156 Books in 156 Weeks

Highlights of some of my favorite books that I read in 2023

A few years ago I set a goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks. I got so much out of it that I decided to do it again, and again. When people hear that I have read a book a week, usually the next question is, which books were your favorite, or which do you recommend.

So here are some highlights from my reading in 2023.

But first, here is a list of all the books I completed:

How to Write a Book For Beginners by Ryan Stephens
The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feller
Ski in Control by Bob Trueman
The Ant and the Elephant by Vince Poscente
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
The 40 Day Financial Fast by D.L. Williams
The 21-Day Financial Fast by Michelle Singletary
The Great Pain Deception by Steve Ozanich
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Hidden Within Us by Samuel Mann
You Patriarchal Blessing by Ed. J Pinegar
The YouTube Formula by Derral Eves
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T Harv Ecker
7: An Experiment in Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker
The Miracle Morning by Hal Eldrod
Called to Create by Jordan Raynor
Zig Ziglar's Leadership & Success Series by Zig Ziglar
Financial Fitness by Chris Brady, Orrin Woodward
Taxes for Small Businesses 2023 by Nichola Regan
The Debt Consolidation Myth by Jesse Mecham
The Dorito Effect by Chris Patton
Wild At Heart by John Eldredge
Wild At Heart Updated by John Eldredge
PAiLS by Chris Brady
Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell
The Case for Keto by Gary Taubes
Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, Kenneth Blanchard
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
Lectures on Faith by Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith Jr.
The Holy Covenants by Anthony Sweat
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracey
Leadershift by Orin Woodward, Oliver DeMille
Make Your Bed by William H. McRaven
Ten Years and Ten Lessons by Jim Cockrum
Exposing the Spiritual Roots of High Blood Pressure by Dr. Henry W. Wright
Secrets of Master Salesmanship by Napoleon Hill
Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson
QBQ by John G. Miller
Flipping the Switch by John G. Miller
Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins
Giant Steps by Anthony Robbins
Parenting the QBQ Way by John G. Miller, Karen G. Miller
Principles of Applied Psychology by Napoleon Hill
Book of Mormon by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Why We Want You to Be Rich by Donald J. Trump, Robert T. Kiyosaki

Biggest Surprise

Someone loaned me a copy of Financial Fitness by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward. I have read a lot of personal finance books over the years. I didn't think that I would learn much new from this one, but I actually really enjoyed it. It talks about the offense and defense and playing field when it comes to personal finance. It is kind of like reading 3 books in one. With the defense, it is information much like you would get from Dave Ramsey. With the offense it is similar information you would get from Robert Kiyosaki. The playing field is like getting a condensed version of The Creature From Jekyll Island. Overall I think the book helped me talk more about finances in our marriage. Even if those conversations are uncomfortable, then need to happen to help us get on the same page.

Biggest Flop

I added the Alchemist to the list when someone mentioned they were reading it again and it was one of their favorite books. I listened to it on a road trip to Washington. I found it very boring and when it was over, my only thought was, "That was stupid." Sorry if you're a fan of the book. I'm not.

Longest Book

My wife was on a Brandon Sanderson kick this summer. I prefer non-fiction books. We listened to Mistborn on a long road trip to Denver and back and it still took us a few extra days to finish it. It was good, but I wasn't ready to move on to the next book.

Most Recommended Book

I'm a big John Sarno fan. His book, The Mindbody Prescription, gave me my life back. When I recommend it to people they will often say something like, "It makes sense, but what do I do now?". Now, if someone is dealing with chronic pain, I will recommend The Great Pain Deception. It goes into a lot more detail with an exhaustive list of ailments that can be cured with a mindbody approach.

New Ideas

Notice I read two books on financial fasting. I liked the idea and tried it out. It went well. It helped me be more mindful of the things I casually spend money on. It led to some good financial conversations. That is the beauty of having this reading goal. When I have an idea, or hear of an idea. I looks for books on the topic to gain insights.

Most Inspiring

I would say the book that led me to change my daily habits the most was the Miracle Morning. It started a pattern of getting up earlier and doing some meditaion, journaling and study. I had gotten lazy and this book was the kicker to get me up and going earlier. Did it last? For a few months. But I plan on reading it again for hopefully another surge of motivation!

Most Interesting

I had purchased The Dorito Effect a few years ago when a friend mentioned something from the book. But I never actually got around to reading it until this year. I was surprised by how much our food has changed over the years. I always thought chicken was chicken. I had no idea that it used to be smaller and more flavorful. It reminded me of the time I shot a couple of quail and ate them for dinner back when I was a teenager in high school. They were so small, yet so delicious - so much so that I have never forgotten the experience. Reading this book made me wonder if this is how chicken used to taste before the emphasis was on breading chickens that grew very large, very fast. There were several interesting changes described in the book and it has slowly led to me wanting to grow and harvest more of my own food.

The Unexpected Surprise

When I ordered Financial Fitness on Amazon, they sent me the wrong book. Instead they sent me another book by Chris Brady titled PAiLS. Rather than returning it, I decided to read it. I really got into it. It triggered some old entrepreneurial feelings in me and made me want to leave more of a legacy in this life. Receiving this book was what Bob Ross would call a "Happy Accident".

Classics

I re-read a couple of Russell Brunson's books again as I started working on EnvelopeBudget again. Russell started a new company this year called Success Secrets. By joining I received a few books by Napoleon Hill. I got absorbed in these books at the end of the year. These were slower, more deliberate reads, but I really loved reading his works and I will read them again in the future.

That's a wrap!

I could talk about each book individually but for my benefit and yours, I'll wrap it up here. Hopefully this will give some of you some ideas for books to read and perhaps some added motivation and inspiration for 2024!