2019 is here and now’s your chance to capitalize on all that possibility in front of you. Maybe this is the year you want to try something new. Perhaps it’s your chance to say, “Goodbye and good riddance, 2018.” There could be a habit or two you’ve been meaning to kick, and this is the time to do it. The good news is wherever you are in your life, whatever you are planning your 2019 will look like, there will always be an audiobook for you and whatever particular thing you are doing/making/taking a break from that will make 2019 a great year.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
by Samin Nosrat
If this is the year you decide to become a good cook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is the audiobook for you. Renowned chef Samin Nosrat has written a cookbook that is more than just recipes. She has distilled her years of cooking knowledge into four elements of food that make it delicious (I’ll let you guess what those four aspects are). She lets you know what these four elements do to enhance the flavor, texture and appeal to any dish you are trying to make. There are also fun little lessons to practice before you blindly dig into the recipes. You will not only be cooking, but you’ll be understanding why you are cooking things a certain way and not another way. So this year, being intimidated won’t stop you from trying your hand at, say, cooking the turkey at Thanksgiving (just remember to salt it a few days in advance).
Travel As a Political Act
by Rick Steves
If this was supposed to be the year that you were going to travel, but instead find yourself having doubts about it, due to changing geopolitical situations and your anxieties about them, Travel As a Political Act is not only a great guide of an audiobook, but a great educator and motivator as well. You’ve probably seen author Rick Steves on TV, bouncing around Europe, joyfully telling you where to pick up some tapas or how to tour the Louvre. Here he is, calmly narrating his own book in that comforting voice of his, telling you why you should travel, how you are doing both yourself and the world some good when you get out and explore it.
The Index Card
by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack
Of all the habits to tweak in the New Year, or anytime for that matter, none is more important or more tedious than financial habits. Personal finance is one of those areas that seems like it should be left to the experts. But if you want to gain control over your financial situation, The Index Card is a great primer into the world of personal financing. Like Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat, the key to the The Index Card is its simplicity. Co-author Harold Pollack once gave an interview where he said he could fit all the rules of personal finance on one index card. When he posted his card online, the reaction was overwhelming. If you are looking for a financial resource that is simple, one that you can trust, give The Index Card a listen.
Likewar
by P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking
This is probably the year you should curb, or at least examine, those online habits, right? Every couple of weeks last year we saw the investigative reports come out on how this social media company has been withholding X and that other tech firm has been selling our personal data to Y and meanwhile company Z, the one with all our financial information, got hacked. Some disturbing news: the rabbit hole goes even deeper. Likewar takes us into an ecosystem where social media is being used like a weapon to advance the agendas of all sorts of groups around the world. It details how the internet is influencing news, politics and war, which is, in turn influencing the internet. If you want to change your online habits, this audiobook will give you more than enough reasons to do so.
The Little Book of Lykke
by Meik Wiking
Finally, if you feel down and discouraged and this year you want a reminder that the world is good and maybe there are a few things you could do to evoke joy or happiness even for just a little while, try The Little Book of Lykke. Author Meik Wiking travels the world, plucking tiny wonders from it and presenting them to you as a way to remind you that as awful as the world can seem sometimes, it is also a place of awe and surprises. Filled with a mixture of research and anecdotes, The Little Book of Lykke examines what we can do to make ourselves happier, whether it be eating at a full table, dancing or reinvesting in relationships.