, reading O'Connell's book, I realized that all transhumanists are not the same.

I do not want to live forever.
I am not seeking to eliminate death.

However, if I could upload my memories into a computer, I'd do it.
If I could download something to give me more brain-power, I'd do it.

Transhumanism is a movement "predicated on the conviction that we can and should use technology to control the future evolution of our species."

There probably isn't a lot that Peter Thiel and I agree on. But one point where we agree is this: "People are spending way too much time thinking about climate change , way too little thinking about AI".

For those who have never thought about computer brain interfaces or cryogenics, for those who don't follow DARPA projects or the biohacking movement, Mark O'Connell's book is a great introduction to the 21st century.

Love it or hate it, this is the technology that is now within our reach.

I enjoyed this book; I learned a lot. Highly recommended.