A Caregiver's Top Ten 'Annual Re-Reads'
..and the current twenty books that are competing to be included.
Hello, Dear Reader! Welcome to our new Carer Mentor community members!
I’m Victoria. You can read why I’m publishing Carer Mentor here: Who Started Carer Mentor and Why?
Connecting with empathy and inspiration are at the heart of Carer Mentor’s mission.
Table of Contents
An Introduction to My 2025 List of ‘Annual ReReads’
My Annual Re-Read list is my Top Ten books I read yearly.
I started the list in 2017. I review and revise it every December based on what I’ve read that year. Many books compete for the top ten.
But this is more than just a list.
Some books have stayed in my Top Ten since I first read them. Every year, I learn something new with each read because my mindset and reading lens have changed. I may concentrate on a different part or draw different interpretations from the text.
The list marks a shift in my journey. Before 2017, ninety percent of my reading focused on advancing my business knowledge and leadership skills. I’ve kept a reference list of all those books, but they’re not my priority. The Top Ten books tend to have a broader life context.
My curiosity is a hunger that keeps me exploring new book sources, e.g. through podcasts, citations and organisations. Of course, now it’s hard to keep up with all the recommendations from other Substack publications!
Re-accessing insights and wisdom calls for a well-organised knowledge system. Events over a year may push me to read an old favourite and elevate it to a top spot. Having a system and dedicating a little time to reviewing book titles and my notes helps me generate ideas, expand my thinking, and grow. (I use Notion to interlink book references and lists)
At the end of each year, I review key book insights and use prompts to journal the nuanced shifts in my thoughts, perspective, and outlook. It’s a very different kind of end-of-year performance review from corporate life!
Books have become the milestones, tools, and backbone of my journey.
These are some of the reasons why I value my Top Ten list so much. It’s helped me navigate some of the most challenging times of caregiving, especially the shift from my ‘big’ corporate job to being a caregiver.
Do you have a Top Ten list? Has it changed over the years? What insights have you realised have shifted when you’ve reread a book?
This Caregiver’s Ten Annual Re-Reads
Caregiving is fundamental to my life, and so is continuing to learn and grow my ideas.
This 2024 to 2025 Top 10 offers comfort, motivation, and ideas for Carer Mentor.
I’m sharing the list, not the reasons or criteria behind choosing each book. I prefer not to bias you with my thoughts and interpretation. So here is the list for you to explore.
The top two books have remained the same for several years. The two highlighted in bold were new additions in 2024.
Man’s Search for Meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust. Viktor E Frankl. Published 1946.
Viktor E. Frankl was a professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna Medical School until his death in 1997. He was the founder of what has come to be called the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy (after Freud's psychoanalysis and Adler's individual psychology)—the school of logotherapy.
Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change and Thrive in Work and Life. Susan David. Published August 3, 2017
I wrote a series of articles about Emotional Agility in 2024
Braving The Wilderness. The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone. Brené Brown. Published September 12, 2017
Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age. Bruce Feiler. Published July 14, 2020. Here’s the article I wrote.
It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand. Megan Devine.
Resource: Megan Devine's 'How do you help a grieving friend?' Refuge in Grief Website & Book
Who Cares: The Hidden Crisis of Caregiving, and How We Solve It. Emily Kenway. Published April 27, 2023. Forensically referenced, this book was a cathartic read.
*FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2023*
Introduction to Emily Kenway’s Book and her interview with Amanpour & Co (CNN)
A Manual for Being Human. Sophie Mort. Published July 8, 2021
I wrote about Dr Sophie Mort’s book here
How Emotions are Made. The Secret Life of the Brain. Lisa Feldman Barrett. Published March 23, 2017
I wrote several articles about Lisa Feldman Barrett’s work.
The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living. Russ Harris. Published January 1, 2007
I wrote a couple of articles and linked to Russ Harris’ website here.
How Will You Measure Your Life? Clayton M Christensen. Published May 10, 2012
The Current Twenty books which are competing for a Top Ten listing
The last six books on this list may be recategorised to my ‘Reference’ list. They used to be in more active use, but not anymore.
In addition, waiting in the wings is a long list of books, ‘To Be Read (TBR).’
The Choice: A true story of hope. Edith Eger Published August 16 2018
In 1944, sixteen-year-old ballerina Edith Eger was sent to Auschwitz. Separated from her parents on arrival, she endures unimaginable experiences, including being made to dance for the infamous Josef Mengele. When the camp is finally liberated, she is pulled from a pile of bodies, barely alive.
