One of my goals this year was to read 50 books. I haven’t read that many books in a year since I was a kid. Most of the books that I read now are non-fiction which, for me, has always been a different kind of reading. With some help from one of my top recommendations of the year, Atomic Habits by James Clear, I developed a rock-solid reading habit.
The three books that I read this year that I would recommend in general:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
- Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett
- Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna
The three books I would recommend to artists:
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Art Inc by Lisa Congdon
- The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield and Shawn Coyne OR Coaching the Artist Within by Eric Maisel
The three books I would recommend to people having an existential crisis:
- Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott
- What if this were enough? by Heather Havrilesky
- The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman
I also read:
- Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
- Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
- The Mastery of Self by don Miguel Ruiz Jr.
- The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist with Teresa Barker
- The Education of Will by Patricia B. McConnell
- Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud
- The Best Place to Work by Ron Friedman
- Disrupt Yourself by Whitney Johnson
- Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins
- Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher
- Creating Your Best Life by Caroline Miller and Michael B. Frisch
- The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
- The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner
- Happiness is a Choice You Make by John Leland
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
- Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
- This is Marketing by Seth Godin
- The Next Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D. and Sarah Stanley Fallaw Ph.D
- Everybody, Always by Bob Goff
- Ransacker by Emmy Laybourne
- Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
- Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
- Choose Wonder Over Worry by Amber Rae
- The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
- The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
- Job Joy: Your Guide to Success, Meaning and Happiness in Your Career
by Kristen J. Zavo and Ellen Petry Leanse - The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
- The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias by Dolly Chugh and Lazlo Bock
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
- Worth It by Amanda Steinberg
- A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death by Dr. BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger
- Crucial Accountability by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, David Maxfield
- Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
- Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, David Mead, et al.
- Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor
- Get it Done by Sam Bennett
- Start Right Where You Are by Sam Bennett
- Reinventing You by Dorie Clark
- The Man in the Window by Jon Cohen
- The Library Book by Susan Orlean
- The Art of the Start 2.0 by Guy Kawasaki
Coaching is my new jam, especially coaching for executives and creatives, so I read a lot of related books. I am also interested in how we can improve end-of-life care for ourselves and others so there are a few books on my list on that topic. And there’s still a little time left in 2019 for another book (or two!). Send me a note and tell me your favorite reads from the past year. I always appreciate a good book recommendation.
Header photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič – @specialdaddy on Unsplash
