Each year I post a list of my favorite books, the ones I would call the best books of the year.

The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks. I read this book over the summer, and it was so helpful. Turning 40 this year raised a lot of fo questions for me, but this book was incredibly useful in answering them and focusing me on the second half of life and what it looks like and what it can be.

Questions Are the Answer: A Breakthrough Approach to Your Most Vexing Problems at Work and in Life by Hal Gregerson. As an enneagram 8, asking great questions is hard for me to do. I tend to have lots of opinions, settle on those, and then move on. This book takes a look at how to dig deeper into things so that you don’t miss the best ideas. It got a little long but had some fascinating research and stories behind it that I found helpful. 

Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Building Teams and Winning at the Highest Level by Michael Lombardi. I love football and leadership, and since this book was about both, I loved it. The chapter on how to find a coach is so applicable to hiring and team building that I was blown away by it. A fun read, with tons of great stories and leadership nuggets in it. 

Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs by Steve Cuss. I wish I could’ve read this book years ago. It would’ve saved me a ton of pain and heartache as a leader. When dealing with other people, you have to manage your story and anxiety, along with theirs. In a church or team setting, you are dealing with family systems that you are often unaware of. This book took a look at how to understand those, how to understand what is going on in your body in a situation, and what is happening in an interaction. 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. If there was a book on this list that I would put at number 1 or say it is a must-read book, it’s this one. It is on the booklist my kids have to read before graduating high school, it is that good. I love the focus on “becoming the kind of person who hits the goals you have.” Too often, we don’t have that focus, and so we set goals without asking, “What kind of person do I need to become? What kind of person loses weight? What practices do they have, and how do I become that person?”

Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday. I love all of Holiday’s books, but this one might be my favorite. The book is broken up into how to find stillness in your mind, body, and soul. For me, the body section was incredibly helpful. 

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins. This book is not for the lighthearted (and if you’re offended by a lot of cussing, this book isn’t for you), but what a story. Part leadership book, part memoir, Goggins story is captivating. All the things he does, the hurt he endures, the lengths that he goes to make himself feel whole are incredible to hear and heartbreaking to imagine. 

This year I also discovered The Last Kingdom series, which is a fictitious look at the founding of England. So good. I haven’t gotten into the TV show yet, but the books are some of my favorites.

I also discovered a new historical writer Hampton Sides. This year I read his books Hellhound on His Trail: The Electrifying Account of the Largest Manhunt in American History, In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette and I just started On Desperate Ground: The Epic Story of Chosin Reservoir–the Greatest Battle of the Korean War. I’d recommend any of those books and his others!

To see my list of favorite books from past years, click on the numbers: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015  2016, and 2018. I loved looking back through the books I read this year as it helps me to see where I’ve grown, what God has taken me, my family, and our church through. If you’re curious about the books I read this year, you can check this out.