SARAH’S TOP 10 FAVORITE BOOKS
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Who else could get lost all day in a place like this?!
SARAH’S FAVORITE BOOKS
When I was kid it was hard for my parents to get me to stop reading.
I remember a time we were driving to Colorado and my parents kept telling me to look out the window because I was missing all the beautiful mountain landscapes. I think they threatened to take my books away, LOL!
Micah on the other hand did not read unless he HAD to growing up, but now he’s one of the most voracious consumers of books I know.
He said that once he realized that you could read about things that are applicable to daily life and that he could personally grow and change through books, then reading became attractive. That, and the arrival of the audiobook.
I’m personally a hard copy book person :)
Whatever way you like to read, it is a powerful tool that can shape us into who we are and I get asked often what books I recommend. While there are endless options out there, I have some ride-or-dies that I re-read year over year.
Each of these was recommended to me by someone I respect and admire, so this list isn’t really mine. It’s a list from the circle of guidance I have in my life that has shaped me to this point.
These are in no particular order…
1. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
This was the first growth oriented book I ever read, so it holds a very special place on the bookshelf in my heart, but it’s also a timeless and fantastic read.
When we make small intentional choices daily, we end up with a life built by the compound effect working in our lives. The title says it all. Powerful yet simple.
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear
While this is also a book about habits, I find it a fantastic companion to The Compound Effect.
You get great foundational, principle based information in the Compound Effect and then Atomic Habits provides an immense amount of practical tools on HOW to build and maintain great habits that will enact the principles discussed in The Compound Effect.
3. Three Simple Steps by Trevor Blake
Clearly I like books that are practical and easy to apply. This one is no different.
Trevor Blake shares some very personal elements of his own upbringing as well as a multitude of business successes and failures through which he learned that creating success isn’t complicated.
His teachings are centered on reclaiming our mentalities, creating winning ideas, and transforming ideas into achievements. It’s even simpler than it sounds!
4. Battlefield of The Mind by Joyce Meyer
This is a Christian book that discusses why our minds are where we first have to be free before we can accomplish anything long-lasting in the external.
Our thoughts control our feelings, our feelings our attitudes, and our attitudes our actions. When our thoughts are rooted in truth we are powerful, but when they are rooted in lies we are unable to connect with both God and the people around us in the ways for which we are designed.
5. The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
Don’t let the cheesy snippets on the cover about the “secrets of success” and achieving “everything you’ve always wanted” fool you. This is a very practical and applicable book about, simply put, dreaming.
So many of us in this day and age have gotten caught up in just paying the bills and getting by that we’ve forgotten how to dream! This book reminds us that innately as humans we are creative and big thinkers with immense potential for not just ideas, but also execution.
This is a definite re-read for me every single year.
6. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The title says it all.
Classic. Timeless. Another one where a re-visit each year is a must.
7. Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
This might be my all-time favorite book.
Again, don’t let “the secrets to freedom and success” put you off. I find that’s common terminology used on books that are older.
In it, Napoleon Hill has a fictional conversation with the devil and the concepts he discusses are mind blowing in my opinion. This book was written in 1938 and the ways he predicts the future based on what is happening in society at that time is absolutely fascinating.
Fun fact, Hill’s wife would not let him publish this book because she thought it was too controversial. After his death, and then hers, the manuscript continued to get passed along in Hill’s estate and was finally released in 2011. I love that story!
8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
There are so many tools out there to help us organize all of our tasks, responsibilities, errands, commitments, etc. but how often do we think about the organization of our soul? Probably not much if you’re an everyday person like me!
Gordon MacDonald discusses how prioritizing the health of our spirit naturally leads to organization and fulfillment in our external lives. I am massively guilty of getting caught up in productivity and casting aside the quiet moments with my God that are the true source of productivity.
This book is filled with applicable tools to help put first things first and therefore, walk our journey with more peace.
9. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
“Hurry is the great enemy of your spiritual life.”
And yet how hurried is the world we live in? So much talk of “hustle” and “sleep when you’re dead”, but people are more unfulfilled with the aspects of life that matter than ever it seems.
This book uses scripture to explain that we are not meant to be living in a constant state of hurry, and how beautifully illustrated this is through Jesus’ example.
10. Mindset by Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck is extremely studied and I love learning the proven science behind how our brains work.
The focus of Mindset is how those with a growth mindset— the belief that abilities can be developed, create much more success than those with a fixed mindset— the belief that abilities are fixed and cannot be changed.
My favorite part of this book are her insights on how, with the understanding of these mindsets, parents, teachers, coaches, anyone who is influencing anyone, can foster high levels of accomplishment in those they are guiding.
BONUS: Jesus First, Jesus Always by Jeffrey Smith
I’ve said this about so many of these, but the title kind of says it all.
Smith discusses society’s “me first, me always” lens, and how that will never provide us with the fulfillment we desire.
Instead, if we focus on the reality of who Jesus was as a human, alongside the fact that He is the beginning, the end, and everything in between, we are able to transform ourselves into beacons of hope for those around us.
A book I didn’t mention here that I’ve written about in other posts, is The Process by Bill Hoffman. I view it to be in a league of it’s own since it’s written by someone I know personally who has been such a key influence on Micah’s and my journey. It is also highly interactive and requires you to be willing to do the exercises he lays out as the book progresses if you want to see fruit. It will forever and always be a tool that I couldn’t recommend more highly.
Finally, the book I read this year that was my favorite is called The 1% Rule by Tommy Baker.
Books that allow for easy application can be hard to find and this is a SUPER practical one that you can apply as you read, as well as go back, revisit, and tweak your applications to fit your current season. It will probably end up on my all time favorites list.
I hope you snag one of these books and that it brings you immense value. Thank you for joining me on this growth journey. I appreciate you more than I can say.
WE THINK YOU’LL ENJOY. . .
