5 Book Recommendations for the New Year

I often tell parents, "to grow a reader, be a reader."

Children model what they see, and when they see you immersed in a book, they will learn to place the same value on reading. And, the benefits of growing up in a home full of books are endless. The National Education Association states that the more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher students are in reading proficiency. Children who do more reading at home are not only better readers, but are also found to have higher math scores.

So, as we start a new year, remember to take a step back from the busyness of life and crack open a good book or two. You will benefit from reading by reducing your stress, which is always a good way to start the year, and your children will benefit as well.

Not sure which books to check out? Here is a short list of five books I personally enjoyed reading recently, to help get you started.

1.Worthy Fights by Leon Panetta
2.The War that Ended Peace by Margaret MacMillan
3.The Second Machine Age by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee
4.Adaptation to Life by George E. Vaillant
5.Blood Feud by Edward Klein

When in doubt, you can also always go back and revisit the classics, as I do each year. I recommend any books by two of my favorite authors, Somerset Maugham (I especially enjoyed The Razor's Edge) and a beloved classic author, Jane Austen (especially Sense and Sensibility).