“The great thing about books are that there are no commercials” - Unknown
True Life: I’m obsessed with Barnes & Noble. Something about being surrounded by people while simultaneously experiencing a peaceful atmosphere speaks to my identity as an introverted extrovert. It may seem very non-millennial of me, but I still prefer hardcover books over e-books; the feeling and smell of fresh pages bring a smile to my face. In 2017, I began documenting my reading journey on Instagram primarily to hold myself accountable for reaching my goals and to receive feedback on the books I intended to read. I set a goal to read 12 books that year (essentially one per month) and would post each book on my Instagram story before starting, with text that read, “🚨 New book alert 🚨” followed by the book number out of my goal. For example, “Book 1/12.”
I was amazed at how much people enjoyed this content and how many engaged with it. Whether they were asking what the book was about, commenting on their thoughts, or requesting more suggestions based on previous books I had posted, the interaction was encouraging. With this reassurance, I made tracking my reading a part of my Instagram persona, so to speak.
See below for my reads starting from 2017 and some valuable resources I've found along the way. Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me and to anyone who has recommended a book!
Resources
Goodreads: I like to describe Goodreads as the Yelp for books. It’s a social site where you can track which books you are reading, see what your friends are reading, write reviews, join groups, enter giveaways and so much more! You can friend me here. Reese Witherspoon, Oprah, and Bill Gates are all on Goodreads and you’ll see why I mention them below.
Libby: Libby is a digital library. You only need a library card/number for this free app where you can borrow ebooks and digital audiobooks from your public library. You can stream books with Wi-Fi or mobile data, or download them for offline use and read anytime, anywhere. Libby is available for Android, iOS, Windows 10, some Chromebooks, and in your browser at libbyapp.com.
Oprah's Book Club: Oprah started a segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996 that highlighted books that she has chosen herself. She selected a new book, usually a novel, for viewers to read and discuss each month. Every book I’ve read from this list has been amazing. Here is the link to the complete list!
Reese’s Book Club: Every month, Reese Witherspoon picks one book she loves with a woman at the center of the story and shares it with her book club. Her book club was my go to in 2019 when I made it a point to read more books by women and Black authors. Reese has a knack for choosing books that often get turned into shows or movies which I love. Little Fires Everywhere was a book she suggested then helped turn into a mini series on Hulu and it was great! Check out her list here
Obama’s Book List: Our wonderful, former President Barack Obama recommended dozens of books during his time in office. In the beginning he would share his summer reads that he enjoyed while vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard. As time went on, he even snuck in an end-of-year round-up list as well as playlists. His lists are usually well-rounded and a great option if you like diversifying your genres.
Bill Gates Reading List: Bill Gates reads approximately a book a week and has since he was kid, so it would be impossible for me to get that list to you sadly. However, here are his top 44 reads of the past decade!
