February Reads
Little stack of love 📚
Some months, I barely finish one book. This month? I dove into five. 🤓 From personal growth to history, fiction, and cultural exploration, each of these books left an impact in its own way.
📖 The Golden Voice – Gregory Cahill
Ros Serey Sothea is one of my favorite Khmer singers, and her story is as haunting as her voice. This book traces her rise, her tragic disappearance, and the heartbreaking loss of Cambodia’s golden era of music. A must-read for those interested in Khmer history and culture.
📖 Banyan Moon – Thao Thai
I was fifty pages from the end when SEA NYC Book Club met, and let me tell you… those last fifty pages? A slap in the face. A traumatizing cry fest. 💔 Thai weaves a multi-generational story about love, sacrifice, and the weight of family secrets.
📖 The Gap and The Gain – Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
This book hit me at the right time. Learning to measure my progress by how far I’ve come—rather than how far I have left to go—has been a game changer. Read this for our #LeFamBam book club, and I can already tell this mindset shift will stick with me. ❤️
📖 On Being Jewish Now
A collection of stories that helped me understand Judaism on a deeper level. One thing that stood out: I now see why being publicly Jewish is often a measured choice. The perspectives shared were both eye-opening and deeply personal.
📖 This Book is Anti-Racist – Tiffany Jewell
I wasn’t sure where to start with this conversation, so I figured a book written for kids would be a perfect entry point. Sometimes, the simplest explanations are the most powerful. A thoughtful and accessible read for anyone wanting to engage with anti-racism work.
📚 What’s a book that challenged the way you see the world? Drop your recommendations below! ⬇️
Children's books on inclusive topics are fantastic entry points and sometimes surprise me with their depth. One of my proudest accomplishments during the pandemic was sharing Ibram X. Kendi's "Anti-Racist Baby" with my class of 0-5 year olds on a recording for the community college book club, which is attended by the department chairs. The children's discussion we recorded led to such an awesome discussion for the adults and was perhaps a gentler way to enter into the work. We later shared a reading of "They/She/He/Me: Free to Be" by Maya & Matthew. One of my top recommendations is "Every Body" by Jessica Ralli :) It's a board book for littles but it will touch you down to your bones.