2019: So Many Books

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:

  1. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
  2. Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett
  3. Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna

The three books I would recommend to artists:

  1. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
  2. Art Inc by Lisa Congdon
  3. 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:

  1. Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott
  2. What if this were enough? by Heather Havrilesky
  3. The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman

I also read:

  1. Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
  2. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
  3. The Mastery of Self by don Miguel Ruiz Jr.
  4. The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist with Teresa Barker 
  5. The Education of Will by Patricia B. McConnell 
  6. Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud
  7. The Best Place to Work by Ron Friedman
  8. Disrupt Yourself by Whitney Johnson
  9. Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins
  10. Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
  11. Becoming by Michelle Obama
  12. Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher
  13. Creating Your Best Life by Caroline Miller and Michael B. Frisch
  14. The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
  15. The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner
  16. Happiness is a Choice You Make by John Leland
  17. Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
  18. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
  19. This is Marketing by Seth Godin
  20. The Next Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D. and Sarah Stanley Fallaw Ph.D 
  21. Everybody, Always by Bob Goff
  22. Ransacker by Emmy Laybourne 
  23. Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
  24. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
  25. Choose Wonder Over Worry by Amber Rae
  26. The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge 
  27. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman 
  28. Job Joy: Your Guide to Success, Meaning and Happiness in Your Career
    by Kristen J. Zavo and Ellen Petry Leanse
  29. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
  30. The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias by Dolly Chugh and Lazlo Bock
  31. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
  32. Worth It by Amanda Steinberg
  33. A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death by Dr. BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger 
  34. Crucial Accountability by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, David Maxfield
  35. Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson 
  36. Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, David Mead, et al.
  37. Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor 
  38. Get it Done by Sam Bennett
  39. Start Right Where You Are by Sam Bennett
  40. Reinventing You by Dorie Clark
  41. The Man in the Window by Jon Cohen
  42. The Library Book by Susan Orlean
  43. 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

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