Former first lady Michelle Obama is releasing a new book. “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times” will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Obama’s memoir, “Becoming,” about her life before, during and after being the first lady, was the bestselling book of 2018, and has sold more than 17 million copies. “Becoming” was also a New York TimesNotable Book of the Year, an Oprah Book Club selection and an NAACP Image Award winner. The memoir was also adapted into a film.
Random House via AP
Also drawing from Obama’s personal experiences, “The Light We Carry” is a series of meditations on “change, challenge, and power,” per the press release, “including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us.”
Obama will distill wisdom from her roles as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend and First Lady. According to the press release, Obama will share some of her values and rituals, like “starting kind,” going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of friends who can provide guidance.
In an Instagram post accompanying the announcement, Obama said the book was inspired by the challenges that the world has seen since “Becoming” was published.
“We’ve seen a global pandemic. We’ve seen an insurrection. A rising tide of hate, bigotry and intolerance and a whole lot more. It’s often left me feeling out of balance … I felt vulnerable and yes, at times, I felt afraid,” Obama, who opened up about having “low grade depression” in 2020, said on Instagram.
In the caption, Obama described the book as “a collection of stories and practices that have helped me sort through all the challenges and questions that keep us up at night: How do I know I’m good enough? How do I bring my whole self to the table? How can I overcome my fears?”
Obama called the book a “toolbox,” or a collection of practices that she has used to keep herself centered in times of stress.
Michelle Obama speaks with a local book group about her book “Becoming” at the Tacoma Public Library main branch on March 24, 2019 in Tacoma, Washington. Jim Bennett / Getty Images
“I’ve learned it’s okay to recognize that self-worth comes wrapped in vulnerability, and that what we share as humans on this earth is the impulse to strive for better, always and no matter what,” writes Mrs. Obama in the book’s introduction. “We become bolder in brightness. If you know your light, you know yourself. You know your own story in an honest way. In my experience, this type of self-knowledge builds confidence, which in turn breeds calmness and an ability to maintain perspective, which leads, finally, to being able to connect meaningfully with others—and this to me is the bedrock of all things. One light feeds another. One strong family lends strength to more. One engaged community can ignite those around it. This is the power of the light we carry.”
A Spanish-language edition of the book, titled “Con luz propia,” will be released simultaneously.
Michelle Obama on Thursday, October 11, 2018.Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Along with the release, publisher Random House also announced a $10,000 “Michelle Obama Award for Memoir” award within its Creative Writing Awards (CWA) program.
Elena Nicolaou is a senior entertainment editor at Today.com, where she covers the latest in TV, pop culture, movies and all things streaming. Previously, she covered culture at Refinery29 and Oprah Daily. Her superpower is matching people up with the perfect book, which she does on her podcast, Blind Date With a Book.
Bobby focuses on creating higher margins while investing in society. He believes that our World has room for improvement, and one of his goals is to be part of the evolutionary process. What makes him successful is the collaboration with founders and partners. Bobby has a successful track record in envisioning and creating deals and opportunities from scratch in various industries.
The Battle Rounds are always tough for The Voice coaches, but on Monday, Niall Horan might be ready to throw in the towel!
The rookie coach dooms himself in a new sneak peek at a Team Niall Battle between Michael B. and Ryley Tate Wilson, who take the stage with a stunning rendition of Giveon’s “Heartbreak Anniversary” that blows all four coaches away.
“That was one of the best performances we’ve seen in the Battle Rounds,” Chance the Rapper praises.
“Michael, I don’t know how you weren’t a four-chair turn,” Kelly Clarkson marvels, to which Blake Shelton replies, “I don’t think I was here that day.”
However, when it comes to their coach, who has to pick a winner and loser of the Battle — or will he use his Playoff Pass? — Niall is hurting.
“If they ask me to come back, I’m not coming back,” he laments. “Because I cannot tell you how hard this is.”
Calling the pair’s performance “off the charts,” Niall praised the pair for making the song their own, before bemoaning the fact that he has the toughest decision to make.
Watch the full Battle below and tune in on Monday to see who wins!
ET spoke with the season 23 coaches ahead of the premiere, who all shared how excited they were to be on the show for The Cowboy’s last go-round.
“I texted him,” Kelly shared. “If he was gonna do a last season, I wanted to make sure I was there.”
However, the talk show host insisted that she won’t be letting nostalgia affect her competitive nature.
“If [Blake] wins, I am very happy for him, because that is super cool to win on the last season and he’s literally the show, from its conception,” she conceded. “But, like, I’m not, like, rooting for him to win. I’ll be happy for him if he does, but I’m obviously trying to win myself.”
As for the show’s new coaches, Niall and Chance said they were ready to put in the work against the Team Blake dynasty.
“It’s been awesome,” Chance said of joining the show. “Kelly’s very, very sweet, very nice to me. And Blake is… here.”
The Voice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. PT/ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. PT/ET on NBC.
Promising review: “Love this product! It’s a great cheese alternative for cheese. I love the freshness and how it complements the taste of your food. Great with popcorn, salads and steamed veggies. I’m sure I can put it in just about anything but so far I’m very happy with it specially in my popcorn.” —Karen
Price: $7.49+ (available in three sizes, packs of one, two, or six, and four flavors)