A major goal from 2016 that I want to continue doing through 2017 is reading more books. I set a realistic goal of reading one book a month and came quite close to finishing it except that work got in the way. Shopping for and reading books are my favourite activity of the moment so you will often find me in between the shelves of my local bookstore (Chapters) which is conveniently a 15 minute walk from home.
Taking advantage of the boxing day sale week, I picked up a ton of new titles from Chapters and have a pretty decent reading list to go through for the year. I also have been borrowing a ton of new books from my friends so I should be set for the new year! If you’ve read any good books recently (the genre doesn’t matter!) leave me a comment below so I can shop for it and add it to my reading list!
Reading List for 2017
- Thank You For Being Late – Thomas L. Friedman ($25, available here)
- Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi ($28, available here)
- Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari ($14, available here)
- Homo Deus: A Brief History Of Tomorrow – Yuval Noah Harari ($20, available here)
- When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi ($20, available here)
- Shoe Dog – A Memoir by the Creator of Nike – Phil Knight ($22.49, available here)
- The World Is Flat – Thomas L. Friedman ($15, available here)
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert ($26, available here)
- Bulfinch’s Mythology – Thomas Bulfinch ($21, available here)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany ($25, available here)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – J. K. Rowling ($20, available here)
- The Help – Kathryn Stockett ($15, available here)
- The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins ($15, available here)
- The Light Between Oceans – M.L. Stedman ($15, available here)
- Hidden Figures – Margot Lee Shetterly ($15, available here)
The books I picked up is a melée of every kind of genre – a combination of non-fiction and fiction since I’m a sucker for books-turned-into-movies type of novels and I’m also all about re-reading classics, and analysis work. As someone who regularly devours documentaries of all kinds on Netflix, I knew that the hype around Yuval Noah Harari’s new novel (which has been hyped up so much), Homo Deus: A Brief History Of Tomorrow means that I had to own the set.
Read More: 6 in 2016 | Reflecting on 2016.
For those of you not familiar with Canada’s number one bookstore, Chapters, they have a section called “Heather’s Pick” which is basically a list of recommendations from Heather Reisman, the CEO. It’s one of my favourite places to browse online and in-store – I’ve yet to be disappointed by the titles she’s recommended thus far which is why I had to add When Breath Becomes Air and Homegoing on my list.
Thomas L. Friedman’s essay / books were something that I read from time to time during my globalization classes in university. I was curious about the new book he’s released Thank You For Being Late as I recalled having to study his earlier work, The World Is Flat, which is a history of the development of globalization in the 21st century.
Books I Finished Reading in 2016
There were a number of books I finished reading in 2016 and I thought I’d give you a brief recap and recommendation of what were a good read and what were not!
- Me Before You – Jojo Mayes
- The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine – Michael Lewis
- Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead – Sheryl Sandberg
- Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future – Ashlee Vance
- I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban – Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai
- Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World – Michael Lewis
- How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
- The Martian – Andy Weir
- 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi – Mitchell Zuckoff
- Harry Potter Series – J. K. Rowling
I picked up Me Before You, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, The Martian and 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi solely because they were made into movies. Of the bunch, I’d recommend The Martian and The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine!
If you want to further your knowledge in finance, Michael Lewis’ books are on top of my list – he has the ability of breaking down complex financial terms, transactions and activities into digestible, easy-to-understand paragraphs sprinkled with dry humour and lots of anecdotes. Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World was my favourite read from 2016 – it covers what happened in the financial world from 2009-2011. The major topics covered were the bankruptcy of Iceland, risk of Greek default and Ireland’s banking crisis. With Tesla making tons of headlines this year, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future was close second if you want to get a closer look of how Tesla, and SpaceX came to be and operate.
Read More: Currently Reading | March 2016.
For anyone interested in bettering themselves professionally, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead is a classic read for women in the workforce. This is a book I read from time to time when I need a bit of a pep talk, and is fairly easy to digest and finish in a short amount of time. How to Win Friends and Influence People is another classic that’s been around for decades. Take notes as you go through this book as it will help you navigate your social life professionally and personally.
Who didn’t feel angered when we read about a girl who was shot in the head for wanting to defend girls’ rights to go to school? I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban is a Malala’s story – from childhood to being shot in the head for standing up for education and where she is now. It is an inspiring and moving journey of a girl much younger than myself but who’s gone through so much more than I did!
What are some of your favourite reads from this year?