52 Books in a Year – My Yearly Reading Challenge & Top Picks

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:

1. Know the world better - how things work, how people think and its impact on our lives.

2. 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.

3. Time Management - By prioritising reading over other items, I was able to manage my time much better.

4. 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.

• Tips and tricks on how to read a book every week

• 2020 — My year in Books

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.

Review of books read in Jan, Feb 2021

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)

Review of books read in Mar 2021

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)

Review of books read in Apr 2021

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)

Reviews of books read in May 2021

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)

Reviews of books read in June 2021

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)

Reviews of books read in Jul, Aug, Sep & Oct 2021

35) Nanda Devi Affair by Aitken, Bill (4/5) (Amazon, 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)

37) My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Hopkins, Claude C. (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle)

38) Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein (4/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)

39) The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel (5/5) (Amazon, Audio Book, Kindle)

40) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (4/5) (Amazon, 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)

Reviews of books read in Nov, Dec 2021

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)

47) India's Most Fearless 2 by Shiv Aroor (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle, Audiobook)

48) Krishna's Secret by Devdutt Pattanaik (4/5) (Amazon, Kindle)

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!