“Leaders are readers,” my Dad replied to my then, know-it-all 20-year-old-self. If I wanted to lead well, I was going to learn to read well, too. I loved reading as a child, but college turned reading into an assignment for me rather than a practice of goodness and growth. I was complaining about my read-one-book-a-week-and-write-a-one-page-response class to my Dad when his reply essentially said,
“get over it, girl. It’s helping you lead!”
So, we compromised and I got over it.
I love reading. I read books that make me better, books that make me think differently, books that tell stories I can get lost in and books that call me on my stuff (helllooooo Codependent No More). While some seasons of life offer more time for reading than others, I will say that turning off my phone and opening a book, even for five minutes, has proven to be a wise choice each time. There are many nights where I fall asleep reading – it’s much better for me than falling asleep mindlessly scrolling. So, I commit to reading because my mind is better when I read – my thoughts are more productive, my habits are healthier, and my knowledge base grows.
I took a poll of my Instagram followers as well as some friends, read articles from Fast Company, Time Magazine, and Bill Gates and compiled my reading list for 2020.
Because I have not read these books yet, realize this is not me endorsing them per say, just simply sharing what I’ll be reading this year. I hope you’ll read some, too – I love talking about books to my friends.
Here we go, Megan’s List for 2020 (in no particular order):
(Editor’s Note: So there’s actually 21 books here because Building A Story Brand is one that I am committing to for however long it takes, you’ll see why if you read it, too!)
1. Building A Story Brand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen – Donald Miller
2. The Atomic City Girls (fiction) – Janet Beard
3. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work – Timothy Keller
4. Before We Were Yours (fiction) – Lisa Wingate
5. The Autobiography of Malcolm X As Told To Alex Haley – Alex Haley
6. A Women’s Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World – Katelyn Beaty
7. Lilac Girls (fiction) – Martha Hall Kelly
8. Emotional Intelligence 2.0: A single purpose, increasing your EQ – Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
9. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know – Malcolm Gladwell
10. IT: How Churches & Leaders Can Get IT and Keep IT – Craig Groeschel
11. Why Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t – Simon Sinek
12. Beloved (fiction) – Toni Morrison
13. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep & Dreams – Matthew Walker, PhD
14. An American Marriage (fiction) – Tayari Jones
15. Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities – Vaclav Smil
16. Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life – Diane Tavenner
17. The Education of an Idealist, A Memoir: Samantha Power
18. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact – Chip & Dan Heath
19. Long Bright River (fiction) – Liz Moore
20. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption – Brian Stevenson
21. Switch On Your Brain – Dr. Caroline Leaf
Happy reading, friends.
Here’s to 20(1) in 2020.
What are you reading? Perhaps my list has room for growth!