Team Cultivate's Favorite Books from the First Half of 2024

Your TBR list called! It's looking for some new friends 😉

And Team Cultivate is here to help! Across our team, reading is a huge part of how we do what we do. Books give us new ideas, they broaden our perspectives, they remind us of why our work matters, they connect us to each other, and they delight and refresh us. 

Book recommendations fly fast and furious in our team Slack threads, and today, we wanted to share some of those picks with you! Here are just a few of the books—fiction and non-fiction—that have captivated our hearts, taught us something, and/or added a bit of joy to our days in the first half of 2024.

2024 Fiction Book Picks from Team Cultivate

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center | Katherine Center is the author I reach for when I'm looking for a light, easy read. She writes feel-good books that cover all the rom-com bases: wit, charm, hope, love, and joy, with surprises sprinkled in. Binge-worthy for sure! Plus, the floral aesthetic and bright colors are quite on brand for Cultivators. — Lauren

Go As a River by Shelley Read | While Kristin Hannah's The Women got most of the historical fiction airtime in the past few months (and I, too, loved it), I think this debut novel is just as deserving! Reminiscent of The Four Winds, with a little bit of Educated, Where the Crawdads Sing, and a splash of My Side of the Mountain, this beauty was expertly paced with exquisite turns of phrase and a satisfying ending. — Emily

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt | Another somewhat-improbable debut novel that is still finding new readers a few years after it launched—like me! I quickly grew fond of the quirky, brilliant, many-tentacled narrator at the center and didn't want to put this one down. — Lauren

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett | If you loved The Dutch House, or love expansive and moving family dramas in general (Hello, Beautiful also comes to mind), you'll love Tom Lake. It was the perfect tagalong for my Michigan trip, since it’s set in the cherry fields of Traverse City, and the weaving of the two narratives (the retelling of the mother's "life before" and the day-to-day reality of a close-knit family reunited during the pandemic) was seamless. Plus, what a joy to read about a happy marriage! — Emily

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto | After an apparent murder of a young business man in a tea shop, the owner decides to head up her own investigation to get to the bottom of things. I loved the motley crew of characters and the relationships that evolved as Vera turned suspects into friends. — Alli

2024 Non-Fiction Book Picks from Team Cultivate

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | While not the most "fun" book I've read so far this year, it might be the most important. I'm incredibly grateful to Jon for putting together this generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and equipping us all with a plan to build healthier, freer childhoods for the kids we love, too. — Emily

Art and Faith by Makoto Fujimura | This book absolutely arrested me. It helped me realize how much of my creative side I had stuffed away because it didn't feel "functional" to my day-to-day, but after reading Art and Faith, I've incorporated creating back into my week and I feel so alive. — Jessica

Atomic Habits by James Clear | Yes, yes, this one's not new to Cultivators—or to me! (It's a re-read!) But I think it's still worth mentioning, because I can always use a refresh on the how-to of breaking down the change I want to see and the power of getting incrementally better. — Dale

See our full Atomic Habits book review here!

Garden City by John Mark Comer | Like Dale, this one's a reread for me! I love the perspective of work and rest that this book provides. It always helps me to revisit how I'm spending (and therefore investing) my time. — Alli

Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas | This book gives practical, research-backed tips on how to incorporate humor into your leadership, bringing joy and life into the normally-dry corporate setting... and how this can actually be a competitive advantage. — Jeremy

2024 Family Book Picks from Team Cultivate

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar | These silly, wacky stories about the kids at a very tall school were some of my favorites growing up. It's been fun to introduce my girls to them via audiobooks on road trips this year! — Tori

The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser | Sob! This is the last installment of an incredible series my eight-year-old and I have loved reading together. With an old soul, a loving and fun family at the center, and a willingness to tackle tough issues with sensitivity and honesty, this seven-book series has a permanent place on our shelf. — Emily

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada | This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. Though it's a picture book, it's a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, or too difficult. I loved it so much I read it to the whole Cultivate team in a meeting one day! — Jessica

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle | This is the second book in the A Wrinkle in Time series, and it was a delight to reunite with my favorite cast of characters! This time, the brave team of kids is fighting against the forces of darkness coming after the youngest member of the crew, Charles Wallace. I can't wait to read this out loud with my kids! — Jessica

Over to you, Cultivators: What have you read (and loved) so far this year?

P.S. Love to read? We think you'll love the Cultivated Reading Journal! Record the details for 100 books, track your TBR list, complete fun reading challenges, create favorite book lists, color in an illustrated bookshelf as you read, and much more!