In January, I published The Ultimate Book List to share:

• 26 books that writers are reading right now
• 26 of their all time favorites
• 20 books they’ve written
• 10 great book lists
• 3 books I’ve written
• 10 books I am excited to read in 2013

I love the list, but it’s not very simple and it sends you in a million different directions. While I appreciate resourceful posts, I notice that even when (or especially when) I save it for later to visit all of the recommendations, I never do. Sound familiar?

I didn’t even go back to my own list!

So here it is …

The 2013 Ultimate Book List (simplified)

The book I most enjoyed in 2013

• No Place Like Home: A Memoir in 39 Apartments by Brooke Berman

The book that is changing my world right now

• The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

The book with the simplest, most delicious vegan recipes

• Eat Awesome by Paul Jarvis

The best book on writing I read in 2013

• Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

The most well deserved hype received for a book in 2013

• The Art of Being Unmistakable: A Collection of Essays About Making a Dent in the Universe by Srinivas Rao

The best book on healthy living I read in 2013

• Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself by Lissa Rankin

The most surprisingly moving book I read in 2013

• Everything That Remains a memoir by The Minimalists

The book I’ll be reading most this month

• Holiday Cookie Cravings from Maria Lichty and Heidi Larsen

The business book I am most looking forward to reading

• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

The most helpful book on publishing your own book that I’ve ever read

• Unconventional Guide for Publishing by David Fugate

The book my friends wrote that will make you happy or happier

• You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel

• Surprisingly…Unstuck: Rewire your brain to exercise more, eat right, and truly enjoy doing so. by Maria Brilaki

• Simplify by Joshua Becker

• An Amateur’s Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness by Britt Reints

• 1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently by Marc and Angel Chernoff

The book I wrote in 2013

• Mini-missions for Simplicity by Courtney Carver

I hope this simplified version of the Ultimate Book List helps you find books that will be meaningful in your life.

Some of these books are affiliate links and I earn a small commission if you purchase them here. For other books I recommend, you can visit Courtney’s Reading List and the Be More with Less Amazon Bookstore. Most of these books are available for Kindle and you don’t need an actual Kindle to read them. Kindle books can be read using the Free Kindle Reader App for your Web Browser, PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android.

In January, I’ll be sharing the books I most want to read in 2014 and I’d love your book recommendations in the comment section below.

• 31 Days of Gifts You so Deserve will be open all through December and it’s not to late to receive all 31 gifts.

• If you are ready for a simple year and a simple life, check out simpleyear.co