You guys. I am beyond excited to share my reading list for 2018 (and hopefully have you join in). Every year I make the vague resolve to read more. Then halfway through the year, I realize I’ve only picked up a handful of books, most of which constitute beach reads. I’m not knocking beach reads, we need them. But there is also something important about reading non-fiction books in pursuit of your big life.
Here’s the list of each book, broken down by theme: Earn More, Spend Smarter, or Live Bigger. Some of them I’ve already read. Some of them I’ve purchased but never read (whoops). All of them I’m super excited about.
Next to each book, I’ve noted in which month I’ll be reading and I’ll send out a reminder in The Weekend Buzz .
At the end of each month, I’ll write up a review of the book. If you’ve read it with me, you can join in with your thoughts. If you didn’t get to that book this month, you can read my review to see if it’s even worth it.
Also, I’m probably the last person to know this, but local libraries let you borrow ebooks. All online. Via overdrive. Even though I’m living in London right now, I’m planning to use my library card from home to borrow as many of these as possible.
To make my list, books had to relate to one or more of the 3 categories we talk about at The Worth Project:
Earning More, Spending Smarter, or Living Bigger
After that, I scoured reviews and tried to come up with a well-rounded list that will have one or two books that will speak to anyone who reads this site.
If a book for the month looks interesting, join along and read it with me. If you’re on the fence about it, you can wait for my review. If you’re not interested at all, good thing this isn’t a school assignment.
I am so excited to read this newly released book. I have a side hustle. Well, honestly it’s more like 5 side hustles that make up one full time hustle. But I’m not where I want to be…yet. This book is focused on practical advice to help you earn extra income by doing what you love. Author Susie Moore is a side hustle veteran who wrote a full guide on how to find, start, and grow your side hustle.
February:
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*CK
If you are that rare person who doesn’t let what other people think slow you down, you can skip right over this month. I, however, am not. While I’ve gotten so much better about this over the past couple of years, I catch myself worrying about how different decisions will be judged by others. For example, survey my close friends and you’ll find that nearly zero of them know about this website. This book is here to help us learn how to confront the bad things that happen in life and learn what we should really care about.
March:
This is basically going to be like no other personal finance book you’ve read. And, what a good way to start 2018. Before we get into some personal finance books, this feels like a great one to start with. I fully subscribe to the idea of being intentional with your money and to make being “good” with it easy. This book takes that idea to a whole new level as it makes you reflect on the difference between making a living and making a life. It’s a perfect intro before we get into more tactical aspects of personal finance.
April:
And speaking of tactical books, this is a book that I’m so excited to read. The authors became famous for their concept that all you need to know about personal finance can fit on one index card. Then they took that index card and wrote a book about it, which feels a little counterintuitive. But these 10 simple rules which are detailed in the book are supposed to give the reader an easy to follow action plan.
May:
Saying this will make me unpopular, I know. But I didn’t love Eat Pray Love. So for the past few years, I’ve been hesitant to pick up Big Magic, though so many people have been raving about it. It’s time to give it a read. The primary message is to embrace your curiosity and creativity. While I don’t consider myself a creative person, I’m hoping this book will help me to change that.
June:
The Confidence Code
I’ve always felt like I have reasonably decent confidence in my abilities. That is until I began navigating a career change. The uncertainty rocked me more than I expected and, to be honest, is still something that I struggle with as I look for new opportunities. When I read this book two years ago, it helped me to realize that I wasn’t the only one who struggled with the issue of confidence. And, as the authors point out, it’s a muscle that can be strengthened with practice. I’m excited to give it a read again this summer.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street
I was introduced to this book during an undergrad finance class and after reading it I proceeded to ignore all of the sage advice and dive into a $16k investing mistake. But this book has hung around my shelf ever since and it’s an investing classic. With over one million copies sold and a solid take on behavioral finance that actually makes learning about investing interesting, it’s probably the one investing book you should read. I’m excited to read it again 13 years after I read it (and ignored its advice). This time I’ll listen.
August:
I really enjoyed Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, and this book feels like it’s going to be very similar. The author spent an entire year looking on the bright side and chronicled how it changed her life. I’m a big believer that gratitude can change everything and I’m excited to see just how someone brings it into their life for an entire year.
September:
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices In Life and Work
The title really just says it all. One of the things I’m consistently focused on is making sure I’m decisive. I’m fairly decisive in all areas of my life, except for one: career. Naturally, I’m thrilled to read this book by Chip and Dan Heath. I loved their book Make to Stick and I hope this one will be just as entertaining and informative.
October:
A classic, easy, and approachable book about negotiation for women. This book will walk you through not only why we need to negotiate but also how we can start that process. It’s a light read with solid material and is the perfect thing to read in advance of your annual review.
November:
I’ve never read any of Seth Godin’s books, but so many of them have come highly recommended. In the description for this book, Godin writes that “Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.” This sounds like a book I can get behind and I’m excited to dive into it.
December:
Just in time for New Year’s resolutions…in 2019. I’ve taken the personality type quiz (I’m a questioner). But I’m excited to finally figure out what that means, and how to use that personality to build a sustainable habit. You know, for the goals next year.
