Book Recommendations & Holiday Traditions

I’m a serious book lover - thanks in large part to the bibliophiles who raised me. I was thrilled to partner this year with Kwame Spearman - the new owner of the Tattered Cover and a fellow East High alum - to give every Guilder the chance to pick up a great book this year as part of our holiday gift.  The Tattered Cover is where my grandparents nurtured their tradition of gifting all 40 of us a handpicked book each year for Christmas, and I loved the chance to bring that tradition into Guild. I scanned the ~100 books I read this year to build my top 10 list -- a few Guilders asked if I’d share my recommendations publicly, so without further ado: 

10 books I loved this year:

• This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger.  If you loved Where the Crawdad Sings, this had to be your next read. I cherished every page and was equal parts fulfilled and disappointed when I reached the end - the definition of bittersweet! 
• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Diana Chapman, Kaley Klemp, and Jim Dethmer. This is hands down, the best leadership book I’ve read. It's as relevant for managing one’s self as managing large teams, and will appeal to anyone who is focused on the intra- and interpersonal side of leadership and management. (Shoutout to our own Nick DeWilde for this recommendation!) 
• Beach Read by Emily Henry. Cleverly named, this is a joyful, lightweight read that you don’t have to feel guilty about reading. Great writing, literary references and a good love story — I smiled through this one.
• What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer. This is an anthem to women finding a way to accept “enough” in 2020 — in poetic form. It’ll make you laugh and cry, sometimes in the same poem. My girlfriends and I are all swapping our favorite lines. 
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. A wildly creative plot, with gorgeous writing and deep character development. Extra points from me for the creative portrayal of the relationship between twin girls.
• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. Kendi used his gifts as a storyteller to redefine a vital conversation on racism, most importantly, he defines a new and concrete model for what to do about racism individually, and collectively, in today’s world. 
• Group by Christie Tate.  If you liked Maybe You Should Talk to Someone last year, this is the EXTRA version. A great read for a year when we’re all focused on normalizing conversations about mental health. (Another shoutout to Zoe for this recommendation). 
• Rising Strong by Brene Brown. This book is the Brene Brown deep cut on vulnerability, with her research on how accessing vulnerability can unlock our sense of belonging, joy, creativity and more. It's 2 years old but deserved a re-read in 2020 given the circumstances. 
• All Adults Here by Emma Straub. This is simply good fiction, with the right ingredients like complex relationships, the evolution of sibling dynamics into adulthood, muted family drama, and the right mix of humor and love. 
• Devotions by Mary Oliver. An oldie, but a goodie that I turned back to this year. Oliver pens the type of poetry that we need in 2020, and this book is effectively a compilation of her greatest hits.

Books on my nightstand / up next:

• Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. A friend of mine shared how this book influenced his perspective on 2020 and the challenges and opportunities facing America, and he hooked me. I needed a break from political philosophy in November but I’m about ready to dive back in.  
• Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better by Rob Reich. Rob was my favorite professor in undergrad, and I flipped through this book then, helping inform my view on philanthropy vs social enterprises.  As we embark on Guild’s philanthropic journey with our own charitable giving, I wanted to revisit it to think about how we can do it better… 
• Promised Land by Barack Obama. I once said I’d only work for Barack Obama or Paul Freedman, and well, Paul hasn’t written a book yet! Can't wait to dive into this one.

And my ask of you all — I’d love a recommendation or another great novel over the holidays to balance out the list. 

Cheers!