I snuck in a few selections along with those I read for book club* and hoping to keep the streak going for 2026. And of course I do listen to a decent amount of nonfiction stuff whilst getting my steps in, usually a mix of coaching stuff, business stuff, and various skill stuff.
- The Last Nude by Ellis Avery* – A historical novel inspired by the real-life friendship between artist Tamara de Lempicka and her model. Art, obsession, ambition, and the complicated cost of being someone’s muse in pre-war Paris. There was a de Lempicka exhibit locally so fun to do that and discuss the book, enjoyed but had some issues with the balance of chunks of it.
- North Woods by Daniel Mason* – A novel that spans centuries, all anchored to a single piece of land. A meditation on place, time, memory, and the way human lives leave traces long after they are gone.
- Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar* – A debut that tackles grief, faith, addiction, identity, and meaning with humor and emotional depth. Big questions, sharp writing, and a narrator who feels vividly alive. Generally well liked with some quibbles.
- James by Percival Everett – A reimagining of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim’s perspective. Smart, biting, and deeply intentional, this novel interrogates power, language, freedom, and whose stories get centered. A few of the book clubbers got this book when seeing him speak after we had read Dr. No, and enjoyed this alt take on Huck Finn (which maybe I read in high school but maybe not).
- Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange* – An intergenerational novel exploring Native identity, trauma, resilience, and survival. It moves between past and present, carrying the weight of history while staying firmly rooted in the now. Probably enjoyed There There a bit more but still a good read.
- All Fours by Miranda July – Strange, funny, and intentionally uncomfortable. A novel about desire, reinvention, and what happens when you disrupt your own life in unexpected and deeply human ways. Another one where some book clubbers went to hear her speak after having read The First Bad Man, I feel like this one took off in the ethos, definitely interesting.
- Good Material by Dolly Alderton* – A breakup novel told from the man’s perspective, complete with self-justification, blind spots, and emotional messiness. A sharp look at modern relationships and storytelling. Others enjoyed this sad sack more than I did but a decent ‘beach read.’
- The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector* – Short, philosophical, and quietly devastating. A novel about invisibility, poverty, authorship, and what it means to be seen. This was weirdly quoted in our last two book club reads, we appreciated more than enjoyed but a short read.
- Deacon King Kong by James McBride – A community-centered story set in 1960s Brooklyn, full of humor, heart, and interconnected lives. A warm novel that still grapples with serious themes of faith, race, and redemption. We’ve done a couple of his in book club, so folks did as a side read, and a very good one.
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt* – A hopeful, emotionally grounded novel about grief, connection, and unexpected friendships, including one very perceptive octopus. This also felt like it was in the ethose, some quibbles but a charming ‘summer read.’
- The Serial Killer’s Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard – True crime meets travel guide, exploring San Francisco’s darker history and the unsettling stories tied to familiar places. I enjoy a quick little mystery and the local setting helped this otherwise average read.
- Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk* – A philosophical eco-mystery narrated by an eccentric, opinionated woman. Darkly funny, political, and delightfully strange. A friend had recco’d this again and again so we finally picked it, fun story and characters.
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – A novel about friendship, creativity, ambition, and the long arc of a relationship over decades. Video games are the backdrop, but human connection is the heart. Another that others had already read I really enjoyed the relationships and passage of time, minor quibbles.
- Colored Television by Danzy Senna* – A sharp, satirical look at race, class, ambition, and identity through the lens of Hollywood and creative success. Smart, uncomfortable, and very aware of its own commentary. I appreciated this but didn’t love the ambling toward trouble.
- Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips* – A quiet, haunting post–Civil War novel about trauma, memory, and the long process of recovery after violence. I picked this one because I like to do the Pulitzers but this story wasn’t a fave.
- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett – A reflective, tender novel about love, youth, memory, and the stories parents tell their children about who they once were. I love me some Patchett, and others had already read this, a gem.
