77 Reads for A More Enlightened, Aligned, Successful You
Last spring I made this list of recommended reads. I am posting it here on my blog because…
It’s resolution season and if reading more is on your mind, here’s a great list of diverse books and authors to get you started.
Your resolution may not be reading-specific but perhaps there’s something here that will help you with your goal.
I’m all about personal testimonials and if you are too, this is my stamp of approval!
A mix of fiction and nonfiction, I’ve organized them into the following subjects:
Culture, Politics, Society and Ideas
Leadership
Mind. Body, Soul.
Creativity
Productivity
Business and Money
Triumphant Tales
At the bottom of the post, you’ll find the entire list in alphabetical order by title with a link to find out more about the book or author.
The opening letter (below) was written last spring after a second year of devastating forest fires, the pandemic had taken hold of every continent and the Black Lives Matter movement resurged… It was obvious 2020 was not joking around. Feel free to read or simply scroll on through.
Happy Reading! And Happy New Year!
Hey there!
I curated this list of 77 recommended reads. I’ve read every single one of these books and am more knowledgeable, compassionate and successful for having done so.
There’s a gazillion and one reasons why reading is so beneficial and I’m sure you’ve heard them all so let me cut to the chase: the capacity for success and resilience, on both an individual and societal level, stems from a willingness to learn, to grow, and to adapt.
As we venture into a new future, I’m sure spidey senses are tingling. Change tends to do that. It’s our survival instincts. The amygdala (the part of our brain responsible for fear) is sending signals to stay safe and avoid the unknown; in doing so, we cling to what is familiar. You’ll notice some leaning into that feeling.
The magical part of being human is we have the ability to work through fear, to look past the risks and see the rewards.
I really believe that most people, in their heart of hearts, want to embrace change because it enables us to follow a path towards fulfillment, purpose, impact, and ultimately happiness. The disconnect lies in the how... How does one work through fear and embrace change? How does one get past the nay-sayers who resist change?
For me, a big part of the answer is personal leadership – the self-guidance or management of one’s own thoughts, choices, and actions. I’ve broken it down here into these 5 steps:
Clean the slate by letting go of biases. (In other words, consider you might not actually know a damn thing in this world.)
Seek to understand by conversing, listening, observing and reading.
Reflect on how your actions, thoughts and choices fit or don’t fit with this new perspective and in doing so transform ‘knowledge’ into ‘wisdom.’
Apply your newly acquired wisdom through daily actions.
Repeat.
Personal leadership applies to everything big and small - starting a new business, managing a team, losing 10 lbs., fighting climate change, learning a new skill... Whatever shift you’re looking to make in your life, whether by choice or because you got dealt some crummy cards, your thoughts, choices and actions will impact your results.
I truly hope that these books provide you with insight, inspiration, and maybe even a laugh or two, the way they did for me. And hey... don’t be shy! I’d love to hear what books have made an impact on your life.
With love,
Sarah
Culture, Politics, Society and Ideas
Fiction
“I may be indigent in name, position, and in appearance, but in my own mind I am an unrivaled goddess.”
Culture, Politics, Society and Ideas
NonFiction
“The pleasure of being alive is brought into sharper focus when you need to pay attention to staying alive.”
Check out Adichie’s “We Should All Be Feminists” TED Talk.
Mind. Body, Soul.
“If you know what you want from life, don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be obtained, especially if the one telling you is yourself.”
Creativity
“If music could be held…”
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur was initially self-published and made its way to the New York Times bestseller list where it lived for over a year. Such a great example of following your gut and taking a leap of faith.
Leadership
“Your personal core values define who you are, and a company’s core values ultimately define the company’s character and brand. For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.”
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a fictional tale of personal leadership.
Business and Money
“Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.”
Productivity
“Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. ”
Triumphant Tales
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.”
Alphabetical Order
The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
The 5 Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
10% Happier by Dan Harris
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina
The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay
The Beauty of Discomfort by Amanda Lang
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Birdie by Tracey Lindberg
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
Carry This Book by Abbi Jacobson
Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War by Michel Chikwanine
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
Conversational Intelligence by Judith E. Glaser
Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
The Dip by Seth Godin
The Disappeared by Kim Echlin
Dopesick by Beth Macy
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Even This Page is White by Vivik Shraya
Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
How To Be A Bawse by Lilly Singh
Hunger by Roxane Gay
If... by Sarah Perry
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity by Tina Seeling
Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer
Just Listen by Mark Goulston
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
Leaders: Myth and Reality by General Stanley McChrystal
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Love & Courage by Jagmeet Singh
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
The Nature Principle by Richard Louv
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping
Rich Bitch by Nicole Lapin
Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore
Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre
Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Unlearn by Humble the Poet
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Wealthy Renter by Alex Avery
The Weekend Effect by Katrina Onstad
The Wisdom of Wolves by Jim & Jamie Dutcher
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
You Are A Badass At Making Money by Jen Sincero