Book Recommendations

Books that have shaped how I think about leadership, self-awareness, discernment, and meaningful work.

Welcome to a glimpse of my bookshelves.

I've always believed that good books can help us see things we might otherwise miss.

I've been a book nerd for as long as I can remember. Long before I became a coach and guide, I was the person carrying a book everywhere and juggling multiple titles at once. With a B.A. in English, my love of reading has only deepened over the years. If you ask my friends, they'll tell you I'm usually the one they call when they're looking for their next read.

These are books I return to often—books that have challenged me, encouraged me, and shaped the way I think about leadership, personal growth, relationships, spirituality, and living with greater clarity and intention.

I hope you find one that meets you exactly where you are.

Books I Return To Again and Again

The Untethered Soul

By Michael A. Singer

A book that helps you notice the difference between your thoughts and the deeper awareness behind them. Michael Singer offers a simple but profound invitation to observe your inner world with curiosity, creating more space, peace, and freedom in the way you move through life. One of my top 5 books.

Theo of Golden

By Allen Levi

One of the most heartwarming novels I've ever read. Filled with wisdom, grace, and unforgettable characters, it's the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page—reminding you that ordinary people often have an extraordinary impact on our lives.

The 6 Types of Working Genius

By Patrick Lencioni

One of the most practical books I've found for understanding how work gets done. It helps individuals and teams recognize their natural strengths and where work tends to feel draining. It literally changed my life helping me understand my burnout and find my confidence.

All Over But the Shoutin'

By Rick Bragg

A beautifully written memoir about family, poverty, resilience, and the people who shape us. Bragg's storytelling is honest, moving, and unforgettable. A true Southern Storyteller, Rick Bragg has a way of writing that makes you feel like he's sitting on your porch telling you this story. I grew up in the same area as he did and we both went to the same university. I love when I get to hear him speak in person.

The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse

By Charlie Mackesy

A beautifully simple reminder that we aren’t meant to navigate life alone. Through its gentle story and illustrations, this book reminds us that we’re stronger than we realize—and that friendship, wisdom, and support can come from the most unexpected places.

Personal Growth & Self-Awareness

The Enneagram of Discernment

By Drew Moser

A thoughtful exploration of how the Enneagram can support wiser decisions, greater self-awareness, and deeper discernment in everyday life.

The Complete Enneagram

By Beatrice Chestnut, PhD

One of the most comprehensive Enneagram resources available. Chestnut offers deep insights into motivation, growth, and the nuances of each type. I'm constantly referring to it as I deepen my study of the Enneagram.

Quiet

By Susan Cain

A powerful case for the strengths of introverts in a world that often rewards constant noise and activity. Cain's insights are both affirming and practical. This book helped give me language for what others didn't understand about me.

Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram

By Calhoun and Loughrige

A helpful resource for exploring spiritual practices through the lens of your Enneagram type. It offers thoughtful ways to grow beyond familiar patterns and deepen self-awareness.

The Highly Sensitive Person

By Elaine N. Aron, PhD

A validating and insightful look at the strengths and challenges of high sensitivity. This book helps readers better understand themselves and embrace sensitivity as a gift rather than a weakness. It made me finally feel like someone understood me.

Discernment, Spirituality, & Reflection

Now is the Way

By Cory Allen

A thoughtful guide to mindfulness and conscious living in a distracted world. Cory Allen offers practical wisdom for slowing down, paying attention, and finding peace in everyday life. Cory Allen is the first writer I paid for a Subscription to on Substack. His insights are incredibly compelling and profound.

A New Earth

By Eckhart Tolle

A thought-provoking book about the role the ego plays in our lives and relationships. Tolle offers a fresh perspective on awareness, presence, and what becomes possible when we stop identifying with every thought.

Living Untethered

By Michael A. Singer

The companion to The Untethered Soul, this book explores what becomes possible when we stop resisting life and learn to live with greater openness, freedom, and trust.

The Power of Now

By Eckhart Tolle

A powerful reminder that life happens in the present moment. Tolle helps readers step out of constant mental noise and experience greater peace, awareness, and presence.

Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender

By David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.

A practical approach to releasing the emotions, fears, and patterns that often keep us stuck. This book offers a simple framework for creating more peace, freedom, and emotional resilience.

Sacred Pathways

By Gary Thomas

A refreshing reminder that people connect with God in different ways. Thomas explores a variety of spiritual pathways and encourages readers to embrace the practices that feel most authentic and life-giving.

Leadership & Teams

Start With Why

By Simon Sinek

A classic leadership book that challenges us to begin with purpose. Sinek shows how clarity around why we do what we do can inspire action and create lasting impact.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

By Patrick Lencioni

A practical and engaging look at what causes teams to struggle—and what helps them thrive. Through a simple leadership fable, Lencioni explores the essential role of trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and shared results in building strong teams.

Well-Being

Fast Like a Girl

By Dr. Mindy Pelz

A practical guide to fasting designed specifically for women. Pelz combines science and strategy to help women better understand and support their health.

The Artist's Way

By Julia Cameron

A creative and reflective journey that helps readers reconnect with curiosity, creativity, and the practices that bring them alive. Morning Pages are one of the practices she recommends, and it has been an incredible practice for my own life.

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself

By Dr. Joe Dispenza

An exploration of the connection between thoughts, habits, and personal change. Dispenza challenges readers to consider how new ways of thinking can create new possibilities.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

By John Mark Comer

One of the most compelling books I've read on slowing down and creating space for what matters most. A timely invitation to resist the pressure of constant busyness.

Slow Productivity

By Cal Newport

A refreshing alternative to hustle culture. Newport offers a more sustainable approach to meaningful work, emphasizing quality, focus, and intentional pace.

The Body Keeps the Score

By Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

A groundbreaking look at how trauma affects both mind and body. Insightful, compassionate, and deeply informative.

Fiction

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

A beautifully written story of courage, sacrifice, and resilience during World War II. The characters and their choices stay with you long after the final page.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

By Kim Michele Richardson

A compelling novel inspired by the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky. It's a story about books, courage, community, and the transformative power of literacy.

Lonesome Dove

by Larry McMurtry

An epic story of friendship, adventure, and the complexity of human relationships. The unforgettable characters make this much more than a Western. I do not like Westerns, but I couldn't put this one down. There's a reason it's a classic.

The Covenant of Water

By Abraham Verghese

An unforgettable multigenerational story filled with rich characters, deep humanity, and profound insights about family, love, loss, and healing. I typically don't recommend books of this length, but it was well worth the time.

The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

A timeless story about purpose, courage, and listening to the deeper calling within. Simple, memorable, and filled with wisdom that resonates long after the story ends.

Chief Inspector Gamache Book Series

by Lousie Penny

More than a mystery series, these books explore community, humanity, leadership, grief, courage, and what it means to pay attention. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is one of my favorite literary characters—wise, thoughtful, and deeply committed to seeking truth with compassion.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls

by Haruki Murkami

A strange, beautiful, mind-bending exploration of belief, identity, and the parts of ourselves that live in shadow. Murakami blurs the boundaries between inner and outer worlds, leaving us to wonder what is real, what we create through belief, and whether more than one reality might somehow be true.

The 49th Mystic

By Ted Dekker

A thought-provoking blend of fiction, faith, and spiritual allegory. It invites readers to consider deeper questions about truth, identity, and the nature of reality.

The Midnight Library

By Matt Haig

A moving exploration of the lives we imagine we might have lived and the choices that shape the one we’re living now. A powerful reminder of how our thoughts can influence the way we see our lives and how easily we can overlook the possibilities already present when we’re focused on the roads we didn’t take.