Books I read in 2021
Every year between Christmas and New Years, I like to look back at my year, including the books I read. It’s by no means a competition. What it does allow me to do is to see threads and themes that I may not have realized until I took a moment to pause and zoom out.
Here’s what the exercize taught me about 2021:
I turned to a spiritual side which was new, and honestly I think it was the best thing I could have done for my business.
I pro-actively did work around money. It definitely paid off. I didn’t realize how much shame I’d held around it.
Surrender was a big theme, and it was really empowering when I learned to let go rather than control.
I read more books by Black women than ever, and I love their realness. Honestly, I think I read so many books this year, because I flew through each one of them.
Diversifying my bookshelf has been incredibly liberating and has helped give me more clarity around the work I’m here to do. I also see just how much societal programming we are wading through each day. It runs deeper than I ever imagined.
2021 books:
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
You are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero
The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let Go by Kute Blackson
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
Wintering by Katherine May
Wanderful: Find wonder in the everyday. Every day. by David Pearl
Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Think Again by Adam Grant
More than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Professional Troublemaker: The fear-fighter manual by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
The Power of NOW: a guide to spiritual enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
What They Forget to Teach You at School by The School of Life
Profit First Mike Michalowicz
You Were Born for This by Chani Nicolas
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown
I’m Still Here: Black dignity in a world made for whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
Super Attractor by Gabrielle Bernstein
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
This Could Be Our Future: a manifesto for a more generous world by Yancey Strickler
Livewired: The inside story of your ever-changing brain by David Eagleman
Live Free: Exceed your highest expectations by DeVon Franklin
Katherine Johnson: My Remarkable Journey by Katherine Johnson, Joylette Hylick, Katherine Moore
The Untethered Soul: the journey beyond yourself by Michael A. Singer
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
This year I also re-read three books (the last two aren’t doodled but I’ve read for the past two years as well):
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown (she did a series on her Unlocking Us podcast with her sisters as a companion)
The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo
Playing Big by Tara Mohr
I only read two fiction books this year (The Alchemist and The Midnight Library), but that’s something I’m hoping to dive more into in 2022.
For more books, check out my 2019 and 2020 roundups. I also share many books I’m reading on Instagram with the hashtag #PAVreads (with the exception of a few posts that have infiltrated my hashtag ;) and in my newsletter, Connect the Dots.
Pssst. I’m getting reading to open the next round of Mapping Your Path: Finding Direction in mid-January! (We’ll officially kick off in February, but you’re going to want the early bird deal!) Sign up to join the waitlist on the workshops page of my website! In the 3-month workshop and guided community we regularly share resources, books and podcasts that have inspired us on our journeys. It’s an incredible and supportive place to be wherever you are on your own journey! Think of it as the perfect prescription rather than the overwhelm of where to turn next. . . I’m also running Write Your Own Rules workshop on Jan 22nd!