In past years I’ve never been disciplined about keeping a list of the books I read. I vowed in 2016 to not only keep a list, but share it with others.
For many of the books, I’ve included a Ted Talk or video from the author in case you want to listen before committing to the book. Each book cover is a link directly to Amazon for your convenience as well.
I am a reader who won’t finish a book I don’t enjoy. If I am one third in and still iffy I just quit. Goldfinch for example is sitting in my office still half read, waiting for me to decide if its worth returning to it. Life is too short to struggle through a book that doesn’t quite fit you. There were even a few I finished that I couldn’t include on this list as I didn’t 100%% love them.
Please share the list with other readers. I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading also. There are 28 books in all listed, so the post is somewhat long. You may want to browse it and come back to it when you need ideas.
If you have goals to read more in 2017, I am working on a future blog post for how to establish a solid reading habit.
Also, don’t miss out in the Des Moines area on The Silent Book Club. Its a monthly book club with no homework and no assigned book list. It’s like the best kind of happy hour for introverts you can imagine. We meet and chat for a bit on books and then read silently in a bar, restaurant or coffee shop. I’ve included a link to the national website where our events will be listed here.
And on to the books…….
1. I’ll Give You the Sun – by Jandy Nelson – Received the 2015 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, Bank Street’s Josette Frank Award, and a Stonewall Honor Book Award for her work. This is the story of twins and their experiences growing up, including finding their own talents, jealously, family betrayal, and secrets. The characters are rich beyond measure and she is superbly talented in the weaving of words that make your heart sing and pull. Loved this book so much I picked up another one of her’s. See number 11 below for that one.
2. The Art of Dancing in the Rain – by Garth Stein – This is a beautifully written book, all from the point of view of the family dog as the narrator. Before you dismiss it as too simpleton, let me say the dog is a very special dog. He has the mind of a theology major and is convinced in his next life he will return as a human. His tender recount of his family going through life struggles, mixed with reality of being a dog is heart warming. This book is full of warmth and life lessons. Dog lovers especially will love this book.
3. Living Big – by Pam Grout – Powerful book filled with real life stories about everyday people with limited cash, education and resources living their dreams and changing lives in a big way. There is even one story about a woman from Cedar Falls, Iowa who adopted nearly twenty special needs kids as a single mother without significant financial resources. The main message is you can do really big things in life and you don’t need deep pockets or a PhD to do them. You just need a big heart and some resourcefulness.
If you want a short excerpt here is a 5 minute audio clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fwYm6ZJFUE
4. On Writing – by Stephen King – I’d had this book for years and finally the timing was right. That happens often to me with books. I will pick one up as it interests me, but it isn’t the right time to draw me in enough. Then sometimes years later I will pick up the same book again as a slightly different version of myself and suddenly it speaks directly to me. This was one of those books for me. His success while remarkable, is not as miraculous as you may think. Yes, the man is crazy talented, but it’s his relentless hard work that impresses me. He never quits trying to get better. Success is most certainly dressed to look a hell of a lot like work. Inspiring to read his words and guidance to writers to keep working the craft, even when it’s not yet the work you long to produce. Just keep moving forward and reaching for more. Here he gives some writing advice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxgiV-NtQvQ
5. No Opportunity Wasted No Opportunity Wasted – by Phil Keoghan (the host of The Amazing Race). Great book if you are interested in building your bucket list, facing a fear or adding more adventure to your life. Great examples in here of people doing just that at all different ages, from all different backgrounds, from successful business people, to nuns, to former convicts.
Here is a six minute video of the author talking about the idea of living your life list. (the video quality is a little grainy, but the audio is worth listening to) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Qqhcq8QKQ
6. When Breath Becomes Air – by Paul Kalanithi – One of the better books I’ve read in my life. It’s a true story, written by a Harvard and Yale educated neurosurgeon/neuroscientist who finds out at the end of his residency he has advanced stage lung cancer. At age 36 he is suddenly faced with the reality instead of having forty years left to carry out his dreams he has just a handful. Great for anyone touched by a terminal illness or struggling with life purpose questions. His writing is simply magical, lyrical, and his insight into the existentialist questions we face as humans can give you a foundation in your own life to rest upon.
Here is a six minute video on his story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c8fK9tOaZQ
If you are interested in the topic, but not sure about doing the read here is his Ted Talk which is twelve minutes long and very worth the time.
https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work?language=en
8. Confidence Code – by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay, two journalists – The subject of the book is the role confidence plays in our success in life. As girls and women we do not generally have the same levels of confidence as men do. This is for many reasons. Societal upbringing, social norms, brain biology and hormones to name a few. But the key message in the book is that the lack of confidence although real is also 100% unfounded. Women are as competent as men and in some situations even more competent. A lack of confidence does not in any way equate to a lack of competence. Very interesting research around genetics and brain neurology are part of the book, as well as suggestions for women and parenting girls advice on how to build more confidence. This is a great book to explore how women can be more aware of what holds us back that can be improved upon.
