What Are You Reading 2021?
Future college students need to be big readers. Academic success requires it, and applications often ask about it, but those aren’t the only perks. It can be a relaxing escape from reality or a tool to develop other useful skills. With our New Year, fresh-start mentality still upon us, I thought now was a great time to inspire some useful reading with a list I’m calling …
Some Books You Might Wish You’d Read Earlier
These are classic books about productivity and success that might change your life for the better. And if you read them in high school, you won’t be reading them in a few years, wishing you’d read them earlier.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
This book inspires and challenges readers to think about their lives creatively and proactively, instead of giving others the power to control their reactions.
Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
This book takes the idea of proactive control of your life into the most difficult place and is written as both a memoir and a psychology text.
Getting Things Done, David Allen
This book changed the way I do To Dos. If you can’t keep track of things, you can’t get things done!
Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want, Barbara Sher and Annie Gottlieb
A little old-school, but such an interesting read when you’re considering your future. It’s written to people who feel like they’ve “missed their chance” to be who they wanted to be—how wonderful to read it before choosing a college, major or career, and taking the chance right from the start!
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, Robert Maurer
Grand gestures are inspiring, but small steps stick.
Small Move, Big Change: Using Microresolutions to Transform Your Life Permanently, Caroline L. Arnold
Even though I had already read the Kaizen Way, I found this really detailed exploration of microresolutions to be instructive. So many examples to inspire you!
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg
Fascinating. Habits have become the “It” thing to write about, and it’s both disconcerting and exciting to learn how much of our behavior is really on autopilot. If you recognize it, you can change it!
Better than Before, Gretchen Rubin
Another great habit book, with less Why and more How.
When you can’t stand another minute of becoming ‘better than before,’ take a break and remind yourself why reading is addicting.
For Thrilling, Keep-You-Up-At-Night Reading
Unwind, Neal Shusterman
This series is shocking and entirely unpredictable.
Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
If you’ve only seen the movies, you NEED to read the books. So much more thought-provoking.
House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer
This is actually a young reader title (maybe 6 – 7th grade reading level)—but the plot is exciting and makes you wonder What If. (Bonus: you’ll finish it faster!)
My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult
I read this ages ago, and it still rushes to mind when I think of stories that kept me guessing.
(True confessions: I don’t get to read as many novels these days as I’d like. What should I add to my must-read list? Comment below!)
What book are you glad you’ve read? What book would you recommend to almost anyone? Comment below!
(Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash)
