Joy and knowledge

Reading in 2020

Ever since the days of Biff, Chip and Kipper, I have loved escaping in the endless number of worlds offered by books. There was a large chunk of my life when, contrary to expectations as I studied English and later taught it, I pretty much stopped reading altogether. In 2018, I sought to address this and engaged in the 52 book challenge. It’s now no longer about the challenge or the number but an established habit that brings me both joy and knowledge.

I read some great books in 2020. I’ve selected some of the reads whose magic will remain with me. 

You can explore the full list of 75 reads here.

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‘Fear and faith., The one you dance with determines your life.’

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Being used to something is such a poor excuse for prolonging anything, but it seems a national pastime, don’t you think? We let ourselves get into the habit of the grind, we let the grind wear us down.’

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‘I don’t know if I’ve ever truly felt like the ground beneath me was firm. Things always feel like they’re moving and I never get the chance to catch up to them and when I do, it feels like it all goes too quickly.’

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‘Good people are not racist, only bad people are. This neat binary is a way of avoiding any real discussion at all.’

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‘I’m not the only person on this earth who has no idea what life is for, nor what is to be done with all this time aside from filling it.’

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You could track your meditation minutes and ounces of water consumed and… see who among your friends was best at prioritizing #metime, based on how many hours a day they spent on the app.’

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‘Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it.’

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‘The voice within you that says, “This is not okay” is a direct call from the basic goodness of your spirit. Pick it up. Every time.’

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‘Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.’

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‘We all get the opportunity to feel wonder every day, but we’ve been lulled into numbness.’

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‘Problems tend to appear in a different light after a walk.’

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‘We dilute our effectiveness by “doing more efficiently those things that shouldn’t be done in the first place.”

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‘Dare to see when others don’t. Dare to speak when others won’t.’

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‘Have regular hours for work and play, make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the wort of time by employing it well.’

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‘If it is true for you, it is true for someone else, and you are no longer alone.’

Embark on your own reading challenge in 2021

My writing commitment: I’m learning to honour my thoughts. I’m learning that my words can be shared before I’ve connected all the dots or learned everything there is to know. My writing can be a snapshot of a single moment in continually-evolving time.

One Response

  1. I loved reading all the comments and seeing all the books.I must catch up on my reading,thank you for the reminder.
    Happy New Year xxxxx

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