JANUARY
Big Magic was the first book I read this year, and I'm so glad it was. I keep coming back to it when I hit a creativity rut. I have a hard time linking creativity to curiosity because my curiosity tends to be so academic and career-driven. Example: my current obsession is supply chain design & operations, and I'm pursuing a Supply Chain Credential from MIT on the side. I'm naturally disciplined when it comes to work, but not creativity, and I'm excited for my sister-in-law to move into town, so that we can be creative-work partners.
FEBRUARY
When Breath Becomes Air – I wrote about this book earlier this year, and I still think that it's one of my defining books for this year.
MARCH
The Expatriates. – I was immediately hooked on this book. The story follows the intersection of the lives of three women, with the underlying themes of motherhood and belonging. We spent about a year and a half living as expats in Shanghai, so the backdrop of expat life in Hong Kong resonated strongly.
APRIL
If I had a book club just focused on business, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World would be at the top of the list. So, so insightful. I would read passages out loud to Dave, s so we could discuss. I have a feeling this will be a book that I re-read every year.
MAY
All the Light We Cannot See is a book that I admit I still haven't finished reading. It's the perfect bedside book because the "chapters" are short, and the writing is stunning, so it's like a grown-up lullaby. I've stretched reading this book out over months, but I'm still hooked. It's a gem.
JUNE
Essentialism has been on my to-read list for a while, but I finally pulled the trigger after my friend Ashlee's recommendation (read her related post, here). I'm not quite finished, but I've already been talking about the books examples and principles with Dave and folks at work. The ideas overlap with some of other books I've been reading lately (see my book pairings below), but in a good, reinforcing way. It takes deliberate, sustained effort to do only the things that we alone are meant to do, and the pruning of the 90% of the non-essentials is my work in progress.
Book Pairings: Thrive and The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington; also: Shauna Niequist's essay "Things I Don't Do" in Bittersweet
SUMMER READING, SNEAK PEAK.
This season's releases are so good. Liane Moriarty's newest book – Truly, Madly, Guilty – comes out this month, and I can't wait to read it. I devoured her other books. There's always a twist, and they are always funny. I'm also a huge Shauna Niequist fan – I preordered Present Over Perfect months ago, even though it doesn't come out until August 9. Visit her website, and you can get a sample chapter delivered to your inbox. More of my summer reading list, coming soon.