Below is a link of a video eight minutes in length of the authors describing the findings in the book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSPshvn56sk
9. Mindset – by Carol S. Dweck, Phd – This book is great for anyone who thinks they aren’t something. For example, I’m not smart, or I’m not athletic or I’m just not artistic. This book shows us that you can learn practically anything if you have what the author calls a Growth Mindset as opposed to a Fixed Mindset. This book also helps people who think they are something. For example, I am brilliant at finances or I am an A student. What happens to people who think they are perfect in one area with a Fixed Mindset when they hit a failure? This is a great book for parenting too with many suggestions for how to encourage the Growth Mindset in your children though a specific type of praise that focus on the process not the outcome.
Below is a link of a video eleven minutes in length to describe these concepts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc
10. Wired for Story – by Lisa Cron – A very engaging overview of how to craft a truly compelling story. We are all wired for story, and story telling has been a part of human connection even before books were around. Even those that don’t love reading still love stories, in movies for example. This book gives you examples of how to craft a story that pulls the reader forward. In good story the reader needs to know what comes next. It has some checklists in each chapter to review your current piece of work against to see where it has gaps. The book is a valuable tool for writers and written in a way you want to learn to apply her techniques.
11. The Sky is Everywhere – Jandy Nelson – Another tug at our heart strings from this talented author. She weaves us with magic through the grief and guilt of losing a sibling as Lennie struggles with young love and acceptance of the guilt of being the one that lived. The story and characters and quirky and lovable from the start. Her writing is absolutely gorgeous.
12. The Pearl – by John Steinbeck – I read this book just to prove a point to my son that a book could be read in one sitting if he’d only focus. (smile) The book is around 10,000 words, so my only goal was to prove a point to him. If I had read this as a teenager I surely didn’t grasp the significance of it. The book is a disturbing lesson to remind us how unfair life is. You find yourself cheering for Kino and wanting him to keep pressing on to better his life, but every step he takes results in more disaster. You end up grappling with what it means to strive for more in life vs. how to just accept your lot no matter how bad. You question if any of your efforts mean a hill of beans or if its all fate just playing you like a pawn. Steinbeck, the master, is able to relay all of this to us in such a short piece of work.
13. Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – by Greg McKeown – This is like minimalism for our productive lives. As our information flow and technology increases our need to slow down and think more increases. He advocates pairing down on all of our duties and agreements to the bare few essential items. Doing this allows us to find great success in a few areas, instead of little progress in several areas. Many of us are uncomfortable saying no, but we need to say no to focus on what is essential. If you are feeling stretched and burdened, busy but not productive and unsure how to fix it this book will be very helpful.
Great summary of the ideas in the book in link here. The video is eleven minutes long. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euJc0UmSik8
14. The Untethered Soul – by Michael Singer – This book is a guide for how to live your life at a higher spiritual level. He has a nondenominational approach, so he doesn’t single out one religious path over another. The book is not long, but it’s a very deep topic. It’s not often immediately after I finish a book I vow to re-read it, and this one I will. The first step he says is to find peace within yourself and quiet the thinking mind that is generally quite negative and literally crazy. Our thinking mind that talks to us is not our friend. When we listen to our thinking brain we exhaust ourselves, deplete our energy and avoid our purpose here. Powerful book that has the potential to change the quality of your life and your relationships if you listen deeply to his message.
Some Soul Sunday Oprah interviews below. (Five and four minutes each)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3el1Kp7clsA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKDPBt2m_iE
15. Between You & Me – by Lisa Hall – This book will teach you something a bit shocking about yourself you may not want to know. Yes, I said something shocking about yourself. It has a plot twist at the end you won’t see coming. I found myself scurrying to find what I missed in the clues and dumbfounded about what the writer exposed. Stunning. The story itself is about spousal abuse and how it can be a sticky web to extricate from in what is a long, painful process of waking up to reality. I highly recommend this one.
16. Precense – by Ann Cuddy – This book is about how to use body language and purposeful body poses to bring your best self to any situation you encounter. Fascinating research about how we sit and stand and the effect posture has on decisions we make about ourselves. Did you know people born blind still strike the same “V” pose that runners do after they win a race throwing their arms above their head high, chest out? Body language and confidence in body language is instinctual. Research also shows that hunching over our phones all day is effecting our confidence due to posture. Very science based with many examples. Her twenty minute TED talk is amazing, as it touches on her own personal life journey overcoming a significant personal adversity. https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
17. The First 50 Pages – by Jeff Gerke – The focus of this book is how to pull your reader in from the first page and not let go until they are hooked. Great examples of how to write realistic dialog, one of the most difficult things to do as a writer. He goes through the pitfalls to watch for in point of view. Great tool for writers especially from the perspective of what a literary agent is looking for when they first pick up your book.
18. Love is the Killer App – by Tim Sanders – This book will lead you through how to incorporate your passionate side with your professional life. When you can merge your passions and your paycheck that is everyone’s dream come true! Then work is play. The key is to bring more of who you are as a unique person with certain passions and interests into your work relationships. Such great practical examples to bring more connection to your professional life and more fulfillment to your work.
