I wanna know what books you STILL find yourself thinking about years later?! They're dog-eared and highlighted, frequently referenced and lent out to friends. Tell me what books changed your LIFE!
Okay you said ONE, and if I had to pick only one it would probably be this one (because it’s been impactful for me personally and professional):
📚 emergent strategy by adrienne maree brown: how social change can happen - though working on the self and in relationships, expanding up scales
But honorable mention to these three:
📚How to do nothing by Jenny Odell: why paying attention to the world around you is important not only to your individual wellbeing but also to bigger political/economic forces
📚4,000 weeks: Time management for mortals by Oliver Burkman: similar to your Annie Dillard quote - reframing your perspective on “productivity”
📚Braiding sweet grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: what if humans were an integral part of “nature”? And just so many mind-expanding aspects of indigenous worldviews
I said "one" because I didn't want people to feel overwhelmed but I totally WELCOME as many suggestions as you'd like to share! I never tire of book recs.
These all sound so wonderful --- one of my mentors has been recommend Emergent Strategy to me for the past year and I really need to just sit down and read it.
I listened to an interview with Oliver once and something about it really irked me (TBH a lot of men in the productivity scene irk me. This isn't unique to him 😂), so I haven't picked up the book --- but perhaps that's not fair! I get his newsletter and it's not awful. I'll read the sample and feel it out.
I haven't heard of the other two, so thank you so much for sharing --- they definitely sound right up my alley!
Tbh I would probably not have picked up Burkman’s book on my own for the same reason! I had to read it for work but ended up LOVING it. It’s much more philosophical than productivity hacks and I really appreciated that. Would love to hear your thoughts (positive or negative!) if you end up reading any of these! 💛 thanks for opening the conversation!
I don’t often read non-fiction and I went looking on my Goodreads to see what non-fiction I had read in the past. Not much since 2012. One that made me think differently about clutter in my life is Marie Kondo. I didn’t take it all to heart (did not thank my socks for their service) but I certainly still maintain my closet folding methods and when I moved to Denmark I really did consider what possessions “brought me joy” and what made it into my shipping container.
I bought Gentle Nutrition awhile ago on your recommendation, but haven’t read it yet. Nordic Theory of Everything is also on my list.
I Am More Than My Body by Bethany C Meyers is a new one on my list.
I think I need to expand my horizons and maybe read one non fiction for every five fiction. 🤣
"I didn't thank my socks for their service" 😂😂😂 Hahaha, I read that book too and I agree --- some of the stuff was silly and out there but there are some solid takeaways with regard to our relationships with "stuff".
I've just leant out my copy of Nordic Theory, but hope to have it back in a month or two. Let me know if you'd like to grab it sometime!
First, I LOVE books and book recs and books smells and all things books. And I am a non-fiction girl through-and-through.
Big Magic by Liz Gilbert comes to mind as one I’d read again and again, if you want to light your creative fire 🔥
Clean by Alejandro Junger is my Gentle Nutrition. It’s the book that changed the way I thought about nutrition and food as fuel. I can legit say it changed my life.
And then, a bit niche, Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté (everything by Gabor is 🤌🏼) helped me understand ADHD in a human way. He and his children all have been diagnosed, so I consider this source material.
and gosh, just so many more 🙈 Looking forward to reading your reccs! Keep them coming 🤓
These sound like some great recommendations, Kristie!
And YES to the smell of books! Was one of my biggest hesitations to switching to digital books this year....I love the smell. And highlighting the pages. And lending them to friends 😊 But the ease of carrying around 100s of books wherever I go, reading between my phone/tablet, and easily accessing books in English won me over! Definitely miss the smell, though. Can someone make a candle or something?!
I loved the Death and Life of the Great Lakes which was a rec from you. I also really liked Braiding Sweetgrass and the Deepest Well. It's very academic but Power and Powerlessness by John Gaventa really changed how I see power structures.
I also believe that books don't have to be nonfiction to change your life. I am still thinking about Vanishing Half several years later. My husband and I both love the Golden Compass series so much we named our daughter after the main character. I am also currently obsessed with the Legendborn series which is a YA fantasy series that integrates Arthurian legend with the history of American slavery and is frankly brilliant. I've gifted Firekeeper's Daughter to several friends, a coming of age story that is romance, crime novel, and fascinating look into modern Native American culture. These are all books that really opened my mind and are subversive while also great reads because a book doesn't need to be nonfiction to demonstrate ideas and make you think critically. There is lots of good nonfiction but over the years I have really changed my mind about the idea that you can't be a series reader if you read fiction.
Oh, absolutely! Plenty of fiction books have left their mark on my little soul. Just differentiating here for easy of "narrowing down the list" and would love to do a "top 5" for fiction sometime, too (or perhaps just edit/add to this one down the line).
Recently read The Midnight Library and have been surprised how much I have reflected back on the story, lessons, and characters.
