If you’re like me, you love to cuddle up on the couch with a good book! I’m truly one of the old-school readers who still loves turning the pages of a paperback and getting lost in the storyline. Here are my five favorite books that aren’t just good reads but are also worth reading again and again.
This has to be one of my all-time favorites. I have read this book so many times it’s unreal. It follows the story of Dan Millman through the ups and downs of life, from his college years to adulthood, and how he navigates learning the lessons that life has to offer through good and bad times. He has a mentor who guides him on this journey, forcing him to either change and grow or stay the same. It is a book about the mental and emotional state of our well-being, shaped by things we pick up along the way in life, and how they affect us in our day-to-day living and interactions with others. I will admit that it has a lot of hard-to-believe moments, but if you can get past your own perception of what is real and what is absurd, you will surely enjoy the abundance of insights that can be applied to your life and personal well-being. I wouldn’t necessarily say don’t look at the movie first, but I will say that it’s highly likely if you do, you won’t read the book, and that is where the real gold is.
This has to be one of the few books I have that, if I need a laugh, I can read over and over again—and it cheers me up every time! The title is correct but very misleading. Lol. The story is about a young woman who is in love with the idea of love and marriage but has gone through many ups and downs in her dating life that aren’t so fairytale-like. In an angry turn of events, she somehow gets God’s attention—and considering the fact that she doesn’t believe in God makes this story all the more interesting. I will leave you with this, so as not to give the story away… would you date God?
This is another one of those books—heck, I think all of the ones on this list are—that if you get turned off by what you think the book is about, you could really miss out on something special. It does have a spiritual concept to it (I mean, look at the hint I gave you), but it isn’t overly religious with Bible verses, nor is it on the other end of the spectrum where it’s following this woman around as she goes to 50 million weddings where she’s the bridesmaid.
Give it a chance, two to three chapters, and see what you think. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and smiling with the good feeling that only a book like this can bring. The word charming comes to mind. Happy reading!
This book has so many highlighted sentences and folded-back pages for me to return to and digest the content in deeper thought. It follows Elaine Welteroth as she climbs the ladder in the media and fashion industry. This book explores what it’s like working and living in spaces that weren’t necessarily created with non-white people in mind. At one point in her career, she made history by being only the second Black editor-in-chief in Condé Nast history.
This is perfect if you’re a non-white person who finds yourself in situations that weren’t built for you, and it offers insight on how to navigate your way through that world. I have worked and lived in predominantly white spaces all of my life, and it’s always interesting to see how things are set up for some but not others. Being the only African American staff member, or one of the few, can cause some establishments to come face-to-face with the realization that the system in place must be restructured to include you.
I also noticed in this book that although it gave a lot of examples of women of color, there still weren’t many that looked like me. This shows me that although fashion and media are finally starting to include people of color, women of my dark complexion with strong African features are still excluded. It’s all a process. With that being said, I can still celebrate those who are pushing past the red tape!
For my non-black audience, I believe there’s a lot you can glean from this book as well. It’s great for anyone who wants to learn what it’s like for someone to move in a space you may find normal, and see it from a different perspective to better understand those you share your work or personal life with. I would say this is an eye-opening and educational read on social dynamics and the part we each play in it. Enlightening would probably be a good word to describe it.
Uggghhhh, what a beautiful method of storytelling! Oh my gosh, I fell in love with this book, the concept of the story, and how it unfolds. It is just emotionally amazing! We follow Kitty as she navigates two separate lives, one in the real world and one in the dream world. But what happens when you’re torn between the pros and cons of both worlds and no longer know which one you prefer? So good… trust me, so good.
In writing this review, I learned something new myself. I never knew that this was a series! I’m going to keep this short because it turns out that the author wrote two more books following this one, creating an African Immortals series! Say whaaattt! Okay, listen, this is some Love Jones meets Twilight, and if you don’t know what either or both of those are, I can’t help you, and this book isn’t for you. But baaabyyy, if you do know what I’m talking about, this book is for you. Lawd, this one brought out all of my southern roots. Let me go on Amazon to see if I can find these other books. Note: There are some really creepy looking books with this same or similar title, so make sure you get the one by this author.
Welp, that is it for my book-shares for now. Until next time, Be well! – Sacred
Finally Loving Life 
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