Melissa

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Life on a Little-...
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The Foursome
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by Christina Baker Kline (Goodreads Author)
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She Has Her Mothe...
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Michelle Obama
“Our differences are treasures and they’re also tools. They are useful, valid, worthy, and important to share. Recognizing this, not only in ourselves but in the people around us, we begin to rewrite more and more stories of not-mattering. We start to change the paradigms around who belongs, creating more space for more people. Step by step by step, we can lessen the loneliness of not-belonging.”
Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times

Natasha Trethewey
“The act of writing is a way to create another world in language, a dwelling place for the psyche wherein the chaos of the external world is transformed, shaped into a made thing, and ordered. It is an act of reclamation. And resistance: the soul sings for justice and the song is poetry.”
Natasha Trethewey, The House of Being

Michelle Obama
“Going high is about learning to keep the poison out and the power in. It means that you have to be judicious with your energy and clear in your convictions. You push ahead in some instances and pull back in others, giving yourself opportunities to rest and restore. It helps to recognize that you are operating on a budget, as all of us are. When it comes to our attention, our time, our credibility, our goodwill toward and from others, we work with a limited but renewable set of resources.”
Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times

Michelle Obama
“For me, going high usually involves taking a pause before I react. It is a form of self-control, a line laid between our best and worst impulses. Going high is about resisting the temptation to participate in shallow fury and corrosive contempt and instead figuring out how to respond with a clear voice to whatever is shallow and corrosive around you. It’s what happens when you take a reaction and mature it into a response.
Because here’s the thing: Emotions are not plans. They don’t solve problems or right any wrongs. You can feel them—you will feel them, inevitably—but be careful about letting them guide you. Rage can be a dirty windshield. Hurt is like a broken steering wheel. Disappointment will only ride, sulking and unhelpful, in the back seat. If you don’t do something constructive with them, they’ll take you straight into a ditch.”
Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times

Michelle Obama
“There’s no way to eliminate the ache of being human, but I do think we can diminish it. This starts when we challenge ourselves to become less afraid to share, more ready to listen—when the wholeness of your story adds to the wholeness of mine. I see a little of you. You see a little of me. We can’t know all of it, but we’re better off as familiars.
Any time we grip hands with another soul and recognize some piece of the story they’re trying to tell, we are acknowledging and affirming two truths at once: We’re lonely and yet we’re not alone.”
Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times

164334 Read Women — 6044 members — last activity 3 hours, 18 min ago
A group for readers of all genders to discover and share their passion for books by women authors. We enjoy monthly book discussions, challenges, budd ...more
152458 Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge — 43027 members — last activity 1 hour, 25 min ago
*** IMPORTANT NOTE: There is never any fee charged to participate in this challenge or in this group. If you received a note asking for money, that is ...more
1243066 Big Book Summer Reading Challenge 2024 — 234 members — last activity Aug 05, 2025 08:58AM
My annual Reading Challenge to tackle those Big Books (400 pages or more) during the lazy days of summer! Join the fun and sign up here (in the Sign-U ...more
1214410 Big Book Summer Reading Challenge 2023 — 49 members — last activity May 24, 2024 10:11AM
My annual Reading Challenge to tackle those Big Books (400 pages or more) during the lazy days of summer! Join the fun and sign up here (in the Sign-U ...more
7269793 2026 Big Book Summer Challenge — 101 members — last activity 8 hours, 27 min ago
The annual Reading Challenge to tackle those Big Books (400 pages or more) during the lazy days of summer kicks off this year on May 22 and ends on Se ...more
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