December is my favorite reading month of the year. I’m wrapping up my reading list for the year, reflecting on everything I’ve read, and simultaneously making my list for next year.
I made a book list at the beginning of the year (as is my tradition here on the blog) and it’s always interesting to see how this shapes and informs my reading for the year.
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!).
Looking for books to read this coming year? I hope you find something interesting and relevant on this list.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I like to start each year with a book list—a collection of books that I’d like to read (knowing that I usually discover other books throughout the year that I’ll add in).
I used to be a strict one-book-at-a-time reader, but last year, I found that I enjoyed reading two at a time—a nonfiction/business/health book for mornings or pockets of free time during the day and a novel/memoir for reading at night.
I always try to choose books from a few different categories:
Business
Health & Lifestyle
Spiritual
Relationships
Fiction
Personal/Intellectual
Nonfiction/Memoir
This helps me be intentional about the books I choose to read and ensure some diversity (so I don’t end up reading only one type of book!).
Without further ado, here is my book list for 2020:
One of my favorite things to do this time of year is make a list of books I’d like to read in the year ahead.
If you’ve been following along with me for a while, you know I don’t always get to all the books I have planned (full confession), and sometimes, I deviate from my list in favor of other books that I encounter during the year.
Regardless, I like to begin the year with intention and keep a running list of books that I want to read. (Here are my book lists from 2018, 2017, and 2016, in case you’re curious).
This year, I’m choosing books from seven different categories:
I never used to consider myself much of a reader, but it’s something I’ve been cultivating in my personal (and business) life for the past several years.
I started by setting a goal of 10 books in a year, then 12. This year, I read 16 books! Little by little, I’m learning to love reading and am exploring new authors and a variety of book categories with the hope of broadening my perspective, developing new skills, learning about myself and others, and becoming a better person in the process.
There’s something so quintessential about having a good book (or several) to read during the summer months. From plane rides to road trips, trips to the beach or lake, picnics in the park, or simply sitting on the porch in the afternoon, reading is the perfect pastime for those sweet, slow summer days.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I tend to make my book list for the year in January (here’s what I plan to read in 2018, in case you’re curious). The list may change as I go through the year and pick up books on sale here and there or come across a newly-released book that I want to read, but I like to begin the year with a list of books (one per month) already picked out.
One of my favorite things about beginning a new calendar year is choosing which books I want to read in the coming months.
I like to read one book at a time and one book per month seems to be a good pace for me. I also like to read slowly and take notes as I go (these are my favorite journals for book notes) so I can go back and review the highlights later.
I lean toward books that challenge me to think in a new way or look at the world from a new perspective; books that teach me something or inspire me or help me grow in some area of my life. I use the following categories as a basic framework:
Health/Lifestyle
Spiritual
Personal
Business
One of my favorite things about this time of year is reading everyone's book lists. I love seeing what other people are reading, hearing about new releases, and connecting with others over shared interests.
Over the past few years, I've built a little time for reading into my daily routine (usually in the evening as we wind down from the day).
As I've shared before, I like to have variety in what I read, so I tend to choose books that cover all of these categories:
Health/Lifestyle
Spiritual
Pleasure/Personal
Business
Here are the books I plan to read (or re-read) this year:
Over the past few years, and particularly in the last few months, I’ve really come to love reading. One of my goals for December was to make time for reading every day - I’m proud to say I made that happen! It’s a habit I plan to continue in the New Year.
Reading has become something I look forward during the day - a time to be quiet, rest, and be re-filled. I enjoy reading books that inspire and encourage me to live a life of faith, books that challenge me and make me think, books that teach me something new about managing money, running a business, or being creative.
I try to balance my reading list by choosing books that fall into these five categories:
Business
Relationships
Health/Lifestyle
Personal/Intellectual
Spiritual
