Books to Add to Your Reading List

Imagine unwrapping a book on Christmas Eve and spending the rest of the evening curled by the fire reading while you sip hot cocoa. This Icelandic tradition is called Jolabokaflod, which roughly translates as ‘Christmas book flood.’

This is such an important tradition that the Reykjavik Book Fair sends each household a book bulletin in mid-November. People flip through its pages, selecting books to gift their loved ones on Christmas Eve.

I always have a stack of books on my nightstand and I’m sharing some of my favorites. I read business books and those that focus on efficiency and processes which may not interest everyone. Fortunately, I’m married to an English teacher who reads more books in a year than I read in five years so I asked my husband to share some of his favorites as well. 

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

This book helps us understand that breaking down what is essential allows us to focus and contribute our time to what’s most meaningful.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

This time of year, we often focus on building good habits and breaking bad ones. This book is a practical guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day. [His weekly email is one of my favorites.]

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

A memoir that empowers women to embrace their true selves and break free from societal expectations.

The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

A book that views life’s challenges as opportunities for growth, reframing failures as valuable learning experiences.

The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California by Mark Arax

This book blends history, journalism, and memoir to explore California's water and soil issues. The author, a native of Califonia's Central Valley, places human faces and stories behind the drama that plays out across the most fertile land in the world.

The Human Stain by Philip Roth

This novel, along with American Pastoral, shows Philip Roth at his best. He writes with intensity and passion about America's tarnished legacy of race and our often intolerant, Puritan moral code.

Murder in Amsterdam: Liberal Europe, Islam and the Limits of Tolerance by Ian Buruma 

A combination of investigative journalism and a crime novel about an angry young Muslim who shot and killed the provocative Dutch filmmaker, Theo van Gogh. It explores the current complexities of immigration and assimilation.

Silence by Shusaku Endo

A historical fiction novel about a Jesuit priest who travels to 17th-century Japan to help oppressed Christians. The book is considered a classic and one of the best novels of the 20th century.  (This is also an excellent movie. directed by Martin Scorsese)

Consult this list to enjoy your very own Jolabokaflod this Christmas Eve.