Last fall, you learned about our love for Podcasts, and we’re excited to share that our adoration for the written word runs just as deep.

From eBooks, to audio books, and especially a good old-fashioned printed book, there’s nothing like a great novel to spark your wanderlust or help you unwind after a long day. To assist you in deciding what to add to your library, we polled some of our team members and asked them to recommend a few of their favorite titles.

Broken Music: A Memoir by Sting

“Having been a songwriter most of my life, condensing my ideas and emotions into short rhyming couplets and setting them to music, I had never really considered writing a book. But upon arriving at the reflective age of fifty, I found myself drawn, for the first time, to write long passages that were as stimulating and intriguing to me as any songwriting I had ever done.

And so Broken Music began to take shape. It is a book about the early part of my life, from childhood through adolescence, right up to the eve of my success with the Police. It is a story very few people know.

I had no interest in writing a traditional autobiographical recitation of everything that’s ever happened to me. Instead I found myself drawn to exploring specific moments, certain people and relationships, and particular events which still resonate powerfully for me as I try to understand the child I was, and the man I became.” -Sting

Rivetica Review: “One of my new favorites is Broken Music: A Memoir. Having really enjoyed Sting’s music throughout his career, I knew this would be a great book. It provided interesting insight into his personal life and the experiences that inspired his music. If you are a fan of Sting and The Police, this is a must read.

Not only am I a big fan of this book, but so is Rolling Stone – ‘Sting’s gift for prose and reverence for language, nearly the equal of his musical gifts, shine on every page. Even when Broken Music addresses the quixotic life of an aspiring rock & roller, it reads like literature from a more rarified time when adults didn’t condescend to the vulgarities of pop culture.’”

Jack Reacher (Series) by Lee Child

Jack Reacher is the lead character and protagonist in a popular series of books by British author, Jim Grant, who writes under the name Lee Child. The series follows Reacher, an ex-military policeman, as he “goes through a number of exploits in his world.”*

Per Lee Child’s website, the Jack Reacher series was called “The Strongest Brand in Publishing” by Forbes magazine in 2014 and is a billion-dollar brand published in 49 languages and 100 territories. With over 100 million books sold, the series has commanded well over a billion dollars in sales. Lee Child has received countless acclaims throughout his career and is a New York Times bestselling author many times over.

While Lee Child wrote the Reacher novels in order so a reader can start the series with any of the books, his team does have a suggestion – read them in the order he wrote and published them. His team believes the prequels (The Enemy, Night School, and The Affair) have more emotional impact once a reader has come to know Jack Reacher’s character.

Rivetica Review: “I love any book by Lee Child. His series featuring Jack Reacher is the absolute best. The series began in 1997 and features Jack Reacher, an ex-military cop who goes off the grid and seems to run into trouble everywhere he goes…a true good guy that does bad things, but for good. I’ve read all 24 books in the series!”

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals – in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country – Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.**

Rivetica Review: “I enjoyed Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It’s hard to believe this happened in America. While it was heartbreaking to put myself in the shoes of the children whose lives were impacted, I found it important to learn about this dark time in American history. I truly appreciated the uplifting ending of the book considering the nature of the story.”

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.**

Rivetica Review: “I love Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I’m a big fan of Barbara Kingsolver’s novels, so I knew I’d love Where the Crawdads Sing based on the comparisons I’ve read about the two authors. As a girl who loves the marshlands of Virginia and North Carolina, the writing in this novel really spoke to me – ‘Kya knew the time of the tides in her heart’ and ‘could find her way home by the stars.’ I was glued to every page from beginning to end.

And, PS – there’s no way I’d be able to survive like Kya. While I love the marshlands, I am a big fan of the comforts of home.”

What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula

According to the Journal of the Buddhist Society, “the newcomer to Buddhism has lacked a simple and reliable introduction to the complexities of the subject. Dr. Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught fills the need as only could be done by one having a firm grasp of the vast material to be sifted. It is a model of what a book should be that is addressed first of all to ‘the educated and intelligent reader.’ Authoritative and clear, logical and sober, this study is as comprehensive as it is masterly.”

Rivetica Review: “What the Buddha Taught was recommended to me by an old professor and is a fantastic, clear summary of what was actually taught in the original Buddhist texts – nothing is watered down. This one is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Buddha’s teachings. Oh, and pro tip – check out What the Buddha Taught – Revised and Expanded Edition, as it includes texts from Suttas and Dhammapada, which are collections of sayings of the Buddha in verse form.”

Don’t Miss Our Favorite Professional Book Recommendations

We hope you enjoyed learning about some of our team’s favorite reads. Be on the lookout for a future blog post highlighting some of our recommended professional development books!

*Book Series In Order

**Audible