Long ago, the private high school my daughter attended had a wonderful yearly tradition. At the beginning of summer, they’d mail a reading list–a compilation of each teacher’s favorite books–to the house. Now, I’m sure the design was to encourage students to read quality books during vacation, but the only one (and I could be wrong here) who took that idea and ran with it was me.

Though I’m a fool for reading lists in general, I loved that particular one. I’d take it with me each time I visited the library to load up on books. Summer after summer, I discovered authors and genres I would have walked right past had that list not clued me in.

My whole world opened up.

To be a good writer, you have to read lots of books. Good books, not trash. Books in your genre, and across the board. That’s how you discover your voice, your topic, how to construct a story, or weave in just the right lesson.

So I thought I’d share a reading list of my own during this holiday season, that way you can load up on all the books you probably won’t receive from the people you love AND find a last minute gift for someone other than yourself. I’ve left out the subtitles but given you the links so you can find a book easily enough.

I’d love to hear what you’d add to a particular category. I know I had problems narrowing my choices down to just a few. Like, right now, I want to include 18 more.

Enjoy.

Five Favorite Novels

Little Bee by Chris Clive (all his books)

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (can’t go wrong)

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (all his books)

The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer (everything the man has touched)

Five Favorite YA books

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Twopence To Cross The Mersey by Helen Forrester (memoir series)

All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot (memoir series)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (series)

Five Favorite Memoirs

Lit by Mary Karrn (all of her books)

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggars (ditto)

Let’s Not Go To The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

Truth and Beauty by Anne Patchett

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott

Five Favorite Classics

Travels With My Aunt by Graham Green

The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham

All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Five Favorite Adventure Books

West With The Night by Beryl Markham

A Short Walk In The Hindu Kush by Eric Newby (also hysterical)

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (all of his books)

Minus 148 Degrees by Art Davidson

Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead Diaries by Anne Marrow Lindbergh

Five Favorite Miscellaneous Books

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Daily Afflictions by Andrew Boyd

I Remember by Joe Brainard

The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan

Five Favorite Habits And Mindset Books

The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg (all of his books are fabulous)

Switch by Chip and Dan Heath (ditto on their other books)

Deep Work by Cal Newport

The Way of The Seal by Mark Divine

Do The Work by Steven Pressfield (read all of his books)

Five Favorite Business Books

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss

Start by Jon Acuff (all 3 of his books are fabulous)

The e-Myth by Michael Gerber

Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

Five Favorite Writing Books

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne

The Situation And The Story by Vivian Gornick

Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Building A Story Brand by Donald MillerF

Five Favorite Running Books

Running To Win by George Sheehan

Running And Being by George Sheehan

Born To Run by Christopher McDougal

The Runner by Markus Torgebuy

Run, Fat Bitch, Run by Ruth Field

Five Books I love for their language

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz (all of his books)

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

No Country For Old Men by Cormack McCarthy (all of his books)

A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (all of her books)

Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson

Five Favorite Big Idea Books

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Havari (all of his books)

Quiet by Susan Caine

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (all of his books)

Boomerang by Michael Lewis (all of his books)

Stiff by Mary Roach (also hysterical)

Five Favorite Personal Development Books

The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden

The Gift Of Imperfection by Brene Brown (all of her books)

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Man’s Search For Meaning Viktor Frankl

Five Major Pieces To The Life Puzzle by Jim Rohn (all of his books)