I recently saw Nomadic Matt share that whenever he reads a good book, he adds it to his reading list so I figured I would do the same as I am always getting asked for book recommendations. Enjoy my top Fiction and Non-Fiction favorite books below. Check out my full list of book recommendations here.
Fiction
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This is my favorite book of all time as it is a story about friendship and resilience.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I love The Alchemist and find myself picking it up every few years to re-read.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This is one of my favorite books. The writing is incredible, I love that the story focuses on a Latino, and it is just such a powerful read.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This was such a great book and a new favorite! It was so powerful and moving and entertaining all at once.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
I loved this book! It was a really unique story and I loved the thrill, the history, the magic of it. Highly recommend to anyone looking to get lost in a great book! It kept me on my toes because I had no idea how it would end but the ending was perfect!
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This was one of my favorite books of the year, I definitely understand why so many people love the book. The entire book is so interesting and full of beautiful language!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was one of my favorite fiction books of 2022. It was so good that I could not stop reading and I ended up finishing it in two days. Highly recommend!
Non-Fiction
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
My mentor has been recommending this book to me for a years and I finally read it! There were so many great, practical tips here that are super helpful especially as someone who’s recently stepped into management. This is one of the best professional development books I’ve read, I highly recommend!
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
This was hands down my favorite non-fiction book of 2022. There were so many practical tips and lessons and it was so entertaining to read!
Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Peterson
This was one of my new favorite non-fiction books of 2022. I have been recommending this book left and right to all of my Millennial friends. Reading this book made me feel seen in good and bad ways.
Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Designing Your Work Life is one of the best professional development books I’ve read. It is full of practical advice. Whether you are looking to change a few things to make your work life better, are looking to transition to a new job or are looking to start your own business…this is the book for you!
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
This book was recommended to me by a colleague and truthfully I went in blind. After reading a few chapters, it reminded me of another book I read called “Slow Productivity” where the message is to do less. I preferred this book because the author gave actual justification for why doing less is a good thing as well as shared practical tips.
For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez
This book easily is going on my list of favorite books. A friend recommended the book and I thought I’d like it based on the title alone but my goodness. What an excellent read.
A lot of what the author shares especially the part about being a minority in academia really resonated with me. I loved how unapologetic she was about who she is and I love that she didn’t filter any of it. I highly recommend especially to Latinas as you’ll relate to a lot of it.
What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence
I went into this book completely blind without knowing the premise. I LOVED it! There are 15 different essays and some are heartbreaking, others aren’t but they’re all written so beautifully and are so powerful. I really resonated with two of the stories: one made me mad, the other made me really sad. Highly recommend but I will mention a trigger warning if you don’t have the best relationship with your mom.
Educated by Tara Westover
Wow just wow. I was recommended this book and went into it blindly.
It’s beautifully written and is such a unique story. There were several parts where I just couldn’t believe what I was reading. I was rooting for the author so hard and honestly had no idea how it would end.
It’s such a powerful look into mental illness and the whole theory of nature vs nurture. Definitely keep in mind that this book is a heavy read and has several instances of abuse, violence and mental illness.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
This is hands down one of the best and most powerful memoirs I’ve ever read. What a candid and raw story about a mother-daughter relationship that wasn’t always perfect. It’s beautifully written. I cried at various parts of the book but especially the end. We know what will happen but it still hurts even though I’ve never met the author or her mother. Highly recommend but of course, trigger warning if you’ve lost a parent.
The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness by Elyn R. Saks
This might be the best memoir I’ve ever read. It’s honest, raw, painful, heavy and about such an important topic. The author brings us into her life and mind and the whole thing is so unpredictable. It was an extremely heavy topic (mental illness) so it took me a while to get through it but I would 100% recommend this. If you suffer from mental illness, it may be triggering to read this so be warned.