Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. — Nelson Mandela
It is Black History Month and in these days of an outrageous number of people wanting far too many books removed from libraries, I thought a good place to start this month is with books!
So I did a bit of Googling to see if I could expand my recommendations of books to include in your February reading and I found several great lists (that even included the books I have read!) I am sharing ones that I loved, ones that have been on my radar, as well as some that were not until I discovered them this week! I hope you find something you’d like to include in your February!
- Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi
- The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
- Deacon King Kong by James McBride
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- Between the World and Me by Ta–Nehisi Coates
- The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah–Jones
- (and if you have children…) The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah–Jones
- Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
- (Double digits… double books?) Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
- How The Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith (and if you are looking for a second Clint Smith book pick up Counting Descent... his poetry is wonderful!)
- You Don’t Know us Negroes and Other Essays by Zora Neale Hurston (I read Their Eyes Were Watching God and loved it so I am excited to read her collection of essays that was published posthumously)
Now I am off to do some super-secret test knitting for my favorite knitting designer. Which means my Base 12 Hitchhiker and the February Gnome will be gathering some dust… sigh. But I have a very short time frame to finish the Test Knitting… very short. Oy! My yarn arrived late yesterday so you know what’s next… Let the Swatching Begin! Haha! I am hopeful that the Knitting Gauge Gods will be smiling on the process…. my fingers are crossed!
That is almost all I have for this week aside from this wee tiny post script for all you Wordle fans… it seems that all good things must come to an end…okay so maybe Wordle is not ending but soon it will no longer be free. This closing paragraph to the article might be the most brilliant thing I have read all week:
I’ve learned my lesson. Don’t get attached. I’m staying lower than lo-fi with my games from now on. A brilliant friend of mine — he’s nine — plays a variant called “Wordle in Your Head.” He thinks of a five-letter word, and you guess. He replies with your progress: green, gray, gray, yellow, gray. So far, he hasn’t charged a dime.
Yep… World in Your Head with a nine year old sounds like the best thing ever… unless I can convince a certain six year old I know to try!
Have a great weekend all! I will see you all back here on Monday!
Love “Word in Your Head” – great concept and how cool that it’s a kid. Great list of books too Kat. Enjoy your test knitting (hope all goes smoothly and quickly) and happy weekend!
what a wonderful list!! Thank you 🙂
These are terrific lists and I’m sure I’ll be reading from them long past February. I just ordered Born on the Water as a gift for a child. I’m not sure how her parents will feel about it, but I will certainly read it with her! “Wordle in Your Head” sounds great and I may the Gauge Be Ever In Your Favor!
I second all the books from this list that I’ve read, and several of them on in my TBR list.
I hope things weren’t too sloppy out your way and you can stay warm and cozy this weekend while you swatch!
great book list Kat! I also added a re-read of The Color Purple to my TBR … and I’m going to order this awesome t-shirt to celebrate! https://outofprint.com/products/black-like-we-never-left-unisex-t-shirt-2022
I also love “The Word in your Head” concept. Kids are the best. I hope the knitting gauge works out and you are off and running on your test knit.
Kids are great, aren’t they and so creative. I just finished The Dust that Falls from Dreams by Louis de Bernieres. Lots of insight into WWI. If you like children’s books and music, check out Wild Symphony by Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame. He also composes music! The book includes an AP that allows you to listen to music as you read the story and the illustrations are adorable. Have a good weekend!
What a great list, Kat! Thanks for putting it together and sharing. 🙂 In the early days of the pandemic, I started doing the daily NYT crossword puzzle. I was terrible at first, but now . . . I’m really good at it, and can finish even the Saturday and Sunday puzzles within an hour. I started paying for the NYT games subscription (because I also enjoyed playing Spelling Bee for a while, and I like to try their other games now and then). It turned out to be a good investment for me. Maybe you’ll want to pay for Wordle??? (I haven’t tried Wordle. Just doing the daily crossword is enough of a time suck for me, and I don’t need another. . . )