My 2014-2015 Reading List - Second Quarter

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As mentioned in July, I posted my reading list from the first year away from my corporate job in April 2013 and it received so much interest that I've started to a running quarterly tally. 

As stated previously, I don't necessarily endorse the books listed below. They're just the full list of what piqued my interest sufficiently to read them cover to cover. If they become favourites, then I add them to my recommendations.*

My focus this year has been to add more fiction, read in my native tongue (French) and keep reading in the areas of philosophy, psychology, finance, economics, writing/presenting, entrepreneurship, travel hacking, technology and health. So far, I've managed to cover all except for travel hacking. I've also read some reference books in preparation for my trips this past summer: the World Domination Summit in July, an African Safari in August and FinCon14 in New Orleans in September.

A number of the books on my "been there, done that, read the book" list so far this year were recommended by Chris Guillebeau, Eric Barker, J. Money, Mr. Grump, The Escape Artist and Flannel Guy ROI (I'm cheating when including the last two because they recommended books I'm reading Sept/Oct, but I get to make the rules around here). As mentioned before, I also become aware of potential selections from sources such as Ted and "further reading" ideas from within the non-fiction volumes I manage to digest. Any way of narrowing down the myriad of reading options available is always helpful. 

So here it is, my reading list** for the past six months, from earliest to most recently read, 34 books in all:

April:

• The $100 Start Up: Reinvent the Way You Make A Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau
• Do Americans Shop Too Much? by Juliet Schor
• The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias
• Things I've Learned from Dying: A Book About Life by David R. Dow 
• The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich by David Bach
• The Art of Non-Conformity: Set up Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau
• The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well by Paula LaRocque
• Ces enfants de ma vie (English translation: Children of My Heart) by Gabrielle Roy 

May:

• The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living A Richer Life With Less Stuff by Peter Walsh
• The War On Science by Chris Turner
• The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living Happily Below Their Means by Jeff Yeager
• The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches by Jeff Yeager

 June:

• The News: A User's Manual by Alain de Botton
• The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs
• Victoria Falls: One of the world's most spectacular waterfalls by Anna Rebus***
• Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations by Garr Reynolds
• Persona Non Grata: The Death of Free Speech In The Internet Age by Tom Flanagan
• The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir by Dee Williams
• Every Day Is For The Thief by Teju Cole

July:

• Thrive:  The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington
• Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel
• Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Peter Menzel
• Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
• Confessions of a Public Speaker by Scott Berkun
• Think Like A Freak by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

August:

• iPad and iPhone Digital Photography Tips and Tricks by Jason R. Rich
• My iPhoto by Michael Grothaus
• Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has The Time by Brigid Schulte
• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• Start with WHY: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action by Simon Sinek

September:

• The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday
• Everything That Remains: A Memoir By The Minimalists by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

Unfortunately, my August and September lists are a bit sparse. I picked up some disappointing selections that I just couldn't bother finishing. Those are always a shame, but better to move on to better fare for the eyes than waste time on a volume that does not inspire or inform. I also don't read as much in the summer, given my propensity to spend more time outdoors, both in the garden and in faraway places.

If you have any questions about the titles above, drop me a line or leave a comment. I'll be happy to share my thoughts.

What about you? Anything in the list above you loved? Hated? Any recommendations you might have that I can add to my never-ending future reading list?

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*My recommendations list does need to be updated. I'll get to it over the summer...when I don't spend as much time with my nose in a book and can think back on what I've been reading and see what bubbles to the top in my mind. It's a tough exercise. There are many noteworthy books to choose from. 

**The list contains affiliate links to amazon.com. Purchases made via these links help support the F2P blog. It does not cost you anything and helps cover ongoing expenses associated with maintaining this blog. Thank you for your support. 

***This one is a children's book, but the pictures are spectacular. A delight to read.