My virtual TBR list is endless and all over the place. I have books I want to read saved on Goodreads, in a notes app on my phone, in my bullet journal, and in an Amazon list or two. Pretty much any book lover out there can tell you that their TBR list is out of control (though most are probably better organized than mine!). But here are the books I literally have in a TBR pile in our apartment.
This has been in my TBR pile for years. I’ve started it and stopped it multiple times. It’s such a great book on being an active reader and getting the most out of books. I can’t wait to dive into this soon.
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Any time I hear a discussion on having good boundaries, this book is suggested shortly after. This is THE manual on having healthy boundaries in your life.
The illustrations in this book are to die for. I’ve read a good chunk of the Sherlock Holmes stories but am looking forward to finishing all of them while looking at the original illustrations.
I’m currently about halfway through this book. I’ll be honest, this book is a hard read. I don’t love reading the stories of hardship and injustice. But I believe it’s important to be informed and that being informed helps you become a more empathetic person, so I’m going to push through those feelings of discomfort and finish this book soon. It doesn’t hurt that it’s really beautifully written.
This is a recent addition to my TBR pile as I just picked it up from the library a few weeks ago. I want to read it to motivate myself to eat less sugar, but I also don’t want to read it because I like sugar. It’s a tough world we live in.
This is also a recent addition to my TBR pile. There was one period of a couple months when I heard suggestions for this book several times. I took it as a sign and checked it out from the library.
I’m usually a couple years behind when it comes to reading trendy books. People have raved about this one and I’m looking forward to diving in! It recently came into my hands at a book exchange I attended. I have a month before I need to return it!
If memory serves me correctly, this book was suggested by the lovely Lisa Hensley. I first started listening to it on audiobook but there were so many things I wanted to underline and remember that I decided to buy a copy to keep.
I stumbled onto this book in a little free library while on a run. I know! What are the chances? I had to finish the rest of my run with a book in hand, but it was totally worth it. and we’ll just skip over the fact that I stopped running to take a peek into the Little Free Library ;). The first Rainbow Rowell book I read gave me mixed feelings, but she’s such a beloved author and I hope I’ll enjoy this one more.
I first heard about this book a couple of years ago when I heard the author talk on a podcast. She talks a lot about having a growth mindset, and I realized immediately that I do not have a growth mindset and it really holds me back. I’ve thought a lot about the concept since then and I’m looking forward to diving into the subject even more.
What’s on your TBR pile?
So there we have it, 10 physical books I actually have stacked into a TBR pile. I’d love to hear about yours! What’s on your TBR list?
Update: I’ve now shared quick reviews for the majority of these books in this post. If you’re interested in any of these books, that’s the place to go to see what I thought of them!
This is the second year that I’ve created a summer reading list for myself. To be honest, it’s more like a summer reading wish list than an ‘I actually expect to read all these books’ list. But there’s something about taking the time to thoughtfully choose the books I want to read in an upcoming season that makes reading feel special and energizing. Last summer, I was able to get through a lot more books than I expected! And having the guideline of what to read next helped a TON.
This year, for the sake of being a well-rounded reader, I broke up my list into genres and selected three books for each. If the last day of summer ends on September 23 (it does, I checked), this gives me 15 weeks to read 15 books. I wish I could say I planned that, but I didn’t! How crazy is that? A book a week is an easy reading pace for me, but only if I’m not watching too much tv. This should be a good challenge for me! 🙂
A few quick tips for getting more reading in
Always have a book on hand. For me, this means having a book on my nightstand and a couple Kindle books I can read using the Kindle app on my phone. And also maybe an audiobook too.
Read more than one book at once. I read different types of books during different parts of the day. Mornings are for non-fiction. Evenings are usually for fiction. This is another reason why I chose multiple genres for my summer reading list!
For sure listen to audiobooks. They make commutes and chores so much better, plus you can cross more books off your list this way too!
Decide ahead of time how much of a book you have to read. When you reach that point, ditch it if you’re still not interested.
Don’t be afraid to read in bits and pieces. You don’t have to have large chunks of unoccupied time to make good progress in a book!
Know which book(s) you’re going to read next. You can create your own summer reading list.
Any tips I missed? Please share in the comments!
Without further ado, here’s my summer reading list:
This is one of the books recommended by Anne Bogel in her Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide. This book looks so different from anything I’ve ever read before. I’ve put myself on the hold list at my library already!
This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Womenintroduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.
Yet another Anne Bogel recommendation. This one caught my eye because it’s a Jane Austen retelling and I love a good Jane story. It sounds fun and lighthearted, perfect for summer nights when heavy reading feels so wrong.
