We live in a new era. The world is grappling with the presence of a dangerous pandemic and our natural course, our ingrained natures cannot fully be expressed. We have a new relationship with the concept of free will, and yet, isolation has given us the opportunity to emotionally and spiritually stretch ourselves through introspection. 

It’s difficult because we have to balance our inner work with the challenges of caregiving, parenthood, and professional and financial responsibilities all within our four walls. I’m not saying anything new. We are all connected through this very real and somber predicament and we must remember to grieve with the intention of becoming better than we once were. 

Personally, I am lucky enough to have communed with many wise women, those of different ages and ethnicities who, in an organic conversation began to recommend books to one another. The book that began this pattern of sharing was “Codependent No More” by Melody Beatty. It was helpful because we find ourselves living behind closed doors for days at a time with people we love, and it is easy to slip into a toxic cycle, and on the other hand, we also have a chance to explore our independence like never before.

Here is a compiled reading list from this circle of women who have inspired me to embrace my vulnerabilities and to look within. – je

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Cyclical Season Reading List #1

Codependent No More by Melody Beatty

Mia Casa É Dove Sono by Igiaba Scego

The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessell van der Kolk 

Jazz & Justice by Gerald Horne

Blues Legacies and Black feminism by Angela Davis

On the Break by Fred Moten

The Voice of the Master by Eva Bell Werber

Mind training and Neuroplasticity- Lee G Lovett

Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin

A Course in Miracles – Helen Schucman

Billie Holiday: The Last Interview and Other Conversations