The Books of 2025

What I Read, What Stuck, and Why It Mattered

Each year, I keep a simple tradition: I make a list of the books I read and choose one quote from each that stayed with me long after I turned the last page. Not the most poetic quote. Not the one everyone highlights on Instagram. The one that quietly changed how I thought, acted, or made decisions.

Here’s my 2026 reading list—and what each book taught me.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I read Atomic Habits every January. Not because I forget the concepts, but because I need the reminders. This book always helps me reset my expectations and zoom out to the long game—especially when motivation is high but patience is low.

Clear’s work is a masterclass in understanding how small, repeatable actions compound over time—for better or worse. It’s not about radical overhauls. It’s about showing up consistently and letting time do its thing.

Favorite quote:
“It is only when looking back 2, 5, 10 years that we recognize the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent.”

Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliott

This book came highly recommended by my therapist—and wow, it delivered. Existential Kink challenged me to take radical ownership of my patterns, especially the ones I’d been subtly avoiding or blaming on circumstances.

It forced me to ask uncomfortable questions: What if some part of me is choosing these challenges? What if awareness—not avoidance—is the path forward? This book helped me make some very hard decisions this year because it removed my ability to play small or stay stuck.

Favorite quote:
“Having is evidence of wanting.”

No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

Audible recommended this book right after Existential Kink, and it felt like perfect timing. No Bad Parts introduces Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic model that views every part of us—even the ones we don’t like—as having a protective purpose.

Reading this, I realized my therapist had been using IFS with me all along. It also gave me incredibly useful language and tools that I now bring into my work with clients. Understanding why we do what we do creates compassion—and compassion creates change.

Favorite quote:
“Your protectors’ goals for your life revolve around keeping you away from all that pain, shame, loneliness, and fear…”

Reset by Dan Heath

I loved Switch and The Power of Moments, so I had high expectations for this one—and Reset did not disappoint. This book is about breaking inertia and redesigning systems that keep us stuck.

It’s practical, motivating, and a great reminder that clarity often comes after action—not before it.

Favorite quote:
“Take the first step. Momentum reduces doubt.”

Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

This was a short, powerful read and a great reminder to stop over-identifying with my thoughts. The book emphasizes how much suffering comes from believing every mental story we tell ourselves.

Ironically, my favorite quote from this book wasn’t even written by the author.

Favorite quote:
“Anxiety is thought without control. Flow is control without thought.” — James Clear
Nguyen adds: Peak performance requires non-thinking. We do our best work when we are not thinking.

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

Hands down, my favorite book of the year. I will absolutely be rereading this. The parallels between money and health, behavior change, and long-term success are endless.

This book reshaped how I think about risk, patience, and what “normal” actually looks like when you zoom out far enough. I basically highlighted the entire thing.

Favorite quote:
“We underestimate how normal it is for a lot of things to fail, which causes us to overreact when they do.”

Same as Ever by Morgan Housel

I couldn’t choose just one quote from this book. Housel became my favorite author this year for a reason. In a world obsessed with hacks, shortcuts, and novelty, Same as Ever is a reminder that the fundamentals never stop working.

Slow progress, boring consistency, and patience aren’t sexy—but they win.

Favorite quotes:
“Slow progress is the normal state of affairs.”
“Hacks are appealing because they look like a path to prizes without all the effort.”

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

This book explores the science of self-control and why willpower isn’t a moral failing—it’s a biological and psychological resource.

One of the biggest takeaways? If you’re stressed and exhausted, you’re not “weak.” You’re depleted.

Favorite quote:
“Stress is the enemy of willpower. Tired, stressed-out people start from a tremendous disadvantage.”

The Relaxed Woman by Nicole Jane Hobbs

If you are a woman, you need to read this book. Full stop.

This book put language to something I see constantly in the women I work with: over-giving, over-functioning, and chronic overstimulation. Hobbs argues that rest isn’t indulgent—it’s revolutionary.

I’m officially calling for a rest-olution (patent pending).

Favorite quotes:
“If we are to create a more loving world, revolution must not come at the expense of rest, pleasure, beauty, and joy.”
“She cannot be identified by external achievements or privileges…”

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

This one was… fine. If you’re a leader at work, it’s worth a read. I picked it up during a season of major change in my business, and while it wasn’t a favorite, it reinforced an important mindset shift around growth and adaptability.

Favorite quote:
“People who believe they can succeed see opportunities where others see threats.”

Final Thought

Looking back on this list, a clear theme emerges: long games, self-responsibility, rest, and patience. No hacks. No shortcuts. Just fundamentals done well—and done consistently.

If you read any of these this year (or add one to your list), I’d love to know which one stuck with you.

Here’s to another year of learning, unlearning, and becoming a little more ourselves along the way. 💫