Apr 5, 2018 | Books
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’ve read in the last couple months 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.
by Shauna Niequist
Non Fiction – Christian/Self Help | ★★★☆☆
Written in Shauna’s warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. Present Over Perfect is a hand reaching out, pulling you free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more, all while maintaining an exhausting image of perfection. Shauna offers an honest account of what led her to begin this journey, and a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most to us.
Present Over Perfect was one of those books that has been bouncing around GoodReads and blogs I follow, always receiving high reviews. I put it on my to-read list a while back but, wanted to wait for it to become available on my library’s audiobook app so that I could listen to it. I’m a podcast kind of gal so listening to a self-help style book like this was a no brainer. This book was appealing to me because the title alone resonates with the season of life a lot of us seem to be in, rushing and constantly consuming, unable to say “no”. There were quite a few good nuggets of information and though I couldn’t relate to a lot of the examples, I appreciated Shauna’s transparency. There were a couple times that I felt that Biblical truths were watered down or made to seem more appealing to those who are newer to their faith journey or wanting something a little more New Age/Yoga feeling. This book really made me think more deeply about prayer and is one of the reasons I chose to focus on it as one of my goals for 2018.
Favorite quote: “Prayer is the safest, most nurturing activity I practice, almost like sitting in the sun, face tilted up, or imagining yourself as a child, crawling up into the lap of a treasured trusted grandparent.”
by Michael Finkel
Non Fiction – Biography | ★★☆☆☆
In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.
The Stranger in the Woods was a small group discussion book agreed upon by my team at work and it brought about some really interesting questions beyond just regurgitating the book. We chose to read just a couple chapters a week and it was plenty to discuss even when the reading felt sparse. Each week, I struggled to pick the book back up – maybe because i couldn’t relate and maybe because I was partially jealous of a person living his life in the gray, non-rule abiding area. I’m glad I stuck it out because there were some surprises here and there and it was way out of the realm of what I typically pick up.
by Alexandra Ripley
Fiction – Historical | ★★★★★
As the classic story, first told over half a century ago, moves forward, the greatest love affair in all fiction is reignited; amidst heartbreak and joy, the endless, consuming passion between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler reaches its startling culmination. Rich with surprises at every turn and new emotional, breathtaking adventures, Scarlett satisfies our longing to reenter the world of Gone With the Wind. Like its predecessor, Scarlett will find an eternal place in our hearts.
This is a biased review because Gone with the Wind is my all time favorite book and I’m fairly certain any sequel or spin off of it will be on my list of five star reads. At least I’m telling you up front.
This was an interesting read because unlike most sequels, this book was written by a different author. Because of the way GWTW ended, the author had a lot of choices on where to take Scarlett, and to be honest, I didn’t see this coming. That being said, the characters that I know and love still maintained their integrity and personalities exactly and there were times that I forgot this wasn’t written by Margaret Mitchell herself. This book is a continued account of Scarlett’s journey of being stubborn and hard-headed. I was happy to see this book follow Scarlett through an emergence of new life and understanding of herself, which helped spin a more mature definition into Scarlett’s character.
by Suzanne Bates
Business and Leadership | ★★★★☆
The book that cracks the code on executive presence: what it is, why it matters, and how you can achieve it. You know it when you see it. That rare combination of qualities that makes a truly great leader. Until now, executive presence has been hard to define and even harder to develop. But after years of extensive research, executive coach and bestselling author Suzanne Bates and her team have identified the 15 traits you need to be all the leader you can be. Using the research-based, scientifically-grounded Bates Executive Presence Index―Bates ExPI™―you can assess your ability to influence results and maximize your impact, scientifically and systematically.
Wow, this book really packed a hard punch. I got this book for Christmas and it took me quite some time to pick up due to my extensive reading list last year. Once I did, though, I really enjoyed it. While this book is probably for a leader more developed in their role and in more of a formal environment than I currently am, I feel like there were still so many take aways for me! I loved looking at the different aspects of the Bates ExPI and trying to determine on my own where I fall short and where I excel. I think it really helped me to reflect on my role and how I can do a better job as a leader in general. I would only recommend this book if you are super into scientific research and case studies, because this one is chalk full of them!
by Brant Hansen
Non-Fiction – Christian/Self-Help | ★★★☆☆
Not entitled to get angry? Really? It’s a radical, provocative idea: We’re not entitled to get offended or stay angry. The idea of our own “righteous anger” is a myth. It is the number one problem in our societies today and, as Dallas Willard says, Christians have not been taught out of it. As it turns out, giving up our “right” to be offended can be one of the most freeing, healthy, simplifying, relaxing, refreshing, stress-relieving, encouraging things we can do. In Unoffendable readers will find something of immeasurable value—a concrete, practical way to live life with less stress. They’ll adjust their expectations to fit human nature and replace perpetual anger with refreshing humility and gratitude. The book offers a unique viewpoint, challenging the idea that Christians can ever harbor “righteous anger” or that there evenis such a thing for believers. Few other books exist with such a radical, provocative proposal to consider. We have no right to anger. We are to get rid of it, period. Completely. And it is possible to choose to be “unoffendable.”
