The Case For Reading Fiction Books In The New Year

Epic stories that span the length of time. Space operas telling the story of a battle never won. Fantasy lands brought to life in vivid color through the minds of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and other fiction writers.

There’s a magic behind fiction books. One that draws readers into a story deeper than themselves. One that helps readers to remember and understand the story better than any non-fiction book will ever do.

Why leaders should read fiction books

I still remember the stories I read as a child. Peter Cottontail, the various Star Wars novels, the Tortoise and the Hare. These novels and fables told a story that engaged my imagination and helped me live in another world.

They also did something else. According to research, reading fiction books transforms the readers. Not only do they get taken to far away worlds, readers become something new.

33 Book Recommendations From My Friends

I love consuming the content of books. Men and women have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into crafting a book worth reading.

Years of knowledge are condensed into 200 or so words. Or new worlds are available to us when we crack open a book.

Knowing that, and the fact that I had 2 Audible credits (get a free trial to Audible by clicking on the link) left, I took to Facebook to see what I should read.

Book recommendations

Once I asked the question, the book recommendations poured in. I was overwhelmed with the response.

In total, 33 books were recommended at the time I wrote this. Many I’d already read.

In honor of those who shared their book recommendations with me, I wanted to share them with you.

33 Books You Should Read
As Recommended By My Friends

1. The 50th Law by 50 Cent and Robert Greene – Ken Vanderstelt

The Books My Blog Readers Are Reading

A few months ago I wrote a post detailing the 12 books I thought you should add to your reading list. The post drew a lot of discussion, especially around the topic of what my blog readers were reading.

The list was fascinating. The reading lists of my readers included books I’ve read, books I’ve wanted to read, and books I’d never heard of before.

Books my readers recommended

I couldn’t let this great resource go to waste. Reading through the book recommendations, I knew I had to put together a post to share the great books you guys recommended. After all, you, my readers, had a hand in putting together a fantastic reading list.

Rebecca Jo Cannon recommended Lone Survivor:The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell.

6 Books Leaders Should Read By The End Of The Year

I find myself reading quite a bit these days. I’m trying to find a balance between fiction and non-fiction titles but have found myself still leaning heavily towards non-fiction books. This probably has to do with my desire to continue to grow as a leader. I hope you have the same desire.

If you have the desire to continue learning, I’ve put together a great list of 6 books every leader should read by the end of the year. Each of these books have a special place in my leadership journey. I hope they’ll find a place in yours as well.

Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – In Quiet (Book review), Susan teaches us why introverts are important. You’ll discover the secret power of introverts and the ways introverts can improve your organization.