I read 16 books this year, which is exactly half as many as last year. Considering we have a recently-turned one-year-old baby, I’m ok with it! (That said, if you count how many times I’ve read “But Not The Hippopotamus” and “Here George,” I’ve probably read more this year than I have in the past decade!)

Favourite Reads of the Year:

• City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert

I absolutely loved this book (from the author of “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Big Magic.”) About being a New York City showgirl in the 1940’s. A fun, captivating page-turner.

• The Awakened Family – Shefali Tsabary

A wonderful parenting book that was recommended by Oprah (from the author of “The Conscious Parent” which is my favourite parenting book to date). It’s about how our kids are our greatest teachers and to use moments of frustration/anger/reactivity/etc. to gain deeper insight into ourselves and the lessons we need to learn.

• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman

A charming and off-beat book that made me laugh and cry. This book kept me guessing and was full of warmth, wit and unique characters. Highly recommend!

• The Gift of Therapy – Irvin Yalom

This is the best book about counselling I’ve ever read. A guidebook with real case studies in everyday relatable language (could also be interesting to anyone who likes learning about mental health or the process of therapeutic work).

• Worry-Free Money – Shannon Lee Simmons

This book is a workbook to personal finances with case studies and great questions to ask yourself. If you want to make sure you are ‘covering all of your bases responsibly’ so you can enjoy your spending without guilt, this book is incredibly helpful.

Other books I read this year…

Light & Fun:

• The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer
• When Life Gives You Lululemons – Lauren Weisberger
• We Are Never Meeting in Real Life – Samantha Irby
• Girl Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis

Growth & PD:

• The Seat of the Soul – Gary Zukav
• The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg
• The Gift of Failure: How The Best Parents Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed – Jessica Lahey
• Essentialism – Greg McKeown
• This is Marketing – Seth Godin

Poetry/Serious Fiction

• The Sun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur
• Sing, Unburied, Sing – Jesmyn Ward

Any recommendations for my 2020 list?

Thanks for reading,

❤ Kailea