I use Goodreads to keep track of the books I’m reading, like the vast majority of people (but I suppose I’m the only one). I achieved my goal of reading 20 books this year and also developed a system for organizing and remembering my notes from each book to reinforce my learning. I won’t discuss all of them in this article; instead, I’ll focus on my top picks, which are the books that I believe have eventually provided value and priceless jewels. With that said, let’s dive right in:

1. The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

“It’s the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most.”

– Kovthe

This is the second installment of Patrick Rothfuss’s fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. Both fans of the two series will adore this novel, which is like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter combined. The plot centers on a young man named Kovthe who is a student at a wizarding academy and is looking for the Chandrians who murdered his family. The story’s premise has parallels, in addition to Rothfuss having a lovely storytelling style. This indicates that Kovthe is telling a Chronicler about his prior life at this point in the story. Beautiful quotes, adventure, tenacity, perseverance, monsters, folklore, and wisdom are all abundant in this book. Although Kovthe’s future is yet uncertain, I know it will be incredible and I can’t wait to see it in volume 3.

2. Between the Mountain and the Sky: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope by Maggie Doyne

“Charity is not the answer to the problems here; pity is not the answer. Investment is.”

– Maggie Doyne

This book is the autobiography of Maggie Doyne, a founder of BlinkNow foundation and winner of CNN Hero of the Year in 2015. The story follows Maggie’s gap year travel in Nepal and how a small desire to send one child to school and in the process changes hundreds of people’s lives in Nepal. The story was a beautiful read and although it has not been easy for Maggie: there are financial, cultural, and political problems while she’s in the pursuit of establishing the foundation, it is still a worthy cause. The book reminded me that regardless of who you are, you can change the course of history by impacting even one person.

3. Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon by Rahul Jandial

Neurosurgeon Dr. Rahul Jandial opted to create this book based primarily on his expertise in the operating room. With detailed descriptions of an exploration through the anatomy of the most fascinating and enigmatic of organs, our brains, this book is incredibly engaging, useful, and simple to read.

4. What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS by Gino Wickman & Tom Bouwer

“A famous business guru, Peter Drucker, is attributed with the saying “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” History has shown that culture wins in the long run, not strategy. For a company to be great, it must first know who it is. Then focus on strategy. “

– Gino Wickman

My mentor, who is currently working on a tech startup, recommended this book to me. The company runs on EOS, and the concept was the most straightforward and practical book about business operations I’ve ever read. This book has nuggets of wisdom for running a small business, from how to run meetings effectively to identifying rightful employees.

5. The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

“Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.”

– Patrick Lencioni

I had the chance to manage a diverse team at my previous job, and since I wanted to improve as a leader and team player, I looked up this book on Goodreads to find out more about how I might contribute to the team and be more present. In order to build a dream team in sports, business, or any other setting, Patrick discussed the five reasons why a team fails as well as some doable exercises to help in each area. My main takeaways from this experience are to put the good of the team before my personal self-interest and that strong teams achieve more than brilliant individuals.

6. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

“ Vulnerability is not knowing victory or defeat, it’s understanding the necessity of both. “

– Brené Brown

As someone who views vulnerability as a weakness, this book was eye-opening and extremely beneficial in terms of understanding myself and connecting with others. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but rather of bravery. There would be more peace and understanding in the world if people knew how to be vulnerable at the right time and in the right way. People, I suppose, have always been governed by fear, which includes exposing their true selves to others for fear that others will not accept or like them for who they truly are. Although this book is based on research, I believe it is also spiritual in nature. In the process, you will discover your true self.

7. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson

“ Escape competition through authenticity. Basically, when you’re competing with people, it’s because you’re copying them. It’s because you’re trying to do the same thing. But every human is different. Don’t copy. “

– Naval Ravikant

I can’t believe I’m too late to get to know someone as mysterious and bright as Naval Ravikant. I keep seeing posts on Instagram about how smart he is, so I decided to read a book about him out of curiosity. Although Naval did not write this book himself, it still contains information from a great number of his interviews. Out of all the books on this list, I would highly recommend this one since it is absolute gold.

The list of my favorite novels from 2022 is now complete. Even though I finished the Goodreads goal of reading 20 books annually, as a voracious reader, I am not stopping. I’ve actually finished book number 22 for the year. Nevertheless, when it comes to reading or even studying, quality still prevails over quantity. After all, our brain is much more skilled at creating associations and connections between knowledge than it is at recalling facts and information. Also… you can follow me on Goodreads and let me know if you read this article.

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