6 books that guide Jully Black through life
Jully Black is a Juno Award-winning artist and R&B singer. With 20 years in the industry, she has written for artists like Nas and shared the stage with Céline Dion, Elton John and Kanye West. CBC Music dubbed her one of "The 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever" in 2013.
She is defending the YA novel The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline on Canada Reads 2018.
Below, she shares six books that have shaped and guided her through life.
The Bible
"This is the book that most, if not all, self-help, motivational and inspirational books are rooted in. As I listen to the Wayne Dyers, Deepak Chopras, Les Browns and the Jim Rohns of the world — they literally all refer to biblical passages as far as the fundamentals of life. Ideas like 'Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you' and the power of gratitude originate from the Bible. It is a book from my childhood. In our church, the children would learn what they called 'the golden text'. Fast-forward to adulthood, now I wonder, 'How is it that I know Psalm 23 or John 3:16 or all these verses, which are so deeply rooted in my subconscious?' And it's because they were my golden texts as a child."
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
"The key thing I took away from this book is that there isn't love and hate; there is love and fear. Fear causes hate. All those negative emotions and negative actions are rooted in fear. This is a book that has helped me look at my life and how I respond to things differently. If I'm feeling angry, I know it's because I'm afraid of something. I'm afraid of the outcome, of what they're going to think of me — just afraid. This book taught me the power of forgiveness, too. That you're not forgiving others for their sake; you're forgiving them for yourself and that's freedom."
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
"I love the way this book is organized. It's written so that you read 42 chapters in 42 days. There are 42 points to ponder and 42 questions to consider. I've been using this book as the anchor for a Bible memorization group that I facilitate. If I do the math, I've been working with it for 756 days straight. I brush my teeth every day and I read The Purpose Driven Life every day."
The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
"I first read this in Grade 8 or 9 and it was deep. It's like I saw myself in it. It was very relatable. I remember feeling like [the protagonist] Winter's plight helped me understand my life differently. At the time, I was growing up in Toronto's Jane and Finch neighbourhood, in what they'd call an 'at-risk' area. And it gave me perspective. It piqued my imagination to actually realize that my circumstances were bright and sunny and my conditions weren't anything like those Winter was experiencing. However, I still related to what was going on in the book and saw myself in her character."
Life Is Not a Fairy Tale by Fantasia Barrino
"To know that while she was performing on American Idol, Fantasia was illiterate — that she was memorizing those songs, holding the sheets of paper, pretending she could read the lyrics and managed to win — is so inspiring. There's such crazy perseverance, resilience and endurance in this book. It's a quick and easy read, but one that totally inspired me. "
I Am Number 8 by John W. Gray
"This was such a powerful reminder that the first will be last and the last will be first. So many people think, 'It's too late, I'm too old. I'm from the wrong place. I'm too this. I'm too that.' This book reminds you that most of the game-changers of the world were considered last. They were denied. Really, it's a matter of how you think about yourself. In the Bible, David was a shepherd boy and youngest child of a king. He worked in the field, while his brothers stayed in the house. But when the king was looking for someone new to crown, the externally perfect sons didn't measure up. The one who had all the skills on the inside was the son who had been shunned and abandoned. This book uses that story as a metaphor to say that whatever you're going through in life right now — marriage problems, bills, body image, you name it — is preparing you for your future."
Jully Black's comments have been edited and condensed.