At the beginning of the pandemic, I had a really hard time reading. My mind would go wild and after turning a page I would realize that I had been reading it without reading it. Does this ever happen to you?

The only solution I found was to download an audiobook and listen to it while going on a walk.

That's how I "read" my first book of the pandemic: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Fast forward a couple weeks and I found myself in a new house in a new town and a library stocked full of amazing books and the option to check them out safely.

That's how my pandemic reading really started. I signed up on the library's website, got my card and login in the mail, created a reading list on the library's website, placed holds online and waited for an email notification to come and pick up my next reads.

My regular trips to the library bring me a lot of joy and are the perfect excuse to take a break from work and go for a walk.

Unsurprisingly, my 2020 reading list has been showing 3 major themes: POC authors (#BLM), food (having a proper kitchen and direct access to nature make me want to forage and cook all day every day), and home decor (did I mention I moved?).

POC Authors

I've had a hard look at my reading list and made a point to actively look for black and brown authors. I also searched historic and antiracist books to raise my consciousness about race and (systemic) racism (see my complete reading list).

• Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected by Nnedi Okorafor

• Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of A Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown

• Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (the TV show is definitely on my watchlist)

• The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

• Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation of Octavia Butler's iconic novel by Damian Duffy

Food & Herbs

Hoping to stay put for a while in my new place, I want to learn about the local fauna & flora, go foraging, dry, dehydrate, preserve, pickle and cook. While on the one hand I do not want to add to my house chores and mental load, I also want to make mindful and healthy living and eating a priority.

• Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine by Erin Lovell Verinder

• Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics From A Modern American Family by Priya Krishna

• Plant Magic: Herbalism in Real Life by Christine Buckley

• Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables by Joshua McFadden

• Cannelle Et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood by Aran Goyoaga

• Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan

Home Decor & Organizing

One day I'll build a house and will be able to chose the color of the walls and the placement of the windows. But for now, I gather all the tips and tricks to make a (rented) house a home.

• The Home Edit - A Guide to Organizing and Realizing your House Goals & The Home Edit Life - The No-guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin (yes, I binge watched the Netflix series)

• Abode: Thoughtful Living with Less by Serena Mitnik-Miller

• The Foraged Home by Joanna Maclennan

• At Home in Joshua Tree: A Field Guide to Desert Living by Sara Combs

• How to Make A House A Home: Creating A Purposeful, Personal Space by Ariel Kaye

• The New Bohemians: Cool & Collected Homes by Justina Blakeney

You can find my 2020 reading list here.

Note: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I highly recommend signing up at the library or checking out your local bookstore (#shopsmall).

What's on your reading list?