Charming romantic comedy perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella. Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian, which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty pageant contestant, but the winning plan quickly goes awry when Ginny has a terrible, face-altering allergic reaction the night before the pageant, and Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades. But as she discovers there’s more to her fellow contestants than just wanting a sparkly crown, Charlotte realizes she has a whole new motivation for winning.
I stumbled across Whitney’s blog the other day and thought her style was so charming. While our condo here in Arlington (589 square feet) isn’t that small for the two of us, I still feel like I could use all the small space living tips I can get. I’ve put myself on the library hold list for this one and am looking forward to flipping through the pretty pictures.
Interior design maven Whitney Leigh Morris makes living in under 400 square feet look elegant and effortless—even with a husband, baby, and two Beagles in the mix. In her debut book, Whitney shares her ideas and practices for making any tiny space efficient and stylish—whether it’s a rustic A-frame in the woods or a chic microapartment in the city.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for approximately 5 gazillion years, and have even started reading it several times. I always end up putting it aside for something lighter (literally. this book is a long’un!). I’d love to finish up this book this summer.
In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
Now that we live in the nation’s capital, I thought it would be really fun to read a book about each of the United States presidents. I’m not positive that I want to 100% commit myself to this long of a project yet. Reading about the 1st president seems like a good place to find out though. I picked this one because a quick google search informed me that it’s the most interesting biography about George Washington.
Celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation and the first president of the United States. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one volume biography of George Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the reader through his adventurous early years, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America’s first president. In this groundbreaking work, based on massive research, Chernow shatters forever the stereotype of George Washington as a stolid, unemotional figure and brings to vivid life a dashing, passionate man of fiery opinions and many moods.
If reading a biography about the first president goes well, it only makes sense to read one about the second! I’ve heard about this author a lot but have never read any of his books myself. Also, I just saw someone reading it on the metro. That feels like a sign.
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second president of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as “out of his senses”; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history.
I’ve been following Jon Acuff on Instagram for yeeeeaars. His are probably the posts I share with my husband most just because they’re so funny. But I’ve also learned a lot about business and personal development from him too. I’ve been wanting to read one of his books for a while now. Since I’m really good at starting things and really bad at finishing them, this feels like a great place to start 😉
According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. You’ve practically got a better shot at getting into Juilliard to become a ballerina than you do at finishing your goals.
If you’re tired of being a chronic starter and want to become a consistent finisher, you have two options: You can continue to beat yourself up and try harder, since this time that will work. Or you can give yourself the gift of done.
I don’t know a whole lot about this book or its author, but I DO know that it’s one of my favorite subjects. I have heard quite a few recommendations for this particular book!
Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.
To be honest, this book sort of intimidates me. It sounds way too academic or expert for me. But it’s about money and the way that people actually behave with it, which also sounds fascinating, so I’m going to give it a try!
Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans―predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth―and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.
This book is such a personal finance classic that I’ve been meaning to read. (noticing a theme with my summer reading list?). I hadn’t considered reading it when I first heard about it because I thought it was for dads. Crazy assumption, huh? But it’s about a lot more, including challenging the assumptions and mindsets we have when it comes to money that aren’t doing us any favors.
In Rich Dad Poor Dad, the #1 Personal Finance book of all time, Robert Kiyosaki shares the story of his two dad: his real father, whom he calls his ‘poor dad,’ and the father of his best friend, the man who became his mentor and his ‘rich dad.’ One man was well educated and an employee all his life, the other’s education was “street smarts” over traditional classroom education and he took the path of entrepreneurship…a road that led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. Robert’s poor dad struggled financially all his life, and these two dads—these very different points of view of money, investing, and employment—shaped Robert’s thinking about money.
This books comes highly recommended from Liz over at the Frugalwoods blog. Some of the things it covers I know well, like how to avoid debt and what to do if you have it. But there are a lot of topics that I don’t know much about and would love to learn about like
understanding the stock market
figuring out the world of saving for retirement
whether we’ll ever need an investment advise
Fun stuff, no?
“In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, warm words of encouragement and the tools to forge your way through with confidence. You’ll never find a wiser advisor with a bigger heart.” — Malachi Rempen: Filmmaker, cartoonist, author and self-described ruffian
Here’s another classic personal finance book I’d love to have under my belt. I love the idea of people building wealth not to live super flashy lives but to love their families well and give generously.
The bestselling The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don’t live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue-they live next door.
Confession. I’ve been intending to re-read this book since the movie came out. In 2014. Has it really been that long? Did you see the movie and was it any good?
The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.
I’ve heard such great things about John Steinbeck but I’ve never read any of his works. I’m really looking forward to this one.
They are an unlikely pair: George is “small and quick and dark of face”; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation.
