I’ve been following Elise Blaha Cripe online for the better part of the last 15 years, so when I heard about her book, I had to add it to my Wishlist. I finally got around to reading it, and I’m so glad I chose it for my first book of the year.

Throughout the book, Elise focuses on goal setting and making things happen – in a real and attainable way. Throughout, the book includes beautiful graphics, personal anecdotes, and tips to follow on exactly how to get started. I’m constantly inspired by Elise’s projects and how she takes her readers and followers into the process and the progress of each project. One of the biggest takeaways that I’m hoping to implement is to begin creating visual cues to show progress that will allow me to stay on track to meet bigger goals and deadlines.

I don’t think I’d ever be able to give Elise less than 5 stars. I love everything she does and this book is no different. The writing style and artwork is so “her”. If you’ve read her blog posts, listened to podcasts or followed her on Instagram the contents of the book might not be entirely new, however, having it all in one place will be handy. I definitely plan to reference it in the future!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You’d like this if: you’re already a fan of Elise, you enjoy goal setting, or you’re a part of the creative community (planners, The 100 Day Project, etc).

This month, I’m linking up with Kristin and Rachel for their Book by Book Link Up. It’s a way to share all the books we’ve read and get new ideas for new books to add to our lists. Below, you’ll find the books I read in May and what I thought about them.

★★★★★ – All time favorite, there aren’t many of these in the world.

★★★★☆ – Loved this book, held my attention and made me want to keep reading.

★★★☆☆ – Good book, I liked it.

★★☆☆☆ – It was fine, definitely won’t be recommending it to my friends.

★☆☆☆☆ – I finished it, but it wasn’t that great.

☆☆☆☆☆ – Didn’t bother finishing it. There are too many books on the shelf to finish one that isn’t grabbing my attention.

Capturing Light: The Heart of Photography

by Michael Freeman

Non Fiction – Photography | ★★★★☆

In almost all photography it’s the quality of light that makes or breaks the shot. For professional photographers, chasing the light, waiting for it, sometimes helping it, and finally capturing it is a constant preoccupation ― and for some an obsession. Drawing on four decades of doing just this, Michael Freeman takes a simple but practical approach to reacting to, and capturing photography’s most important commodity.

I received this book as a gift for Christmas and have been reading it on and off ever since. I really got a lot out of naming the light forms and patterns and the effect that each one has on a photograph. Being able to identify the source on a photo helps to be able to know how to recreate an image or how to improve on your photography in the future. Personally, I think I got more from reading this book slowly and allowing myself to try out some of the lighting techniques as opposed to just reading it all at one time. I’ll definitely be using this as a reference and it’s a beautiful coffee-table sized book to keep around.

Ruth’s Journey: The Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind

by Donald McCaig

Fiction | ★★★☆☆

“Her story began with a miracle.” On the Caribbean island of Saint Domingue, an island consumed by the flames of revolution, a senseless attack leaves only one survivor—an infant girl. She falls into the hands of two French émigrés, Henri and Solange Fournier, who take the beautiful child they call Ruth to the bustling American city of Savannah. What follows is the sweeping tale of Ruth’s life as shaped by her strong-willed mistress and other larger-than-life personalities she encounters in the South: Jehu Glen, a free black man with whom Ruth falls madly in love; the shabbily genteel family that first hires Ruth as Mammy; Solange’s daughter Ellen and the rough Irishman, Gerald O’Hara, whom Ellen chooses to marry; the Butler family of Charleston and their shocking connection to Mammy Ruth; and finally Scarlett O’Hara—the irrepressible Southern belle Mammy raises from birth. As we witness the difficult coming of age felt by three generations of women, gifted storyteller Donald McCaig reveals a portrait of Mammy that is both nuanced and poignant, at once a proud woman and a captive, a strict disciplinarian who has never experienced freedom herself. But despite the cruelties of a world that has decreed her a slave, Mammy endures, a rock in the river of time. She loves with a ferocity that would astonish those around her if they knew it. And she holds tight even to those who have been lost in the ravages of her days.

This one automatically gets a decent rating for being a prequel to Gone with the Wind. I had high expectations when I started this one because it was written by Donald McCaig – the same person who wrote Rhett Butler’s People, which I enjoyed. Unfortunately, I almost put it down because the storyline had a hard time keeping my attention and was a little off put by a couple spelling errors I came across. My favorite parts were hearing Mammy’s side of the story – being Ellen’s mammy (something we don’t get to see in GWTW), young Scarlett, and Mammy’s first interaction with (and feelings about) Rhett Butler. Overall, I don’t regret reading it, but it’s not something I would recommend unless you’re a die-hard GWTW fan (like myself).

