Happy 2021 friends!
Here’s to a fresh start with *hopefully* such a good year ahead for us all. One of my favorite things to do during the beginning of a new year is read some new books to help put me in a refreshed mindset for the new year. Below I shared five of some of my favorite options, all of which fall into the category of books that inspire either action or a refreshing point of view.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these or if you have any additional suggestions – I’m always looking for some good additions to my ever-growing book list! 🙂
1. Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
I read this book during the 2020 Election season, and WOW was it the perfect timing to do so. The book opens with this quote from Maya Angelou: “You are only free when you realize you belong no place – you belong every place – no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.” Ultimately, this beautiful book is all about encouraging you to be true to yourself and to speak up – and allow others to do the same. Brené emphasises there is a shared humanity and spirituality that brings us all together despite our differences, and offers us a pathway into how we can truly engage with each other from a place of trust.
2. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
I read Shonda’s book in college and it was such a fun and memorable read. This book is a beautiful and hilarious account of a year-long challenge that Rhimes took on: she would start saying “yes” to everything. For one year, at her sister’s request, she reluctantly agreed to accept all invitations and take on all unexpected projects. Even if this book doesn’t inspire you to set off on your own “year of yes,” you, probably like me, will be inspired to at least become much more open to all of the options you face in life.
3. You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh
In his book You Are Here, Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh offers simple and very down-to-earth methods for practicing mindfulness in your daily life. This was another book I read in 2020 among very stressful pandemic/election times, and I can absolutely say it helped me so much during some rough months. Some of my favorite breathing methods to help me feel more grounded came from this book. One of my favorite parts of this book, which sum so many of the ideas up is: “Mindfulness is not an evasion or an escape. It means being here, present, and totally alive. It is true freedom – and without this freedom, there is no happiness.”
4. Becoming Wise by Krista Tippett
Originally, I found out about Krista from her podcast, “On Being” where I discovered just how wise and encouraging she was. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put this book down. I wrote and highlighted through the book to no end, and continued to read and reread chapters. Krista really focuses on how we interact with ourselves, each other, and the universe. Krista brings us on a personal journey with her on a mature, honest perspective on what wisdom is, where it comes from, and what it can mean for us. Through this book, I learned how important it is to listen – listen to myself, to my heart, to those around me, and to those who I disagree with. There is so much wisdom to be found simply by listening, and I am on a mission to keep listening as much as possible.
5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist follows the story of Andalusian shepherd boy Santiago, who is dreaming of greater things in life. While I typically don’t read too many books in the fantasy genre, I felt that this book was incredibly different from many others. It is beautifully written and will remind you of what’s important in life and how you might seek to achieve your goals.
Books I’m Reading in January For My Own Personal Reset:
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
The 1st 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Let me know what you’re reading this month! I plan on dropping in monthly-ish to let you know what I’ve been reading lately (and hopefully give you a review of those titles).
Happy reading!!
Olivia