The year I read 54 books ⋆ Andrea Claassen

My goal from 2012-2015 was to read 52 books in 1 year. Finally in 2015 after failing for the previous 2 years I succeeded. I found my rhythm. I needed to read approximately 4 books a month. I kept track of all of my books in a spreadsheet and give them a grade when I completed them as well as the date completed. From failing the previous 2 years I knew which months I struggled reading 4 books. I’m a data person that helped me understand where the break down was happening.

Well fast forward to December and I still had 6 books to read. My solution was reading 2-3 books for two weeks at a time in December. I would actually all 3 books at the same time. I have a tough time just sitting and finishing 1 book in 1 sitting, I need to mix it up. Which is actually nothing new to me as I typically have a few books in different genres that I read at the same time on a regular evening. I actually ended up finishing the year 2 books ahead of schedule. I read 54 books which I felt so proud of and have yet to do again. Though since becoming a mom that won’t be happening until my son is a bit older, I am being realistic with this one.

Since I grade the books I read I thought I would share with you the top 7 books in 2015 that I read. I have included a variety of genres in case learning about business, or yoga, or a fluffy for fun book is not for you. Hopefully you can find something that will suit your fancy.

Side note-to save money I use the library quite often for my reading list. I do not purchase books unless I truly love them and think I would read them again or know I’m going to want to make notes in it.

Top 7 books of 2015

The motivation manifesto by Brendon Burchard– I read this book in Costa Rica on my yoga retreat and found it to be the perfect compliment to my relaxing week. It not only fit with what I wanted to incorporate more of into my life but it gave me a rejuvenated sense to go after my goals. If your looking for a little extra motivation to start 2016 off on the right foot, I highly recommend this book to help you reach your goals this coming year.
The art of work by Jeff Goins- This book is great if you want to switch jobs, or appreciate the one you have a little more. This book is for anyone who works whether you have your on business or work for a company. It helps you realize if your on the correct path for you and helps you appreciate your job a little more if you discover you are doing something that excites you everyday.
The 5 love languages by Gary Chapman– My husband and I read this book before we got married and found it really helpful. It goes over how you might receive love a little differently then your partner and it goes over how to appease your partner so it works for both of you. I have found we both are appreciative of different things my love language is acts of service and his is affection. So both of us try to remember this with one another if we feel we are not on the same page some days.
Little beach street bakery by Jenny Colgan- This author was a new discovery for me this year. Most of her books are based in Europe but they are so delightful I can’t help but fall in love with the main character and the setting of the story. Jenny Colgan does such a nice job of describing the setting I was bummed when I finished the book as I wanted more of the quaint little town she was describing in her book. I then read Cupcake cafe from the same author and found it to be just as delightful as this book so you can’t go wrong with any of her books if your looking for a fun beach read.
Snow flower and the secret fan by Lisa See- I was told about this author from a friend and found this book to be educational. It is not a light book but did show me what it was like in 19th century China. It is not a light beach read but one you really do want to sit down and process what your reading. I tried one of her other books and it didn’t draw me in like this book did from the start. So if you haven’t read any of her previous work I would start with this book to see if this genre is your cup of tea.
The Blue Zones Solution by Dan Buettner- I heard Dan on a podcast I listen to and found his experiment quite intriguing so I thought I would purchase the book as it was not at the local library. I’m quite glad I did I found it to be fascinating to learn about what the 5 healthiest places on this planet have in common with each other. Another note of mention is Dan does research at the University of Minnesota so being from Minnesota he actually did experiments in towns I grew up near such as Albert Lea, MN and Spencer, IA. So I found this book to be even more intriguing after learning how those towns came out after the experiment.
Cricket Creek novels by LuAnn McLane- I started reading this series a few years ago and fell in love with this fictional small town as well. It is located in the middle of Kentucky and it was a struggling town until the local baseball stadium was built. Each book of the series then goes into the life of one of the locals in town. I find it a quick easy read for a rainy day or a long weekend.