Last year was my first year creating a reading list. Looking back on my list from 2016, I read 5 of the 11 books on theret. I’m pretty happy with that. The reading list helped me identify the books that were piquing my interest most at the beginning of the year. I used it as a loose framework. But when I got an excited about another book, I felt totally okay to deviate. With that in mind, here are the books that I am most excited about jumping into in 2017. I have a good feeling I will make it through at least half since I’ve already purchased 4 of them 🙂
My 2017 Reading List
Just Kids by Patti Smith – If I saw this book at the bookstore I would probably not even notice based on the cover. I’m a big judge-a-book-by-its-cover person – sorry! However, this title has been recommended by so many people recently, that I’m going to give it a try.
In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney – I am certain I will be reading this one soon because I already bought it (along with a few others on this list). As a big fan of Grace Bonney, her design blog, her first book and her podcast about creatives in business, I was anxious to read her latest book about the same topic. Grace has set it up as a series of profiles, which I really enjoy because you can see how many infinite possibilities there are to pursuing your passion.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth – With as much as I enjoy books that broaden my perspective on raising children, I know this one will really reinforce the importance of cultivating resilience. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with but struggle in execution as it involves letting your kids struggle. That just doesn’t come natural to me.
Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull – Ed Catmull is one of the co-founders of Pixar, Inc. Besides being recommended by several guests on different podcasts, this book has totally caught my attention for other reasons. One of them is the book, Smarter, Faster, Better has a chapter that profiled Pixar’s road to creating the blockbuster Frozen. That ended up being my favorite chapter and left me wanting to learn more about how Pixar runs. Secondly, I have a curious fascination with how large companies doing cutting edge work are run.
Open by Andre Agassi – From what I read, this autobiography has little to do with tennis and is much more about the turmoil Agassi went through despite all the success on the court. The reviews and comments are extremely positive.
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss – Reading “Tools of Titans” right now and I absolutely looove it. I’m going out on a limb to say it will probably rank in my top 3 of 2017. Tim Ferriss has compiled notes from his 200+ interviews on his podcast to whittle out the gems in each one. If you like his podcast, you will LOVE this book.
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown – “Gifts of Imperfection” is the first in a trilogy that was followed by “Daring Greatly” and “Rising Strong.” As much as those two books spoke to me, I cannot believe I still have not read “Gifts”. 2017 will be the year I change that 🙂
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – Another memoir on the list. Nike founder Phil Knight writes about how he created this company from scratch. Can you even imagine creating something of that magnitude? I cannot – so I want to know how that even happens. Rated 5 stars by thousands of reviewers on Amazon, everyone seems to agree this book is pretty amazing.
22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout – What snoozefest title and cover, right? Tim Ferriss talks about this book all the time as one of the quintessential books on marketing. Which happens to be one of my favorite subjects. The fact that “22 Immutable Laws” is 20+ years old and still going strong makes me think there is so good stiff there.
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon – Spoiler alert…I already started this one too! “Steal Like an Artist” shines the light on the fact that there are no original ideas. All creativity is inspired in some part by something that is already out in the world. Austin Kleon’s book would be helpful to any creative that struggles with coming up with original ideas or imposter syndrome. The chapters are super short and are chockfull of visuals to illustrate his points.
Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa – Is this not the best title and cover for a book you’ve ever seen? I heard Danielle Krysa talking about this book on the “Being Boss” podcast. My inner critic is a big jerk too, so I want to hear about what Krysa’s says to her.
Do you keep a reading list? Which books have you been eyeing for 2017?
