Summer Reading List

There’s nothing I like better in the summer than pairing up a good book, the great outdoors, and a cool drink.

And let me be clear: I don’t sit around reading about money all day. That way lies madness (believe me). I want to read All The Things, and want you to do the same. So here are a few good books about money and your relationship to it to round out your summer reading list as a complement to all that delicious fiction* you’re going to read in the lazy days of August:

Personal Finance 101

The Value of Simple, John Robertson

Even if you never plan on managing your own portfolio, read this book. You’ll come away with a better understanding of why you’re investing, what to expect, and why simple is almost always better than complex. Plus, Robertson has developed a self-guided course that expands on The Value of Simple called Practical Index Investing for Canadians. (Read my full review of The Value of Simple here.)

Your Relationship with Money

Worry Free Money, Shannon Lee Simmons

Although there are powerful tools and calculators included in this book, the first quarter identifies and dismantles the reasons money and spending are so entwined with our feelings of inadequacy, belonging, and success. (Read my full review of Worry Free Money here.)

Daring Greatly, Brene Brown

We know for a fact that the root of most people’s worries about money come from deep feelings of shame and scarcity. This book has nothing and everything to do with your relationship with money, and if you’ve never read any Brene Brown it’s going to be a life-changer. (Read my full review of Daring Greatly here.)

*What I’m Reading (Not About Money)

The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell

I'd describe it as "Jesuits in space," which isn't anything I'd normally pick up on my own, but turns out it's the most craftsmanlike narrative I've ever read. Every word is perfectly placed, and the story turns out so contrary to what the plot makes you think is going on that it's deeply engaging to the very last page.

Green Grass, Running Water, Thomas King

It's dark and hilarious and heartbreaking, and you have to read it.