We just had a baby, so I won’t be doing much in this post except listing the books I read in 2018. 🙂 If a book is on this list, it means I liked it (I cut all the books I read that I didn’t enjoy). If we have similar taste in books, hopefully this list can help you make use of any Indigo and/or Amazon gift cards you received over the holidays!

*The below recaps are copied/pasted from the book descriptions… lazy days over here!

TOP 5 FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR:

• Educated – Tara Westover

“An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD… an account of the struggle for self-invention, of fierce family loyalty, and of the grief that comes from severing ties with those closest to you. A universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes, and the will to change it.”

• Mating in Captivity – Esther Perel

“Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of long-term relationships through case studies and lively discussion. Bold, provocative, and revelatory yet straightforward.”

• A Return to Love – Marianne Williamson

“The mega-bestselling spiritual guide in which Marianne Williamson shares her reflections on A Course in Miracles and her insights on the application of love in the search for inner peace. We’re not asking for something outside us to change, but for something inside us to change. We’re looking for a softer orientation to life… our greatest tool for changing the world is our capacity to change our mind about the world.”

• Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng

“A riveting story that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. A story about the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak.” *A NYT’s best-seller and Winner of Goodreads Readers’ Choice Award 2017, Fiction. 

• Holding Still For As Long as Possible – Zoe Whittall

“A novel set in Toronto’s seedy-but-gentrifying Parkdale. Revolving around three interlocking lives, it offers a portrait of a generation – the twenty-five-year olds who grew up on anti-anxiety meds, text-messaging each other truncated emotional reactions, unsure of what’s public and what’s private. An elegantly plotted, entertaining, and ultimately life-affirming novel.” 

*PLUS, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE AMAZING “NEAPOLITAN SERIES“:

*This series is intense and incredible, and it got me through my first trimester of pregnancy. It is written by an Italian author and has been translated to English. It follows the friendship of two women from childhood to old age; I’ve never read anything like it – it is SO good. It’s also been made into an HBO mini series – check it out here.

• My Brilliant Friend – Elena Ferrante
• The Story of a New Name – Elena Ferrante
• Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay – Elena Ferrante
• The Story of the Lost Child – Elena Ferrante

GENERAL READS (MOSTLY ‘ON THE SERIOUS SIDE’):

• Everything I Never Told You – Celeste Ng
• Marlena – Julie Buntin
• Beartown – Fredrik Backman
• Stranger in the Woods – Michael Finkel
• A House in the Sky – Amanda Lindhout and Sarah Corbett
• Eleanor and Park – Rainbow Rowell

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT/SPIRITUAL:

• The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
• A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle
• 15 Things to Give Up to Be Happy – Luminita Saviuc

BUSINESS/COACHING:

• You are a Badass – Jen Sincero
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F – Mark Manson
• The 5-Second Rule – Mel Robbins
• The Prosperous Coach – Rich Litvin and Steve Chandler
• Outrageous Empowerment: The Incredible Story of Giving Employees Their Brains Back – Ron Lovett

PARENTING/CHILD DEVELOPMENT:

• The Conscious Parent – Shefali Tsabary
• Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Attached – Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
• The Fourth Trimester – Kimberly Ann Johnson
• What to Expect When You’re Expecting – Heidi Murkoff
• The Scientist in the Crib – Alison Gopnik, Andrew Meltzoff, and Patricia Kuhl
• The Happiest Baby on the Block – Harvey Karp
• The Whole Brain Child – Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

Up Next…

• The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer
• When Life Gives You Lululemons – Lauren Weisberger

Please share any suggestions you have for my 2019 book list.

Happy reading!

❤ Kailea