What does it mean to be “well-read”?
I ask myself this because although I know that reading is an essential part of a good wellness routine, that it feeds the spirit and the mind, it is often the last things we have time for when our plates runneth over.
When I was in corporate, I never had time to read (er, never “made time” to read), but I had big ambitions to read anyway. I would basically force myself to sign up for book clubs in order to have the peer-pressure accountability to read. Most of the time, I was too sleep-deprived and fatigued and would fall asleep immediately, barely making a dent in the book. But my intention was in the right place.
This is why I am actually proud that I have gotten through the majority of these five books, some started over the summer and a few that I’m still finishing into the fall. And after all the digital reading we do today, it feels so good to actually touch a physical book.
So here’s what made the list, and why:
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The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, reminds us that we are all creative, every single one of us. Often women in business, even those in creative roles, can forget that their creativity can be channeled into something other than a commercial use. This book is an amazing reminder and exercise in reclaiming our creativity. The morning pages became a daily ritual, and that really helped me get back into writing, which I needed to start this Substack.
Why now: Fall is its own kind of reset. This is the book for reclaiming a part of yourself that work alone will never ask you for.
“In a sense, your creativity is like your blood. Just as blood is a fact of your physical body and nothing you invented, creativity is a fact of your spiritual body and nothing that you must invent.”
Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke, is juicy escapism. What’s interesting here is there’s a creator economy story weaved into the bigger conversation about women’s roles and our collective values regarding family, privilege, religion and public vs private selves. No spoilers, but if you have been hesitating to read it, I do recommend it. It made me think differently about roles women do or do not choose to inhabit.
Why now: a purely escapist read before the fall workload piles up.
“When Reena finally gave birth, when she finally looked around and realized she’d made it —she was at the top of the mountain, she had it all!— the landscape would look like this: her husband no longer wanted to touch her, and her boss no longer wanted to promote her, and her childless friends no longer wanted to spend time with her, and her friends with children no longer had time to see her, and Reena, sweet precious Reena, would complain about none of it, not the disappearing husband or the flailing career or the crushing loneliness, not a word of it to anyone, because she would technically be one of the lucky ones […] . You don’t get to complain about privilege.”
Rest Is Resistance, by Tricia Hersey, is the anti-hustle culture manifesto that is a constant reminder that rest is a right. I need to unlearn years of “grinding” and self-inflicted sleep deprivation and this book is my guide. It truly does the work to remove the guilt/shame from allowing ourselves the time and priority to rest and recover.
Why now: Q4 is “work harder” season. This book is the voice in your head to remind you that you only have one body and that your rest (and therefore your health) is sacred.
“To no longer be ravaged by this culture’s incessant need to keep going no matter what to produce at all costs. This is why we rest. Grieving the reality of being manipulated to believe we are not enough, divine, or valuable outside of our accomplishments and bank account is a central part of our rest work.”
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Start with Yourself, by Emma Grede, has been buzzing in the press for Emma’s point of view on work-life “balance.” Personally, I just love her candor when addressing topics like managing your emotions, money, career, family, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Especially with her street smarts and the impressive roster of people she quotes, it’s definitely an essential business book for our era. And the textured cover is quite nice too!
Why now: if you are reassessing what you want from your career, this is a must-read.
“If we don’t have a boss, we will frequently invent one to subordinate ourselves to someone who knows better […] I want to acknowledge that this is not a good way to live, nor is it an efficient use of energy. We must stop giving other people permission over our lives. We need to shift our mindsets. We cannot let strangers dictate how we feel. Instead, we must learn how to manage our emotions so we can stay calm, centered, and in control over the right next step.”
5. The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker, is her book on how to get the most meaning out of gatherings, perfect for fall, when we start to invite others into our home or are invited into others’. Whether for business or leisure, I find her book super well-researched with lots of real life examples and, actually, conversational.
Why now: in our increasingly fragmented and isolated world, a book on how to enrich our connections needs no further justification.
“Behind the ethic of chill hosting lies a simple fallacy: Hosts assume that leaving guests alone means that the guests will be left to one another. Many hosts I work with seem to imagine that by refusing to exert any power in their gathering, they create a power-free gathering. What they fail to realize is that this pulling-back, far from purging a gathering of power, creates a vacuum that others can fill. Those others are likely to exercise power in a manner inconsistent with your gathering’s purpose, and exercise it over people who signed up to be at your—the host’s—mercy, but definitely didn’t sign up to be at the mercy of your drunk uncle.”
If you've read any of these, I want to compare notes!
Great recommendations!
Oooo I have been looking for my next read. Yesteryear seems really interesting!