“These kids out
there need to see that it is possible to be yourself,
love
yourself and win in this world looking like your natural,
beautiful
self. Authenticity means something to me
and I make a point
of
sharing my authentic self rather than pretending to be something I’m not.”
– Taraji P Henson
The quote above was my
favorite statement in the entire book, Around the Way Girl by Taraji P
Henson.
I will be honest with you. I
am one of those woman that instead of listening to music on a long drive, I
like to listen to books and so I make it a point to download a good book every
month from Audible because while I am driving or doing office work, I can also
intrigue my mind and learn something new by listening.
I think my cousin knew that truth about me when she presented me with the audio version of Henson's new book, which is a memoir read by
the author herself. I love Henson as an actress and am just learning so much about her
life. She is one deep person and I enjoyed every moment of the book.
She is so grounded in intent. Henson made it a point to color outside of lines of the picture people are familiar of
her to help give readers a more complete picture of who she is, the life she
lived and what she is about.
I can’t say that I was bopping
at the sound flowing out of the speakers because it was not my usual music that
was oscillating but instead a very engaging book that made me laugh, smile,
echo some of the thoughts she shared and also, learn something new as she shared
her lifetime of experience from the course of her childhood, her role as a
black single mother in this world and her bewildering journey to becoming
not only a professional actress but a successful one. I got lost in her animated
voice speaking like the words of a song to my spirit and it was great.
The book was witty. It was real. It
was good; and I‘d recommend it to anyone interested in reading a new and
interesting book. You can get it here if you are interested in reading it: Around the Way Girl: A Memoir
Maybe you are like me and are interested in driving and listening to books or listening while working. Audible is kind of cool to join because just by joining, you get two free books. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
Maybe you are like me and are interested in driving and listening to books or listening while working. Audible is kind of cool to join because just by joining, you get two free books. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
You know what they say. The writer is always reading and the reader is always writing. My goal for 2017 is to read at least three books a month which would equate to about 36 books for the year.
I can say I got through two last month. My last read was The
Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson. The book which this post is about was my first one of February. I am
Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson. The book which this post is about was my first one of February. I am
also currently reading the paperback "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes and am due to finish the kindle version of Huckleberry Fin which I should have finished already but will
soon. I do a combination of kindle books, paper or hard cover physical books and audible.
How about you? What are you currently reading or do you recommend as a great read for me this year? Are you into audio books/kindle? Please share.
Disclaimer: I am a member of the affiliate program of Amazon.com and if you click on the link and join Audible, I will be compensated.
I can't listen to anything and work and I've never warmed up to audio books. I've got to read my books. I know I'm probably in the minority, but I also prefer traditional books to e-books. Fortunately, I'm married to a University professor with great library access, so even though I live in Denmark, I can get a library version of pretty much any book I want.
ReplyDeleteI will say to you that I prefer the actual physical book than any other format but, I am always driving and a lot of times, my time to read was on the train or bus which I randomly take anymore. So audible works well as a driving companion. LOL! On long trips like a flight, it is better to carry less and kindle is so compact that it is a benefit to carry around. But I will always enjoy a real book to skim through and flip the pages.
DeleteI don't listen to audio books often even though they would be perfect for long drives. We usually have music playing in the car. I actually am looking for good reads myself. I prefer non-fiction versus fiction books.
ReplyDeleteI like non-fiction also. I am more of a person who likes to read and learn something kind of girl. But after taking Latin American Lit, my whole disposition on reading and literature changed.
DeleteThis might sound funny but I Have never listened to a book on tape/audiable. I have heard so many good things about it but I have never done it. I do love reading so I really shoudl try it.
ReplyDeleteThey are actually pretty cool.
DeleteWe love Audible and have used them often on road trips. My husband downloads several of the books by his favorite preachers and we usually put those on. We've also listened to Harry Potter books for my preteen boys. Their selection is the best! Sounds like you found a book you really enjoy, as well! Good luck with your reading goal, too.
ReplyDeleteDo you? That's awesome. Yeah. Hopefully I will meet it. funny thing, last year when writing my thesis, I read about 36 books by May. This year a bit different but.
DeleteI have often thought about using audible books as my background "noise" instead of the television. This post has really made me consider that even more. Thank you for this great information.
ReplyDeleteGreat background noise to have. Intriguing actually.
DeleteWhen I am in the car I absolutely have to have music on. Talking on the radio tends to put me to sleep, which while driving would not be a good thing! With that said, I think if I were to find the right audiobook, it would be a great way to get a book in, since finding time to sit down and read is obviously not happening!
ReplyDeleteSome of them are fun to listen to. You would never imagine.
DeleteWhen I did a temp job years ago I used to listen to mysteries and romances. I love it. Now I still love to read but don't have much time. I'm going to add these to my long list of ones to get to.
ReplyDeleteYup! This is a great one. You will really enjoy it!
DeleteI LOVED Taraji's book! I have the paperback, e-book, and audiobook and I really enjoyed her narration. I've been using audiobooks more lately because I can listen in the car and while I'm cleaning up or organizing (i.e. folding laundry). It's a great way to work reading into my busy schedule.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious! Yeah me too. Makes a difference for me.
Delete