My Top 5 Books from 2024 for Your Summer Reading List

This year, I finally hit my reading target. For the first time since I had my first child almost 9 years ago.

20 books. Not a bad effort.

(I confess that a good portion of them towards the end were easy-to-read romantic comedies – but when you’ve got a goal you need to be strategic, right!?)

So, I’ve had a great selection to pick from this year as I share the top five reads* I think you should add to your summer reading list (or if you’re a friend from the Northern Hemisphere, consider this a list to read by the fire with a hot, chocolatey beverage instead of a cold, fruity cocktail).

1. Very Good Copy by Eddie Shleyner

Whether or not you’re a copywriter, we are ALL of us in the business of telling stories.

We are also all in the business of selling.

That means that words matter.

And copywriting is all about words (whether you’re writing them or speaking them makes no difference).

But this book is NOT just for copywriters.

It’s for everyone who needs to use words to bring their tribe on a journey with them. Because that is really what copywriting is all about.

Eddie’s book is brilliant. One of the BEST I’ve read on this topic. What’s clever about it is that it’s not just about writing – it’s about the thinking that copywriters use to craft amazing, clear messaging that connects with their audience.

If you can learn to think more like a copywriter, you will become a better marketer. I guarantee it.

Add to this that it’s a super easy read – broken into 207 micro-lessons that you can devour all in one sitting (like me), or dip in and out of as you please.

Read this in 2025 and you will level up your messaging, authenticity and creativity. All important for a successful business.

2.    The Practice by Seth Godin

What would my annual reading list be without a contribution from the master of marketing himself, Seth Godin?

This one has been sitting on my shelf for a while – but I’m so glad I made it happen this year, because it links in with my trend for 2025 which is Authentic Intelligence.

And Seth talks quite a bit about authenticity in this book and what it means in the world of creativity and of business.

But it’s also about letting yourself be free to chase your dream.

It’s a call to action to just start.

It’s a reminder of how to process feedback, how to press on when it gets hard, and how important it is that you share your thing with the world.

We are ALL of us creators. What will you create this year? And how will you build your creative practice so you get better and better?

3.    Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Welcome to my fiction contribution to this year’s list.

Now, I appreciate that I’m somewhat late to the party on this book.

But if you too are late to the party, then you MUST add this to your list for 2025.

I laughed and I cried and I felt all the things.

Boy Swallows Universe is a beautiful, lyrical and ultimately joyful story of friendship and family.

There’s crime, romance, comedy and everything in between.

And if you haven’t yet watched the Netflix adaptation please do yourself a favour and READ THE BOOK FIRST.

While I loved the limited series, the book is just magic and as always, goes places and builds a world that just can’t be replicated in quite the same way on screen.

Loved it. Couldn’t put it down, and was sad when it was over.

4.    Breaking Free of Busy by Susanne Gerstmyer

If you’ve ever wanted to feel not so busy (and start the process to drop the guilt that comes with saying no to things) then you’ll find this book transformational.

Susanne knows what it’s like to feel trapped in busy and will not only help you discover what type of busy person you are – she’ll also show you clear, achievable strategies for breaking free of the particular busy that’s trapping you.

The book is full of examples (so you won’t feel alone) and while it’s aimed mostly at mums (if this is you I SEE you – the juggle is real), it holds fantastic advice for anyone who wants to escape the busy and make changes to your life that will actually last.

5.    Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

You know when you read a book and you come away completely changed by it?

As in, you’re a different person across the space of 300 or so pages?

This is one of THOSE books.

And that’s what made it my FAVOURITE business/professional development book of 2024.

It’s changed the way I think about learning for me AND for my kids.

It’s changed my approach to my work, to new ideas, to levelling up and my thoughts on what it’s means to become the best at what I do.

Not only that, it’s full of amazing stories, about amazing people who have proved Adam’s theory right – that being the best isn’t about natural talent. It’s about consistency. And learning how to fail. And learning how to be uncomfortable.

My favourite quote from the book encapsulates what 2024 has felt like for me –

Making progress isn’t always about moving forward. Sometimes it’s about bouncing back. Progress is not only reflected in the peaks you reach – it’s also visible in the valleys you cross. Resilience is a form of growth.

This year I’ve crossed some massive valleys.

And this quote (and this book) helped me see how far I’ve come – and that I’m on the right path, even though it was rocky this year.

It’s 10/10. And if you only read one book this year, make it this one.

Happy reading!!

Authors’ Note
* 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.