Books I’ve Read 2022
According to my Good Reads, I read about 29 books this year. Some of these books are doula books, some are fiction that I read for fun and others are spiritual books.
I like to mix it up, but the interesting thing is that I stopped reading for a long time, there was a time in the past where I would have read only 3 books a year. Granted, my kids were younger but it just seemed like I started reading more when I started walking my spiritual path.
Here’s a rundown of what I read this year.
January
Wisdom of the Shamans, Jose Ruiz written by the son of Don Miguel Ruiz, author of the Four Agreements. Honestly I really need to read that book, it’s been highly read and recommended, but I haven’t gotten the chance to read the Four Agreements. This was a great read and it’s almost always 99 cents on Kindle.
February
Olga Dies Dreaming Xochitl Gonzalez This was another favorite. I love to center Latinx and Black authors, and loved this story of a brother and sister in NYC, one a congressman and the other a popular wedding planner. It’s a must read.
The Birth Partner Penny Simkin This book is in its fifth edition, and was a book I read in part of my doula course. I recommend this book for folks who are preparing to give birth, and it’s great for the person that will be with you giving birth. I can see why this one is popular!
The Magic of Fortuna: Luck, Fortune and Wealth Magick I came across this book as I was looking for things to learn more about the Greek goddess Fortuna. It was a quick read. Not sure if I would recommend it for a deep dive into Fortuna. I believe it includes spells and things in it but I wasn’t too impressed with this book. I also don’t do any spells just because I read it in a book so there’s also that.
Shamanic Power Animals: Embracing the Teachings of Our Non-Human Friends. Another book you need that is almost always 99 cents. This was another Don Jose Ruiz authored book, and although I never gave much thought to spirit animals prior to this, it really opened my eyes on how we can learn from them. It was an amazing explanation.
Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo Erika Buenaflor This was another great book that explained so many things that I knew in my heart but didn’t know how to explain. I learned names to techniques I knew about but did not know their names. Every curandera needs this book.
March
200 Ways to Heal from Trauma: Luis Sanakori Ramos Not sure if I recommend this one. It was another quick read with an actual list of 200 ways to heal, but not too much thought behind it… for example #2 “Find ways to do things you like to do” but there’s no further thought, insight or explanation. It would have been nice if these were in chapters of the book, but the entire book on kindle was 12 pages long.
Nurturing Beginnings: Guide to PostPartum Care for Doulas Debra Pascali-Bonaro This might have been my second favorite doula book. If you don’t get any other book, this is the one. It explains lactation and I learned that you can get your milk back even if it’s been weeks since you breastfed. It was worth it just to learn that piece.
A Latina’s Guide to Money Eva Macias I really wanted to like this book but it didn’t give what I wanted it to.
Glamour Magic-Deborah Castellano This was a favorite. I recommend to those starting out with glamour magic and trying to integrate it with their rest of their brujeria.
April
Radical Healership: Laura Nothrup This is a great book for healers trying to build a business. It was tough to get through because there are some tough questions at the end of each chapter so this was the only book I read in April. I think I may have read it twice. I might have to revisit this one again!
May
You’re the only one I’ve told Stories behind abortion: Meera Shah This book was assigned through my doula course, but it’s hands down my absolute favorite book. It talks about true stories of people going through abortions, but also taught me about different religions and how they see abortion. And asked the question as to why we only follow the Christian/Evangelical beliefs on abortion when in the US there are so many other religions like Muslim, Jewish, Budhhism that are also followed and some don’t believe abortion is a sin. This is a definite must read.
Our Only Time Stories of Pregnancy Infant Loss-Amie Lands This one triggered me as I have had two late term pregnancy losses before having my two sons. It took me a bit to get through this book but I do recommend for all folks, whether you believe in abortions or not. Folks tend to think of abortions one way, but pregnancy and infant loss is a real thing that affects so many families. Especially if you want to be a birth doula, this book needs to be on your list.
