Who Doesn’t Love a Good Book?
This list is not a review of the latest bestsellers or a compilation of what everyone else is reading. It is a personal collection of books I have found genuinely compelling — some profound, some laugh out loud funny, some that surprised me completely, and one I am very much looking forward to reading. In a sea of choices it can be incredibly hard to find that hidden gem that stays with you long after the last page. I hope something on this list becomes yours.
Happy Reading from The Clever Crew! 🐾
Heads up: Our Clever Finds uses affiliate links from Amazon, Walmart and other retail partnerships. We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. We only share finds we genuinely love.
Books That Changed How I See Medicine, Science and the Human Spirit
As a healthcare professional who has spent years working with complex and aging patients — and navigated profound experiences within my own family — these two books have fundamentally changed how I see western medicine and the importance of establishing end of life choices as an adult. It details extraordinary scientists who took extreme professional risks for beliefs that the establishment was not ready to accept. Both remind us that science is never finished, that doctors cannot determine outcomes with certainty, that the capacity of the human body and brain to heal is far greater than medicine has historically acknowledged and quality of life and the family member’s wishes are paramount in end of life choices. They are at the top of my personal recommendation list always and I return to their lessons constantly in my work and in my life.
Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande
♥ Why I Recommend It
I read this years ago and it has never left me. Being Mortal is the book I recommend most often to family members navigating end of life decisions for loved ones and to anyone in healthcare who works with aging or terminal patients. Atul Gawande writes with extraordinary compassion and honesty about how medicine has transformed dying into a medical experience when what most people truly want is something far more human. It challenges western medicine’s approach to aging and end of life care in a way that is impossible to ignore and permanently changed how I communicate with patient families. A profoundly important book that everyone will one day need.
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
by Norman Doidge, MD
♥ Why I Recommend It
This book is a powerful testament to the scientists and innovators who took extreme professional risks for beliefs that the medical establishment was not yet ready to accept — and changed the way science views the capabilities of the brain forever. Norman Doidge presents remarkable discoveries and recoveries from the frontiers of neuroplasticity that challenge everything we thought we knew about the brain’s limitations. It reminds us that doctors cannot determine outcomes with certainty and that patient determination is a primary driver of recovery. Having witnessed this truth both professionally and personally this book resonated at the deepest level. A book of hope, courage, and the extraordinary capacity of the human brain to heal.
Summer Reads That Surprised and Delighted Me
These are the books I picked up without expecting much and ended up absolutely loving. Sometimes the best reads are the ones that catch you completely off guard.
Kala
by Colin Walsh
♥ Why I Recommend It
I picked this up at the bookstore on a complete whim and have really enjoyed it. Set in a coastal Irish village full of dark secrets Kala is the kind of mystery thriller that pulls you in from the first chapter and does not let go. The atmosphere is rich, the characters are complex, and the secrets unfold in a way that keeps you guessing until the very end. A perfect summer read for anyone who loves a beautifully written mystery with a strong sense of place. Sometimes the best book finds are the ones you never planned on picking up!
Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall
♥ Why I Recommend It
I am not a runner. I was not remotely interested in running when I picked this up. And yet Born to Run is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read and I could not put it down. This book is so much more than about running — it is about human potential, ancient cultures, the science of the body, and what we are truly capable of when we strip away everything modern and unnecessary. It surprised me at every turn and left me with a completely different perspective on movement, endurance, and the human spirit. If you think this book is not for you that is exactly why you should read it.
A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
♥ Why I Recommend It
This is a book I had heard about for years and finally picked up — and it completely lived up to everything people said about it. A Man Called Ove is the story of a grumpy curmudgeon of a man whose carefully ordered world is upended by a boisterous young family moving in next door. It sounds simple but what Fredrik Backman does with that premise is nothing short of remarkable. Funny, moving, and sneaking up on you emotionally in the best possible way. By the end you will love Ove completely and feel like you have known him your whole life. A perfect summer read that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.
Educated
by Tara Westover
♥ Why I Recommend It
Educated is one of the most unique and compelling personal journey stories I have come across. Tara Westover grew up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho with no formal education, no birth certificate, and no connection to the outside world — and found her way to Cambridge University through sheer determination and an extraordinary hunger for knowledge. It is impossible to put down and impossible to forget. The resilience of the human spirit on full display in the most raw and honest memoir I have encountered in years. A book that will make you think deeply about family, identity, education, and what we are capable of when we refuse to accept the limits placed on us.
