Full disclosure: This post does include some links to Amazon, of which I am an associate and earn a little bit from qualifying purchases.
This post is belated, to be sure. I had good intentions, but with some personal news I’ve been a bit delayed on posting.
People who have known me for any significant length of time know that one of the defining qualities I give myself is “reader.”
In a previous career, I wrote for our local newspaper and as part of that job I asked if I could review books.
My bosses agreed, likely unaware of what they were letting me sign up for. I began contacting publishing houses in New York, and over the next four years I would receive 10-15 books per month, looking for a review as part of the publisher’s marketing budget.
To this day (now six years after having left the paper), I still have roughly 1,000 books at my house, most of them still to be read.
My life looks quite different than it did when I was a child and as a young(er) adult, but when I can I still like to crack a spine and spend a little bit of time in the pages of a story.
And while I couldn’t begin to tell you what my favorite is (other avid readers will probably agree that there is no such thing as “one favorite” book), I’ve found ten books that are significant to me in one way or another.
1. A book I revisit time and time again: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
This was one of those pivotal books for me, and one of the only books I’ve read more than once. The seven components that Covey lays out in his book (the habits) are so helpful when it comes to every type of interpersonal communication: with clients and business — yes — but also in my role as a parent, a wife, and a member of my community.
2. A book I most recently enjoyed: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
I’m pretty sure I read this book in high school, but I didn’t really “get it.” I decided to revisit Jane and Rochester as an adult, just this past winter, and it was an entirely different experience. Jane is an incredibly strong female lead, and I found I appreciated her more now as an adult than I did in my younger years.
3. A book I’m reading right now: The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, by Gary Keller
I’m not even that far into it (I’m taking it nice and slow) but already this book is a huge game changer for anyone in the real estate business. I’m finding so much good info about how to set up and run a real estate business, and while there is a lot to unpack I can envision it being a pivotal component of the future I see for my career.
4. A book I will never get rid of: The Cook’s Bible
Somewhat of an obscure book, but it will be part of my cookbook collection as long as I live, for a few reasons. First, my husband and I chose it as the guest book at our wedding. Our guests flipped through the pages and chose one to write a message on. Second, it’s one of the best books I’ve found on the basics of cooking, from techniques to recipes. Nothing is specialized, or tailored to a specific palette. These are the recipes that a cook wanting to perfect the simple foods would do well to start with. And because of this, it’s a staple in our home, and twelve years of marriage later I’m still reading through the notes that were written by our friends and family.
5. A book I was intimidated to even dig into: War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
As a lifelong reader and Literature student in college, this was one of the “holy grail” books for me — one of the books that seemed to be a perpetual goal. Over 1,000 pages long, multiple storylines weaving through each other, and a book that’s on every single “books you must read if you love to read” lists. And one day, I gathered up my courage and I started it. It took me the better part of a year, but I made it through. And it’s fantastic — highly recommend.
6. A book I read in one sitting: The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
This one may be cheating a bit, because I was on a road trip. But at some point in my high school years, while driving back with my family from seeing my grandparents over the holidays, I opened the book and read the story of Amir and Hassan from start to finish. Since then I’ve read several others in one sitting, but this is the one I still remember very clearly.
7. A book that I’m looking forward to reading: Start With Why, by Simon Sinek
My TBR (“to be read”) list is so long, and it just keeps getting longer. Start With Why has been on there for a while, and it keeps getting recommended to me as an entrepreneur. I’ve seen Sinek’s TEDx Talk and other videos, and it’s definitely one I see myself picking up sooner rather than later. I can already tell it will find a permanent spot on my shelf.
8. A book I read with my kids (that brings me joy as well): Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne
Since having kids I have developed a love for quality children’s literature. Winnie-the-Pooh is actually a series of short stories, beginning with the title anthology and followed by The House at Pooh Corner and poetry volumes When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. If your knowledge of the bear is based on the Disney franchise, I would highly encourage you to pick up the series. It’s a true delight, one that I loved reading to my then-one-year-old (even though I know he understood none of it) and am very much looking forward to reading to my future children.
9. A book I’ve started and haven’t finished (but I really want to finish): Tools of Titans, by Tim Ferriss
In truth, Tools of Titans is a book that doesn’t need to be read all at once. Ferriss, of the 4-Hour … fame, has kept countless notes on interviews for his podcasts and general personal and professional development. He interviews everyone from Malcolm Gladwell to Arnold Schwarzenegger. And while you could read this as you typically read other books — it is over 600 pages, so be forewarned — it also can serve you as a reference guide to page through and peruse based on what you’re looking to learn.
10. A book I keep telling myself I should read (but haven’t read yet): 1984, by George Orwell
Similar to reading War and Peace, 1984 seems to be a rite of passage for avid readers and Literature students. Everyone seems to have read it — that is, everyone except me (yet). I did read Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World as part of a college course, and part of me is interested in reading 1984 as a way of comparing the two dystopian scenarios — one depicting a dystopia by way of fear, and the other depicting a dystopia by way of pleasure.
As I continue reading — because life is shorter than a TBR list — one or more of these selections may change. And that’s okay. My focus in what I pick up will change as well.
As a teenager and early adult, I reached for fiction (both historical and contemporary). Now, I find myself drawn to books on how to be better, both in the workplace and in my home.
But there is nothing quite like finishing the final page of a book you’ve thoroughly enjoyed over the past days, weeks, or months, and knowing that a little part of you has changed for the better in that experience.
What are some books that are significant for you? What is a book that you would like to read, but are maybe a bit intimidated to begin?
Kate Padilla 
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