So glad you enjoyed Death and Life! Truly one of my favorite books. I think about it SO often. ♥🙌🏻📚
Okay you said ONE, and if I had to pick only one it would probably be this one (because it’s been impactful for me personally and professional):
📚 emergent strategy by adrienne maree brown: how social change can happen - though working on the self and in relationships, expanding up scales
But honorable mention to these three:
📚How to do nothing by Jenny Odell: why paying attention to the world around you is important not only to your individual wellbeing but also to bigger political/economic forces
📚4,000 weeks: Time management for mortals by Oliver Burkman: similar to your Annie Dillard quote - reframing your perspective on “productivity”
📚Braiding sweet grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: what if humans were an integral part of “nature”? And just so many mind-expanding aspects of indigenous worldviews
I said "one" because I didn't want people to feel overwhelmed but I totally WELCOME as many suggestions as you'd like to share! I never tire of book recs.
These all sound so wonderful --- one of my mentors has been recommend Emergent Strategy to me for the past year and I really need to just sit down and read it.
I listened to an interview with Oliver once and something about it really irked me (TBH a lot of men in the productivity scene irk me. This isn't unique to him 😂), so I haven't picked up the book --- but perhaps that's not fair! I get his newsletter and it's not awful. I'll read the sample and feel it out.
I haven't heard of the other two, so thank you so much for sharing --- they definitely sound right up my alley!
Tbh I would probably not have picked up Burkman’s book on my own for the same reason! I had to read it for work but ended up LOVING it. It’s much more philosophical than productivity hacks and I really appreciated that. Would love to hear your thoughts (positive or negative!) if you end up reading any of these! 💛 thanks for opening the conversation!
I just bought Emergent Strategies - can’t wait to dive in!
I Hope you love it!!!
I don’t often read non-fiction and I went looking on my Goodreads to see what non-fiction I had read in the past. Not much since 2012. One that made me think differently about clutter in my life is Marie Kondo. I didn’t take it all to heart (did not thank my socks for their service) but I certainly still maintain my closet folding methods and when I moved to Denmark I really did consider what possessions “brought me joy” and what made it into my shipping container.
I bought Gentle Nutrition awhile ago on your recommendation, but haven’t read it yet. Nordic Theory of Everything is also on my list.
I Am More Than My Body by Bethany C Meyers is a new one on my list.
I think I need to expand my horizons and maybe read one non fiction for every five fiction. 🤣
"I didn't thank my socks for their service" 😂😂😂 Hahaha, I read that book too and I agree --- some of the stuff was silly and out there but there are some solid takeaways with regard to our relationships with "stuff".
I've just leant out my copy of Nordic Theory, but hope to have it back in a month or two. Let me know if you'd like to grab it sometime!
First, I LOVE books and book recs and books smells and all things books. And I am a non-fiction girl through-and-through.
Big Magic by Liz Gilbert comes to mind as one I’d read again and again, if you want to light your creative fire 🔥
Clean by Alejandro Junger is my Gentle Nutrition. It’s the book that changed the way I thought about nutrition and food as fuel. I can legit say it changed my life.
And then, a bit niche, Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté (everything by Gabor is 🤌🏼) helped me understand ADHD in a human way. He and his children all have been diagnosed, so I consider this source material.
and gosh, just so many more 🙈 Looking forward to reading your reccs! Keep them coming 🤓
These sound like some great recommendations, Kristie!
And YES to the smell of books! Was one of my biggest hesitations to switching to digital books this year....I love the smell. And highlighting the pages. And lending them to friends 😊 But the ease of carrying around 100s of books wherever I go, reading between my phone/tablet, and easily accessing books in English won me over! Definitely miss the smell, though. Can someone make a candle or something?!
Cheers to being book worms together 🤓
I loved the Death and Life of the Great Lakes which was a rec from you. I also really liked Braiding Sweetgrass and the Deepest Well. It's very academic but Power and Powerlessness by John Gaventa really changed how I see power structures.
I also believe that books don't have to be nonfiction to change your life. I am still thinking about Vanishing Half several years later. My husband and I both love the Golden Compass series so much we named our daughter after the main character. I am also currently obsessed with the Legendborn series which is a YA fantasy series that integrates Arthurian legend with the history of American slavery and is frankly brilliant. I've gifted Firekeeper's Daughter to several friends, a coming of age story that is romance, crime novel, and fascinating look into modern Native American culture. These are all books that really opened my mind and are subversive while also great reads because a book doesn't need to be nonfiction to demonstrate ideas and make you think critically. There is lots of good nonfiction but over the years I have really changed my mind about the idea that you can't be a series reader if you read fiction.
Oh, absolutely! Plenty of fiction books have left their mark on my little soul. Just differentiating here for easy of "narrowing down the list" and would love to do a "top 5" for fiction sometime, too (or perhaps just edit/add to this one down the line).
Recently read The Midnight Library and have been surprised how much I have reflected back on the story, lessons, and characters.
So glad you enjoyed Death and Life! Truly one of my favorite books. I think about it SO often. ♥🙌🏻📚