“I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library”
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Every year I procure a reading list of books that have been recommended to me and ones I’ve heard of and want to read. And surely enough, it seems like every year I only set aside enough time for about half of my list. Don’t get me wrong, I read plenty of articles, blog posts, journals and magazines but there’s just something about sitting down with an ACTUAL book and turning the pages that makes it that much better. Also, not to mention I find books helpful for learning information you probably can’t get elsewhere.
I love reading all sorts of books — from entertaining Gone Girl-esque thrillers to informative reference books about how to lead a more productive life (I guess this could also be categorized as self-help but for some reason I feel like self-help has a negative connotation to it? I blame this episode of Sex and The City where Charlotte tries to go to the self-help aisle and get scared away by the sobbing women).
I’ve broken out the books by category: Fiction, Non-Fiction/Memoir, Suspense/Thriller, and Self-Help/Reference. I hope you guys find some books to spark your interest and add to your reading list from mine!
FICTION:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (OK so I’ve actually read this one ages ago — it’s by the same author of the Big Little Lies . I really loved the message in it — plus it’s a sweet, feel-good read so I want to re-read this one)
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (a lot of people have recommended this! part of Reese Witherspoon’s book club)
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner (this one looks really interesting)
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (this one looks like it’ll probably make me cry)
REFERENCE/SELF-HELP:
Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation by Joseph Campbell (I’ve read another one of Joseph Campbell’s books; The Power of Myth - which I also highly recommend to anyone struggling to find their passion in life so I’m excited to try this one out!)
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle (I’ve read excerpts and quotes of this book but I really want to sit down and read this one from start to finish)
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (I was hesitant about this book but I follow this author on twitter and really like a lot of what he has to say so I figure why not try it)
Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness by Richard Thaler
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (This one I half-assed listened to on Audible on my commute to work while I was scrolling through IG - probably why audio books don’t work for me but I remember it being interesting because they used a lot of psychological experiments for the reasoning behind how powerful habit forming is! Personally, these kinds of ‘self-help’ books work better for me than the ones that just cheer on “being positive” because there’s actual scientific data backing them up)
SUSPENSE/THRILLER:
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (I’ve read Ruth Ware’s other books before and it’s definitely good if you want something suspenseful/creepy)
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeny
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Hidden Bodes by Caroline Kepnes (this is the sequel to You - yes, the same book the Netflix show is based off of. I was hooked on this book so I can’t wait to find out what happens next!)
NON-FICTION/MEMOIR:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed (I saw the movie that was based off of this book a while back but I’ve always been curious to read it! It seems like an incredible moving story and I can’t believe it’s based off someone’s life)
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss (This is basically an encyclopedia of interviews ranging from a variety of successful people in various fields. I also recommend Ferriss’ podcasts where he interviews some really interesting people and you get their take on what it is to be successful)
Educated by Tara Westover (Really want to read this one ASAP - It’s a #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Boston Globe bestseller)
The Library Book by Susan Orlean (Reese Witherspoon just had this as the book of the month for her book club)
Becoming by Michelle Obama (regardless of your politics, this one looks like a good read and I’ve had countless people recommend it to me!)
I would love to know if you guys have read any of these books or if you have any other recommendations for me to add to my 2019 reading list!
