Favorite and Influential Books I Read in 2019

Time for a book round-up! Read about my favorite books from last year here and here— and share below what you've been reading in 2019, and what you're planning to dive into in 2020!

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I can't possibly recommend this book highly enough. Part memoir, part mourning, part myth-making, and part scientific explanation, it is truly a breathtaking work. Read my whole review here. 

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein. This book fundamentally shook the way I think about capitalism. No, I wouldn't recommend it for a hardcore capitalist (she assumes that you're not), but for someone like me who was getting mildly worried about how current economic structures might be impacting the planet, this book was a punch in the gut. She debunks several climate myths one by one— that capitalism has nothing to do with the climate, that companies should be unregulated, that asking companies to pay high taxes is unfair, that carbon taxes are a good idea, that free-market economics will sort things out, that the billionaires or technological solutions will save us, that we can continue business as normal while still keeping the planet livable. You might not agree with everything she says, but she makes a really compelling case that it is insane to keep going the way we're going, and that the changes necessary to keep the world from being destroyed are going to be drastic and require those of us in the global North to make some sacrifices. If you're looking for an intense and thought-provoking read, please check this out.

Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age by Alan Noble. My dad gave me this book a couple months ago, and I worked through it slowly, as there is a lot to process here. Noble's main message is this: as Christians, we have fallen prey to the secular mindset of viewing our religion as one of many viable choices that fits into a personal narrative, rather than an external Story that swallows us whole. Even if you don't agree with everything Noble says, this book is well worth reading for any Christian who feels like mainstream evangelical techniques are sorely missing something, or wondering why bumper stickers about Jesus feel so inappropriate.

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan. Yes, I know it's weird that a book about psychedelics made it onto my top five, but it was really interesting! Review here. 

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. It's been a really long time since I've read such a beautiful, intense, and captivating fairy tale— Novik is a master. Weaving together the tale of a Jewish moneylender, an abused peasant, and a soon-to-be tsarina, Novik transports you to a world of winter-creating fairy kings, demon-possessed royalty, and the transforming power of both wit and storytelling. If you like fantasy or fairy-stories of any kind, do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Honorable mentions:

Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100-Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon. More than anything, this book imprinting on me the concept of the ecological abundance that used to exist, which has since vanished— and we have to change our ways quickly if we ever have a hope of restoring the earth to the bounty it had before. Review here. 

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. A landmark book for many, this one went over stuff I'd read elsewhere, but still entertaining and very informative to read. Review here.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse. Update: After reading reviews from Diné (Navajo) critics, I can no longer recommend this book. Roanhorse is a member of a different nation than the one she wrote about, and appropriated sacred religious figures in a way that the Diné reviewers found harmful. You can read more here. 

Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits— to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin. I read a couple books about habits this year, but I appreciated this one most because of Rubin's perspective on the different kinds of personality traits which make it harder or easier to create habits. Review here. 

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport. Although I disagree with some of the book's foundational assumptions (such as digital interaction being inherently "fake"), this book is a must-read for anyone struggling to function in a world of constant availability. Newport encourages the readers to develop their own set of "technology ethics," a useful concept that I would love to be more universally recognized. Very thought-provoking.

Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table by Ruth Reichl. This entertaining food-focused memoir covers Reichl's childhood with her crazy mother, her culinary skills that came in handy as a wild teenager and young traveler alike, and her days as first a subversive 1960's housewife and later a quiet revolutionary. Captivating, funny, and full of luscious descriptions of food, it's definitely worth the read!

The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen. A fascinating biography of Daniel Suelo, who gave up money several years ago and never looked back. Whether you agree or disagree with his philosophy, he stands out as a man who follows his convictions.

Even more honorable mentions (aka, I'd previously read them but revisited them this year):

The Moneyless Manifesto: Live Well, Live Rich, Live Free by Mark Boyle. Until I reread it this year, I hadn't realized how much this book has fundamentally shaped a lot of my perspectives of economics, community, and self-reliance— not because I agree with Boyle, but because his lived-out philosophy is so extreme that it helps me see the realm of what is possible. If you're already leaning a little anarchist and are intrigued by the idea of radical community resilience, this book is for you.

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez (2018 edition). I just need to read this book every once in a while. It's so good. Please, do yourself (and your finances) a favor and check it out from the library asap!

What would you add to this list?

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