19. The Time Keeper – by Mich Albom – A fabulous book to remind us that time isn’t about the amount we have, but the moments we have. Wonderful creative story that makes you think about how you spend your days and use your most valuable gift. He is a gifted writer with excellent insight into our human journey and how to live a better life.
20. The Big Leap – by Gay Hendricks – Have you ever been flying high from a new success or promotion only to have your relationship fall apart? Why is that? The reason he says is we actually self-sabotage because we aren’t comfortable feeling that great. In other words we don’t think we’re worthy, so we react with negativity to pull us back into a realm of normalcy we feel more comfortable in. Most people live lives that are some good, some bad, a mixture. He shows us how we get in our own way of owning more joy more often and living in our Zone of Genius where work is play and we love what we do.
21. Mind over Money Management – by Robyn Crane – This book was a great overview of first identifying your money type. Some of us use spending money to feel better, others are scared of even looking at their money, and still others are living in a scarcity mode. She encourages you to take the time to examine where you are at financially, set goals and make choices. Overall a great map for how to take these steps for those not familiar with finances. It’s what most people probably need most as she makes the point that a financial planner only tells you what to do with your money after you have money. What most people need is how to gain some control over how they interact with money so that they can accumulate some money in the first place.
22. Rising Strong – by Brene Brown – Can’t say enough about how much I loved this book. We all have baggage, we all have failures and regrets. These life events can bring us down and hold us there if we aren’t brave enough to really wade through the muck to get to the other side of these lessons. Just reading her book will give you the steps and a deep inside look at what it takes to wade through to the other side. She reveals this process right along with you by exposing some of her most vulnerable moments of self-exploration. You can see for yourself that every single one of us has these dark corners. Rather than ignore them we are called to explore them, uncover them, learn from them and help others do the same.
I’ve included a link to her twenty minute Ted Talk that has over 27 million views. So, it’s not short, but her message is profoundly life changing. I’d highly encourage you to listen to her talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability
23. May Cause Miracles – by Gabby Bernstein – For many this book may seem a little too who-hoo or airy-fairy. But I am telling you, if you give it a chance and do the exercises she is giving you, a change will occur. A shift in your thinking. An openness to the goodness, light and love in the world. We are all made of energy. We are constantly giving off our energy to the world and absorbing the energy of the world. Its not too far fetched to think that if you can change your energy, you can really change your life. There is much we don’t understand yet about the body, the brain, the soul and our energy. If you are new to mindfulness and meditation this is a great book to lead you through how to implement those practices in your life. Plus, just love her positivity, vulnerability and authenticity. She’s the real deal.
Here is Gabby doing a Ted Talk for twenty minutes on Being a Miracle Worker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT6qWghHkFI
24. God Wants You To Be Rich – by Paul Zane Pilzer – Eye catching title for sure, especially for those of us that grew up with religious pressures that tend to give off a message of having too much is a sin. Warning though, this book is basically an economic theory book. If you love econ you’ll love this book. Another interesting thing is it was actually written in 1995. The passage of time since the release, creates the ability to see how many of his predictions did happen. The author’s basic theory is that this belief that the resources on earth are limited is false. Most of the economic history is based on scare resources we must conserve and go to war to fight over. Technology he says is the creator of all new resources, and new resources we can’t even imagine yet will continue to be produced. The more you use your God given talents to better your life, the more lives you will better for others in the process.
25. The Little Paris Bookshop – by Nina George – Some big life themes in here such as the passage of time and slipping away of dreams, and how we close ourselves off to love. It explores what is love, and has some surprising scenes and twists. I really liked how the author was able to show an affectionate friendship between men in the story that was more true to the richness and complexity of reality. Not all men are bonded on beer, sports and sweat. This book showed the intricacy and complexity of all human relationships.
26. The Coaching Habit – by Michael Bungay Stanier – Insightful, short book that has practical tools you can use on your job immediately to do less advise giving to your employees and more guiding to help them find and embrace their own solutions. The answer at work is not to just keep doing more until you drop, but find ways to engage and empower others. This book is a great primer in how to make changes in your work interactions to do just that.
27. Big Magic – by Elizabeth Gilbert – The author if Eat, Pray, Love brings us a book delving into what it means to live a creative life. In this book she doesn’t mean just those that make a living at being a creative, but those that choose that path despite the rewards. She tells an amazing true story in one section that will convince you that divine intervention is most certainly involved in creative work gifting us with it’s presence. This book is great for anyone wishing to be more open and connecting deeper with their creative side. Here is a link to an audio book excerpt of Big Magic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJTcRXzFUdM
28. The One Year Bible – This was not the first time I’d attempted to read the bible cover to cover, but 2016 was my first successful attempt! I would highly recommend using this bible format if you are making an attempt to read cover to cover. The format mixes a selection from Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs each day. Even getting through the book of Job is manageable in this format. Daily reading commitment is about fifteen minutes.
We can’t all have a life that affords us to travel the world, but we all have at our fingertips the world through words.
Reading is the compass to your future.