After a bit of a reading break, I really got back into reading this year, and boy, were there a lot of great books to choose from. Some of these selections have been on my To Read list for a while. Others are fairly new. But all of them added so much value to my life. While most of these books are nonfiction, one work of fiction touched me so much and had to be included. Here are the five books that I’ve enjoyed the most recently.
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Weist
This book took me the longest to read because I took notes and journaled throughout my sessions. It is the kind of book you want to digest slowly. I found myself pausing a lot to put Brianna’s words into practice before continuing on to the next essay. Some of my favorites are “Everything Is Here to Help You,” “What You Find In Solitude” (BIG one for me since I’ve been living alone for 2 years), and “Every Relationship You Have Is With Yourself.” You’ll love it if you’re looking to change your mindset or become a better version of yourself.
When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal by Brianna Weist
Another one by Brianna Weist, this collection of essays is focused more on healing past trauma and practicing self-love and forgiveness. After a couple of rough years of breakups and dating, this book honestly found me at just the right time. Comforting words are plenty and there’s something for everyone about everything—not just about love and heartbreak. I highly recommend it to anyone who has wounds they want to heal or things they want to move on from. I particularly enjoyed “How To Get Over Someone,” “You Can’t Lose Relationships, You Can Only Outgrow Them,” and “How To Know If You’re Overcorrecting Your Life.”
Three Days of Happiness by Sugaru Miaki
Oh my god, this book. It’s the only fiction book on this list, and I enjoyed it so much. A 20-year-old loner struggling and frustrated with his life decides to sell his remaining life span. Now he’s got some money but only 3 months to live. He is assigned a “monitor,” a woman his age, whose job is to ensure he doesn’t do anything reckless (like harm others) in his final days. He learns of her own tragic past, and as his death day draws near, he starts to fall in love with her. One of my best friends gifted me this book because he thought I would like it, and he was so right.
Radically Content by Jamie Varon
Jamie, Jamie, Jamie! Finally someone who said the things I was thinking when I was too afraid to. She is so honest and transparent, which I appreciated so much. This was yet another book that found me at just the right time. I especially loved the entire chapter on cultivating self-trust, something I’ve been working on a lot this year. One of my favorite quotes is this: “If you don’t consciously feed yourself positive thoughts, you’ll ingest the complaints of everyone else.” YES, yes, yes. Oh, I have!
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Another best friend gifted me this book when she came to visit me in the spring. I had admitted that I hadn’t read it, and she was shocked; she knew I would love it. Joan Didion is another writer who is bravely honest and vulnerable in her writing. This memoir is about the death of her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne — and the sudden illness of her daughter, Quintana. It is, like most of her writing, heartbreakingly beautiful.
What have you been reading lately? I’m looking for new books to add to my list!
