2024 Summer Reading List: Yours
As far as national holidays go, some people love Thanksgiving. Others, Christmas. There’s that one weirdo in your HOA who is Arbor Day all the way.
But for my holiday affections, nothing quite measures up to the pre-summer book reading lists season. (Not a national holiday in your country, you say? It’s time to defect.)
Later this week, I’ll post the list of what I plan to read this summer, but for today, here are the top ten titles that you should consider. I’ve read all of these in the last year, and I think you’d like ’em. Or at least you should like ’em. But if you don’t celebrate pre-summer book reading lists season, how can we even trust one another?
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir (Beth Moore) If you’ve not read this truly magnificent biography, this is your summer. I’ve been told that the audiobook is even better than the print version.
Into the Abyss: An Extraordinary True Story (Carol Shaben) A plane crashes in a Canadian snowstorm, and the only survivors are the pilot, a politician, a policeman, and the prisoner he’s transporting. If that description doesn’t hook you, I got nothin’ else for you.
Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever (Gavin Edwards) I’ve been on a Mr. Rogers kick lately thanks to one of my daughters-in-law. This book made me tear up several times. (I listened on audiobook for free via Libby.)
Nudge: The Final Edition (Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein) This one is a nerdy deep dive into what motivates us, and how we can motivate others.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (Daniel Coyle) I mentioned this in my 2023 Top Ten Books post, but it’s worth mentioning again. Compelling stories and relevant stats made this one of my favorites last year. (See the Top Ten Quotes Post.)
The Daughter of Auschwitz: My Story of Resilience, Survival and Hope (Tova Friedman and Malcolm Brabant) This unbelievably true story is harrowing and hopeful all at the same time. I recommend the audiobook, which you can find for free on Libby.
The Expulsive Power of a New Affection (Thomas Chalmers) The definition of a classic is a book that people have heard of but haven’t read. Fix that this summer with this brief book that will help you see Jesus afresh.
The Multiplication Effect: Building a Leadership Pipeline that Solves Your Leadership Shortage (Mac Lake) One of the better leadership books I’ve read in the past year. (See the Top Ten Quotes post.)
Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life (Ozan Varol) Another favorite from 2023, and another one that you might like more than the title leads you to believe. (See the Top Ten Quotes post.)
Transformative Friendships: 7 Questions to Deepen Any Relationship (Brad Hambrick) From my own transformative friend comes a relatively new title that ought to go in your beach bag. (See the Top Ten Quotes post.)
The good folks over at the FTC want me to tell you the following: if you order a resource from a link on this page, I may receive a small affiliate commission from Amazon. If that bugs you, feel free to bypass my link and buy from a vendor of your choice. But still: buy it. I only promote items that have benefitted me and that I believe will benefit you.
