Every year I set a goal to read a number of books by the year end. Although this year I fell behind on my Goodreads Challenge, I read some wonderful books and wanted to share. In no particular order:
No Hard Feelings: Emotions at Work
I wish I was gifted this book when I graduated RPI. University doesn’t prepare you with all the emotional resilience you need to work in a full time job, especially as a young woman. I love how this book mixed real advice wrapped with whimsical infographics and assurances that I wasn’t the only one that ever felt that way at work. There was so many quotes that I wanted to scream from the rooftops because it was way too relatable. If you just started a new job, pick this book up and pick it up for your best friend too. Their hilarious cartoons can also be found on Instagram.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
I’ve been following Mike Isaac’s pieces on Uber and Travis Kalanick when the events were unfolding, but it was super eye opening reading the entire story in one book. Super Pumped goes behind the scenes of how Uber was started and the culture that led up to Susan Fowler’s bombshell whistleblowing blog post. It was a train wreck of a story that I couldn’t put down until I finished it. If you’re looking for the next business drama book to read after Bad Blood, this is a good one.
The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America
This book I binged read in two days while on vacation on the beaches of Thailand. It tells the story of a year of a beloved teacher at Connecticut’s top public high school and his students as they compete in national science fairs. I graduated from a small and humble public school in New Jersey so it was a new fun experience to read about students who had reached national acclaim while still in high school. But my favorite part of the book was reading about Mr. B’s dedication to his student and for myself remembering the teachers that gave me so much.
Becoming
This is an easy one to write about since I think it’s at the top of many people’s list. I’ll keep this short since I think the many reviews about Becoming will cover what I have to say but I will just say this book is wonderful and a must read for all the young women out there. Michelle Obama writes with a candidness and hopefulness, and it reassured me that I don’t need to know what my entire life is going to be by my mid-20’s. PHEW
In 2020, I want to pick up againthe habit of reading on my morning commute and will be doing another GoodReads reading challenge. Feel free to send recommendations as well!