2024 Book Review Wrap Up
I can’t believe it’s December already. This was one of those years for me that in some ways crept by (could November have been any longer) and in other ways it will be 2025 before we know it.
Like everyone else I like to take time to reflect on the past year and for all of you take some time to review the books that I read for you. I feel like I say this every year, but I am going to say it again. Reading is an individual sport. Just because I like a book doesn’t mean that you are going to like it. I have some friends that will only read mysteries others that stick to romance. Personally, I love a good suspense novel but not crazy about mysteries, and yes there is a difference. I like contemporary fiction with strong characters but please don’t recommend a romance book to me. I really enjoy finding non-fiction books to read for the gym reviews.
When I started doing this, non-fiction was not something I read very often, now I find myself reading non-fiction even when it’s not for a gym book review. Non-fiction though, may be even more individualized than fiction. If everyone at the gym read the same 10 books that I did this year and then ranked them in order from favorite to least favorite, I’m sure that we would have very few lists the same. Statistically speaking we’d have a few the same, but I think you know what I mean. But here is my take on the 10 books that I read this year. In order from my least favorite to favorite.
10: The Fitness Mindset by Brian Keene: I would not recommend this book to anyone. As far as I could tell this was written by a guy that tried to be a teacher and that didn’t work out for him, so he became some kind of personal training influencer who wrote a book. It was all from personal experience and not any research-based training tips that I could find. It was just bad.
9: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. I read this book because a friend of mine recommended it to me and was just sure I would love it, I did not. I did recommend this book to Alicia though, mainly because I’m hoping if she ever does read it, she will be able to explain it to me. It seemed to be a good book about meditation, but it wasn’t for me.
8: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker PhD,: This is on my I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to very many people list, but I did recommend it to Suzanne because she likes research. While I was very interested in the content of this book, it was very heavy on the science, which made it hard to get through.
The next three are books that I would recommend depending on what you are looking for. I did enjoy all these books.
7. Dare to Lead by Brene Brown: Most of you know that I love anything Brene Brown has to say, and it is actually quite shocking for me to have this one so far down on the list. While I find it to be a good book, especially for people in leadership positions. If you have read Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly or Rising Strong, this one is a little repetitive of those.
6. The Lighmaker’s Manifesto by Karen Walrond: I really enjoyed this one and I gave my copy to a friend. It is about finding ways to advocate for things that are important to you. This book has a good motivational message for its readers.
5. Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy: This is a great book about relationships. I highly recommend it for all parents and teachers.
The last four are books that I really enjoyed. I have recommended and I’m sure I will continue to recommend all of these books in the future.
4. Hidden Potential by Adam Grant: I really enjoy Grant’s writing style. This book is exactly what the title says it is. It’s about finding your hidden potential. I found it to be easy to read and motivating. I believe that this book would be an excellent read for everyone.
3. Living With A Seal by Jesse Itzler: This book was just fun, especially if you have read any of David Goggins’ books. It is the story of when Itzler hired Goggins to come live with him and train him for 30 days. Boy did he not know what he was getting himself into. Very entertaining read.
2. On Grief and Grieving by Elizabeth Kubler Ross and David Kessler: From the title you can tell that this book may not be a book that everyone needs but it was exactly what I needed when I read it earlier this year. If you find yourself in a place of grieving, I recommend this book 100 percent.
1. Forever Strong: This was the perfect book for a gym book review. It is written by a doctor. It is researched based. This book outlines all the reasons that we should be eating more protein and building muscle to help us stay fit as we age. It is all the things Mike and Suzanne have been telling us for years. This is a must read for everyone.
I hope you have enjoyed the book reviews this year. I already have quite a few books on my list for next year and I’m excited to keep reading. If any of you are on Goodreads send me a friend request as I’d love to see what you are reading. Also thank you to everyone who stops to chat with me about our books, recommends book and even loans me books to read. One of the best parts of reading is getting to share books with others.