I love to read. It is not only my escape and preferred way to decompress, but I also adore the side benefits of reading books that improve my brain and humanity.
The following is a list of my favorite books. I plan to share book tiles with my readers at least once a month.
Enjoy!
The Bold: How to Go Big, Make Bank, and Better the World (Audiobook) by Peter H. Diamandis
Bold is a radical, how-to guide for using exponential technologies, moonshot thinking, and crowd-powered tools to create extraordinary wealth while positively impacting the lives of billions.
The Fire Next Time: My Dungeon Shook; Down at the Cross by James Baldwin
The Fire Next Time is a 1963 nonfiction book by James Baldwin. It contains two essays: “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my Nephew on the One-Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation” and “Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region of My Mind.”
The book’s title comes from a couplet in some versions of “Mary Don’t You Weep”, an African-American spiritual.[1][2] The same lyric has been used in another spiritual entitled “God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign”:
God gave Noah the rainbow sign
No more water, the fire next time
The first essay, written as a letter to Baldwin’s 14-year-old nephew, discusses the central role of race in American history. The second essay, which takes up most of the book, deals with the relations between race and religion, particularly Baldwin’s experiences with the Christian church as a youth and the Nation of Islam’s ideals and influence in Harlem. –Wikipedia
Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston. The Story Of The Last Black Cargo.
In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview 86-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation’s history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo’s firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage 50 years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States.
By the Time You Read This: The Space between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness―Her Story in Her Own Words by April Simpkins and Cheslie Kryst
Reading the words of mother and daughter has encouraged me to Fight On! One of my favorite lines from Cheslie was, “Why doesn’t society demand they do better?” This statement could be used in so many different circumstances that were brought to light. I was struck by how vulnerable and reflective both women were. I had to remind myself to breathe as I felt a piece of her mother’s pain through her graciously shared words. This book will be transformative for many.
She Stood For Freedom by Joan Trumpauer Mulholland
This fantastic book was written for the young reader audience, but it contains so many valuable history lessons that I felt compelled to include it in this book list.
One More Thing
In only a few months, I will celebrate the third anniversary of releasing my book, Loved Just As I Am. Some days, it feels like this milestone of publishing my first book was 100 years ago, and sometimes it still feels like yesterday.
What hasn’t changed in three years is the incredible pride I feel for writing and publishing a book. Writing a book, especially about past traumas and events, is not for the faint of heart!
Within the pages of my book, I share my personal story of resilience and growth. From childhood wounds to struggles with relationships and addiction, this memoir offers a robust roadmap to healing and embracing your true worth.
This book has had many victories (it landed the coveted #1 in New Releases spot on Amazon!), as well as many struggles and hurtful moments.
And I wouldn’t change a thing.
The trials, tribulations, and triumphs are all worth it if they can bring comfort and clarity to even just one person.
Own your story. You never know who it may help or what you could learn. 
Loved Just As I Am by Melissa McDaniel, M.Ed., LCMHC, NCC, shares a thirty-year journey of learning and healing from pain and shame, letting go of judgment and control, and never losing sight of the knowledge God loves unconditionally. McDaniel now uses her complete understanding of compassion and abuse to help others cope and heal.
This book is available on Amazon, Kindle, and my business website.
