52 Books in a Year – My Yearly Reading Challenge & Top Picks
- Mahendra Rathod
- Jan 3, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 14
52 Books in a Year – How I Completed My Yearly Reading Goal
At the start of 2021, I challenged myself to read 52 books in a year, aiming to expand my knowledge, improve time management, and develop a daily reading habit. The journey wasn’t just about hitting a number—it was about discovering new ideas, learning from different perspectives, and applying insights to real life. From thought-provoking non-fiction to gripping biographies and business strategy books, each read contributed to personal growth. If you’ve ever wondered whether reading 52 books in a year is possible, I can assure you that with the right approach, discipline, and book selection, it’s an achievable and transformative experience. In this blog, I’ll share the full list of books I read, key takeaways, and tips for anyone looking to complete their own 52-book challenge!
I was fortunate enough to read 52 books in 2021. The main objectives for me to start reading more were as follows:
Know the world better - how things work, how people think and its impact on our lives.
Books that can change lives - While all the books helped me to be a better person than last year, books 10, 22, 23, 34 and 39 from the list below are life changing books as per me.
Time Management - By prioritising reading over other items, I was able to manage my time much better.
Developed writing as a habit - Writing helps structuring the thoughts. So after reading 30 books in 2020, I started writing about them. This is my first step towards writing.
Please read the following blogs to understand what helped me read more books. Also, small reviews of the books I read in 2020.
I hope my blog helps my readers and friends in developing reading as a habit and provides them with the benefits I have experienced.
Below is the list of 52 books I read. Please click on the title to get brief reviews of each of these books. Please click on Amazon links to get these books from Amazon.
1) Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed, Catmull (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
2) The Dhandho Investor: The Low-Risk Value Method to High Returns by Mohnish Pabrai (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
3) Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue by Nick Mehta (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
4) Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up and Make a Difference by Kathleen Kelly Janus (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
5) Swipe to Unlock: The Primer on Technology and Business Strategy by Parth Detroja (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
6) The 5 am Club by Robin Sharma (2/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
7) Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit V. Banerjee, Esther Duflo (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
8) Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth (3/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
9) The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
10) Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker (4/5)(Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
11) Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World by Scott Harrison (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book)
12) Limitless: Core Techniques to Improve Performance, Productivity, and Focus by Jim Kwik (3/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
13) The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training: Winning Strategies, Inspiring Stories, and the Ultimate Training Tools by Allen, Jennifer Van (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
14) The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
15) Reading with the Right Brain: Read Faster by Reading Ideas Instead of Just Words by David Butler (5/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
16) Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story by Mihir Dalal (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
17) Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire by Henderson, Rebecca (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
18) Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
19) I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. No BS. Just a 6-Week Program That Works by Ramit Sethi (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book)
20) The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity--and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race by Daniel Z Lieberman (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
21) Alcohol Explained by William Porter (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
22) The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting by Jason Fung (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
23) Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Puigcerver Garcia, Hector (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
24) Unbroken: An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
25) Fast. Feast. Repeat.: The Clean Fast Protocol for Health, Longevity, and Weight Loss by Gin Stephens (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
26) No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer(4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
27) Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few by Robert B. Reich (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
28) Ambedkar's India by Dr.B.R. Ambedkar (5/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
29) The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
30) Diary of a PhD Student: To Be or Not to Be by Mayank Mishra (3/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
31) How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish (5/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
32) The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William N. Thorndike Jr. (3/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
33) Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
34) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
36) The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
38) Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
41) Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard Thaler (3/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
42) Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
43) The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires: How to Achieve Financial Independence Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy (1/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)
44) Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)
45) Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Steve Coll (5/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)
46) AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order by Kai-Fu Lee (5/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)
49) Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)
50) Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control by Stuart Russell (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)
51) A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to ISIS by Robert F. Worth (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle)
52) Has China Won?: The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy by Kishore Mahbubani (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)
Happy Reading!
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