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Every year, one of my goals is to read more books. I believe the best path to personal growth, to living as the best version of myself, is to read. Reading, learning, growing . . . it can change how we see ourselves. And when that happens, we can transform our entire lives, the lives of those we love, and even the communities around us.
Earlier this month, I talked about the new vision for love beauty thrive and our word for the year. In 2022, I want to thrive. And I want us to thrive together, living our very best lives. I have lots of personal, writing and business goals this year, and to stay inspired, focused and intentional in them all – to thrive – it’s really quite simple . . . I just have to read.
Now, let’s talk about how to set reading goals, reading strategy, and my book list for the year. I included books that I haven’t yet read, that I feel will allow me to become a better version of myself, and in turn a better wife, mother, friend, and entrepreneur. It’s my sincere hope that you see some titles on the list that will help you to thrive this year too.
Setting Reading Goals
Each year, my goal is to read at least two or three books a month, more if I can. I am a book lover, I love to read. But reading requires time, and I also have a husband, two kids, two rescue kittens, and a full time business. I strive for one book every two weeks (that’s about 24 books over the year at minimum). But, if it’s a busy month and I don’t meet my goal, that’s ok!
We have to be realistic in the goals we set for ourselves. Do you enjoy reading? Does it come easily to you? What is your work schedule and lifestyle like? What are your family or other life responsibilities? As with any positive lifestyle change, you have to make the time for what is important to you, while being flexible and understanding.
Reading Strategy
I read in the morning and often again before bed. I am a big believer in the importance and life changing value of a morning routine. It’s dedicated time to work toward my own personal goals before the day begins, and sets the intention and pace for the rest of my family’s day too. I set aside 15-20 minutes of my daily morning routine for personal growth reading.
A quiet morning, a great book, a fresh coffee and a journal close by, it’s really the perfect way to start the day. I’ll read any other time I happen to have the chance too. Find the time that works best for your lifestyle and schedule. Start with 10 minutes a day. Everyone can find 10 minutes during the day to dedicate to becoming their best selves. You absolutely deserve it (and so much more).
Between the Covers
As you set your reading goals, I hope you will also join us at the beginning of each month for our monthly book feature, Between the Covers. It’s our book-of-the-month pick, connecting us in the experience of impactful storytelling, meaningful conversation and personal growth one book (and perfect cup of coffee) at a time. You might just see some titles from this list as upcoming features!
In case you missed it, the first edition of Between the Covers launched just this month. There’s always still time to read along with us! I share all the details about this new series and announce our very first featured selection in this blog post. You don’t want to miss it!
My 2022 Reading List
Let’s get to the books! Here is my 2022 reading list. It’s a working list (in no particular order), that is revised throughout the year as new books are released and book club titles are announced, and as I discover new authors or dive deeper into a particular topic of interest. Drum roll, please . . .
1. The Paper Palace: A Novel – Miranda Cowley Heller. love beauty thrive’s first Between the Covers book feature (be sure to check out our blog post to read along with us).
2. Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life In A Too-Busy World – Eve Rodsky. Also by Rodsky, Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution For When You Have Too Much To Do (And More Life To Live), a Reese’s Book Club pick.
3. Super Attractor: Methods For Manifesting A Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams – Gabrielle Bernstein.
4. Think Again: The Power Of Knowing What You Don’t Know – Adam Grant.
5. Circe – Madeline Miller. Also by Miller, The Song Of Achilles: A Novel.
6. The Storyteller: Tales Of Life And Music – Dave Grohl.
7. Where The Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens. A Reese’s Book Club pick.
8. No Cure For Being Human (And Other Truths I Need To Hear) – Kate Bowler. Also by Bowler, Everything Happens For A Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved.
9. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir Of A Life Interrupted – Suleika Jaouad.
10. The Way Of Integrity: Finding The Path To Your True Self – Martha Beck. An Oprah’s Book Club selection.
11. Think Like A Monk: Train Your Mind For Peace & Purpose Every Day – Jay Shetty.
12. The High 5 Habit: Take Control Of Your Life With One Simple Habit – Mel Robbins. Also by Robbins, The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence With Everyday Courage.
13. The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan For A Longer, Better Life – Dan Buettner.
14. The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How To Make Your Life Better (And Other People’s Lives Better Too) – Gretchen Rubin. Also by Rubin, Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making And Breaking Habits – To Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, And Generally Build A Better Life.
15. Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self Love Is The Key To Unlocking Your Greatness – Vex King.
16. Bewilderment: A Novel – Richard Powers. An Oprah’s Book Club selection.
17. Rich As F*ck: More Money Than You Know What To Do With – Amanda Frances.
18. How To Think Like A Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius – Donald J. Robertson.
19. The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life – Robin Sharma.
20. The Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business – Charles Duhigg.
21. Own Your Everyday: Overcome The Pressure To Prove And Show Up For What You Were Meant To Do – Jordan Lee Dooley.
22. High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way – Brendon Burchard.
23. How To Get Sh*t Done: Why Women Need To Stop Doing Everything So They Can Achieve Anything – Erin Falconer.
24. Dare To Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts – Brene Brown. Also by Brown, Atlas Of The Heart: Mapping Meaningful And The Language Of Human Experience, Braving The Wilderness: The Quest For True Belonging And The Courage To Stand Alone, and Rising Strong: How The Ability To Reset Transforms The Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead.
Honorable Mentions
I always have other books in mind, in case I work through my reading list ahead of schedule or feel like changing things up as I read along. Here are eight additional books that were so close to making the list, I had to make them an honorable mention list of their own.
1. Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter – Curtis Jackson.
2. Will – Will Smith. “The best memoir I’ve ever read,” – Oprah Winfrey.
3. Life Force: How New Breakthroughs In Precision Medicine Can Transform The Quality Of Your Life & Those Your Love – Tony Robbins.
4. Yearbook – Seth Rogen. A fellow Canadian (and a Drew Barrymore recommendation).
5. Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment For Depression And Anxiety – David D. Burns
6. Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcolm Gladwell. Also by Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference, Outliers: The Story Of Success, and Talking To Strangers: What We Should Know About People We Don’t Know.
7. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret To Achieving More With Less – Richard Koch.
8. Thinking, Fast & Slow – Daniel Kahneman.
Your 2022 Reading List
Are you a book lover like me? If so, what’s on your 2022 reading list? Do you have any recommendations I should add to my list for the year? If you’d like to start reading more but are not sure where to start, I hope that my list can give you some ideas and that you’ll join us each month for our monthly book feature, Between the Covers.
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Between the Covers No. 1, The Paper Palace
