The Books That Shaped My Year

Hi friend,

I know it’s almost Christmas – geez! But my mind is already skipping ahead to 2026. I know, I know, it’s a blessing and curse to be this way. For the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about all the beautiful moments this year and the challenges, the breakthroughs, the work, the tears, the laughs, all of it. I really love this time of year for the time we spend with our people and this reflection element.

One of my proudest accomplishments each year is my reading.

I’ve LOVED reading books since I was little girl and I’ve always been a voracious reader. I wish I had my life together enough to keep a list of all the books I’ve read .(I did at one point, but I lost the physical notebook I had them all written down in) and although I had high hopes of keeping track this year, I failed. So I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read like all you other organized ladies out there, but I can guarantee you it was a lot of time spent reading and I can share my favorite reads of the year and how they’ve impacted my thinking.‍

Top Reads in Nonfiction:

The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality, By Angela Saini - I read this one for research for the book I’m currently writing. I picked it up, because I was trying to write a section in the book about the origins of patriarchy and surprise - it’s complicated! But the author of this one, Angela Saini, traces the tradition of patriarchy back as far as she can go (thousands of years) to bring us to current day evolutions and sheds important insights on how together our stories hold the power to chip away at patriarchy for good.

Drinking from a Different Well: How Women’s Stories Change What Power Means in Action by Annette Simmons - I find myself recommending this book to women over and over again as conversations come up about how we show up differently in our personal and professional lives. More specifically, I felt validated after reading this book, because Annette did such an amazing job of explaining how and why more women need to lead and trust themselves to lead in their own ways as opposed to applying male-coded power strategies. I loved the explanations and practical expertise.  Check out the podcast episode we produced with Annette for more on her thoughts on storytelling here.

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, By Cat Bohannon - Ok, I had so many friends turning their heads when I recited facts from this book. So many crazy things about our bodies I didn’t know, but felt so empowered after reading. I think this one should be a must read for every woman, because it’s important to know how and why our physical bodies adapted – it will make you feel incredibly strong after reading ;).

Top Reads in Fiction

Spectacular Things by  by Beck Dorey-Stein - A tale of two sisters and the legacy their mother left on them. I love stories that are character and relationship-driven and there were developments in this one, I didn’t see coming. I think a lot of us will see ourselves in the journeys of these two characters.

Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne - his one was just fun! The story centered around the main character, a physics professor and her aloof, artistic neighbor, an artist. There’s fun astrology references and I loved the banter between the characters. Just a light, heartwarming romance read overall.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach - This one drew me in from the start. Although, you may find it hard to connect to the characters at first, stick with it, because this novel pays off with its lessons about connections, humans, and our hearts.

Honorable Mention - Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul - This is the second year, I’ve read through this devotional style book. And some days these insights from Melody Beattie just hit at the exact right time.

As I look back on this year, I see how much of my own growth has been shaped by the stories I’ve taken in. Creating this email has reminded me that Whole Story Living isn’t just about the stories we tell… it’s also about the stories we allow to shape us.‍

I’d love to hear from you!‍

What books did you love this year?

Fiction or nonfiction. Comfort reads or mind-stretchers. Hit reply and tell me! I’m always building next year’s reading list. :)

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