The horrors of the Holocaust didn't break Edith. In fact, they helped her learn to live again with a life-affirming strength and a truly remarkable resilience.Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain. Lisa Feldman Barrett. Published March 4 2021.
In seven short chapters (plus a brief history of how brains evolved), this slim, entertaining, and accessible book reveals mind-expanding lessons from the front lines of neuroscience research. You’ll learn where brains came from, how they’re structured (and why it matters), and how yours works in tandem with other brains to create everything you experience. Along the way, you’ll also learn to dismiss popular myths such as the idea of a 'lizard brain' and the alleged battle between thoughts and emotions, or even between nature and nurture, to determine your behaviour.
The Gifts of Imperfection. Be You. Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Brené Brown. Published November 30, 2010.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. Lori Gottleib Published April 2 2019
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? Julie Smith. January 6, 2022
Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life. Jill Bolte Taylor. Published May 11, 2021
Integrity. Henry Cloud. Published October 13, 2009
Resilient Grieving, Second Edition: How to Find Your Way Through Devastating Loss (Second Edition) Lucy Hone. June 25, 2024
The Artists Way. Julia Cameron Published November 5, 2020
Show your work. Austin Kleon. Published March 6 2014
The Squiggly Career. Ditch the Ladder, Discover Opportunity, Design Your Career. Helen Tupper, Sarah Ellis. Published January 09, 2020
Mindset - Updated Edition: Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential. 6th edition. Carol Dweck. Published 12 Jan 2017
The Power of Geography. Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World – the sequel to Prisoners of Geography. Tim Marshall New Edition April 2025
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam M. Grant. Published February 2, 2021
Daring Greatly. Be All In. How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Brené Brown, 2013
Out of the Maze: A Simple Way to Change Your Thinking & Unlock Success. Spencer Johnson. Published November 13 2018
You Coach You: How to Overcome Challenges and Take Control of Your Career. Helen Tupper, Sarah Ellis. Published January 13, 2022
Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. Amishi Jha. Published October 19, 2021
Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential. Tiago Forte. Published June 14, 2022
Atomic Habits. Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. James Clear. October 18, 2018
Caregiving Reference Books (2024)
These are the books I recommend to others.
The Complete Eldercare Planner, Revised and Updated 4th Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help. Joy Loverde. Published 24 October, 2023
The Selfish Pig's Guide To Caring: How to cope with the emotional and practical aspects of caring for someone. By Hugh Marriott. EVERY Carer I talk to recommends this book. There are many memoirs about being a Carer, but, hand on heart, this is THE go-to reference book to feel sane, normal and seen.
Contented Dementia: 24-hour Wraparound Care for Lifelong Well-being. By Oliver James. If your loved one has some form of dementia this is a good reference. Identify and manage your team Chapter 11 is an important read. My Dad had vascular dementia, and I've friends whose parents suffer from Alzheimer’s. Connecting through the use of a photo album, not contradicting whatever your loved one says, and writing down explanations are a few of the most powerful strategies that helped. No one can be a perfect carer. We try our best, but we're human and thus imperfect. Carers can have especially harsh inner critics with extra-tough standards that can set up a self-guilting complex and undermine our feelings of self-worth. This is why I recommend 'Who Cares' Who Cares? The Hidden Crisis of Caregiving, and How We Solve It - the 2023 Orwell Prize Finalist By Emily Kenway.
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive. By Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. Also, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. By Kristin Neff. Self Compassion By Kristin Neff. They have a wealth of resources on the website, which are offered freely. I used their guided meditations many times. There is a specific meditation and focus on caregivers here.
Palliative and End of Life Care in Nursing. By Jane Nicol and Brian Nyatanga. As we are expected to muddle through, I sought out this book. Paid carers or nurses are trained and have resources to leverage. Unpaid carers have no training and limited ‘tools’ and learn by doing through crises.
I recommend exploring the resources curated by
Carer Mentor Articles about these books:
Connecting with empathy and inspiration are at the heart of Carer Mentor’s mission.
I hope this inspires you to read one of these books, especially something from the Top Ten list!
Please press your heart ‘❤️’ to like this and guide others here.
Warm wishes to you and your loved ones.
Saving this to come back to this list and add several of these new-to-me titles to my TBR list! What a great resource.
This looks like a great list of books! There are a few I’d like to read. I’ve just put Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain on my Amazon wish list, but I might find it at a local store first. Than you for putting all this together!