That’s the intent behind the vast majority of New Year’s resolutions, after all: self-betterment. Among the most popular New Year’s Resolutions for last year were goals pertaining to health, finance, interpersonal relationships, and self-care. It’s also pretty common for people to make goals like “learn something new” or “read more.” Why not bring those last two together? That’s what this list is about. As we embark upon another trip around the sun, what might it mean to work toward educating yourself about something you’re not familiar (or maybe even comfortable) with in the interest of pushing yourself to be or do better? With that in mind, I offer you this list of books that touch on some of the topics too often considered “hard” or “difficult” — labels that, unfortunately, tend to scare people away and (even worse) shut down conversation. But these “topics” are, after all, simply part of the tapestry of human experience. So challenge yourself to grab a book and start your year off strong!
Need More Fodder to Fuel Your Bookish Journey?
We’ve got you covered! You might consider checking out this list of books on human migration or perusing this extensive list of books about neurodiversity. If memoirs are your cup of tea, take a peek at this list of queer memoirs from red areas. If you’re looking for ways to do something about the attempts to censor materials and further shut down opportunities for education and conversation around “hard” topics, learn about the #BooksSaveLives campaign and ways you can get involved.
