My Top 5 Books from 2022 for Your Summer Reading List

One of my favourite things to do during the festive season break, is to read.

I used to read a LOT. Like, a lot, a lot. And I still do.

But being a mum to little kids, over the last few years, mostly I've been reading Where's the Green Sheep and We're Going On a Bear Hunt and The Gruffalo (all of which I love, but can't really claim for my own reading list).

This year, I upped the ante a little and got in more of my own reading than I have in a long while.

So, I thought I'd share some Summer Reading recommendations with you.

Here’s my top five* books from 2022 to add to your summer reading list.

* While I’ve given you links to purchase the books should you wish to, please know that these recommendations are my own – there’s no arrangement with any of the authors and where possible, I chose to link you to Booktopia because I love to support other Australian businesses.

1.    Launch by Jeff Walker

What better way to launch into the new year than with Jeff Walker's book - Launch.

An awesome lesson on how to launch just about anything, the thing I love most about this book is that it literally gives you a formula to do it.

Doesn't matter how big the size of your business, or your list, Jeff's method takes some of the stress out of how to launch your next product or service to the world.

It was one of my favourite marketing books from the last few years, and whilst it goes heavy on the case studies (IMO) the swipe files are worth the effort.

2. Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz

My next summer reading recommendation isn't a business book.

We're on a break after all - it can't be all business and no pleasure.

I absolutely LOVED this book by Melbourne based author Jacqueline Bublitz - Before You Knew My Name.

It's a murder mystery. But not at all like you've read before.

It was heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny, and raw with characters you will fall in love with and be sad to leave at the end.

One of my absolute favourite reads of 2022.

3.    What Great Storytellers Know by Bernadette Jiwa

I couldn't share a recommended reading list without including a book about storytelling.

We're all storytellers. All of us. It's just that some have worked on honing this skill so we can use it to create change.

If you'd like to hone your storytelling skills, then this next read is for you.

Written by one of my favourite marketing gurus - Bernadette Jiwa - What Great Storytellers Know is filled with great stories (of course), but is also a practical guide on how to start becoming a better storyteller yourself by implementing the basic concepts of a great story.

Bernadette has written some great books, and keeps things short and succinct so you'll take away something useful in no time at all.

4.    Who, Not How by Dan Sullivan & Dr Benjamin Hardy

When we embark on something new, one of the first things we do is ask ourselves - How am I going to do it?

Well, Dan Sullivan wants us to start asking a different question.

Who Not How is Dan's formula for achieving bigger goals through accelerating teamwork. What I love about this book, is that it takes some concepts I already love (like collaboration over competition) and puts it into more of a framework for how to engage the right "Whos" on your journey to your goal.

I also felt incredibly seen when he called procrastination a form of wisdom!

And he takes his own advice too - because he had Dr Benjamin Hardy write this book for him. Benjamin was the who that made the book happen with Dan's strategic framework.

Cool, huh?

If you're wanting to get more done, then it's time to start asking Who? not How? I'm definitely going to give this a go in 2023!

5.    Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney

This is it! My final summer reading pick!

I'm in the middle of Conversations with Friends, but I am a massive fangirl of Sally Rooney's work, so I have no doubt that this will be just as fabulous from start to finish.

Sally writes with a very particular style. One of the things I love most about it is how she writes dialogue - without quotation marks.

The effect of this is that I feel like I'm part of the conversation. There in the middle of the characters rather than observing what's happening to them.

It's so unique, and it works so well because all of Sally's books are about the complexities of relationships.

Her stories are so good, that two of her books have been made into television series.

And this is one of them - but I'll watch once I'm finished reading the book!