Though I didn’t hit my goal last year, I’m upping my goal again this year…to 38 books. Why? Because the goal represents who I want to be, which is a person who is well-read. It doesn’t so much matter whether or not I hit it (though of course accomplishment feels good), it matters more that the goal keeps my intention clear and pushes me further than if I didn’t have it.
Per the usual, as I read I will update this article here for you all. Side note: it seems my posts are getting tons of views but given the lack of post interactions, I have no idea who is viewing them. Who are you people?!?!
If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to follow along, though I will warn you: I post absolutely no insights or ratings publicly.
Have a book recommendation? Let me know!
January
(1) Shoe Dog | Phil Knight
Excellent read! Memoirs are a hit or a miss for me, I don’t usually go for them. Something about Phil drew me into his story from the start…I felt a connection and found myself rooting for him the whole time. He came across with so much humility. I could feel the weight he felt as his mistakes. I loved how he described his interactions with his friends and partners. It made me realize how important it is to fully embrace who I am, instead of trying to mold myself to be someone else.
(2) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck | Mark Manson
Recommended to me by someone who is painfully aware of how many fucks I give about things that don’t deserve it…the message was spot on with what I needed to hear. Manson’s delivery all around what fantastic. I feel like I need to put the first chapter on repeat and have it playing in my ear at all times.
(3) Starry Messenger | Neil deGrasse Tyson
As a big Neil deGrasse fan I wanted this to be better. Got it for Christmas and was very excited by it as I had heard him hype the content before. It read a bit too much like a Twitter feed without a comprehensive thread throughout his points, despite starting out strong and promising to weave a cohesive narrative. I don’t regret reading it, just wasn’t as compelling or thought provoking as I wanted it to be.
(4) Lord of the Flies | William Golding
Weirdly, I had never read this book before…late to the game! I was told it was terrible so I had avoided reading it despite a light curiosity. Well, I was recently told it was definitely not terrible and worth the read, so I picked it up, and I gotta say I quite enjoyed it. Great characters and commentary on basic human drivers.
(5) The Art of War | Sun Tzu
A classic that I had wanted to read for a while, turned out to be a very quick read. Made me want to play a game of Go after reading it 🙂 Lots of great foundational concepts that can be applied to anything. Will likely need to listen to it again in a more intentional frame of mind, as I listened just to listen this first time around.
February
(6) The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey | Kenneth Blanchard
That’s right…the sequel made an appearance! I actually read this one out loud as an audio book, which was a fascinating experience. Great message here, but lacking a bit of the framework for application that the first book delivered so well.
(7) The 6 Habits of Growth | Brendon Burchard
Overall a great listen, though I don’t fully agree with him calling these ‘Habits’ … I think they are more like 6 characteristics or concepts to master on the path to leadership. The first ‘habit’ was most applicable to me – motivation. I liked how he defined motivation as well as the framework he provided for starting the day with intention.
(7) Atomic Habits | James Clear
Book Club read! This was my second time reading it and in re-reading it, I realized just how much stuff stuck with me from the first time. Totally subconscious, I didn’t even realize the concepts came from this book. It’s not common for me to re-read books so that was pretty eye opening in underscoring the value of reading. Really an excellent book on habits in a world where everyone is trying to get your attention to talk to you about habits.
(8) The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time #12) | Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
AAAHHHH finally got through it and it did not disappoint! It was really difficult to pick this one back up because…well, emotions…we’ll get into that later. But once I got back into it I remembered how much I love the characters. As a business-minded person reading this series I really appreciate getting into the minds of various types of leaders. It’s so good.
More to come!
