14 books to consider reading this year
calling all my fellow (and aspiring) bookworms! if you’re looking for some great new reads, look no further…
after devouring 60 books in 2022 (i think that’s a record for me), i’ve whittled them down to my top 14 to help you find something you’ll love and that will support your growth this year.
because what i do lives at the intersection of life coaching and business strategy, my reading over-indexes in the personal development and business genres. i’ve listed them in no particular order or rank and trust that there’s at least one recommendation here that you’ll enjoy:
big little breakthroughs - josh linkner
if you’re building a business, leading a team, and/or looking for inspiration and tools to help you have more frequent and sustained creativity and innovation, it’s worth a read.
finding me - viola davis
i challenge you to read this memoir and not be taken on an emotional journey of empathy, compassion, sadness, anger, amazement, love, and joy. a couple of quotes that stood out: “my biggest discovery was that you can re-create your life. you can redefine it. you don’t have to live in the past.” and “the purpose of live is to live it.” after reading viola davis’ story, these will move and inspire you even more deeply.
how minds change - david mcraney
it’s funny how common sense can fly right out of the window when it comes to topics that are connected to our values. what do i mean? riddle me this: when you last got into a verbal spat with someone over a disagreement, did you pause, listen, build trust and connection, mirror what you heard, and demonstrate your respect for their differing opinion before sharing your experience?.... or, did you get worked up and debate your points, facts, and feelings? (no shame if the latter- i’m guilty of this, too.) this book does a great job of showing anecdotes and scientific evidence of why the prior is more effective (among other ways) if you want to change someone’s mind (or will be open to having yours changed…even by one degree).
i’m glad my mom died - jennette mccurdy
i couldn’t put this book down! it read like fiction, as though i was reading a story like the one from the show the act, but sadly, it’s non-fiction. i wasn’t familiar with the author’s acting career prior to reading this, but that didn’t matter. her writing style is like reading deeply personal pages from her journal of the awful trials she’s endured: abuse, eating disorders, media scrutiny, alcoholism, paternity secrets, and being forced into a career against her will. all somehow mixed with humor. i left with pain for all she’s endured mixed with deep admiration for her resilience, courage, and humor.
the grieving brain - mary-frances o’connor
if you or someone you know is experiencing grief, this book might help. note: grief isn’t just about death. it’s about loss, which we all experience in one form or another (loss of work, friendships, self-identity, etc). reading it while in the early stages of my own, i found it oddly comforting to my nerd sensibilities to understand not only how grief works, but why, thanks to neuroscience. (if you're looking for a book specifically on grief experienced for non-death loss, check out soulbroken.)
the power of moments - chip heath and dan heath
there are applicable nuggets in this book for your business, workplace, downtime, social outings… you name it. i found ways to apply immediately the science behind making moments meaningful. i’d argue that our lives boil down to an accumulation of memorable moments (experienced as ‘bad’ or ‘good’). this book will help you sculpt more of the ‘good’ ones throughout.
when you’re ready, this is how you heal - brianna wiest
this is a beautiful work that blends loving and direct wisdom to help in your journey of self-discovery and healing. i particularly like the author’s unique voice and style. definitely worth a read if you’re down for a compilation of essays that pack a punch.
a happy pocket full of money - david cameron gikandi
this book explores wealth consciousness and quantum physics. fear not: it’s super approachable and handles the topics from a number of angles so that it can solidify in your mind. if you’re a fan of authors like abraham hicks and/or want to fine-tune your relationship to abundance, pick this one up.
what happened to you? - bruce d. perry and oprah winfrey
what happens when instead of asking ‘what’s wrong with you?’ we ask ‘what happened to you?’. we begin to have more empathy and a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. if you’re a nerd about the brain (🙋♀️) and want to understand how experiences turn into programming (and how to change said programming if you want to )...and/or you want more empathy for others… then read this. bonus: it talks a lot about the importance of community and connection to mental health (which are topics near and dear to my heart).
mother hunger - kelly mcdaniel
if you’ve had any trauma, challenge, or pain in your relationship with your mom, pick this book up. if you are a mother, you may also want to grab a copy to help break any generational cycles of pain between mothers and daughters in your lineage.
the personal mba - josh kaufman
i have lots of opinions about actual mbas and this book shared them. whether or not an mba is a part of your journey, this book does a great job of giving both depth and breadth of what you should know about business.
all about love - bell hooks
this book invited me to slow down and really enjoy the act of reading it. bell hooks (rip to my fellow lover of lowercase) breaks down the concept of love into so many dimensions (one per chapter) and stretches your mind to think about it in ways new and old.
the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse - charlie mackesy
i had a dinner party and among many things, we each shared about a book that changed the trajectory of our lives. this book was referenced and i’m so grateful that it was. while it’s likely technically considered a children’s book, every page oozes with deep life wisdom. it’s both beautiful (its artwork) and its messages are deep. i highly suggest picking this one up whenever you need a quick reorientation toward what’s truly important in life.
the self illusion - bruce m. hood
i think a lot about the concept of ‘self’ and personal identity (particularly because of how these identities can both hold us back and propel us forward, depending on the circumstances), so i researched around for the psychology of it. this book does an excellent job of laying out the science behind it. basically: the concept of self is an illusion that we all sort of have to agree upon to live happily and collectively. interestingly, much of this science matches spiritual teachings on the subject, as well. a dense and great read if this topic piques your interest.
looking for more? here are links to my 2021 and 2022 recommendations, as well.
which will you read first?