- Shezel Spencer
Book Recommendations By Black & Brown Authors
Welcome back to the blog guys, and thank you for showing up! Lately, with some extra free time on my hands (since my nursing school study days are complete) I have immersed myself in to some really good reads. Also, I have been making more of a conscious effort to support black businesses, creatives, authors and just ALL black people in general! So with that being said, the books that I have read/am currently reading are all written by brown and black authors. I think that I share my love for reading with a lot of you, and so I thought that it would be a great idea to let you guys know of some really great books that I think you all would really love and benefit from! Including the ones I haven't yet read completely but that I know will be just as equally amazing as the ones that I have read! I really like to hear about some of the books that you guys are/have read, so please don't be shy to share those with me in the comments section below or in any other way!
1. T H I N K L I K E A M O N K
So this is the one that you can see I am currently reading in the photo above, meaning I have not yet finished and have actually just begun reading this book! Jay Shetty is a phenomenal man with so much insight on how to live a truly joyous, self-loving but also full of service to others and the world type of life. I listen to his podcast on Spotify which is called On Purpose, and I follow him on Instagram! He is a truly inspiring person who just seems to radiate light and great energy. This book is his first and I already know that it will be so full of gems and such practical life teachings. If you know me then you know that I am highly committed to living my best, authentic life as I continue to grow and nurture all that I have already learned and gained. This book is perfect for those of us who know that we have such great meaning and purpose while we are here on Earth, and who just love falling in love with the many aspects of what it truly means to be a human being. Also, if you are looking for something that tends a bit more to your spiritual side then this book is definitely the answer. Jay's wisdom will lift you out of any funk you may find yourself in, on any given day-I can already tell that this book will go down as one of my all time faves!
2. Y O U G O T T H I S
I came across this book by Dr. Ivan Joseph after watching his famous Ted Talk: The Skill of Self-Confidence, on YouTube, which I recommend that you all watch as well! The main message that he shares is that self-confidence is like a muscle that grows stronger when you exercise it! It goes much deeper than just being a confident person; this book talks about developing the confidence in your ability to accomplish tasks, goals and so forth. I love how interactive the book is as well, as it encourages readers to brainstorm and write things down that can later be used as a great reference. Dr. Ivan was born in Guyana and grew up in Toronto. He is now the Vice President at Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. I just love to see people who come from such humble beginnings make something of themselves, for themselves, that they then choose to share with the many people of this world so that they too can do the very same. So if you are trying to do the same and are committed to evolving in every way that you can, just like I am, then this book would be a really great read and tool for doing just that!
3. H O W T O B E A N A N T I R A C I S T
I'd say that this book right here is a must for everyone at this point! During these times of continuous racial injustice I think that we all can do our part to become more educated and aware of what is going on and our place in it. This book is helping me to piece together so many old ideas with new, and not to mention, profound information. I have to really take my time while I am reading this book, I find that I even have to read some new, enlightening knowledge that Ibram shares more than once to really be able to process and understand it deeply. I can humbly admit that I am not a pro at any of this. But I do know that it is never too late. I am trying my best now to educate myself and my family further so that we can be more knowledgeable and resourceful in this worldwide fight towards justice and equality for black people everywhere. This book is a great read for people of all races wanting to do the very same.
4. M O R E M Y S E L F
Awww man, let me tell you guys about what Miss. Alicia did with this book. This book was phenomenal in my eyes. For all the time that I have known of Alicia Keys and her music I felt like I truly did not know Alicia. And I mean, I know some of y'all are probably saying "But Shezel, you still don't know Alicia!" LOL. And to that I would say... you have to read this book. Because after reading this book I feel like I know Alicia Keys. Finally-she has opened up to the world. She has shared in her truest, most authentic version that her life has been just like all of ours. That is what I felt after reading this book. There were so many things I could relate to, it was a hard book to even want to put down. From growing up as a tomboy-ish girl, to just being wise beyond her years and very mature from a young age, to even the relationship she had and still has with her biological father. Those are just a few of the things that hit home for me! I love getting to read these types of books because it allows for me and everyone else to really wrap our heads around the fact that we are all pretty much the same. Money or no money. Fame or no fame. It allows for people to take celebrities off of this higher pedestal that they once placed them on in their heads. AND it also allows for these celebrities, as Alicia also describes in the book, to come down from a place of feeling like they always have to be perfect. Because the truth is, none of us are. None of us have life all figured out. And that is the beauty of living. The fact that we get to put our life's puzzle pieces together once we experience certain things, are shown certain things, and become certain things is so amazing! If you are a woman on a journey (I really don't know of one who isn't) and a fan of Alicia Keys or even her music then please read this book. I think you'll love it!
B O N U S K I D S E D I T I O N : A N T I R A C I S T B A B Y
And of course since I'm a mama and a lot of you who join me on here are as well, I thought that I would add in a bonus book that you can read alongside your child/children. This book is also written by Ibram X. Kendi and is a great way to not only teach our kids about the importance of being antiracist but also about the power of loving themselves and their culture!
Important Fact: Ibram Xolani Kendi is an American author, professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race and discriminatory policy in America. Meaning he knows his stuff and is a very credible source of information.
All of the books mentioned above can be found at your local or online Indigo/Chapters Store and/or on Amazon. I hope that you guys can pick up at least one of these books and feel inspired to do better for yourself and others around you!