books i've loved so far this year 📚

if you’re looking for a great end-of-summer read, i’ve rounded up some of my top picks so far for 2023 (although many were published well before that).

you’ll note that they fall primarily into the categories of personal development, business, and/or spirituality (and almost all are nonfiction). in no particular order:

educated by tara westover: i’m very late to the game on reading this book… alas, i’m so glad that i did. a coming-of-age story unlike any other i’ve read in modern times. the author shares her wild experiences of living off the grid with her family and what transpires there is mind-boggling and heart-wrenching. it turns into a journey of self-discovery (and bravery… and healing) through education and access to the world outside of this bubble. where she lands from where she starts is astonishing. and the personal cost of relationships, trauma, and more is huge. absolutely worth reading this inspiring tale!

the selected works of audre lorde by audre lorde: a beautiful compilation of poems and prose by lorde, introduced by roxane gay. lorde’s writing is truly intersectional, speaking directly to topics on feminism, being black in america, and queer theory. absolutely worth a read.

the tools by phil stutz: if you’ve watched the netflix doc stutz, the concepts in this book will be familiar to you, but they (naturally) go much deeper in the book. this book was written over a decade prior to the film and the tools are simple, but not easy, to deploy, in the face of pain, negative thoughts, or otherwise. i really enjoyed it and plan to continue to go back to it as i fine-tune the use of one tool at a time.

the perfectionist’s guide to losing control by katherine morgan schafler: this has been, hands-down, the book i’ve recommended the most this year. do you know that feeling when you finish a book and you feel both delighted (because you completed something and enjoyed it) and sad (because it’s over)? that’s how i felt finishing this. perfectionist or not, there is so much richness in this book. i highlighted the hell out of it and took oodles of pictures of excerpts to share with clients.

americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie: a rare fiction read for me, but well worth the 600 pages. a captivating story of love, immigration, race (and racism), class, and so much more. definitely worth a read!

walking each other home by ram dass: death and dying are topics we skirt around in american culture. yet, it’s inevitable. this book beautifully talks about death: how to address it with less fear for ourselves and others, and how to be there for those for whom it’s impending. it also serves as a powerful reminder about presence and the profound impact of Love (intentionally capitalized).

honorable mentions: