
The last days of summer are dwindling which means crisp nights, pumpkin patches, and brightly colored leaves are just around the corner. It’s the perfect time of year to curl up with a blanket and big cup of tea (or glass of wine) and tuck into a good book.
You owe it to yourself.
Creative Collective members were asked which books have had the biggest impact on them as of late, and they returned with some delightfully diverse book ideas for you to add to your to-be-read list.
Happy reading!

Advencher Co. – How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier
Eat Drink Northshore, Miranda’s Hearth, Cojuelos’ Productions – Becoming by Michelle Obama
SewBaloo – The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Lauren, Sewbaloo
The Hobbit is a book I read every year. The adventure, the friendship, and the magic are all aspects that really appeal to me. Sometimes you need to get the heck out of your comfort zone and have an adventure.
The Mindful Creative – Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal
The Sweet Truck – Team of Teams by Gen. Stanley McChrystal

Corsara Artists – The Politics of Piracy – Crime and Civil Disobedience in Colonial America by Douglas R. Burgess. Jr.
I’m a big fan of Pirate history thus if you ever ask what I’m reading it’s likely Pirate related.
Mario, Corsara Artists
LeeAnn Rubin – The Goldfinch By Donna Tartt
Incredible writing. Her character description is unparalleled.
LeeAnn Rubin
Bent Water Brewing Company – Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher
Coastal Design Studio – The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
It was one of those books I loved so much that I reread about 4 times. It taught me how to turn away from self-limiting beliefs that rob me of joy. You can do anything.
Cara, Coastal Design Studio

Flourish Artistic Servies – The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
For me, this book helped me form a mindset that I can start a business that allows me to fulfill all of my passions, gives me room to still draw as much as I need, and connect to people who want my art and want to benefit from creativity.
Hailey, Flourish Artistic Services
Alice’s Table – You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Rusty & Ingrid – Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson

Olio – The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Jenny Pivor – Outliers, the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Blue Horizon Benefits – The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells

Arts After Hours – Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffers
The idea that you can handle anything that comes at you, regardless of the outcome of your decision, is a powerful sentiment that has helped me through a lot of uncertainty in both my personal and professional life.
Samantha, Arts After Hours
At Arts After Hours, I am constantly making decisions that will affect a large group of people or sometimes, my entire community in downtown Lynn. This book really gave me the confidence to make those choices knowing that I will definitely make mistakes, but that I can handle anything that comes my way.
Everbrightly – Disrupt-her by Miki Agrawal
SaVor Designs – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Books that move me tend to stay with me forever.
Stephanie, Savor Designs
North Shore Pride
The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Salem Style – Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I have to say that Elizabeth Gilbert made me motivated to just keep creating. It was like her words were EXACTLY what I was needing.
Juls, Salem Style
Coons Cards & Gift Shop – The Sophia Code by Kaia Ra
Grimdrops – Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
Modern Millie – Iris Apfel, Accidental Icon by Iris Apfel
She always gives me the boost that I may need to continue the search. I consider our inventory to be curated, like works of art. There is thought put into every piece and what purpose it serves. Iris just simply is that way, every day, without skipping a beat.
Christine, Modern Millie
Historic Salem – History: A Very Short Introduction by John H. Arnold
I love the Oxford University Press’s series of “Very Short Introductions.” I read the one on history by historian John H. Arnold, who did an amazing job of distilling the whole of the discipline into, well, a very short introduction. One thing he said stuck with me: “History gives us the tools to dissent.”
History may not truly “repeat itself,” but patterns of human behavior certainly do. Understanding what has happened before equips us to prevent the repetition of particularly ugly patterns. Thinking critically about the past can inform the future.
Alyssa, Historic Salem
The Healing Center – The Year of Less by Cait Flanders

January Gill O’Neil – The Carrying by Ada Limon
Fruitations – Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Briar Barn Inn – All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Salem Main Streets – The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Bonus Picks from Creative Collective: Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too
And What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musician’s Guide to Rebuilding America’s Communities-One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, and Open-Mike Night at a Time by Dar Williams
Who Supports Creative North Shore?
Creative North Shore is a subsidiary of Creative Collective and is supported by the efforts of the Collective along with our readers and community members. We are dedicated to keeping you up to date on the latest events and creative happenings on the North Shore, and we could not exist without you. Thank you for reading, and if you’d like to support our efforts directly, considering joining the Collective Club or becoming an individual or corporate business member.