Back to School Reading List
We asked around the office for their back to school reading recommendations. But when we asked people to choose their favorites, that turned out to be a hard task for our group of readers. As Sarah Yakel said, “I can’t say these are my favorite books of all time—I read too much to have favorites! Sort of like asking me to pick my favorite kid!”
So rather than favorites, here are some recent picks for learning about finances and just for fun.
Good for Learning: Financial Books and Podcasts
- The Soul of Wealth by Daniel Crosby. Coming out later this year, this book explores what wealth really is and provides suggestions on how to change our thinking and actions in small powerful ways for a wealthier life. – Sarah Yakel and Sarah Irving
- Money Stuff from Bloomberg. An informative and engaging podcast “about Wall Street, finance, and other stuff.” – Nathan Gilbert
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. A fascinating read that uses short stories to illustrate how people have such varied views on money, spending, and saving and how their life experiences shaped those outlooks. – Kira Topeka
- Series 65 License Exam Manual by Kaplan. An in-depth study into what it takes to pass an exam to become an investment\ advisor representative (IAR). It’s a great read and I can’t wait to get to the end! – Dan Fortunato
Non-Finance Books We’ve Enjoyed
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. “So funny and smart, and yet one of the rare books that made me cry at the end….happy tears, though. Those are the best kind!” – Sarah Yakel
- Wild Houses by Colin Barrett. “It’s amazing how Colin Barrett can make you like a bunch of badly behaved people!”- Nathan Gilbert
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. “This book is such a classic and got me back into reading non-financial books as an adult.” – Sarah Irving
- The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. “This memoir beautifully tells a story of a dysfunctional, yet vibrant childhood, underscoring the importance of resilience and redemption. The author now lives right down the road in Culpeper, Virginia and I had the opportunity to hear her speak at Laurel Ridge Community College last year.” – Kira Topeka
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – I love adventures! This book pulled me in with the story of a boy traveling through virtual reality, competing with thousands of elite gamers on a quest to collect all of the “easter eggs” left behind by his childhood idol to change the life of the winner forever. – Dan Fortunato
Want to Read More?
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Since we’re making book recommendations here are a few of mine…
“Nation”, by Terry Pratchett. It’s an insightful book about loss, change, courage, survival and community. Set against the back drop of the South Pacific in the mid 1800s, it is also packed with mystery, adventure and fun.
“The Graveyard Book”, by Neil Gaiman. In the vein of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book”, it’s about a young boy who is raised by the ghosts of an abandoned cemetery (rather than animals in the jungle), learning from their experiences in life and death as they prepare him to face the world beyond their graveyard and the dark man who has been searching for him since he was a baby.
“The Stench of Honolulu”, by Jack Handey. The author of Saturday Night Live’s Deep Thoughts weaves an absurd tale about a man unintentionally wreaking havoc across the paradise that is Hawaii. It made me laugh out loud. A lot.
I love recommendations!! Adding these to my list. – Sarah Y 🙂