Instead of skimming

One of my favorite things in life is reading genuinely insightful articles and books.

There is something so special about them. Something so telling about the kind of experience you are about to have, and judging by the writers and books I’m going to tell you about, I was in for a hell of a ride. When I read these writers, personal essays, and books, I actually had to pause several times and savor them, just taste them.

This year, I read almost all articles by my favorite writers. I also read books I could not put down. By reading, I mean I read every word of, not just skim.

These are writers, newsletters, personal essays, and books I recommend to people I love.

Here we go:

Writers on Medium

You don’t need to have an interest in a particular topic to read every word about that topic. As writers, we need to read voraciously. Or at least have an open mind that a writer who writes on a topic you have no interest in might surprise the hell out of you.

Who knows?

You might even end up reading every word from that writer.

Ever since I started reading Umair Haque’s (he’s my favorite writer on this platform) articles two years ago, I can’t wait to read more of his words. Even though politics does not interest me, I still read every word of Haque’s. Read The Real Reason the World Isn’t Being Vaccinated.

It will make you angry.

My second favorite writer on this platform is Jessica Wildfire.

You probably read her work. If not, you should. Jessica approaches her articles as if the future of humanity depends upon getting her words right. She cares that much. It’s hard to pick just one favorite article from Jessica’s posts this year. But if I had to, I would pick We Make Monsters. Don’t you just love the headline? This article is about why “educated” people aren’t that educated.

I also read Ryan Holiday. Carlyn Beccia.

On race and racism, I read every word of Steve QJ’s posts. Anti-Racism Is Becoming Troublingly Racist is my favorite from QJ this year. I also read Rebecca Stevens and Allison Gaines. Kyle Rittenhouse is Innocent Legally but Not Morally, and Not Actually is my favorite from Gaines’s posts this year. Catherine Caruso is another of my favorite writers on this platform. Read Dave Chappelle Is Still Punching Down.

I’m sure there are many good writers on this platform, but these are the ones I read this year. Just like I make time to read an insightful book about racism or emotional intelligence (because I teach it), I read every word of these writers, instead of skim. I couldn’t wait to share their insights and perspectives with friends, family, and colleagues.

Newsletters

Sometimes you subscribe to a blog. When you open your email account, you’re deeply sorry. Sorry that you’ve subscribed to nonsense where they send you useless content. Sorry you wasted your time and energy on opening and reading your email.

When I subscribe to a blog’s newsletter, I want to read every word of that email, not just skim.

These are my favorite newsletters that I read every word of.

At the very least, you’ll not be sorry you’ve opened your own email.

Suleika Jaoud’s Isolation Journals is my favorite newsletter ever.

I can’t wait to open her emails. I feel like a kid with candy every Sunday when my inbox shows me Suleika has sent me the week’s blog post. Suleika Jaouad, the creator of the Isolation Journals blog, writes like she is your best friend. She is an Emmy Award-winning writer, speaker, and cancer survivor who started her blog on April 1st, 2020.

Here’re a few newsletters with good content:

Daily Stoic. Seth Godin’s blog. James Clear’s 3–2–1 Thursday. Maria Popova’s “The Marginalian”.

Personal essays

If you love reading personal essays like me, check out Narratively. Their personal essays are everything personal essays are supposed to be. They inspire and move readers. You find indelible imagery.

I’m glad I love reading personal essays. Otherwise, I would have missed my two favorite personal essays:

• As My Face Disappeared So Did My Mother and Father
• How to Mourn a Sexually Abusive Father

This year, a friend of mine started writing wonderful personal essays after reading the above two haunting essays.

Isn’t that wonderful?

Sometimes reading a beautifully written article or personal essay gives you that pull in your heart. Writing sweeps you into its arms. You clutch your writing or maybe writing is the one that clutches you. You almost had a near miss from a forever separation from writing. But you read those beautiful words from a writer and you jump over the shoes left in the middle of your living room to get to your desk.

You’re inspired.

Books

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson.

Against White Feminism by Rafia Zakaria.

And my favorite memoir from this year:

• Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu.

Nadia is the daughter of an Armenian-American mother and a Ghanaian father. She was born in Tanzania and grew up in England, Italy, Ethiopia, and Uganda. If your life is full of unsettling quakes and ruptures. If your mother or father is absent. If rootlessness and the search for a home is something you resonate with, I highly recommend Nadia’s insightful book.

I also read books to be a better human being.

I read Human Kind by Brad Aronson.

I read These Precious Days by Ann Patchett.

I read Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdoms. After reading this book, the pain of losing my beloved grandfather to cancer butchered my soul all over again. This book is a deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery. My favorite insight from Suleika’s book:

“We are all terminal patients on this earth. The mystery is not ‘if’ but ‘when’ death appears in the plotline.”

This year, these writers, newsletters, personal essays, and books are the kind of words where if they were the only words I’d read any year, I’d still feel satisfied. Like it was an awesome use of my time.

I hope you crack open a book (hardcover is my favorite way to read a book) or read on Kindle and replenish your soul for a little while.