Despite completing a double major in creative and professional writing with honours, it’s been years since I’ve read leisurely. Last year I decided to change that and, as a result, I smashed through 17 books. It fell short of the 24 I was aiming for. But, considering the circumstances of 2018, I am beyond proud of what I achieved and also what I learnt from the pages I absorbed.
This time last year I touched on what I planned on reading. Given how much I enjoyed 2018’s reads, I plan on doing it all over again while also nailing the novels I couldn’t get my hands on last year.
2019 Reading Challenge:
I’m aiming for 16 novels in 2019 now that I have a better understanding of my reading capabilities. It’s significantly less than last year’s goal because I am no longer suffering through a 3+ hour commute every day – yay!
Books to Finish:
- “The Happiness Track” by Emma Seppälä
- “Little Black Book” by Otegha Uwagba
- “Social Media Strategy: Marketing and Advertising in the Consumer Revolution” by Keith Quesenberry
- “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
Books to Start:
- “You Are Enough” by Cassie Mendoza
- “Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs” by Henry Carroll
- “The Art of the Good Life” by Rolf Dobelli
- “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
- “You Do You: How to Be Who You Are and Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want” by Sarah Knight
- “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur
- “Where’s My F**king Unicorn?: A Guide to Life, Your Unicorn Everything” by Michelle Gordon
- “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin
- “The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need” by Scott Pape
Books to Buy
- “The Sun and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur
- “The Little Book of Life Hacks: How to Make Your Life Happier, Healthier and More Beautiful” by Yumi Sakugawa
- “The World of Tomorrow” by Brendan Mathews
- “The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism” by Olivia Fox Cabane
- “Dreamland” by Robert L. Anderson
- “The Motivation Manifesto” by Brendon Burchard
- “The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well” by Meik Wiking
- “Your Soul is a River” by Nikita Gill
- “Join” by Steve Toutonghi
- “Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved” by Kate Bowler
- “Too Like the Lightning” by Ada Palmer
- “Disruption” by Jessica Shirvington
- “Make It Happen” by Lara Casey
- “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
- “Quiet Power” by Susan Cain
Books from 2018’s Reads:
- “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch
- “2312” by Kim Stanley Robinson
- “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain
- “The Circle” by Dave Eggers
- “Present Over Perfect” by Shauna Niequist
- “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert
- “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck : A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life” by Mark Manson
- “Only Human” by Sylvain Neuvel
- “Running Like China” by Sophie Hardcastle
Like I mentioned earlier, I’m pretty impressed with last year’s efforts. I’m stoked that 53% of my 2018 reads were from last year’s list. And while I didn’t purchase as many books as I’d have liked, that’s kind of a good thing too. My bank account is definitely over the moon!
What’s fascinated me this past year is how much I’ve enjoyed non-fiction, and that’s due to my Dad and our ongoing habit of recommending them. I had to implement a yo-yo rule whereby I switch between fiction to non-fiction with each read just to get the balance. Otherwise I fear I could forget the beauty of fiction and get caught too far into the truth of non-fiction.
What books are an absolute must for you this year? Let me know in the comments so I can reshuffle my list for this year!