- You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue* – A surreal and inventive imagining of the meeting between Cortés and Moctezuma. Playful, political, and historically untethered in compelling ways. I just could not get into this, usually I can start to track but the language and characters but this felt like a chore (there were some good moments), not all agreed with me.
- Tuff by Paul Beatty* – A satirical, provocative novel skewering politics, race, power, and absurdity with Beatty’s signature sharpness. Not subtle and not trying to be. We’d read and liked The Sellout by Beatty, this one was well liked though discussion as to whether the following the character allowed for as strong of a story.
Nonfiction
- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman – The idea that we only have so much time so want to be thoughtful about where we’re spending our time.
- How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Kary Milkman – This overlaps a big with some of the habits books, but liked her take on our real goal, which is change, and the science-backed studies for us to get there.
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek – I so far always love his writing and use of concrete examples, which runs very much in line with the work I do around Clarity.
- The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance: What Women Should Know by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman – A great science-backed perspective on issues around confidence and how to get it.
- How to do the Work: Recognize Your Patters, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Dr. Nicole LePera – A more psychological approach focusing on holistic psychology, interesting perspectives, and experience.
- The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhou – I appreciated this insight from an early Facebook employee and her lessons a little more focused on a fast-growing company/role but still lots of great insights.
- The CHAOS Cure: Clean Your House and Calm Your Soul in 15 Minutes by Marla Cilley – I didn’t love this insight into cleaning things out, I wasn’t sure it got the issue and sort of did some hey buy my product though the overall approach of progress over perfection always lands.
- Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman – Definitely dug this approach to leaders can make all the difference in how productive (and engaged, happy, etc.) their team is.
- Nonviolent Communications: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values by Marshall Rosenberg – This is one of the communication cornerstone books (along with Crucial Conversations) and appreciated many of the merits of what’s a bit of a unique take on communication.
- Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust by Adam Kahane – Told by a true collaboration expert, although less instructional than maybe I would have thought the examples and insights were impactful.
- Steal Like an Artist Audio Trilogy: How to Be Creative, Show Your Work, and Keep Going by Austin Kleon – A helpful source for anyone who wants to lean more into their creativity, maybe better referenced in hard copy than audiobook.
- Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower by Therese Huston – A great resource not only for those difficult conversations but for the missed opportunities you might not be thinking about.
- The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath – I got a lot more out of this book than I was expecting, and while the focus wasn’t completely on workplace situations there were enough direct examples of that to start to understand the possible impact.
- The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen – A classic on why successful companies fail by clinging to what made them successful. Still painfully relevant and a sharp reminder that doing everything “right” can still hold you back.
- Hyper-Efficient by Mithu Storoni – A neuroscience-based take on productivity and energy. Some interesting ideas, don’t let the title scare you, it’s mostly about understanding the way the brain works, what tasks are best for various levels and where we have some control.
- Empathy Works by Sophie Wade– A grounded look at empathy as a real leadership skill, not a personality trait. Strong alignment with the relationship gaps I see leaders struggle with most but to be honest while I love me some empathy the scenarios didn’t always hit, maybe it was too much pandemic focus for me.
- Transitions by William Bridges – This one is a classic, it focuses on the internal experience of some changes that make them transitions, not just the external event. A consistently useful lens for reorgs, new roles, and identity shifts at work.
- The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler – A nuanced, compassionate take on perfectionism that doesn’t default to “just let it go.” Especially relevant for high performers who are exhausted but still over functioning, I loved her perspective and lens of being an adaptive perfectionist vs maladaptive. I immediately recommended this to a few folks.
- Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon – Short, powerful, and thought-provoking. A personal perspective that translates into challenging assumptions as to how we treat gender.
- Stop Letting Everything Affect You by Daniel Chidiac – A blunt take on emotional boundaries and choosing what deserves your energy. There were a lot of science backed really specific takes to try here, I want to listen again or maybe buy a hard copy.
- The No Asshole Rule by Robert I. Sutton – A clear case for why tolerating bad behavior is bad for people and business. Still incredibly relevant if you’ve ever seen “brilliant but difficult” get a free pass.
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