Austin Kelmore

Union Organizer
Tech Lead
Software Engineer
Rock Climber
Tea Drinker
Cat Hugger
He/Him

Resume: pdf

© 2024 Austin Kelmore

Books of 2018

Jan 5, 2019

Books of 2018

I only read 15 books this year because it was a bit of a busy year moving to London and starting a union, but some of the books I did get to read were absolutely life changing. This year I was very conscious about what authors I tried to read and focused mainly on books from black women because I realized in the past that I've mostly been reading authors that are white men and wanted to change that. I read books that explained the difficulties I had growing up, books that made me re-evaluate my sexuality, and books that shined light on many of the issues in the world with incredible clarity. It was a good, if small, reading year.

15 books 📚
8 black women authors 👩🏿
10 non-fiction books ✏️

Best Writing: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

After reading this book, I gave it to a friend and prefaced it with a note that said something like: “I would normally say I hope you enjoy reading this, but this is not that type of book. It is, however, one of the best written books I've ever read.” Roxane Gay has a way of writing that flows and captivates you. Hunger is a memoir of her life that explores the trauma she's experienced, her relationship with her body, and her path forward. It is brutal, honest, and absolutely incredible. Highly recommended.

Most Exciting Fantasy Series of the past Decade: The Broken Earth Series

I tore through the first two books and have the third sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read it this year. I love the characters, the mixture of fantasy and science-fiction, and the unique way the story is told. Oh ya, did I mention the three book in this series have won the Hugo Award for best novel three years in a row? Definitely worth checking out.

The Book That Explained My Childhood: The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love

While reading this book, I constantly took pictures of paragraphs that explained why I had such a difficult time as a young boy growing up with toxic masculinity. I've spent years and years unlearning some of the behaviors I was taught as a kid and this book perfectly states why I feel the way I do and also how to move forward. Incredible book.

The Guide to Toxic Men in Tech: Why Does He Do That?

This is not so much a book that you read front to back (although that's what I did) as it is a guide that you use when you have to deal with a physically or emotionally abusive man. It was difficult to read not only because of the topic and the depth to which it discusses it, but because I could see some of myself and my past behaviors in this book. I have had many managers in tech that fit into multiple categories in this book and it helped explain what I experienced. It also explains how to deal with them and how to get them to change their behaviors (hint, it's not ask them to). Very important read.

Book of the Year - the Book Everyone Needs to Read About Race: So You Want to Talk About Race

I started following Ijeoma Oluo after reading some of her incredible articles a couple of years ago and eagerly purchased this book when it came out. It is one of the best books I've ever read and is a perfect introduction to so many of the topics surrounding race - Black Lives Matter, white privilege, systemic discrimination, police brutality, and so much more. Every single person needs to read this book because of how important it is. I even recommended it to my mom and had her read it. If you haven't read it already, put it at the top of your list. It's that good.

All the Books I Read in 2018

Here's everything I read in 2018. The books with a ⭐ are the ones I highly recommend.