This quarantine, I learned how to read again.
And when I say learned how to read again, I mean learned how to read again; as in, truly pumped life back into my sputtering attention span, and rebirthed an appreciation for the long neglected (ahem, high school me) practice of annotating. To be quite honest, getting back into the books almost felt like becoming a child again, where learning something new, or just getting lost in a story, felt like an adventure.
It became fun again, which was the best part, and really the best way to approach whatever skill you hope to improve.
If you’re already an avid reader and find my struggles as pitiful as that of a Muggle (ah, the literary depth a Harry Potter reference), then you may be laughing as I express my profound discovery of making reading fun again. Nonetheless, I think we can all use a little more knowledge and a lot less distraction in our lives, and that’s really the biggest lesson I’ve learned in remastering this art.
My biggest piece of advice: treat your book the way you treat your phone. When you’re looking for a quick mental escape, or really anything of distracting nature, just replace it with your book. And if you’re not looking to read, replace it with whatever other activity you’re looking to build more habit in. Because we all need breaks during the day, but why not make them activities that are more fulfilling? I call it developing “productive distractions.”
I will also say that although reading from a physical book in your hand is most commonly preferred, I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for eBooks and their greater accessibility. If you’re postponing the books you intend to read solely because you lack them in physical form, then I strongly encourage you give digital options another chance (they’re also more affordable and often available for free if you do a little digging!).
Alright, but what did I actually read? At first I was going to rank my top books so far this quarantine, but each one is truly so different I couldn’t bring myself to rank them. Instead I’ve divided my absolute favorites into different categories, so based on what you’re looking for you can seek suggestions there. I really encourage you to try a category out of your comfort zone, because as obvious as it may seem, it’s those books I learned the most from.
For an ongoing list of books read, to read, reviews, and favorite quotes, you can always come back to an updated record here: BOOK LIST.
*all books below are linked!
FOR LIFE :
- Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani
- I find any personal library is never complete without at least one book centering on building your sense of self, purpose, and untapped potential. This book touches on all those things, but opposed to being a life book just telling you what to do and how to get inspired, I really enjoyed the intentional exercises and activities that were weaved throughout the reading. Vishen Lakhiani does an amazing job visiting the mindsets and practices behind some of the greatest inventors, CEOs, and just all extraordinary minds on our plant. This book has been referenced by NFL players and Olympic athletes for teaching practices they implement on a daily basis, especially for critical performances. My one critique would be that he does slightly self-promote his business here and there that may bother some; but overall I’ve incorporated many practices I learned from this work myself and can’t recommend it enough.
- The Defining Decade by Meg Jay
- This book has been circling around a lot of people my age and with good reason; it not only dives into everything and anything there is to consider about the most defining decade of our life, but how to approach some of our most pressing questions. While it’s no question that our 20’s represent years infused with independence, freedom, and confusion, it’s overlooked how the critical nature of these years is comparable to that of our childhood, when we developed our basic language and motor skills. Except now, we’re faced with the final opportunity to maximize our brain’s learning, social functioning, and really, our life’s decision making. Meg Jay breaks down the topics of work, relationships, marriage, health, and everything that goes through the frantic mind of a twenty-something year old. Regardless of if you’re 21 or 28, there’s an immense amount of power to tap into within this 10 year span.
- The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
- Now I know many people have likely already heard of this book or some reference before to Marie Kondo, but as one of the first books I read during quarantine, it was also one I was able to take action from what I learned right away. While the title hints pretty clearly what the focus of the book is about, I found the underlying themes and lessons Marie Kondo narrates throughout the tidying practice to be especially insightful. Beyond the clarity that comes with physically discarding items, I found a greater sense of appreciation for so much more, and suggest this read especially in this time during quarantine.