Laborers in California’s dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie’s unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.
This classic sounds like a fun summer read. I can’t believe I made it through so many years of schooling without this one being on the required reading!
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued.
Bonus Fun Books
I realized that many of my books on my Summer Reading List are non-fiction and not exactly lighthearted. Here are four more bonus books, all ideas from Anne Bogel. I put myself on the hold list at my local library for each of them. Fingers crossed one or two of them will become available this summer!
Do you have any of the same books on your summer reading list? Which of these books is a must-read and, more importantly, are there any that you would recommend I take off my summer reading list?
I don’t typically plan out what I’m going to read next. I’ll get inspired by a blog post and then reserve a book from the library moments later, meanwhile all the books that have been getting dusty on my TBR list never get read. That also means that I read a lot of books of one genre while neglecting to diversify. This summer I’m going to try and be a lot more intentional with my reading life. As you can see, I’m working on reading more fiction, so I have a lot more of that category on my summer reading list. Take a look through and let me know if we’re reading any of the same ones!
I heard about this book from the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide. Out of all the books she recommended, this one most appealed to me, which is interesting, since she thought it would appeal to the least amount of readers. I just finished this book a few months ago, and while it was a bit darker than I expected (because I neglect to read descriptions for fear of spoilers – I really bring it upon myself), I really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to this read as well.
I devouredthis series andthis series, so I’m really looking forward to reading the Kane Chronicles. These books are about Egyption mythology in YA Lit form. Admittedly, I’m already halfway through the first book and I’ve certainly enjoyed it so far. These are easy, fluffy reads, meant more for my entertainment than self-betterment. To be honest, Rick Riordan and Orson Scott Card are currently my primary educators on mythology, so perhaps I should branch out from YA Lit to more educational mythology books. Perhaps. Both of these authors make for great audiobookreading, if that’s what you’re looking for.
My husband and I made a deal while we were still dating that if he read all the Harry Potter books, I would read some Star Wars books that he recommended. It took a while for him to finish his end. Now that we have theaudiobooks, he’s actually read them almost as many times as I have, but I have yet to hold up my end of the deal. I’m planning on reading the first of this series this summer.
This was another one I found off of Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide. She suggests a book that is a sequel to this one, but I feel strongly about reading books in order, so I’m checking this one out first. This book features a federal investigator from Melbourne facing his past. It falls into the twisty, mystery category. I’ll save this for a weekend when I have some downtime so that when I inevitably get sucked in to obsessing over the ending, I’ll have time to finish.
Yet another Modern Mrs. Darcy recommendation. What can I say, the woman has great taste. This is supposed to be an easy but substantive read, which is great for summer reading. If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy then you’ll likely enjoy this book too. But mainly the cover is pretty, and I’m all for a pretty cover.
This bookby Laura Vanderkam completely changed the way I think about time and productivity. I would basically read anything she said about the subject, so I preordered Off the Clock, which comes out May 29, 2018, and am looking forward to reading more.
Even though I can be super frugal, I still have a hard time not spending money at all. I definitely want to cultivate more gratefulness in my life and stop relying on spending money to meet my needs. I’m looking forward to learning from and being challenged by this book!
I feel like lately I’ve been hearing Daniel Pink mentioned everywhere. I haven’t read any of his books yet but this felt like a good place to start. Any help in finding motivation would be much appreciated.
I have been hearing about this book for ages and am really looking forward to diving in. I’ve been thinking a lot about spiritual disciplines lately. It’s easy to think that once my current season is over, I’ll have more time for that. Now that I’m in my late-twenties (unless it can be mid-20s till you’re 30, in which case I’m mid-20s), I’m realizing that I’m going to have to fight hard to make the time for what’s important to me.
This book is all about the reading life from a gospel point of view. I’ve never heard of any books like this, but I love reading and I love the gospel, so I figured this would be a good fit.
I have been listening toher podcast for months and always come away feeling so encouraged and inspired. But I’ve never read any of her books! That for sure needs to change. I chose this title because I’ve been feeling like I could use some more bravery in my life lately. I can’t wait to hear what Annie has to say.
Share the Love
What’s on your summer reading list? Do you go light + fluffy for summer or stick to the usual titles? Leave a comment and let me know!
Hi, I’m Kelsey! I live in the DC area with my husband and two cats. I currently spend my days working from home, reading all the books, and enjoying home life in our new-to-us 1940s condo. Read more about me here.
This is one of the books recommended by 
by Laura Vanderkam completely changed the way I think about time and productivity. I would basically read anything she said about the subject, so I preordered Off the Clock, which comes out May 29, 2018, and am looking forward to reading more.
Any help in finding motivation would be much appreciated.
