Today I turn 40. I am not hitting a mid life crisis. I don’t feel young. I don’t feel old. I just am.
I am here in this moment of reflection. Lots of reflection after a year of challenges and time to do more reflecting than anyone of ever expected.
I have been thinking on what it means to be 40 and while I am not the first nor the last to put energy on this number of aging, I wanted to put clarity into this next year of living and achieve some great things in the next 365 days.
I want to embrace the opportunity of living.
So, I have decided to come up with various goals incorporating the number 40. And here is my first one:
Read 40 books. Nothing crazy. Nothing earth shattering.
However, I have put in a caveat to help myself push my boundaries of reading books that are not work related.
I have decided to read 20 fiction and 20 non-fiction books that cannot be related to work.
Here is where you all come in. I would love suggestions from you on books I should read. I need to be pushed in narrow tunnel of books I read. I have fallen into an echo chamber and need to expand my reading world.
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And in the meantime I am working to revamp and bring back my Coffee and Chapters to develop a virtual book club of sorts for those that want to read along with me.
Let the journey begin soon with the first book selection.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
The Hero Two Doors Down
Why We Sleep
The Warmth of Other Suns
Educated
Where the Crawdads Sing
Before We Were Yours
Happy Birthday Aaron.
James Patterson’s Alex Cross books.
The Hate You Give it is a YA book but excellent. Then watch the movie.
Have you thought about listening to audiobooks too?
I’ve loved Atomic Habits, How to Be a Productivity Ninja, and Grit for non-fiction. For fiction, as a literature major, I would suggest going back and reading some classics. Always a good, worthwhile time.