Three Fascinating Books I Read This Year

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This year looked a little different on the reading front. With a newborn at home, my “books read” mainly came in the form of audiobooks on walks around the neighborhood and in the car on the way to work. It wasn’t a big reading year, but there were still a few that really stuck with me.

1) The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel

Morgan Housel’s latest dives into the other side of money. It’s not about how to earn it, save it, or invest it, but how to spend it in ways that genuinely enhance our lives. Rather than offering a budget template or a set of rules, he explores the psychology and emotions behind our spending choices. He encourages us to ask ourselves what we chase because it impresses others, what we avoid because we’re afraid, and how we can align dollars with deeper values.

Listening to this while walking with our newborn felt especially fitting. It reinforced the idea that money is ultimately a tool to support the life we want to live, not an arbitrary scoreboard.

2) Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich, 1945–1955 by Harald Jähner

This book came to me via a client recommendation, and I’m grateful it did. Aftermath examines what everyday life looked like in Germany in the decade following World War II, not from a political or military lens, but through the lived experiences of ordinary people.

While not a finance book, it was one of the most thought‑provoking reads of the year. The author captures how societies and individuals respond after a collapse. I’m always amazed by studying history, how it’s usually the horrible events that bring people closer together. I’m not suggesting war is good, but some amount of adversity seems to be mentally healthy for people and the societies we live in.

3) Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley

Finally, a book that speaks to the everyday rhythms of life from a Christian perspective. Earley’s Habits of the Household is about family, faith, and the spiritual meaning behind the routines we take for granted (bedtimes, meals, conversation, discipline). The book centers on how small, intentional habits can shape a home.

Here’s to more good ideas, whether read in pages or heard on long walks!

Happy listening,

Alex 

My list of books from 2024 can be found here.

My list of books from 2023 can be found here.

My list of books from 2022 can be found here. 

My list of books from 2021 can be found here. 

My list of books from 2020 can be found here. 

This blog post is not advice. Please read disclaimers.