Books are an amazing way to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and broaden your own perspective. The recommendations for these books I shared on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. come from leaders I trust, All are eye-opening.
By Percival Everett
This book has been on my list for a few months, and it was on President Obama’s summer reading list, too. (Also, it was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and it was longlisted for the Booker Prize.) James is the reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It’s told from the enslaved Jim’s perspective. It is a thrilling and provocative novel, so very dark and sometimes darkly humorous. Many readers will recognize the plot and the narrative elements: floods, storms, treasure, dead folks, the scam artists calling themselves the Duke and the Dauphin. But Jim, in this story of the dangerous and lifechanging trip down the Mississippi River on a raft, is self-educated. He can read, and he can write. He has agency, to a point. He’s not Jim; he’s James. And it’s his intelligence and his compassion that make this retelling so brilliant and unforgettable.
by Adelle Waldman
Here’s another book from President Obama’s summer reading list. It’s a funny and eye-opening look at work for many in contemporary America. The book follows the members of Movement, a team of workers at a big box retailer who gather each morning at 4 a.m. for their shift unloading the truck and restocking merchandise before the store opens. Meredith, their boss at Town Square is barely competent, but they all want—and need—more hours. Most are just barely getting by—even with second and third jobs and food pantries. When the store manager, Big Will, gets promoted to corporate, the Movement members see an opportunity. They hatch a scheme to get rid of Meredith. And perhaps one of them will land her management job with its security and stability and opportunity for advancement. The book is funny and heartbreaking. It’s the story of ordinary people just trying to make their way in this world, and it illuminates the odds and obstacles that minimum- and low-wage workers face every day.
A Look at Life from a Deer Stand
By Steve Chapman
Vestavia Hills’ mayor, Ashley Curry, told me about this book. It’s a pocket-size collection of daily devotionals, and it’s sold more than 300,000 copies. Author Steve Chapman is an avid hunter and a thoughtful guy. There’s humor here alongside motivational messages, as this avid outdoorsman retells his best hunting stories and shares his ideas on relationships, success and spiritual growth. Each devotion begins with scripture and ends in prayer. But there’s lots more in these little pages. There’s also a sense of adventure and a huge appreciation of God’s creation and the beauty of nature.
I link to Amazon to show you exactly what book I’m talking about, but I love to shop locally at Church Street Coffee and Books, The Alabama Booksmith, Little Professor, and Thank You Books in Crestwood. And I visit my local library often in person and online!
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