One of my favorite traditions is putting together a book list at the beginning of each year. I try to choose a variety of books (old and new) from a few different categories:
Business
Spiritual & Lifestyle
Fiction
Personal/Intellectual
Nonfiction/Memoir
This helps me be intentional about the books I read and ensure some diversity (so I don’t end up reading only one type of book!).
This list is likely to change and evolve as the year unfolds, but I find this to be a helpful starting place.
Looking for books to read this coming year? I hope you find something interesting and relevant on this list.
25 Books to Read in 2021
*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Business
Company of One (Paul Jarvis)
”What if the real key to a richer and more fulfilling career was not to create and scale a new start-up, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours, and become a (highly profitable) and sustainable company of one? Suppose the better—and smarter—solution is simply to remain small? This book explains how to do just that.”
Be the Go-To (Theresa Līna)
“In Be the Go-To, Theresa reveals a groundbreaking, step-by-step approach called the Apollo Method for Market Dominance. It’s a detailed, pragmatic recipe for becoming your market’s Go-To brand, brought to life through fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories from the Apollo Space Program, Tesla, Disney, Apple, Lego, Salesforce, Amazon, REI, and more.”
Science of Storytelling (Will Storr)
I discovered this one in Overdrive (the library app). Described as “The compelling, groundbreaking guide to creative writing that reveals how the brain responds to storytelling,” I’m looking forward to learning more about the art (and science) of storytelling.
Spiritual & Lifestyle
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again (Rachel Held Evans)
In this book, “Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay.”
The Creative Habit (Twyla Tharp)
Written by a choreographer, artist, and Broadway writer, Twyla Tharp shares 32 practical exercises to sharpen your creative habits.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You (Cal Newport)
In this book, “Newport presents compelling scientific and contemporary case study evidence that the key to one's career success is to find out what you do well, where you have built up your 'career capital,' and then to put all of your efforts into that direction.”
Fiction
The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
”Set in South Carolina in 1964 . . . [this novel is about] a young girl's journey towards healing and the transforming power of love.” Written by the award-winning author of The Invention of Wings.
The Giver of Stars (Jojo Moyes)
”Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.”
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
“[Two] seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...”
Beach Read (Emily Henry)
“A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.”
Dear Mr. Knightley (Katherine Reay)
A story about a 23-year-old English major who receives an offer from an anonymous benefactor to attend Northwestern’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. His only request is that she write him letters sharing her progress. Through doing so, she learns to write her own story.
The Beantown Girls (Jane Healey)
“A novel of love, courage, and danger unfolds as World War II’s brightest heroines—the best of friends—take on the front lines.”
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop (Fannie Flagg)
I’ve read several of Fannie Flagg’s books and always enjoy them. This one continues the story of one of her best-loved novels, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
Personal & Intellectual
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (Daniel H. Pink)
I enjoyed reading Daniel Pink’s Drive a few years ago (all about motivation) and am looking forward to reading this book about the science of timing, informed by research from the fields of psychology, biology, and economics.
Mindset (Carol Dweck)
The psychology behind how we achieve success and how we see ourselves as learners. Do you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?
The Secret Lives of Color (Kassia St. Clair)
“The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso’s blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.”
On Writing Well (William Zinsser)
A classic guide for all types of writing, offering “fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher.”
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Gary Provost)
“In this compact, easy-to-use volume you'll find the eternal building blocks of good writing—from grammar and punctuation to topic sentences—as well as advice on challenges such as writer's block and creating a strong title.”
Nonfiction & Memoir
Make Something Good Today (Erin & Ben Napier)
I first learned about Erin and Ben Napier years before they became HGTV stars. Their home was featured on the Southern Weddings blog and I adored the neutral color palette and their collected style with a mix of antiques and rustic finds. I’m looking forward to reading their memoir.
Tender at the Bone (Ruth Reichl)
I’ve loved all of Ruth Reichl’s books that I’ve read so far. I’m looking forward to reading this memoir: “A witty and compelling chronicle of a culinary sensualist’s coming-of-age.”
Year of Yes (Shondra Rhimes)
“The instant New York Times bestseller from the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder shares how saying YES changed her life.”
Garlic & Sapphires (Ruth Reichl)
“In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us—along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews—her remarkable reflections on how one’s outer appearance can influence one’s inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives.”
Vanguard (Martha S. Jones)
“In Vanguard, acclaimed historian Martha S. Jones offers a new history of African American women's political lives in America. She recounts how they defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of all persons.”
Life from Scratch (Sasha Martin)
I love a good food memoir, especially one that includes recipes! This one began with a challenge: to cook—and eat—a meal from every country in the world. Over the course of 195 weeks, Martin discovers the “power of cooking to bond, to empower, and to heal—and celebrates the simple truth that happiness is created from within.”
The Warmth of Other Suns (Isabel Wilkerson)
”In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.”
Have you read any of these? I'd love to hear your thoughts! What's on your book list this year?
