For me, reading is one of the greatest gifts I can give myself. I did not grow up watching people read books. My parents read the newspaper mostly–which is great but I really discovered the power of reading late when a teacher in my 10th grade encouraged me to read Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I was hooked! 

Reading fiction and memoir transports me to different worlds, stories and eras. Reading non-fiction stimulates my mind creatively and that makes me feel proud of myself for learning new things. Listening to podcasts, attending classes and conferences and reading articles all give me ideas for my own thought leadership and dive into my favorite topics (performance, productivity, psychology). All of this connects, for me, a feeling of hope and optimism, hope and just a better frame of mind–something I really need in today’s world. 

So what would be most helpful or interesting for you? What do you want to do differently in the next year to enhance your already-awesome existence? 

Professional and Personal Development Books

The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A. Singer

Author said yes to all requests no matter what. My controlling nature struggled with this.

The Let Them Theory  by Mel Robbins

Excellent model for managing life in today’s world. 

Spark Brilliance by Jackie Insinger

Excellent leadership book. Read it a few years back and listened on Audible recently. So good. 

Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team by Simon Sinek, David Mead, Peter Docker

Love Sinek. More helpful for a newer facilitator. 

Outlive by Peter Attia

The bible for your health. 18 hours seems like it should come with a public award. But so good. 

Activate Your Greatness by Alex Toussaint

Part memoir, part motivation. Great for graduates or first time non fiction readers.

A Minute to Think by Juliette Funt

Ideal for leaders ready to change the culture of ingrained tyranny of the urgency. 

How to Make Virtual Engagement Easy by Chad Littlefield

Love the card decks I ordered by the same group, but the book was repetitive.

Memoir

I Forgot to Die by Khalil Rafati

Unbelievable first-hand account of how much drug and alcohol abuse a body can take–sometimes.

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong 

Funny and fabulously irreverent account of her motherhood and culture.

Epic Novels That I Could Not Put Down

The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

About the reality of  American Military Nurses in the Vietnam war. My favorite read of the year. Just WOW!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

This book puts you in occupied France during WW2. I almost couldn’t take it–but glad I finished. Humanity can be the extremes of cruelty and endurance. 

Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks

Oh so good. Toggles beautifully between 1850’s and modern day. Brilliant.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Just a beautiful, longer read about nature and people in farm country here in the US.

Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

Whoa! Appalachian kid in the foster care system at the birthplace of the Opioid crisis. So good. 

Novels

cuz a girl’s gotta have some fun between all of that serious stuff

CIRCE by Madeline Miller

Mythic Gods and Goddesses–loved it!

Sweet Salt Air: A Novel  by Barbara Delinsky

Set in a Cape Cod type place. Loved it. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Adorable.

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros

A fab mix of history and beach read. 

Love at First Book  by Jenn McKinlay

Inadvertently read lots of novels about books. I loved this adorable story the most. 

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Adorbs. Loved.

Long Island by Colm Toibin

Set in the 1970s. Thoughtful. Very good. 

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

This writer is known for “STEM” type female characters who engage with annoying men and then fall in love. I enjoyed this. 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

This is like if Twilight was R-rated. I think it is called a dark novel. I was surprised I enjoyed it. But I did.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Again a book about books. Formulaic but still really readable and fun. 

Sandwich: A Novel by Catherine Newman

LOL funny about motherhood, family and mid-life. 

All That Life Can Afford: Reese’s Book Club by Emily Everett

Beach read I could not put down. 

Lies and Weddings: A Novel by Kevin Kwan

He wrote Crazy Rich Asians. I hope this one becomes a movie as well.

The Tree Doctor: A Novel by Marie Mutsuki Mockett

Lonely woman in the COVID crisis. 

Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I loved this and I learned a lot about Space and female astronauts.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Loved the story–but a little too far on the kinky for my taste.

Stuck Up and Stupid: A Reese’s Book Club Pick by Angourie Rice, Kate Rice

Apparently, teen reads are too chaste for me. 

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

Suspense ensues on a desert island where a reality show was to be filmed. Loved it. 

Books About Dementia 

This year, I had the great honor of being a guest caller on The Oprah Podcast, where Oprah interviewed Emma Heming Willis, the wife of Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis and my husband have a different version of the same dementia. Bruce has the Aphasia version of Frontotemporal Dementia, and my husband has the Behavioral Variant.

The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path  by Emma Heming Willis

A must read for any caregiver. Excellent. Validating. Incredibly helpful.

Travelers to Unimaginable Lands: Stories of Dementia, the Caregiver, and the Human Brain by Dasha Kiper

Combines true stories of how this evil disease presents itself and the brain science behind it. Very good.

What If It’s Not Alzheimer’s?: A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia by Gary Radin and Lisa Radin

For caregivers of people with FTD, Parkinson’s Dementia, Lewy Body etc. Lifesavingly helpful.

To the Last Dance: A Partner’s Story of Living and Loving through Dementia by Myrna Marofsky

Brave and truthful about the struggle.