Laugh Out Loud Nonfiction
American Shaolin introduced me to the pure joy of laugh out loud narrative nonfiction and led me directly to discovering A.J. Jacobs — once you find this genre you will never look at the nonfiction shelf the same way again. These two books will have you reading passages aloud to whoever is nearby whether they want to hear them or not!
American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch
by Matthew Polly
♥ Why I Recommend It
The title alone tells you this is going to be unlike anything else on your shelf — and it absolutely delivers. Matthew Polly left Princeton at age 21 and traveled to China to study kung fu at the legendary Shaolin Temple, living among the monks and immersing himself completely in a world most Westerners never see. What follows is one of the funniest, most adventurous, and most surprisingly insightful books I have ever read. This is the book that introduced me to laugh out loud narrative nonfiction and sent me straight to A.J. Jacobs afterward. An absolute hidden gem of a read that I recommend to everyone who will listen!
The Year of Living Biblically
by A.J. Jacobs
♥ Why I Recommend It
Discovered through American Shaolin and every bit as entertaining. A.J. Jacobs spends a full year attempting to follow every rule in the Bible as literally as possible — the first half living by the Old Testament and the second half the New Testament, all while residing in Manhattan with his very patient family. The witty anecdotes are laugh out loud funny but underneath the humor is a surprisingly sincere exploration of faith, ritual, and what it means to live intentionally. He has other books that look equally wonderful including The Year of Living Danishly — once you read one you will want to read them all!
Timeless Business & Life Classics
These books have stood the test of time for good reason. Whether you are building wealth, navigating a career change, or trying to understand the people around you — these classics deliver wisdom that never goes out of style.
The Other Guy Blinked: How Pepsi Won the Cola Wars
The Story of the Global Battle Between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo
♥ Why I Recommend It
An older book but one of the most genuinely entertaining business reads I have come across. The Cola Wars tells the fascinating story of the global battle between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo through the eyes of the people who lived it — including the CEO of Pepsi and the legendary moment when Coke changed its recipe and handed Pepsi a once in a generation opportunity. The boardroom decisions, the marketing wars, and the extraordinary public backlash make for riveting reading. If you love business strategy told through a great story this one will not disappoint.
The Richest Man in Babylon
by George S. Clason
♥ Why I Recommend It
The simplest and most timeless personal finance book ever written. George S. Clason delivers the fundamental principles of wealth accumulation through parables set in ancient Babylon at the height of its glory as the wealthiest civilization on Earth. The lessons are so universal and so clearly told that they have not aged a single day since first published nearly a century ago. Save a portion of everything you earn, live within your means, make your money work for you. This is the book I wish everyone read before they got their first paycheck.
Who Moved My Cheese?
by Spencer Johnson
♥ Why I Recommend It
A timeless classic that belongs on every professional’s shelf. Who Moved My Cheese is a deceptively simple parable about change — how we resist it, how we adapt to it, and how the people around us handle it in vastly different ways. If you have ever navigated a difficult workplace personality, a corporate reorganization, or any situation where the rules suddenly changed this book will feel remarkably personal. A quick read that delivers insights you will carry into every professional relationship going forward. Required reading for anyone who works with other humans — which is all of us!
On My Nightstand Next
I have not read this one yet but it looks so genuinely unique that I had to include it. Sometimes the most exciting reads are the ones you are still looking forward to!
The Killer Isn’t Alice: The 46,600 Suspect Murder Mystery Puzzle
by Iris Starling
♥ Why I Can’t Wait to Read It
This one looks genuinely unlike anything else on the shelf and I am very much looking forward to it. The Killer Isn’t Alice takes the reader directly into the story as a participant in solving a murder mystery with 46,600 possible suspects. Interactive storytelling meets classic whodunit in a format I have never encountered before. Whether you are a seasoned mystery lover or just looking for something completely different this summer this sounds like a uniquely fun and engaging read. I will report back once I have finished it!
This list is not a review of the latest bestsellers but a collection of books I found personally compelling — along with a few light hearted gems and one I am very much looking forward to reading. In a sea of choices it can be hard to find that hidden gem. I hope something here becomes yours. Happy Reading from The Clever Crew! 🐾
Leave a Reply