Spring 2019 Reading List

This Spring 2019 Reading List includes the Fed and Fit team’s favorite picks that span historical fiction, personal memoirs, psychological thrillers, and classics. This is a great list to get some inspiration for your next read!

Between a packed travel schedule and great weather that makes me want to get out for a long walk while listening to a great audiobook, I’ve found myself on the hunt for new books to fill my reading list this season! To give you the most options, we decided to bring you the Fed and Fit team’s favorite reads and most anticipated new books for Spring. We’ve all got a bit of a different reading style: I love fantasy, classics, business, and a wide range of fiction, Jess goes for books on mindset and thrillers, and Amber enjoys historical fiction, memoirs, and is a sucker for a good love story. You’ll truly find something for everyone on this list!

Fiction

• A Song of Achilles – The Song of Achilles is a re-imagining of Homer’s The Iliad. As a lover of Greek Mythology, I am enjoying this book so much! Cassy’s Pick
• The Hummingbird’s Daughter – In late-19th century Mexico, Teresita awakes from death to find that she now has the power to heal and becomes the Saint of Cabora. The novel follows the many trials she endures as a result of her new status and power. – Cassy’s Pick
• An American Marriage – Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are living the American Dream, deeply in love and on the brink of exciting careers, until Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime he didn’t commit. The book follows the aftermath of Roy’s imprisonment and its affects on his and Celestial’s new marriage. – Cassy’s Pick
• A Spark of Light – A gunman opens fire in a women’s reproductive services clinic and takes all inside hostage. Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, arrives at the scene only to find that his 15 year old daughter is inside. – Cassy’s Pick
• No Country for Old Men – The book the movie is based on, this novel is set on the frontier between Texas and Mexico. Llewelyn Moss is hunting antelope near the Rio Grande, but instead finds dead men, heroin, and $2 million, which he takes off with. – Cassy’s Pick
• A Connecticut Yankee – This classic novel by Mark Twain is read by (my favorite) Nick Offerman for a darkly funny, satirical novel that takes place in 1300s Camelot. – Cassy’s Pick
• Little Fires Everywhere – This book follows two families, the seemingly-perfect Richardson family, and the Warren family with artist mother, Mia, and her daughter, Pearl. Mia rents a house from the Richardsons and she and Mrs. Richardson find themselves completely at odds. Mrs. Richardson sets out to destroy Mia’s reputation by revealing her past, but stirs up more trouble than she could have expected.   This book is a great look at 90’s upper middle class culture, and a semi-heartbreaking story.  Be prepared to feel all the emotions.  Stay with it, it gets good after the first half of the book! – Jess’s Pick
• Where the Crawdads Sing – There’s a good reason that this book is so highly reviewed – the writing is so beautiful it is almost like reading a poem, and it is a coming-of-age story about a girl abandoned by her family to live alone in a swamp shack, a murder mystery, and love story all rolled into one. It starts off a little slow but stick with it and you’ll be rewarded! – Amber’s Pick
• The Great Alone – In this book an emotionally volatile father who has returned from being a POW in the Vietnam War moves his family off the grid to Alaska. While everything seems great at first, the family finds they have to learn how to live off the land, fend off wild animals, and endure long, dark winters. I love Kristin Hannah’s work and this book is no exception! Months later I still think about the gripping, emotional story and the incredible Alaskan scenery. This isn’t a light read, but it’s a great one to get lost in! – Amber’s Pick
• Daisy Jones and The Six – This book chronicles the rise and fall of the fictional band, Daisy Jones and The Six, in the 1970s. After I breezed through this book in a day and got completely lost in the world of 70s rock and roll, I found myself incredibly upset that Daisy Jones and The Six wasn’t a real band because I immediately wanted more! This book was set up documentary-style, which I’ve never seen before, but after a few chapters of listening to the phenomenal audiobook (with a full ensemble cast) I was instantly immersed. – Amber’s Pick

Thrillers & Mysteries

• I Found You – Lisa Jewell has written many incredible mysteries, and I can’t wait to read this next one that follows three people connected by a 20 year old mystery. – Cassy’s Pick
• Sometimes I Lie – This book follows protagonist Amber after she wakes up paralyzed – unable to move, speak, or even open her eyes. What everyone doesn’t know is that she can hear what everyone around her is saying. She has no idea what happened to her, but has a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with her husband. I can’t wait to read this one! – Cassy’s Pick
• The Couple Next Door – New parents Anna and Marco seem to have it all, until one night they’re at a neighbor’s dinner party and a crime is committed. Suspicion falls on Anna and Marco, and throughout the investigation the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other for years begin to come out.  Warning, this one dives into the mind of mental illness, postpartum depression, and gets REALLY DEEP.  The end is totally unexpected. – Jess’s Pick
• All the Missing Girls – This novel by Megan Miranda follows the disappearance of two women, 10 years apart. In a fun twist it’s told backwards, starting on Day 15 of the disappearance and working its way to Day 1 as you unravel the clues.  Loved the characters in this one!  There’s an underlying love story that also tugs at the heartstrings.  You can’t quite guess the ending until it surprises you! – Jess’s Pick
• An Unwanted Guest – A blizzard hits an idyllic inn in the Catskills and the power goes out. The guests try to make the best of it… until two guests turn up dead and everyone panics, trying to identify the killer and get out of the blizzard alive. I stayed up every night (TOO LATE) to finish this one, and then couldn’t fall asleep!  Warning: read in the daytime. – Jess’s Pick
• The Silent Patient – A woman kills her husband, then never says another word, but her criminal psychotherapist is determined to get to the bottom of what happened. I have heard nothing but good things about this book and can’t wait to dive in! – Amber’s Pick

Business

• The E-Myth – This audiobook is read by the author and is a must-read for all business owners! It has really changed my perception of where I need to put my time and how to hire. – Cassy’s Pick
• Building a Storybrand – If you’re looking to up your marketing game in your business this is THE book to do it with. This book along with the Storybrand podcast is helping us make some big changes here at Fed and Fit! – Amber’s Pick
• Dare to Lead – I love Brene Brown’s work and am looking forward to this book about how to apply it in the workplace! – Amber’s Pick

Health & Personal Development

• Grit – A mindset book focused on what keeps people pushing forward and how we can determine whether we will be successful or not. If you’ve ever wondered what sets “those people” (the ones who seem to always be successful) apart from those who aren’t, this book really talks about how having a mindset that doesn’t get set back by failure or disappointment is a key factor. It’s fantastic! – Jess’s Pick
• Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind – This book is blowing my mind, literally!  It’s focused on how our brains perpetuate the same behaviors over and over again, keeping us in patterns that aren’t healthy, THEN it teaches us how to create new, healthy thoughts and reprogram our brains to create successful habits…SO GOOD. – Jess’s Pick
• The Road Back to You – I may be slightly obsessed with the enneagram, but I’ve found it to be SUCH a powerful tool for better understanding yourself and your loved ones around you. If you’re interested in exploring the enneagram a little more, The Road Back to You is the perfect book to get started with! –Amber’s Pick

There you have it, our top picks for what to read this Spring! Tell us below – what are you most excited to read next?