Rating: 5/5 | This book offers a perspective on the refugee crisis happening today. It never mentions the nationality or religion of the characters by name, but these details can be easily inferred. And yes, it uses a magical element—the doors that transport you elsewhere in the world—but it's not a fantasy book. Instead, these magical doors serve as a device by which Hamid emphasizes the experiences of his characters: that "elsewhere" offers hope, but for a refugee, it's hard to feel welcome anywhere. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | I worked at Barnes & Noble as a temp employee for last year's holiday season (which was awesome!). During one of my shifts, a coworker pulled The Final Empire off the shelf, shoved it at me, and said, "Read this." I am so glad that I listened! This was my first experience with Brandon Sanderson, but I have absolutely come to understand why he is such a fantasy powerhouse. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 4.5/5 | My sister bought me this book for my birthday so that I could read it on the beach during my honeymoon. I wouldn't really call it a "beach read," as it was heavy and complex, but it was definitely worthy of being read. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | I picked this book up shortly after it was released, knowing that Michael Eric Dyson is a well-known, well-liked author who does a good job of framing social justice issues. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | This book seems like it is the original from which all other leadership books have been born. Dale Carnegie's advice is simple, straightforward, and timeless. Nothing is revolutionary, but it is all framed in a way that makes it easy to remember and apply in your daily life. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 4.5/5 | A fantasy book with a heroine who loves libraries and studies history. What more could you want? Harkness does a great job of keeping the witches/vampires/daemons thing far from cheesy. It took a while to set everything up, but as the story is quite complex, that wasn't terrible. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | This book is one of the greatest dark horses of my life. My mother bought it for me many years ago, and I have re-read it several times since then. I also lend it to friends whenever I can, and they always love it as well. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | I picked up this book because I saw the opening paragraph displayed on a Kindle pictured on a sign in a Barnes & Noble. The first few sentences hooked me, so I googled them, identified the book, walked to the shelf, and picked it up. I'm so glad I did. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | You don't have to love grammar and language to enjoy this book, but if you do love words, it's positively delightful. Mary Norris writes exactly as well as you'd expect her to, and she's just as lovely as The New Yorker itself. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | What an absolutely beautiful book by an absolutely beautiful person. I often find memoirs interesting, but it is rare that I find them so moving. Paul is not only a brilliant doctor with a unique story to tell but also a fantastic writer. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | I had heard of this book before, but I finally picked it up as part of Emma Watson's book club, Our Shared Shelf. I am so glad that I did. My eyes have been opened to so much more that happens in the world and to new ways we can actively make those things better. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | If you let the fact that this is a children's series stop you from reading it, you will have made one of the greatest mistakes of your life. This quartet is and probably always will be my #1 go-to recommendation to anyone who asks me what they should read next. (Click the post to read more.)

Rating: 5/5 | Many of you in the leadership world may have heard of Tom Morris’ famous book, If Aristotle Ran General Motors. In it, he discusses how the principles addressed by great historic philosophers translate to the business world today. Many major organizations face questions about ethics, human nature, and competitive excellence. According to Morris, the great thinkers of old had much to say on these subjects. (Click the post to read more.)