Twenty-twenty was a year of radical shifts and forced stillness. As we struggled keeping up with the flood of changes coming our way, poets and performers, even former presidents, sought to help us find our way through the wilderness in the pages of their stories.
This year nothing was off limits as conversations about racism suddenly went mainstream; intersectionality was examined closer than ever; fatphobic behavior was brought to the forefront; imposter syndrome took a backseat to basic commonsense; and influencers lifted the veil on their life before the blue checks. Other authors helped us escape by reimagining romance and religion, celebrating our food and fashion and centering the Black experience in fantasy fiction.
Whether you’re practicing solo social distancing or surrounded by a three ring circus, ESSENCE has rounded up some books to help you step away from pop up notifications and into a state of reflection and relaxation during your holiday. There’s plenty of page turners to choose from.