ON TECHNOLOGY :
- The Future is Faster Than You Think by Steven Kotler and Peter H. Diamandis
- As someone who is often intimidated and generally unaware about the newest technology, this book was likely one of the biggest steps out of my comfort zone. Upon reading the first couple chapters I sent it to my most tech savvy friends and anyone I was talking to, because more than being an analysis of the next decade of technology, this was an extremely well crafted depiction of each industry’s future. As a person in business I found it especially valuable, but I truly recommend it to everyone, as it draws awareness towards the power innovation and all we often take for granted. The authors Steven Kotler and Peter H. Diamandis are also two figures I really look up to, and would highly suggest listening to podcasts they’ve been featured on and visiting their websites. (Their previous books Bold and Abundance are also amazing and on my to-read list.)
BLACK LIVES MATTER :
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- While I haven’t seen the film that was released based on this book, I still stand by reading the novel over watching any movie to get the full picture and experience. This was the first book I read during the raised awareness for the Black Lives Matter Movement, and found it so impactful in capturing the emotional, political, social, and just overall deeper understanding for the black community in relation to the ongoing events. One thing I will say that is that as a novel it did give the author complete control over the plot, which did include flexibility to incorporate certain feel-good elements that may not have been there otherwise. For that reason, I would strongly encourage pairing this book with a non-fiction piece in this genre to get a more whole perspective. Nevertheless, I found it to be an exceedingly compelling narrative, and highly recommend it to everyone.
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- A short yet unbelievably powerful read, Between the World and Me is a non-fiction work capturing the letter Ta-Nehisi Coates dedicates to his son, narrating the prejudiced life he lives as a black man in America. Coates composes this piece in the most powerful words and voice, and I could not get by a page of his writing without highlighting multiple lines. Each symbol, emotion, experience, frustration, is dictated in a way that grasps the reader and brings them into his world. I will add that this book was published in 2015, making it directly relevant to being black in America today.
FOR CREATIVE THINKING :
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Eat, Pray, Love queen herself writes the most impactful yet humorous book I’ve read on creative living to date. Gilbert speaks to us directly about what it means to live a creative life, which does not just refer to the arts (an assumption I always hear when referring to anything creative). Alongside her own life’s story, she guides us through the steps and intentions we can set towards just cultivating a lifestyle with purpose, and the hurdles we’ll face along the way when pursuing it. This was another book I couldn’t help but highlight so many paragraphs in because I truly felt so connected to her message. Regardless of what your take is on creativity, I honestly suggest this book to everyone.
- Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
- This is such a short, fun, and inspiring read, and I sent it to so many creative friends upon finishing it. Kleon includes interactive drawings and pictures throughout the book that make it a light-hearted read, while providing some of the most important advice in my opinion for everyone’s creative thinking. You should never be afraid to learn from other’s work, to share your own, or to try something new. Give this a quick read for some quick inspiration!
NOVELS :
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- This book was passed on to me by a friend, and was a really good change from the non-fiction book hole I’d unconsciously gotten into. Upon the first couple pages you’ll be instantly immersed in Owens’ immaculate imagery, and just the beautiful nature depictions alone left me annotating like a high schooler. Aside from her graceful writing, this work is the perfect blend of crime, thrill, romance, history, and also incorporates symbolic poetry throughout the book. I truly could not put it down for three straight days because of how consistently it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I’ve had similar responses from friends who’ve also read it. It has been recognized by multiple best-seller listings as a popular work, and I can definitely attest to it being a good change from some of the more traditional novels.
FOR FUN :
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) By Mindy Kaling
- The first of Kaling’s two autobiographical books, this work was a super fun, lighthearted, yet an intimate look into Kaling’s life before television. She breaks down many of her favorite stories and life lessons throughout the book, and also includes lists and pictures that clearly reflect her personality. As a young adult I also found it really reassuring to see how sporadic her early 20’s were just as anyone else’s may be, and that everything truly does work out in the end.
These were just a few of my favorites, but again I will keep an updated list of my finds in the Book List section of this site!
In relearning the art of reading, I can undoubtedly say the best part about it is passing on an amazing work you enjoyed to someone else. A lot of times we don’t know where to start, but if you know something you found value in could positively influence another friend, that’s when knowledge becomes a positive domino effect.
So please share with me any books, articles, podcasts, anything you’ve really enjoyed!! I’m always looking to check out something new and learn what excites others.
Happy reading!
<3 always,
Tamanna