2022 Summer Reading Guide: Fantastic Non-Fiction
I love non-fiction but I still want it to be just as engaging as any novel. From time management to Russian history, there’s something for everyone in this category.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
I’ve read plenty of time management books but never one quite like this which is NOT all about tips and tricks for squishing more things into your day and instead steps back and acknowledges that we all have finite amount of time and no productivity hacks will ever give us more of it. Instead, what we have to do is make choices about how we’re going to spend that time and prioritize the things that really matter to us. I’m pretty sure I highlighted 80% of this book!
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
You’ve probably heard plenty about Russia on the news in the past few months, but how much do you know about the history of Russia? Candace Fleming is a master at bringing history to life in an interesting and accessible way and this book is no exception. It focuses on the Romanov family (most famous because of their daughter Anastasia) but also gives an excellent look at Imperial Russia and how it fell, opening the way for the Russia we see today. I read this one several years ago and now I feel like I need to revisit it!
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
You know I love a good money book and this one is one of my all-time favorites. It’s a fun read (which is a must for summer reading) and quite different than a lot of the money books I’ve read in the past. It’s full of practical tips, not just high level information and Rachel Rodgers, a mother of four, attorney, and self-made millionaire, shares what’s she’s learned on her own path to seven figure status, plus how she’s helped hundreds of other women do the same. I love her writing style and how she debunks lots of the bad financial advice you’ve probably heard throughout your life. And if you feel like it’s wrong to want to be a millionaire, she’ll debunk that for you too!
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
This memoir in graphic novel form is stunning. Thi Bui’s parents fled Vietnam after the South fell in the 1970s and came to America. But it wasn’t easy – not for her parents and not for their children. The book begins as the author gives birth to her own child and looks back at what her parents sacrificed for her and her siblings and what it cost them. I flew through this book that spans decades – how her parents’ lives changed from their vastly different childhood, their early marriage, their struggles as parents, and their experiences growing old in a foreign country. (As always, when I mention it’s a graphic novel, someone asks if that means it’s good for children. This one is definitely NOT for children).
The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More by Bruce Feiler
If you could use a little parenting help as summer gets underway, this is one of my all time favorite parenting and family books. It’s super readable and packed with actionable ideas, from how to make your days go more smoothly to how to help your children feel more connected to your family. There are more than 200 ideas in this book, but I particularly love how he says that’s way too many for any family to implement – this means you can take what works for you and leave the rest, guilt free! (Full review here)
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