What to Read in 2021

Cultivators are lifelong learners. We know we can get farther, faster, on the things that really matter to us if we apply the wisdom of those who are a little farther ahead of us on the journey!

Learning can take many forms - conversation, observation, experiences, mentorship - but one of our favorites is reading. It's inexpensive or free (just keep that library card handy!) and it can transport you almost anywhere you want to go in the year ahead. As you think about all you hope to learn and grow and do this year in your PowerSheets, consider what books you might take alongside you!

Here, we've rounded up our a few favorite recommendations from Team Cultivate and the CWM community for each of the Cultivated Life Evaluation categories. We'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments, too! :)

P.S. Not on the reading train yet? We have some tips for you!

HEALTH

• 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke
• Chasing Cupcakes by Elizabeth Benton
• The Diet Fix by Yoni Freedhoff
• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero
• It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
• Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink
• Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stephenson
• Switch On Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf

FRIENDS

• Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
• Love Does by Bob Goff
• My Glory Was I Had Such Friends by Amy Silverstein
• Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
• Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer

FINANCES

• All the Money in the World by Laura Vanderkam
• God and Money by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines
• The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko
• Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins
• Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin

SPIRITUAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH

• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
• Essentialism by Greg McKeon
• Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

SIGNIFICANT OTHER/FOCAL RELATIONSHIP

• The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
• Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson et al
• The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
• The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

FAMILY

• All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior
• The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
• Expecting Better by Emily Oster
• The Lifegiving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson
• The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber
• Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
• The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
• The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler
• The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
• Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
• The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch

WORK

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Bet on Talent by Dee Ann Turner
• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
• Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller
• Finish by Jon Acuff
  
  

RECREATION

• 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
• Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
• Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist
• Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine
• The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees
• The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner
• How to Celebrate Everything by Jenny Rosenstrach
• The Joy of Missing Out by Tanya Dalton
• The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
• Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons
• The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

And, just for fun, a few favorite fiction book recommendations:

• Circe by Madeline Miller
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

We'd love to hear from you! What books are on your list for 2021? What books on this list do you love? What books would you add?

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