June
The Ultimate How To Guide for Doulas-April Rain. Don’t bother. I wasted my money so you don’t have to.
Family Money: Chad Zunker This was a good book, I needed a break from all the serious books I’ve read so far since February’s Olga Dies Dreaming.
July
Caribbean Heiress in Paris: Adriana Herrera This was the first in a series and I absolutely loved it. It’s a historical fiction novel about a group of women who are trying to build the business they inherited at a time where women were not taken seriously.
Lost: James Patterson This book had a slow start and was hard for me to get into at first, but it was good towards the middle and end.
The Black Girls Guide to Financial Freedom: Paris Woods This book gave what it needed to give. I recommended it to my Patreon members as well. It’s perfectly written and one of the tips, to buy used and pay cash is one of my favorites. I learned this from my father and my husband and I continue to practice this especially with bigger purchases like appliances (not TVs). If you trying to get your money right, this is a book to read!
How I became a mermaid: Amanda Alcantara This Latine author tackles tough subjects like mental wellness, suicide and nationality.
August
Venus in Astrology Mari Silva Would I recommend this book to folks wanting to learn more about Venus? Hmmmmm maybe. It depends if you’re a more intermediate astrologer or if you’re more of a beginner and want to learn more about Venus. If a beginner, sure. If you’re more intermediate…not sure.
Witches Midwives and Nurses-Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English This talks about the corruption in the medical system and how it became this way. Must read for all.
The Maria Paradox: Rosa Maria Gil, Carmen Inoa Vazquez If you are person whose lineage is from Latin America, this is a must read. MUST READ!! It talks about Marianismo and how it has affected the women and femmes in Latin America. I also talked about this on a podcast episode called The Marianismo and Machismo Entanglement.
September
Money Magic: Jessie Susannah Karantz I recommend this book in hardcover because it is absolutely beautiful. Full of rituals, practical advice and affirmations.
PCOS: The New Science of Completely Reversing Symptoms: Jane Kennedy You may not know this, but I have been diagnosed with PCOS since I was in my early 20’s and I’ve read quite a few books on PCOS, this is a good one if you have PCOS as well and trying to figure out how to manage your symptoms.
Big Chicas Don’t Cry: Annette Chavez Macias This was recommended to me and it’s another lighthearted fiction book I wanted to read to break up the non fiction situation I had going on. It’s about four cousins, and it’s really good. I think this book is set in LA but I can’t remember.
October
Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color: Lorraine Monteagut I’m honestly upset with myself for not reading this book sooner. It’s really good, and touches on topics around decolonizing, stepping into your power of being a bruja along with the author’s personal story and how she got to her power. I was able to join a zoom with her to discuss this book and it was everything. If you haven’t read it yet, you need to pick this up ASAP.
On The Come Up: Angie Thomas This book was so good and it’s $1.99 on Kindle at the time of writing this post. It’s YA fiction, this book is about a 16 year old girl Bri who is trying to become a rapper. She’s also seen as rap royalty as her dad was bubbling before he was shot and killed when she was a kid. There’s also activism touched in this book and how things can get crazy quick over rap lyrics. Must read.
December
Mary Magdalene Revealed: Meggan Watterson I bought this book two years ago, and kept putting it off reading it until exactly two years from the date I bought it. It took me two whole months to read it, but it was eye opening. The way that the church has treated women since the beginning of time is incredible. It’s said she was the first apostle, and even received hate from her own brother (Peter? maybe) because he couldn’t believe that she received a message from Jesus that he didn’t. Some things just never change. If you are decolonizing and working through religious trauma, this is one for you.
It ends with us Colleen Hoover I feel like I was the last person to read this book! It was well written and once she started sharing her diaries, this book had me hooked. TW for those of us that have been victims of domestic violence. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author, this was a fiction book.
I try to sprinkle in fiction with my nonfiction and books where I’m learning from, but sometimes healing can also happen from books that are fiction. We heal through the characters and how they go through their traumas in the book.
Have you read any of these? Which books are you going to read from this list?
