Summer 2020 Reads

Well Summer is here… despite where the world is right now. The temperatures are rising and many people despite quarantining, protesting and listening are also attempting to find a bit of peace. My goal with this blog has always been to entertain, inspire, indulge; but it’s also about being authentic about where I am. And where I am right now is hopeful. Hopeful we will progress as a country, hopeful we will do so by not changing who we are but instead evolving into better versions of ourselves. The way I do that is to slowly learn, listen, participate. But also remain sane with self-care, relationships and dare I say, some fun? Today I am sharing a list of ideas for summer reads. Since the quarantine I have made a small effort to start reading again, to combat a bit of the television watching and screen time that has replaced my typical human interactions. I often take long gaps from reading and I am happy to say now I have four novels on rotation with a few more to come. 

Since taking the time to listen following the recent protests in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, I have realized a lot of the content I share on this blog haven’t been as inclusive or diverse as it should. I want to say that I am making a steady, conscious effort to share images, products and thoughts that reflect the diversity in our world. As someone who prides myself on being a constant learner, I am acknowledging that I haven’t done enough here, despite the work I do professionally in my social work career. So in that vain, please note that none of the books pictured in my images are from black authors, something I am self-reflecting on and hoping to evolve through in a genuine way. 

So with that said, I didn’t buy a bunch of Black authored novels with aesthetically pleasing covers  and reshoot all these photos because it’s just not the reality of what happened. Instead, I have included a bunch of black authored novels with aesthetically pleasing covers in my list and plan to enjoy a few of them myself. 

Besides, Muffy’s reshooting fees were too high in the contract she also ate.