Books I read this summer – 2022
Summer officially ends in mid-September, but we can all agree that our mindsets shift into Autumn mode when the clock strikes midnight on September 1st. I wanted to share the books I read this summer with you in case you needed something to start this Fall. I didn’t do traditional beach reading. I tend to read mostly non-fiction and quite a lot of health-related books. In any case, here’s what I read or listened to on Audible this summer:
Start Here
Master the Lifelong Habit of Well-Being
Well-being can be achieved in a practical but science-based manner. The key is to rewire our brains for well-being so we can overcome our brains’ tendency for negativity. All in all, nine practices are described (Training, Being, and Doing):
- Meditation
- Movement
- Inquiry
- Presence
- Gratitude
- Compassion
- Engagement
- Relationships
- Contribution
I love books about habits. This was a new one for me, and I enjoyed it.
The Alchemist
By: Paulo Coelho
This is a classic, but the “why” for me to read this is that Jeremy Irons narrates the Audible version, and it’s so nice to fall asleep to!
Hello, Molly!
By: Molly Shannon, Sean Wilsey
While listening to this audiobook, I felt like I was in a room with Molly Shannon, and she was just talking to me. With complete honesty, she describes her career, how she made her career, and most importantly, her upbringing. Funny, shocking, and heartbreaking stories can be found here. It touched me because she lost her mom so young, and I feel lucky I had mine for 54 years. It’s a testament to never giving up on your dreams. I bought it for my sister to read and she loved it, too.
This was my favorite of the Summer season!
The Productivity Project
By: Chris Bailey
This book was a re-read for me, and I enjoyed it the second time. He found that striving for imperfection, scheduling less time for important tasks, and a 20-second rule for distractions had the most impact on his productivity among the many counterintuitive insights he discovered.
Here is a page of resources that go with the book: https://alifeofproductivity.com/the-productivity-project/resources/
Target 100
By: Liz Josefsberg, Jennifer Hudson – Foreword
This was my by-the-pool read in NOLA on vacation. Very basic habits to be healthier, all based on the number 100. 100 oz water, 100 carbs a day, 100 minutes of extra sleep, and so on. I love books about habits. https://target100.net/
Buddha’s Diet
By: Tara Cottrell, Dan Zigmond
Another re-read. Or re-listen to be more accurate. I have read that this book is a bit offensive to true Buddhists because it doesn’t seem to really understand the religion. It’s really just a diet book for intermittent fasting. I like the narrator’s voice. I enjoyed it again.
Master the Day
By: Alexander Heyne
This was a new book for me, and I really enjoyed it. Its primary focus is health and wellness, but it’s so much more applied to life in general. The key concepts:
- Stay in the moment
- Goals should be focused on one day rather than a long period of time
- Future outcomes are most accurately predicted by habits
- Control your inner narrative
- Rituals and routines are essential to success
I especially liked the suggestion to keep your habits to a minimum and assess how you do with them week-to-week. I found this would apply well to office habits, too.
What did you read this summer? Share in our Facebook group so we can add to our reading lists. I always have one.
