Happy New Year, friends.

January has become reading-list season around here. Every year, I publish the books I plan to read – fully aware that I will not read all of them. Not because I lack discipline, but because life has a funny habit of dropping unexpected, irresistible books right in my path. And honestly? I’m okay with that.

Think of this list less as a strict plan and more as a compass. Something to gently guide my reading when I’m standing in front of a bookshelf (or scrolling Kindle while putting kids to bed) thinking, What should I read now?

Last year, I managed to read 20 books alongside a full life and a few “minor” projects. One of them being renovating our new house. The silver lining? We significantly expanded our bookshelves. Literally. And unsurprisingly, I wasted no time filling them (no regrets).

I also finally treated myself to a proper Kindle, which means I now own an ambitious number of eBooks too.

As tempting as it is to aim for 26 books in 2026 (because numbers are fun), I’m sticking with 20. This year already has some big, exciting projects coming up, and I’m giving myself permission to be realistic.

Also, as my oldest slowly edges into the teenage years, my curiosity has shifted. A lot. This year’s main theme? Teen brains. Teen emotions. Teen sibling dynamics. Basically: what is actually going on in there, and how do I stay connected while everyone’s nervous system is… evolving.

So, without further ado, here are the 20 books I’m genuinely excited to read this year.

Parenting Teens:

1. Brainstorm by Daniel Siegel (get the book)
2. The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour (get the book | read our summary)
3. Best Friends, Worst Enemies by  Michael Thompson, Catherine O’Neill Grace & Lawrence J. Cohen (get the book)
4. Raising Boys In The Twenty-First Century by Steve Biddulph (get the book)

Parenting and Education:

• Parent Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon (get the book)
• The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel (get the book)
• Punished by Rewards by Alfie Cohn (get the book)
• The Way of Play by Tina Payne Bryson & Georgie Wisen-Vincent (get the book)
• How To Talk: Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish (get the book)

Thinking, Decision Making and Productivity:

1. Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows (get the book)
2. The Organised Mind by Daniel Levitin (get the book)
3. Mastery by Robert Greene (get the book)
4. Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg (get the book)

Influence and Negotiation:

1. The Catalyst by Jonah Berger (get the book)
2. Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss & Tahl Raz (get the book)

Health and Longevity:

1. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (get the book)
2. The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk (get the book)

Mindset, Character and Personal Growth:

1. The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron (get the book)
2. The Book of Common Sense by Daniel Hart (get the book)
3. On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers (get the book)

Just like last year (and in 2022, 2023 & 2024), I’ll be sharing the notes on the blog and updating the list with all the relevant links as we go.

Happy New Reading Year!

With love,

Irina