Recommended Readings

above Muir Beach

I have a long commute and one benefit from that is the time to read. Most of the time I read something on my phone, pieces I find by scrolling my Twitter feed or through a few choice websites, or from one of the newsletters I subscribe to. This year I've been trying to be more diligent about reading actual books as well, and tapping into the wonderful SF Public Library. Here's a sampling of what I've enjoyed, in print and digital, in no particular order:

from goodreads

Half of a Yellow Sun (novel): At the start of the year, my former roommate sent an email to her friends around the country and suggested we do a virtual book club, focused on writings from women of color. It was our own way of showing hashtag resistance, by educating ourselves, learning from other perspectives and voicing our own. The first book was Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose work I'd been wanting to read since I heard her featured by Beyonce (clearly, I had not yet found Adichie's amazing TED talk). This was the most well-written, captivating novel I'd read in the past year, hands down. It opened my eyes to a war in modern history that I'd never known about (even though, I learned later, another friend's family in Nigeria had lived through it). It also made me care for an ensemble cast of characters in whom I saw my own friends and family, from charismatic intellectuals to ambitious hard workers to reserved enigmas. I'll be picking up her other books soon enough.

from goodreads

Crazy Rich Asians (novel): I kept reading about the casting for the movie version of Crazy Rich Asians, and I remembered hearing about this when it came out and being excited because it was supposed to be like Gossip Girl, of which I was a fan, but about Asians & Asian-Americans, a group of which I am a part of. I never got around to reading it, though, but then this spring, a hairstylist told me how good it was, and with the movie coming out I decided to get to it. It was thoroughly entertaining; I had to google some of the brands and locations they name-dropped, I laughed at all the satire around stereotypes, and I realized I am a sucker for a romantic plot. I've since completed the trilogy, and look forward to watching the movie when it comes out.

Millennial Women and Money (Refinery29): On a more realistic/relatable scale of personal wealth, Ashley C. Ford delved into how being a young, female breadwinner impacts a relationship, especially in a time when many of us haven't seen that much (mainstream) precedence that we can use as a blueprint. The economy continues to change and the workforce along with it; good journalism like this reflects those changes and opens a dialogue to help people navigate through it all.

Age & Wisdom in the Tech Industry (HBR): "Wisdom is about pattern recognition," shares writer Chip Conley, a seasoned hospitality exec who joined Airbnb and now works with folks decades younger than him. Also: "I realized that we expect young digital-era leaders to miraculously embody relationship wisdoms, with very little training, that we elders had twice as long to learn." It was an eye-opening, and heartwarming, essay to read about the industry I work in, but it's also applicable to navigating the workplace in general. 

Doing Well by Doing Good (HuffPo): This wide-ranging interview with the CFO of Square was really inspiring. One of my motivations for being in the business world is to be able to make a social impact, and it's awesome to read about someone who's leading the way. Also, I had to click once I saw the series title was very similar to one of my Twitter lists!

Reese "Elle Tracy Woods Flick" Witherspoon (Glamour): Reese is the patron saint of women being underestimated. Her stories and advice here are priceless. The lesson she learned from Mindy Kaling was like a dagger through the heart. Witherspoon-Kaling 2020.