Be the First to See the 2018 ADHD-Friendly Reading List (23 must-read books included)

Jan 25, 2018

Be the First to See the 2018 ADHD-Friendly Reading List

In my previous career I was a librarian (library specialist) in a private school that served students in grades 3-12 who were diagnosed with ADHD and/or a learning disability. Reading was literally my job- and I LOVED it! To encourage the students to read more, I began several programs. One program was a reading competition based on the Battle of the Books program model.

Since the school was small, and reading was often a challenge, I needed to select books that were of high interest with varied reading levels. I read every book before I put it on the list for that year. There were 3 teams each year: 3-5th grades, 6-8th grades and 9-12th grades. Each team had a list with 10-11 books. That meant I need read 35-40 books- just for that program (not all of the books made the cut).

When I became a full-time ADHD coach, I didn’t have nearly as much time to devote to reading. I really missed it. To get back into reading more, last year I set a goal to read 30 books before December 31. I read 28 (I actually think I read more, but didn’t write them all down, so I’m only giving myself credit for 28).

A big obstacle for me when it comes to reading is deciding what to read next. This gets in my way… a lot!   So, this year I decided to keep my goal of reading 30 books- but identify books I am really excited about reading. My hope is that in doing so, it will help me move on to a new book more easily.

I have identified 23 books I want to read- 11 fiction and 12 non-fiction. I also learned long ago to give myself permission to stop reading a book if I don’t love it. So, I may not finish each book on my list, but I am committed to giving each one a shot.

To give myself some variety- I didn’t pick all 30 books. There are bound to be dozens of books I encounter over the course of the year that I will want to read. Having space on my list to add them will keep things interesting! (But having a list will hopefully also keep me from impulsively buying more books to add to my pile of unread books.)

I am sharing my 2018 reading list below. It took me about 3 hours to create it- researching book lists, reading reviews and looking at my “pile of unread books”. My goal is to read at least 2 (and sometimes 3) books from my list per month (in no particular order!). I plan to post updates on the 2-3 I read each month to help with the accountability piece!

I believe I have a good variety of topics- which I like. And, of course, my list includes a couple of Harry Potters (which I have already read several times, but I start over each time I finish the series). Feel free to ask if you are curious why I picked a particular title. And, if there are any on my list that you feel inspired to read, or have read and want to give me a quick review (without telling me what happens!)- please do!

Without further ado- here is my 2018 Reading List:

Non-fiction

  1. Digging Up Mother: A Love Story by Doug Stanhope
  2. The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner
  3. Mini Habits: Smaller Habits-Bigger Results by Stephen Guise
  4. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim
  5. Lost at School by John Greene
  6. E-Squared by Pam Grout
  7. Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
  8. How to Be an Imperfectionist by Stephen Guise
  9. Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
  10. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
  11. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink
  12. A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II by Adam Makos

Fiction

  1. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
  2. Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
  3. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  4. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
  5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  6. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
  7. Complete Calvin & Hobbs Book 2 by Bill Watterson
  8. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
  9. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
  10. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
  11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (re-read)

 

Written by Patty Blinderman

To create content focused on leveling the playing field for individuals impacted by ADHD. Patty shares research as well as tried-and-true practices and her own experiences in the hopes that it makes your life a bit more ADHD-friendly!

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