Some people are Sneakerheads. Others are Deadheads. I am a Bookhead. I collect books. I organize them. And I display them. As a result, I always have unread books in my home. So at the start of 2023, I collected 12 physical books from my personal library as my reading list for the year. It was interesting to look at the mini-library and know that I was expected to plow through the stack over the course of the year.
Having a stack of 12 books also gave me a defined list to choose from each month. It allowed me to decide if I was going to take on something big and meaty or smaller and lighter each month. Then I also decided to read 12 audiobooks that were random and unplanned. Or what I call Nick Cannon-style.
But then something interesting happened. I blew past my 2023 reading goal and had my best reading year ever. In fact, I finished 41 books last year. You can read the list and a short review of each of the books here.
So I am back with a new stack of 24 books in ’24. (Which is wicked symmetrical.) This time I went a step further and predetermined both the Let’s Get Physical books and the Big Audio Dynamite books. Here are the lists, and why I chose each title.
My 12 Let’s Get Physical Books
The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton M Christensen:
Because I enjoy a good dilemma. Which sounds like a contraction of Dali Lama.
Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
Because I loved The War of Art. And it’s short.
The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini:
Because it’s legendary like kites themselves.
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Because everyone loves it.
Because I want to activate my heroic potential. And my new ATM card.
Bryson is informative and hilarious. Or Infolarious.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
I was a psychology major in college. And I think money is important. I want to know why I think that. So I’m going to lie on a couch and read this.
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Because I want to learn all I can about creativity. And a like a good Rubin.
My Father’s Business by Cal Turner Jr.
I want to know how to start a discount store so people can discount on me, like Discount Dracula.
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.
A lot of reasonable people have recommended this to me.
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
This book is referenced everywhere. And power seems like a good thing to know about. Plus, I want to know if Ty and Jude made the list.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
This book is the foundation of economics. Plus I dig authors named Adam.
My 12 Big Audio Dynamite Books
This week I discovered that Spotify Premium allows you to listen to audiobooks. This is a total game-changer. Because I love audiobooks, but the library app I use to listen to them limits my time with each title. And I often have long wait times to listen to popular titles. So I am expecting 2024 to be my best year of audiobooks ever, both in terms of quantity and quality. Here are the books in my audio library.
I spend a lot of good time outside. And I would like to do the same inside.
Life On The Mississippi by Rinker Buck
I’m fascinated by river travel. Plus I want to take a canoe from Milwaukee to New Orleans. It would be a good way to earn my beignets.
Vibrate Higher Daily by Lalah Delia
I’m into good vibrations. Like The Beach Boys.
This came highly recommended. Plus, I like the cover art.
The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
Because nobody in their righteous mind wouldn’t want to read this.
The Woman In Me by Brittany Spears
Because I like a good success story. And a good train wreck. This offers both.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
I want to know nearly everything. This book seems like a good start.
Think Faster. Talk Smarter. by Matt Abrahams
I don’t do either of these things very goodly. But I would like to.
Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
I like everything I’ve read by Grant. And I’m a big fan of his tomb.
The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday
This title is so silly I have to hear the story behind it. Plus, I get a lot of great book recommendations from Ryan Holiday, whose name I always say like Madonna would. I expect all of his books to be good too.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
You had me at the title…
Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I want to be useful. I would also like to have as many useful tools for life as I have dwarfs.
Key Takeaway
Reading is an important part of your self-improvement plan. Your self-directed education adds to your world knowledge, increases creativity, and enhances both your vocabulary and writing skills. Create a reading habit that works for you. Start small. And once you recognize how much it helps you will naturally find ways to read more.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this list, please share it with them.
+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.
Adam Albrecht Blog 