I had a lot more time to read this year than I have done before. Here are some of the ones I enjoyed the most:

Random and Interesting

• The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect us From Violence by Gavin De Becker – This has got to be one of the most important books I’ve read. Every woman should read it. I found some of it hard to read but it was worth it.
• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn – This is a powerful book. Everyone should read it.
• How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M Christensen – This is a business book but I got the most out of Clayton’s personal stories. It reminded me of some people I work with and how I don’t want to end up like them.
• Bad Science by Ben Goldacre – This is an important book that everyone should read.
• StartUp Life: Surviving and Thriving in a Relationship with an Entrepreneur by Brad Feld and Amy Batchelor – I’m a big fan of Brad and his blog and found this book really useful in my own relationship. It’s not just for entrepreneurs.
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell – I enjoyed this more than The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference for some reason, although that’s also worth reading.
• Swiss Watching: Inside the Land of Milk and Honey by Diccon Bewes – This was recommended to me by a friend whose parents live in Switzerland. I love Switzerland and found this book entertaining as a result.
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott – This must be the best book on writing I’ve ever read.
• The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt – This book explores happiness from the view of various cultures and religions. I found it really interesting.
• Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Stephen D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner – I found this book fasctinating
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – The first half of this book is worth reading. It then goes on to talk about portals, which I found hard to make sense out of.

Auto/Biography

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X – I loved this book. I didn’t know much about Malcolm X before I read it. It’s definitely worth reading.
• Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama – This traces Obama’s journey to the White House. I didn’t know much about the man beforehand and found it interesting. He’s an inspiring guy!
• An Ordinary Man: The True Story Behind Hotel Rwanda by Paul Rusesabagina – I read this while we were travelling through Rwanda after visiting the actual Hotel Rwanda. It’s an amazing story about a very courageous man.
• Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harper – I read this when we were in Tibet and was mesmerised by it.
• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer – This book is amazingly written. It’s about the Everest 1996 tragedy. I read it just before our journey to Everest Base Camp (although we didn’t make it due to a recent avalanche) and trekking the Annapurna Sanctuary trail.  Anyone who is interested in hiking/climbing/mountaineering should read it.
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela – A great book about a great life. I read this while in South Africa and when we visited Robben Island.
• Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood – I found this story really inspiring.
• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson – I’ve always been interested in Steve. It’s hard to know how accurate it is but worth reading if you’re at all interested in him.
• On the Road by Jack Kerouac – This book is beautifully written.
• Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein – I didn’t know much about Buffett before reading this book. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s worth reading if you’re at all interested in one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Health

• Younger Next Year: Turn Back Your Biological Clock by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge – I didn’t realise that this was aimed at men until I started reading about what happens to a man’s penis as he gets older…. It was pretty interesting at least! Some of it can be applied to either sex thankfully – those parts were useful.
• The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss – I’m a huge Tim Ferriss fan but I was initially unsure about this book. I’m glad I bought it though. I learnt a lot and found the parts about minimum effective dosing, sleep and sex interesting. I’ve also lost a bit of weight following the slow-carb diet.
• 8 Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil – This is worth reading if you’re interested in improving your health.

Self Improvement

• Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins – I loved Tony’s Awaken the Giant Within which I found immensely helpful. This book is also good.
• The Start Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha – This is one of the best “career” books I’ve read. Everyone should read it.
• The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guilleabeau – I really enjoyed this book, particularly the part about helping others in a meaningful way.
• Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy – I loved this book. I found the parts on mindset especially useful.
• Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It by Kamal Ravikant – This is a simple short read with an important message.
• Choose Yourself by James Altucher – I like James’ writing and found the ideas in this book worth reading about it.

Business

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Take Hold and Others Come Unstuck by Chip heath and Dan Heath – I enjoyed Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard so thought I’d give this one a go since it was recommended to me by so many people. It’s definitely worth reading.
• Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday – This should be read by everyone in marketing.
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink – Anyone running a business or looking to employ or manage people should read this.

Fiction

• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – I started reading this for a book club that never materialised. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it and it wouldn’t have been my first choice of book to read but I absolutely loved it. It’s wonderfully written and I liked the story.
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini – This book is excellent although full on – I remember crying while reading it. It’s very moving. I preferred it to Khaled’s Kite Runner, which is also very good.
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamamnda Ngozi Adichie – This is a great story and well written. I read it while travelling through Africa which aided my enjoyment of it.
• The Interpretation of Murder by Jeb Rubenfeld – Entertaining especially if you like crime thrillers.
• Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin – I read this while we were travelling through Rwanda. It’s an entertaining read.
• Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom – I didn’t know much about life in Spain after the civil war. This was an interesting and enjoyable read.

Related:

• The Best Books I Read in 2014
• The Best Books I Read in 2015
• The Best Books I Read in 2016