Books We Adore: Insights from a Voracious Reader’s Personal Library

We LOVE books here at Greatness Magnified, and given you’re reading this article, I bet you do too. I’m often asked what my favourite books are. If you saw my office, you’d see hundreds on my shelf. In fact, after recording a podcast episode last week, my daughter walked past them and asked, “Have you actually read all those books?” I’ve read about half cover to cover and some more than once. Others, I’ve dined on key chapters, yet others are in a special spot on my “to read next” shelf.?

The bottom line is that the team and I are voracious readers—business books, psychology and human behaviour books, novels, and sometimes biographies. Here are some tips about how you can welcome reading even further into your life, what you may wish to put at the top of your reading list, and how to ensure reading stays a source of fulfillment and joy for you.

How to Make Reading Work for You

Most importantly, there is no one way to “read” a book. If you’re thinking of a blanket, tea, and a chill Spotify soundtrack, or perhaps a desk, highlighter, and strategically positioned light, you probably have a clear vision of what you think reading “should” be. Sometimes, that is why we don’t read; the way we feel we must read doesn’t align with our lives!

The Sweet Sounds of Audiobooks

You can listen to books. And you don’t even have to pay for them! Every public library now has a database full of audiobooks of every persuasion. You can buy memberships to large city libraries that have even bigger selections. And, of course, there are things like Audible subscriptions (hot tip: if you get one, now you can pause for 3-month chunks if you need to catch up, but the downside is that you cannot cancel without losing all your books purchased to date).

The Utility of eBooks

You can read books on your tablet or computer. Kindles, iPads, computers and even your phone are now ways to load up your selection and read what you feel like at the time or sneak in a few pages while waiting for your dentist to finish drilling in the other room (pop in the AirPods so you don’t get distracted with the drilling sound…yikes.) You may choose a Kindle or tablet if you want to highlight your books. You can even bookmark pages in digital format. As noted above, your library will have many digital titles (likely more than audiobooks) to borrow for 7-21 days.

The Feel of a Printed Book

Of course, print books. Borrow them from your library, a smarty pants friend, or those cute little neighbourhood lending libraries at the end of people’s driveways. I always have a paperback with me when I travel, as sometimes the “comfort of home” is my white noise maker and a book with a bookmark (that is, you guessed it, a thank you card is my bookmark). There is something very soothing about being in a strange place and having a book where the spine’s been cracked, and you are already hooked on the plotline.

The Joy of Many Ways to Read

In a nutshell:

• Try “reading” in different mediums
• Borrow books so you can “try them on for size” before (if) you buy
• Acquire titles you feel you’ll want to go back to
• Lend and borrow books that come highly recommended
• Keep a book handy when you’re waiting, travelling or having an unenjoyable “adulting” experience

Here’s a previous article we’ve shared if you want more tips on becoming a voracious reader.

Books We Love

So now, onto some recommendations. We have a delicious ROCKSTAR Leadership Development Program where we’ve leveraged some of our favourite books as support, guidance and even practical strategies for implementing our juicy content. We also want folks who want to keep reading at their own pace, so we want to make it easier to maintain momentum.?

Curious about what those titles are? Here they are as they align with the four anchors of our program:?

• R – Recognition – titles about valuing uniqueness and greatness in others
• O – Organization – titles about critical thinking and managing computing priorities
• C – Communication – titles about professional dialogue and managing challenging conversations?
• K – Kindness – titles about self-care and creating safe spaces

All the recommended titles lead to STAR results – increased Satisfaction, Teamwork, Achievement, and Retention. By learning more about how to be the ROCK to yourself and others, you can ensure that you get results that make you and others the (humble) STARs in work and life.

Recognition

Valuing the uniqueness and greatness in others and in yourself is key to building strong relationships and fostering growth. These books highlight the importance of recognizing contributions and creating environments where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.

• Go Put Your Strengths to Work, Marcus Buckingham
• Gifts Differing, Isabel Briggs Myers
• Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness, Sarah McVanel & Brenda Zalter-Minden
• Flourish, Martin E.P. Seligman
• The FROG Effect Workbook, Sarah McVanel & Brenda Zalter-Minden
• Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman

Organization

In today’s fast-paced world, effective organization is more crucial than ever. These books provide strategies for critical thinking, managing priorities, and staying on top of the ever-growing demands in both work and life.

• Lead with And, Tim Arnold
• Polarity Management, Dr. Barry Johnson
• Getting Things Done, David Allen
• Flip Side of Failing, Sarah McVanel
• Dare to Lead, Brene Brown
• Six Thinking Hats, Edward de Bono

Communication

Clear and constructive communication can transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. These books offer practical advice on mastering professional dialogue and navigating tough conversations with ease and empathy.

• The Power of Ted, David Emerald
• A Game Free Life, Stephen Karpman
• Difficult Conversations, Stone et al.
• Crucial Conversations, Grenny et al.
• Crucial Confrontations, Patterson et al.
• Words that Change Minds, Shelle Rose Charvet

Kindness

Self-care and kindness are vital components of personal well-being and creating a supportive environment for others. These books emphasize the importance of compassion, creating safe spaces, and nurturing both your own and others’ mental health.

• Do More Great Work, Michael Bungay Stainer
• Atlas of the Heart, Brene Brown
• Burnout, Emily Nagasaki & Amelia Nagasaki
• Self Compassion, Dr. Kristin Neff
• The Resilience Roadmap, Mark Black
• Too Busy to Be Happy, Christine Laperriere

Why Reading Is Meaning

If you don’t know what to do, do something you know.?

When in doubt, grab a book. Someone’s written about every issue you will ever run into. If you need ideas, guidance, assurance, and support for what you’re stuck with or struggling with, through to what inspires and ignites you, hundreds (maybe thousands) of titles can support you on your journey.

Books can help you push through and to.

Reading can also help you unwind from the zaniness of life. This is the PULL of books. They can draw you in, let you lose yourself, and channel a busy mind and life to another place, space, or world.?

There is no best way, right time, or ideal approach to reading. Find how it fills an essential place in your head or heart.?

For me, lately, it’s all about the novels. I have a whole stack of business and psychology books ready for me when I’ve left the residual effects of burnout behind. Good thing I’ve read a lot on burnout (see great titles above); one of the things I know from those books is that getting lost in what brings you joy must be a priority. I’m giving myself the space and grace to let the biz books take a backseat to the chill reads for a while; before long, I know I’ll be keen to nerd it out on those other titles! My reading preferences are cyclical, and that’s perfectly okay. There is no right or wrong way to read.

So, I’d best go now. My hubby picked up a stack of novels on hold for me at my local library. I’ve got some light reading to do.

Did you know I sign books when people buy them from my store? Anytime you order something from me and want me to make it out to someone you like, love, or work with, say the word. Add the note to your order or email me at [email protected].

Happy reading, friends!

Here are a few more articles that share some more of our most loved books to nosh on:

• Sarah’s Summer Re-Reading List: The Best Books That Will Never Leave Her Shelf
• Summer Reading List Part 2: Hot off the COVID Presses! Books by Influencers, Thought Leaders & Talented Speakers
• Summer Reading List Part 3: Reinventing and Reimagining the Future of Work

Disclaimer/Humble Brag Moment: 100% of this content was human-generated (by us folks here at Greatness Magnified). We are committed to authorship integrity and will inform you what percent, if any, is AI-generated.