My 5 Favorite Books: Hate it or Love it
“Honestly, I’m probably gon’ be booked ’til I’m on the next chapter.”
Big Sean, Timeless
Reading Background
After years of shaping myself into a lectiophile1, I discovered how important it is to have your favorite books memorized, ready to regurgitate at a moments notice. This list will change overtime as I devour more literature and grow into different phases of life. For the most part, these books weigh heavily on the reader I’ve morphed into at 34 years young.
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Looking back, each book has had a tremendous impact on me as a young man and continues to shape who I am til this day (insert Deontay Wilder voice).
Reading Length: I found a great website that can calculate words per minute (wpm) of the reader and calculate the duration it will take an individual to read a specific book. There might be environmental factors that change this, but the source was a great find while doing research on my favorite books that I will use in the future.
Through Reading Length, I found I read 179 words per minute (Grade 11), and 159 word per minute (Grade 19). This is hilarious considering I often ask one of my friend what grade level she reads at (a past time that we used to be well aware of while in school). After calculating my wpm, it then tells you how long it will take you to read that book. I’ve included page numbers under each of my favorite books to give you an idea of length.
I read differently than I did before. Since attending & graduating from acting school, I read with the intent to use the commas and periods for their intended use as if I’m reading for an audience. This allows me to focus on giving color and imagery to the story and the characters in it.
My Favorite Books
1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
“How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure.”
Edmond Dantès, The Count of Monte Cristo
Good ol’ Alexander Dumas! I remember purchasing this book after seeing a teammate of mine, Kevin C., reading it profusely in his locker between meetings. It’s nice and big with gold pages that adds to the allure of labeling it a special book.
Like I said, I purchased it with the intent for it to look beautiful on the bookshelf in my living room. Silly me, I forgot to mention that this book was over 1,000 pages! The lengthiest book in my possession up to this point might’ve been a Harry Potter jawn my mother bought me back in middle school (352 pages to be exact).
But God always has a way of intervening.
In the Summer of 2014, I discovered that I had a fractured 5th metatarsal (broken foot) that I sustained the year before while playing with a high ankle sprain. This injury required surgery and would put me in rehabilitation for the first half of the upcoming season. I would have to start the season on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) & miss training camp. Though dejected, I was never one to waste an opportunity to excel in other areas.
Following surgery, I declared that I would read this book while my teammates were at practice. This meant reading for about two in a half to three hours each day. I felt bad not being able to practice, but I felt like accomplishing something for myself that I could hang my hat on.
This book took me roughly a month to read and the story was one I’ll never forget. Books are sometimes about what is contained in them, but more so about what led you to have it in your possession in the first place.
For those that know me, they know I love a great revenge story (whether in a book or in real life). This is a lengthy but exceptional revenge saga for those that stick around to experience it. Sometimes, revenge achieved over a long period of time tastes the sweetest. Schadenfreude2 is one of my favorite words due to everything it encompasses.
This book was the foundation on which my favorite books list is built.
2. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
“My alma mater was books… a good library. I could spend the rest of my life reading,
just satisfying my curiosity.”
Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
I’m so upset it took me so long to read this book!
I knew about Malcolm X growing up but I didn’t know about Malcolm Little or Detroit Red/ Red. This book surprised me not knowing his former life before his conversion to Islam. It brought clarity to me that a person can have two drastically different lives and decide to change for the better in order to enact a greater impact on society. Spike Lee did a spectacular job with this movie (Malcolm X 1992) as well and I couldn’t imagine a better person to play Malcolm X than the great Denzel Washington.
Without watching the movie, the book gives great insight into his time before becoming Malcolm X and his time as Malcolm X. There is a particular excerpt I like in the book when he goes to prison and begins to read profusely.
After reading the book in its entirety, I felt I was able to get a good grasp of who Malcolm X was as a mam. I’m sure this plays a role in my hunger for educating myself through reading and disseminating knowledge I learn to benefit myself and others around me.
3. The Undisputed Truth by Mike “Iron” Tyson
“In her book, Robin implied that we hadn’t slept together, but I actually nailed her the first or second night when she came to my hotel. Instead she claimed that we strolled through the mall and played with puppies at pet shops for hours. Can you see me in a motherfucking mall, the heavyweight champ of the world? What the fuck am I doing in a mall?”
Iron Mike Tyson, Undisputed Truth
Mike is one of the baddest men walking God’s green Earth.
Even now!
At 57 years of age, Iron Mike can still knockout about 99% of people in the world and not break a sweat! People want to take bets on lasting a round with Mike, I’m here to tell you I’m still not getting in the ring with that man.
I read this book in my mid 20’s. Let’s say about 26 years young.
One thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this book is the rawness of it. Iron Mike has a unique voice and the whole time I was reading this, I couldn’t help but hear it. I felt this book is exactly how he wanted it, which is HUGE when considering sometimes publishers want to clean it up to be more marketable. Mike didn’t do that here.
