A great way to greet the new year is to have a long list of unfinished books and a promise to read them all.
2024 promises to be rich in literary output but more importantly, it will be an interesting year to see what the reading trends will be.
Beginning with motivational books is appropriate at this time of year when we are looking for inspiration and self-improvement.
Dale Carnegie's ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ remains a classic in the category of building confidence and networking. Carnegie’s idea that business and personal relationships are not only compatible but essential to one’s profession became a mantra that continues to be followed today.
‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear is way ahead of many other books in this category. This practical self-help book shows how we create habits and how they can be used to our advantage by making small, practical changes.
‘Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking’ by Susan Cain is an appropriate book that focuses on a niche readership: the ones who don’t know how to yell for attention.
The book gives power and authority to those who we usually don’t consider as important. Using examples of public personalities like Rosa Parks, Yeats or even Charlie Brown, Cain shows how world changing phenomena has often been the result of the silent actions of introverts. It makes it easy to be one.
Decluttering the mind, body, soul and even the house has become trendy, even necessary.
Following Marie Kondo’s phenomenally successful ‘The life-changing magic of tidying up: The Japanese art of decluttering and organising’, cleaning up has become an art and a science. This book started an entire industry of minimalist lifestyles, resulting in other variations like Peter Walsh’s ‘Let it go: Downsizing your way to a richer, happier life’ which gives tips on how to manage letting go of a lifetime of possessions which have emotional and spiritual meanings. This is a topical book for those who are always on the move, making new homes while having to leave old ones behind.
Deepak Chopra’s ‘The seven spiritual laws of success: A practical guide to the fulfillment of your dreams’ remains a favourite in the bestseller list of most popular motivational books of all time.
The focus on living in harmony with nature, prioritising health and relationships, all remain solid advice for longevity and spiritual peace.
Robin Sharma also remains popular. In ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ series, Sharma continues to write about balancing different aspects of life, cultivating relationships, and living fully, one day at a time.
Even children need motivation from time to time. Looking beyond the ‘Chicken Soup’ series, children are spoilt for choice in terms of the number of options available to them of books that make them believe in themselves and inspire them to reach out to a world of opportunities.
The new year must begin with hope and promise. These books give us much-needed motivation to look ahead.
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