Books by my bed are not analogous to the New York Times Best Seller List but I wanted to share the books I am reading and provide some insight into why they have been chosen.
I have always been an eager reader particularly in the frigid months in Maryland. Because there is no TV in our bedroom, I satisfy the time with reading and devouring as many books as I can nightly. The following set of books have been in my rotation.
Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer: Is one of my favourite books that I got for Christmas last year. It’s an extensive compilation of the Trinidad English vernacular. It has resurrected my predilection for Trini slangs and their applications. I often read phrases to my kids to their bewilderment and puzzlement. If you ah Trini and can afford this book it’s an excellent addition to your collection.
Becoming by Michelle Obama: I recently concluded this book and I was stimulating to hear Michelle’s free and sincere dialogue about the hurdles of being a person of colour in many spaces and the constant self-doubt of “Am I good enough”. Her parents’ devotion to her education as a tool to escape poverty and mediocrity resonated with me because it’s the same message my parents have instilled in me. Education is the way out! The book is well written and an unparalleled glimpse into the life of the former first family and it highlights the constant struggle to balance a professional career while still being present for her kids Sasha and Malia.
Towns and Villages of Trinidad and Tobago by Michael Anthony. The last time I read a Michael Anothy novel I was in secondary school in Arima, Trinidad. Anthony’s Green Days by the River was recently adapted into a film with the same name based in Mayaro where I spent my early childhood. I began reading Towns and Villages because I craved to procure a past perspective for the names and places I grew up frequenting in Trinidad.
The Art of War is one of those books that I have started, stopped and restarted several times over the last five or ten years. I recently bought this new copy because its binding is using the traditional Chinese method of folding the pages onto themselves. It has been a constant struggle to finish this book!
Several more books arrived this week and I am still trying to determine when I will find time to read and enjoy.
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash