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My Favorite Books…….

This is a list of MY favorite books. These books, in some way, impacted my life, changed my thought process, or just made me reevaluate things, internally. In no specific order:

Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary- by Jasmine Guy (yes, Whitley Gilbert from A Different World). This book is about Afeni Shakur (Tupac's mom). She talks about her time in the Black Panther Party, her addiction, and her growth-as a woman. Such a good read. 

Left to Tell- by Immaculee Ilibagiza. It's about survival of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It is a story of fear, faith, forgiveness, and perseverance. If you like the movies Hotel Rwanda and/or Sometimes in April, you will enjoy this book. 

Letter to My Daughter- Maya Angelou. I need to do a reread. She reflects on her childhood; talks about the time she stopped talking to everyone except her brother. I quote parts of this book in the criminology/criminal justice classes I teach. 

The Autobiography of Malcolm X- Alex Haley. This book made Islam make sense to me. Though I am not Muslim, I can understand how the religion is popular amongst many of African descent. 

Redeeming Love- Francine Rivers. Such a beautiful story of loving someone who does not know how to be loved. Based loosely on the bible story of Gomer and Hosea, Angel (Gomer) is a broken woman. I was watching the movie, last night, which inspired me to blog on my list. As a woman, I can relate to certain aspects of the book/movie. It explores facets of forgiveness. Forgiving oneself impacts us waaay more than forgiving others for hurting us. 

The Diary of a Young Girl- Anne Frank. Read this when I was 12 and besides the hiding in the attic part, I could relate to Anne (having a crush, longing to have my period). Two different races, two different decades, two different countries and continents, but so many similarities. 

One Day My Soul Just Opened Up- Iyanla Vanzant. She talks about her journey. The death of her daughter and the incarceration of her son. 

The Vixen Manual- Karrine Steffans. It talks about basic up keep as a woman and approaching relationships with men. I have read all of her books. This one is not about any sexual encounters. Just a woman being a woman.

Born a Crime- Trevor Noah. In 2002, one of my college professors (Dr. Sandra Wright) talked about her visit to South Africa as a single, black woman. She showed us VHS footage of her visit. That was the year I fell in love with a country. Trevor talks about his upbringing. He was born to a black African woman and white European man. His parents were not together, and SA was under apartheid (think American civil rights period). He talks about his crush on a girl who ended up moving to America BEFORE he could tell her. His prayers being more authentic, since he spoke English. I enjoyed this book. 

I feel like I need another book to make this a top 10. Send me your recommendations!


-Nicole Rene



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