On instances like him touching on his relationship with Robin Givens (mentioned in the quote above), I couldn’t help but laugh hearing his point of view on how things went down. Many of his stories are straight shots into his emotions and thinking process at the time, which I greatly appreciate and admire.
Iron Mike was way before his time. We haven’t seen anything like him since and won’t see anything like him ever again. He is a unicorn. A lottery ticket. He’s grandmammas biscuits that you’ll never be able to recreate or duplicate! He’s that good.
What I had to continually remind myself while reading was that Iron Mike was still a kid. Well, I don’t like to say kid but shall I say a young man. He was accomplishing these major feats before he was 18 years old. He was in night clubs with stars like Eddie Murphy & Arseno Hall while underage. He was one of the first humans with luxuries that only the most upper echelon people possessed (I can’t remember precisely, but he was one of the 1st with a telephone, fax machine, or jacuzzi in his limousine).
He spent money lavishly without blinking an eye. At one point, he had multiple Rolls Royces parked in his garage and driveway that he would lose track of. Cars that he left places or loaned to people but never retrieved. He lived the life of a king before many people knew what the life of a king was like.
I’m too young to remember his fights, but one thing I do remember is how the main event pay-per-view fights never lasted long. The fights would usually end in a round or two. The adults would be happy but also mad. Paying money for a fight that never really turned out to be a fight.
This book is a must read and must have in your collection to give to young athletes. Allowing them to see what a real athlete in his prime looks like while basking in the aura of a real champion.
4. Becoming by Michelle Obama
“Don’t be afraid to swerve.”
Michelle Obama, Becoming
I was lucky enough to pick out Becoming during women’s month of the pandemic (2020). Boy did I need this read at this time. It was a God wink that this book came at the right time as I was in the right space to receive it. I knew quickly that this would become one of my favorite books.
There has always been this mystique about Mrs. Obama because she is President Barack Obama’s wife. Well, they are married but that isn’t all she is as a title. I was excited to learn who this woman was before she met and married President Obama.
Diving into her parents, upbringing, family, and journey left me feeling better than when I received the book. I felt full. Stuffed with hope and a newfound sense of pouring into others, especially the younger generation and my close friends.
The sacrifices her mother and father made for her and her brother, are things I know of all too well. I read about having people around you that believe in you and your gifts. Such energy can play a major role in accomplishing many feats in your life. That unwavering support that can uplift and catapult people to the sky of success.
This book sits high on my bookshelf and will always be cherished.
5. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
“Hard work is only a prison sentence when you lack motivation.”
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success
Considering my psychology background, I am a sucker for psychology based information/material. I can’t get enough of it. When dealing with my athletes and clients, I love to have examples to point them towards to get a better sense of what we might be working towards.
For people looking for growth, development, and self improvement, I try to direct them to other stories that may have similar bearing to theirs. Whether this be a popular group, celebrity, or company, anything to light a fire inside of them demonstrating what is possible.
But that it will also take hard work.
The 10,000 hour rule is something I’ve held closely to my heart through this read. Malcolm Gladwell claims it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert in something. Although there have been many people dispelling this notion over the years, I take it for what it’s worth.
10,000 hours is more about telling people that it takes an extensive amount of time to be great in something. It doesn’t make any promises that once you hit this, confetti will drop from the sky and a group of people will carry you to a podium. It simply means that by tracking those who have success, it can usually be traced to many hours implemented to this area in order to reap the benefits.
I played division I collegiate football and professional football. I can surely attest that I’ve gathered roughly that amount in the preparation for both levels. There was some talent that I also possessed but if that talent wasn’t cultivated with the work, I don’t think I would’ve reached this level of success.
Malcolm Gladwell has over a handful of books that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. You can also check him out on the Revisionist History podcast as well as other podcasts as a popular guest.
He is also one of my favorite authors.
Conclusion
I implore you to begin the habit of reading and making it a foundational part of your structure. I cannot begin to tell you the doors that have opened and the people I’ve met from reading consistently. It helps in many avenues like public speaking, vocabulary, knowledge, and conversation with friends or strangers.
Well, you may not want to have too many conversations with strangers, but I find it comforting that other book lovers have no problem approaching/speaking to people that carry physical books. It’s a small window into who that person is or is trying to become.
Some open books to close out the world, while others open books to open up the world. I find that fascinating. Consider joining Uncle Drew’s Book Club in the future. This club happens twice per year and you should hear about it through my social media accounts and occasionally through my website.
Thank you for taking the time to delve into my favorite reads.
I hope you take the time to create your own list of favorite books as well.
Best,
Double Dee
“Time is the longest distance between two places”
Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie
Resources for Readers
- Quality over Quantity Blog – Drew Jay Davis
- Read by Ed – Ed Jones II is a good friend of mine with probably a greater love for reading. Check out his instagram page for books and book reviews
- Tori Reads One of my favorite reading/book follows on IG
Reading Apps & Sites