Summer 2025 Reading List
I have a few books on my shelf at home that still smell like salt and suntan lotion - my summer reading books from when I was in high school. Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace and One Hundred Years of Solitude among them. My family would spend one full week down in Destin or Rosemary Beach, Florida in July or August, right before the start of school, and that’s when I used all that “free time” to work on my tan and do my required summer reading. It should not surprise you that I looked forward to this homework.
While we don’t have “required reading” anymore in our adult lives, I believe summer is still a good time to catch up on the books you’ve been meaning to read. Work is a little slower, vacations are more prominent, and why not learn something new or be motivated in a different way for the next half of the year? Below are our recommendations on books that might do just that - no matter the season.
Small Giants by Bo Bulingham
Just because you can grow your business, does it mean you should? Burlingham provides case studies of several businesses, including Clif Bars and a remote hotel in Japan, that decided not to scale, take the big buyout or open more locations. They worried - rightfully so - that it would diminish the internal values and “good stuff” that was making their business successful to begin with. We can probably all name at least one company we know like this. They got too big and suddenly you felt like you were dealing with a “corporation” rather than a brand you had previously loved and trusted. This is the book for anyone who doesn’t believe “bigger is always better.”
Let Them by Mel Robbins
The core lesson here isn’t really anything new: you can’t change other people, but you can change your perspective. But the straightforward, no-hand-holding way this book presents it feels like a tough friend whose advice you really should take. You will never be able to change the behavior of others, so let them be who they are. Then, let yourself focus on your own life. This book has no room for a victim mindset, and I’m here for it.
This Won’t Be Pretty by Cassandra D’Alessio
Yeah, we’ll say it. This book makes for a great beach read simply because it’s more memoir than business strategy (although there is a lot of that too). It’s meant to be read quickly, so you can glean over the stories - and hard lessons - Cassandra learned in her first year of business while gaining some important tips in the process. The hope is, by the end of it, you’ll feel motivated to start your own next thing - whatever that may be!
Marketing Rebellion by Mark Schaefer
Even though this is a pre-2020 book, it hits on the important themes that we saw highlighted during COVID-19 and that we continue to see today. People connect with brands - not logos. People want to know that the businesses they support share their values. If you are struggling to connect with your audiences - take a look at your marketing. You may need a dramatic shift of thinking to reach your people where they are in 2025.
What books are you reading (or listening to) this summer? We love adding new titles to our list! Email us at cassandra@turnthenextpage.com