52 books that I read to survive the year of the pandemic.
If you survived 2020 then kudos to you, we have lived through the worst pandemic in history. We will have incredible stories and anecdotes to share about hardships, losses, life struggles, restoring faith in humanity with love and compassion. If you are a frontline worker I salute you and I’m forever grateful for your services. If you lost a loved one, my heart goes out to you.
At the beginning of 2020, I set a challenge for myself to read 52 books in 52 weeks. I’ve tried to do so in the past but it seemed like a mammoth task every time. However, when COVID-19 took over the world and forced us to quarantine I was pretty content with the work-from-home situation, working in my pajamas, hanging out with my friends on Zoom parties, trying different home workouts, and binge-watching every new release on Netflix. Fortunately, I had some great philosophers, entrepreneurs, doctors, historians, and heck yeah even President Obama to keep me company and accomplish my reading goal.
We read to know we are not alone. — C.S. Lewis
The pandemic gave me an opportunity to focus internally and introspect without the distractions of a fast-paced life, commuting to work, or the mundanity of everyday things. Personally, I enjoy non-fictitious literary work that delves deep into technology, science, or focuses on career growth but this year I took it upon myself to invest my time in learning and understanding the human body, psychology, relationships, fitness, nutrition, and most importantly mental health. Mental health is so crucial because it’s a vital part of your life and impacts your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions especially when you are amidst a pandemic stuck within four walls with so much uncertainty and constant bombardment of negative news all around. The mind is such a powerful tool and I just had to understand how to control the mind versus let the mind control me in an unprecedented time. Most of the books I read touch upon the mind, the body, and their Descartes/Cartesian dualism.
Here’s the list of all the 53 books( to be precise ) that I’ve read in 2020:
Top 5 recommendations:
- Maybe you should talk to someone by Lori Gottlieb
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- A Promised Land by Barack Obama
- 13 Things mentally strong women don’t do by Amy Morin
- Psycho-Cybernetics: Updated and Expanded
If you have any recommendations then please leave me a comment. You can follow my reading journey for 2021on GoodReads!
Stay safe.
