My 2024 Book List

Every year, I love putting together a list of books that will challenge me, entertain me, and help me grow personally and professionally. When I created my list for 2024, I considered books that would help me learn a new skill or approach a challenge in a different way. Diverse voices and a fresh perspective can be a catalyst for creativity and change and I am excited to dig into the following books!??

A new perspective on parenting?

As a parent of preteens, I am always looking for wise counsel for parents helping their kids navigate the pressures of growing up in a culture hyper-focused on achievement. As my children move into and through their teen years, I can see them making choices about the kind of people they want to be and the lives they want to lead. I want them to develop a love of learning and an openness to new experiences. I want them to have a strong sense of self, view failure as an opportunity, and create their own definition of success and achievement.??

This is why Jennifer Wallace’s Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It is on my reading list. We risk raising kids who feel their value rests on their successes. Research shows that kids who receive consistent feedback that they matter—not just their achievements—are more likely to have the resilience and security to thrive. I know the research and insights will be invaluable.?

My second book is by Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist specializing in the emotional development of teenage girls. Grounded in years of research, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood offers meaningful insight and practical guidance specific to the experience of parenting teenage girls. ???

A fresh look at leading growth-minded teams??

AI is revolutionizing work faster than any previous technologies. Now, more than ever, leading with curiosity, remaining open to new experiences, and learning from others will build teams ready to meet new challenges and opportunities.??

In Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, Adam Grant explores the untapped hidden potential we all have. I’ve always enjoyed his real-life examples, relatable anecdotes, and engaging writing. In this book, he discusses the importance of being comfortable with discomfort and the character skills and different types of courage we can all tap into to achieve greater things.??

When I saw Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure by Vaclav Smil on Bill Gates’s reading list, I thought about the buzz around AI. We have seen the transformational capabilities of AI in business and in learning. In this book, Smil discusses the difference between invention and innovation and why some things succeed, and others never materialize.??

Journeys that inspire?

Listening to diverse voices and experiences takes us out of our day-to-day thinking. Both fiction books on my 2024 list promise to take me on unexpected journeys of adversity and discovery. I am an avid reader, and when books like these two create so much excitement, I can’t resist diving into them.??

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride, made the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2023. While Seattle is not Pottstown, PA, the struggles of acceptance and belonging resonate with us all.??

Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this past year. Her characters struggle with poverty, addiction, and a need to belong. She writes with compassion about heart-wrenching topics, and I look forward to getting lost in the story.?

I can’t wait to explore these reads over the course of the year. I’m sure each will offer the opportunity to self-reflect, learn, and grow as a leader, a community member―and as a human.??

What’s on your reading list for 2024??