What to Read in 2022

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

• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
• 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
• The Weekday Vegetarians by Jenny Rosenstrach
• Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub

FRIENDS

• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
• The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak
• Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
• Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
• Love Does by Bob Goff
• My Glory Was I Had Such Friends by Amy Silverstein
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
• Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
• Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer
• This is Where Your Belong by Melody Warnick

FINANCES

• All the Money in the World by Laura Vanderkam
• Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan
• God and Money by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines
• The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
• We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin

SPIRITUAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
• Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
• Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler
• The Road to Character by David Brooks
• Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff

SIGNIFICANT OTHER/FOCAL RELATIONSHIP

• The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
• The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs
• Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Creative Love by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff
• Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson et al
• Happy Together by Suzann Pawelski
• The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
• The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile

FAMILY

• The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel
• The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
• Expecting Better by Emily Oster
• Family Discipleship by Matt Chandler
• Foundations by Ruth Chou Simons and Troy Simons
• The Lifegiving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson
• Raising Worry-Free Girls by Sissy Goff
• The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
• The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
• Take Back Your Family by Jefferson Bethke

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
• The Making of a Leader by Robert Clinton
• Own the Room by Amy Jen Su

RECREATION

• 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
• An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling
• Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
• Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist
• Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine
• The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner
• The Joy of Missing Out by Tanya Dalton
• The Power of Fun by Catherine Price
• Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons
• The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

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

• The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
• The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
• The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson 

We'd love to hear from you! What books are on your list for 2022? What books on this list do you love? What books would you add?

P.S. For more reading picks, take a peek at our 2021 reading list! 

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