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

by Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile

Non-Fiction – Christian | ★★★★★

The Enneagram is an ancient personality type system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach―a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of God and of ourselves. Funny and filled with stories, this book allows you to understand more about each of the Enneagram types, keeping you turning the pages long after you have read the chapter about yourself. Beginning with changes you can start making today, the wisdom of the Enneagram can help you get on the road that will take you further along into who you really are―leading you into places of spiritual discovery you would never have found on your own, and paving the way to the wiser, more compassionate person you want to become.

It didn’t take long for me to become obsessed – I love all things personality related (Myers briggs, birth order, etc) but this one takes the cake for me. I first learned about the Enneagram at the end of 2017 but because the online descriptions seemed a little vague, I decided I would hold off on the book and I’m so mad that I did. When I started reading this, I immediately determined my type and realized why it isn’t so cut and dry – because we all exhibit each of the numbers, but there is one we lean into the most. There is so much value in knowing about yourself and the way you interact with others, especially on a spiritual level. If you read this book and love it, I would also highly recommend Ian’s podcast, Typology.

The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More than Anything You Can Buy in a Store

by Cait Flanders

Non-Fiction – Memoir/Self Help | ★★★☆☆

This month, I’m linking up with Kristin and Rachel for their first ever Book by Book Link Up. It’s a way to share all the books we’ve read and get new ideas for new books to add to our lists. Below, you’ll find the books I read in April and what I thought about them.

★★★★★ – All time favorite, there aren’t many of these in the world.

★★★★☆ – Loved this book, held my attention and made me want to keep reading.

★★★☆☆ – Good book, I liked it.

★★☆☆☆ – It was fine, definitely won’t be recommending it to my friends.

★☆☆☆☆ – I finished it, but it wasn’t that great.

☆☆☆☆☆ – Didn’t bother finishing it. There are too many books on the shelf to finish one that isn’t grabbing my attention.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World

by Paul E. Miller

Non Fiction – Christian/Self Help | ★★★★★

Prayer is all about relationship. Based on the popular seminar by the same name, A Praying Life has discipled thousands of Christians to a vibrant prayer life full of joy and power. When Jesus describes the intimacy He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). A Praying Life feels like having dinner with good friends. It is the way we experience and connect to God. In A Praying Life, author Paul Miller lays out a pattern for living in relationship with God and includes helpful habits and approaches to prayer that enable us to return to a childlike faith.

At the beginning of 2018, I made a goal to focus on and study prayer in conjunction with my One Little Word, connect. As I mentioned this to friends, many of them suggested this book to me, so when I saw a group of folks at work were going to be reading it together, joining them was a no-brainer. I loved every single second of this book and felt like it has had a huge impact on my life. I love how the author combined personal accounts, biblical truths, and practical applications for incorporating prayer into every day life. Having a book study to go along with it reminded me to take it in small doses (something I’m not great at) so that I could savior it.

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

by Dan Harris

Non Fiction – Self Help |★★☆☆☆

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had both propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business and also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

I found this book by looking through Goodreads recommendations, and I have to say that as the first one I read I wasn’t very impressed nor do I think (based on what I’ve read) that this really makes sense as a recommendation. Regardless, I’m glad I read it because even though it doesn’t align with my core beliefs, I can sometimes get in my own bubble reading similar books. I always think it’s a great idea to learn about things that you don’t necessarily agree with. The idea around this book is meditation and how that can have substantial affects on your mind and body. One of my favorite things about this book is that the author doesn’t seem to have it completely figured out and he’s ok with that. He seems to admit that he’s not a professional, but more that he’s just telling his story.

Yes Please

by Amy Poehler

Non Fiction – Biography |★★★★☆

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central’s Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy’s one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is “Yes Please!” then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like “Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend,” “Plain Girl Versus the Demon” and “The Robots Will Kill Us All” Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

This has been on my list for a while and I finally got an audiobook rental app that lets me check out 9 books per month at our local library, so I figured this would be a great one to listen to while I was exercising. That wasn’t a good idea considering the number of times I was doubled over laughing on the treadmill. This book was endearing and sweet with some great and some not-so-great advice. She shares the real life sides of her job and being a broke comedian and I love how real biographies make people feel more real and connected. Definitely a good one if you’re looking for something light and are into her sense of humor.

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if you have any suggestions!