This time of year, I always head to the library and pick a few random personal finance books off the shelf. I find it helps keep me motivated. I'd like to know what books you are reading as well. Maybe we can spread some of that good advice and inspiration around!

Here is what I've read this year:

The new good life: Living better than ever in the age of less, by John Robbins.

It's well written and isn't the same old repackaged financial advice. He has an environmental slant, and can get a little preachy now and then, but it's a good read.

Get Rich Slow, 4th edition, by Tama McAleese.

I found the estate planning chapter particularly helpful. It's easy to read, with every topic in short sections, but the info on retirement plans is outdated. She also clearly leans to the far right when it comes to taxes and social programs, so some things come across as a little angry, but all in all solid advice.

How to be an everyday philanthropist, by Nicole Bouchard Boles.

I really like this book. It has tons of really useful ideas on how you can maximize gifts to charity--both donations, cash, volunteering, and non-cash donations. It's got a lot of great ideas for how you can give more, even if you don't have any money.

Automatic Millionaire, by David Bach.

This is a quick easy read, and I whip through it once every year. It inspires me to keep up with my automatic savings plan. We have money automatically transferred into savings each paycheck.

How to raise a family on less than two incomes by Denise Topolnicki.

This was a super helpful guide for me in particular because the author has the same job I do, and like me, went from full time to freelance when having kids. So it's not really like living on one income, but not really enough $$ to count as two. It helped me make the transition to part-time work. The chapters on childcare arrangements for freelancers, as well as the chapter on grocery budgets are super helpful.

The Freedom Manifesto by Tom Hodgkinson.

This is a totally out there book, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's about how to work less and be less dependent on a paycheck-- so you can be more of a slacker. So it says, but not really. It's well written and well-researched, and provides a lot of inspiration for those of us who are into self-sufficiency and producing more of what our family consumes. (Think, baking your own bread and canning tomatoes.) I love this book, because it really is a fresh perspective.