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Gretchen’s 2019 Year in Books

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Gretchen Rubin

Goodreads Author

Born

Kansas City, Missouri, The United States

Website

http://www.gretchenrubin.com

Twitter

gretchenrubin

Genre

Nonfiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Health, Mind & Body

Member Since

July 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/gretchen_rubin

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I am the author of New York Times bestsellers The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies. My newest book, Outer Order, Inner Calm , is on sale now.

Curious about The Four Tendencies? Find out if you're an Upholder, Obliger, Questioner, or Rebel (and how to harness your strengths. Take the free Four Tendencies quiz.

I have a popular, award-winning podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin (search in your favorite podcast app) and a blog (GretchenRubin.com), where I write about my daily adventures in happiness and habit-formation.

My previous books include a bestselling biography of Winston Churchill, Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill, and one of John Kennedy, Forty Ways to Look at JFK. My first b ...more

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Gretchen Rubin’s books

Average rating: 3.66 · 213,530 ratings · 21,565 reviews · 25 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun 3.62 avg rating — 139,719 ratings — published 2009 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives 3.84 avg rating — 31,941 ratings — published 2015 — 48 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better 3.85 avg rating — 13,421 ratings — published 2017 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author), Käthe Mazur (narrator) 3.52 avg rating — 16,089 ratings — published 2012 — 28 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness 3.49 avg rating — 8,768 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life 3.74 avg rating — 794 ratings — published 2003 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Happiness Project, Tenth Anniversary Edition: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun 3.86 avg rating — 830 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Best of the Happiness Project Blog: Ten Years of Happiness, Good Habits, and More 4.05 avg rating — 240 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Better Than Before: A Day-by-Day Journal 4.01 avg rating — 143 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Forty Ways to Look at JFK 3.54 avg rating — 124 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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2462 posts
Gretchen Rubin's Blog

These Three Irrational Thoughts Keep Tugging on My Mind in the Age of COVID-19.

This is a strange time.

I love Joan Didion's haunting memoir The Year of Magical Thinking (Amazon, Bookshop), and I was particularly struck by her description of her irrational responses after the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. If I remember correctly (I can't find my copy of the book to check), she had the thought, "If it's three hours earlier in California, is John still alive there?"

Series by Gretchen Rubin

The Happiness Project (2 books)
by

Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author),

Käthe Mazur (narrator)

3.61 avg rating — 156,016 ratings

Better Than Before (2 books)
by

Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author)

3.84 avg rating — 32,078 ratings

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." -Jim Rohn Ah, January! The time of optimistic promises, ...

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Gretchen Rubin has read Dawn (Xenogenesis, #1) by Octavia E. Butler	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:48AM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dawn by Octavia E. Butler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dawn by Octavia E. Butler <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read Ordinary Light by Tracy K. Smith	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:43AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ordinary Light by Tracy K. Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ordinary Light by Tracy K. Smith <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian F. Thompson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:42AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian F. Thompson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian F. Thompson <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat by John McQuaid (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:41AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tasty by John McQuaid. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tasty by John McQuaid <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death by Colson Whitehead (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:39AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Noble Hustle by Colson Whitehead. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Noble Hustle by Colson Whitehead <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin has read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2020 09:38AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kindred by Octavia E. Butler <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gretchen Rubin added a status update: Happier Podcast Book Club listeners! I’ve heard from several people who are eagerly awaiting our discussion of THE DUTCH HOUSE with Ann Patchett. Because of a scheduling issue, that discussion was pushed back a bit. It will go live on July 22. So if you need a bit more time to finish the book, you’re in luck.
Jul 08, 2020 02:19PM · 52 likes · like · see status
Gretchen Rubin made a comment in the group Happier Podcast Book Club — Fifth Book Choice: The Dutch House topic " Happier Podcast Book Club listeners! I’ve heard from several people who are eagerly awaiting our discussion of THE DUTCH HOUSE with Ann Patchett. Beca ...more "
Jul 08, 2020 02:18PM
Gretchen Rubin has read My Garden (Book) by Jamaica Kincaid	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 06, 2020 10:27AM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of My Garden by Jamaica Kincaid. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — My Garden by Jamaica Kincaid <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Gretchen Rubin

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

tags: feelings, giving, happiness, selfishness, selflessness

673 likes

“The days are long, but the years are short.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

415 likes

“Never start a sentence with the words 'No offense.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

tags: hypocrisy, kindness, offensive, politeness, tact

242 likes

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Polls

Which nonfiction work would you like to read with our group during December and January? All our books are in accessible formats. Please vote here, and good luck!

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell

50 votes, 31.8%

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

41 votes, 26.1%

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

28 votes, 17.8%

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

18 votes, 11.5%

The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig

13 votes, 8.3%

The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life by Tom Reiss

7 votes, 4.5%

157 total votes

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Gretchen’s Quotes

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, An Apology for Idlers

tags: happiness, inspiration

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