Life on other planets: a memoir of finding my place in the universe, by Aomawa Shields

This is an inspiring memoir by a Black woman who, after graduating from MIT, struggled with her next steps. Initially attending graduate school for astrophysics at UW-Madison, she left to pursue her other love, acting, which she did for 10 years before being drawn back to science. She goes to the University of Washington, follows that up with a fellowship at Harvard, then a tenure track position at UC Irvine. She writes about the challenges of being not just a woman, but a Black woman, in a field that is dominated by white men. She shows how her acting and humanities background helps her be a better teacher and mentor, and she shares how she learned to navigate the tenure track, her marriage, and the birth of her child. She goes on many writing retreats, giving herself the time to think and write without interruption; it is clear that she has benefited from them as her writing is wonderful even as she gives us a completely unvarnished look at her challenges and struggles.