Books I Loved in 2023

2023 was a great year of reading. There are two main categories that emerged across the 18 books I read: personal stories and self-improvement + emotions.

Personal Stories

In 2023, I learned from the personal stories and life lessons from a wide array of people, including Matthew Perry, Jennifer Lewis, Michelle Zauner, Bozoma Saint John, and Jennette McCurdy. There are few books that have made me laugh as much Jennifer Lewis' Walking in My Joy. I highly recommend downloading the audiobook because Jennifer's voice infuses so much of her spirit and energy into the words. I just fell in love with Jennifer on so many levels: her authenticity, her goofiness, her strong emotions that both served her growth and hindered her development. Jennifer is a force with an unforgettable voice. I absolutely loved Michelle Zauner's Crying in H Mart, which interwove identify, family, and food beautifully. In addition to her excellent musical skills (her band Japanese Breakfast rocks!), Michelle is a skilled writer who conveyed the complicated relationship with her mother with such tenderness and beauty.

Self-Improvement + Emotions

In 2023, I read a lot of great content that I could immediately apply to life. Daniel Pink's The Power of Regret taught me about the four types of regrets that how the most impact on our lives and are worth focusing on. They are foundational regrets (like health and finances), boldness regrets, moral regrets, and connection regrets. The biggest lessons I learned was not to waste time on decisions that would not be future regrets in those four areas. When the summer was upon us, I needed to buy an A/C unit for my office. Instead of my usual lengthy research on options, I quickly purchased a top-rated unit on Amazon, and it works just fine!

In 2023, I spent more time on one of my favorite topics: emotions. In Thich Nhat Hanh's Peace is Every Step, we are encouraged to "get close" to our negative emotions in order to transform them instead of trying to remove them. I love this quote: “If we face our unpleasant feelings with care, affection, and nonviolence, we can transform them into a kind of energy that is healthy and has the capacity to nourish us.” Related to this, I learned a lot about how emotions show up in the workplace from No Hard Feelings by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. This book was filled with great ideas for increasing psychological safety and satisfaction in the workplace across autonomy, development, and belonging.

Lastly, I ended 2023 with a book that I recommend to everyone, especially women: Playing Big by Tara Mohr. The chapters on "unhooking" from praise and criticism, the inner mentor (opposite of the inner critic), and communicating with power are game-changing. This book is a must read for anyone tackling some big goals in 2024 and reconnecting with their inner wisdom and power.

I could go on and on about the books I read in 2023, so instead, I'll leave you with a list of what I read. Let me know if you read any of these and what you think. Also I'll take any book recommendations for 2024!

1. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
2. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
3. Work Won’t Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe
4. Walking in My Joy in These Streets by Jennifer Lewis
5. The Urgent Life by Bozoma Saint John
6. Wolfpack by Abby Wambach
7. Let Your Life Speak by Palmer Parker
8. The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel Pink
9. The Mother of Black Hollywood by Jennifer Lewis?
10. Think Again by Adam Grant
11. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
12. No Hard Feelings by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
13. Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
14. Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
15. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
16. Radical Acceptance by Tara Barch
17. Built to Belong by Natalie Franke
18. Playing Big by Tara Mohr