When we were in school, many of us had a list of books assigned to read during the summer. Although it seemed unfair to get “homework” on our break, these works of fiction and non-fiction often expanded our world view. With summer right around the corner, it seems like a good time to revisit the summer reading tradition to unwind, escape or learn by picking up a good book. To help you curate your summer reading list, we reached out to our team for their top book recommendations from varying genres. So, whether you’re looking for leadership tips, inspiring self-help advice, or a heartfelt romance book, we got you covered. Here is the ultimate summer reads list, handpicked by members of your Tacala family.
Area Coach, Tina Sargent’s Pick:
Book: Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Why She Recommends It: This book breaks down what makes a successful leader while providing a framework to make change.
It encouraged Tina to reflect on the purpose behind her work, which to her is her team.
Area Coach, Laura Coronado’s Pick
Book: The Friends by Rosa Guy
Why She Recommends It: This book takes place in the 1960s in New York and follows the unexpected friendship of two teenage girls. Laura states this book highlights the power of friendship and unity.
COO, David Morrison’s Picks:
Non-Fiction Book: Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham
Why He Recommends It: David refers to this book as the “Tacala Bible,” It provides data driven insights on the factors that contribute to a successful company. His favorite lesson from this book is “the most important thing about work is what team you are on.”
Fiction Book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Why He Recommends It: David recommends this classic book for the interesting story and the lessons embedded in the book. He says it’s too hard to explain but to take his word for it and listen for yourself on Audible for a full experience.
Area Coach, Mike Beren’s Picks:
Book: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
Why He Recommends It: This book addresses how to increase and maintain happiness in all aspects of life, including work. In a people driven business having a positive mental attitude can make a huge difference for success.
Book: Redefining Anxiety by Dr. John Delony
Why He Recommends It: Working in a fast pace and sometimes stressful position can cause a lot of anxiety. This book emphasizes the importance of listening to yourself and recognizing anxiety triggers and facing the problems head on.
Controller, Anne Marie’s Picks:
Book: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Why She Recommends It: Described as a perfect beach read this romance book has a unique spin – a dog is a central character in the story. This is a lighthearted and fun read to escape during the summer months.
Book: How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key
Why She Recommends It: Don’t be fooled by the title, this is not a self-help book but rather a memoir. This story is a roller-coaster of emotions from brutally sad to hilarious and everything in-between. Anne Marie recommends listening to the audio book where the author is also the reader giving more depth to this story.
Reading is more than just a way to unwind. It can help unlock doors to new ideas and places. It is important to Tacala to make sure our communities have the same access to read as we do. We
partner with local libraries to help ensure reading is a top priority by supporting many summer reading programs at libraries in our communities where children
and teens receive a free taco upon achieving a reading milestone. Recently, the Pinson Taco Bell donated Crunchy Tacos to the Pinson Public Library along with free taco coupons and gift cards to help encourage individuals to explore the endless possibilities of reading.
Annually, Tacala partners with Better Basics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing children’s reading and mathematics literacy, on their Better Basics Reads program. Participants in this initiative from the Birmingham RSC visited Pre-K through 5th-grade classrooms at Epic Elementary School in Birmingham for the annual read-aloud event.
Are you excited to read some of the books on this list or do you have a list of your own? Let us know what books you will be reading this summer.