The longer it’s been from the time of reading this book, the more positive I feel about it. It felt a bit amateur in construction and writing however the overall theme and message to live our lives outside of anger so relevant to our culture right now, and I’m even willing to admit falling into the trap of what I like to think of as “righteous anger” and being prideful. I liked examples and it was interesting to hear how this topic plays out in Brant’s life. I appreciate that he talks a lot about how being offended is taking up our heart space and and the room in our lives that could be used up for loving people.
by Angela Duckworth
Non Fiction – Self Help | ★★★★☆
In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Duckworth, now a celebrated researcher and professor, describes her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not “genius” but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance.
I’m a self-help junkie to begin with, but I really loved this book about perseverance. This book was really well rounded and well researched as Angela has basically spent her life learning and studying how to persevere and how to teach perseverance. It was particularly interesting to hear her specific examples and get to really dig in to her research without having to wade through scientific jargon. At the end of this book, a group of us who were reading it together decided to do a “Hard Thing Challenge” where each of us decided on one challenging thing to do every day for a month. The only were rules, which were outlined in the book, were that we had to choose it and that it had to be challenging. I chose to get my DSLR camera out each day. Based on my results, I’m not sure how much grit I actually have (ha!), but it was a fun challenge for me to try.
What books are you reading right now?
Aug 22, 2017 | Books
My goal for the year was 15 books, but based on the way I’m powering through them this year, I’m going to have to up that for 2018. I’m sharing more about what I’m reading because it’s one of my favorite posts on other blogs. I’ve found the best way to keep my nose in a book is to join group book clubs at work, they sure are keeping me busy.
★★★★★ – 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.
The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike, #2) + Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike, #3)
by Robert Galbraith (Pseudonym J.K. Rowling)
Fiction – Mystery | ★★★★☆
I read the first book in the series after I found out that this novel was written by J.K. Rowling under a pseudonym. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and was hoping to get my fill from the first one in the series. Unfortunately, it’s very different from the HP series, but fortunately, it was a really great read. It’s been about 3 years or so since I read the first in the series, but that didn’t affect the reading of these books, which I appreciated. Similar to the first, these two feature private detective Cormoran Stike and his assistant Robin Ellacott who spend both books searching for pieces of the puzzle that hopefully lead to solving the mystery.
You might like this if: your a J.K. Rowling fan and enjoyed the first book in the series.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown
Non-Fiction – Self Help | ★★★★☆
I grabbed this book up after seeing so many of my Good Reads friends rate it highly and while I don’t disagree with their rating, it could have been about 100 pages shorter and still covered all major points. I think my main takeaways included not being afraid to be unavailable, choosing priorities that get you where you want to end up, and allowing things the time they need to be completed. Overall a good read, especially for someone like me who tends to overplan and set high expectations for myself.
You might like this if: you want to learn how to be more productive while doing less.
Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race and Getting Free From the Fears and Frustrations that Divide Us
by Benjamin Watson
Nonfiction | ★★★★★
Benjamin Watson is a tight end for the New Orlean Saints and on the day after the grand jury decision was announced that there was no probable cause to indict officer Darren Wilson of the shooting of Michael Brown, Benjamin wrote a heart felt facebook post which quickly went viral. This book is his expanded thoughts on each of the topics he touched on in the post. Not only was this a thought provoking read for me, a group of us at work got to get together to talk about about it. I think everyone would benefit from reading this book.
Favorite Quote: “The solution to the problem of race in America will be found only by ordinary people, “good” people, looking inside themselves, being honest about the assumptions and biases that have formed, and beginning to change what’s in their hearts.”
You might like this if: you’re hoping to understand a clearer picture of the ongoing race issues in America.
Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live on Purpose.
by Lara Casey
Nonfiction – Self Help/Christian | ★★★★☆
I just love Lara and have been following her blog for quite some time. I began using her PowerSheets this year and found this book to be a great companion to that. She talks a lot about letting go of the “do it all” mentality in order to move forward on purpose. It’s thought provoking and includes sections to stop and think about implementing the things she talks about in your own life. Not really a leisurely read, but so worth it.
You might like this if: you like goal setting or feel like you are constantly striving for perfection.
All the Words are Yours: Haiku on Love
by Tyler Knott Gregson
Poetry | ★☆☆☆☆
I picked this book up because I saw another book by this author at Anthropology and figured it had to be good. I was wrong, this is one of those pretty books that looks nice on a book shelf but takes two seconds to read. I actually feel pretty bad giving it this low of a rating, because he probably put lots of emotion into these poems but there’s just too much lovey dovey and bad photos for me to rate it any better.
This sums it up nicely.
You might like this if: you’re a writer and want to get inspiration or want short bits of lovey poems.
Creativity, Inc: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
by Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace
Nonfiction – Business/Leadership | ★★★★☆
This book has been recommended to me multiple times since I became a leader at work, so I just knew it had to be on my reading list this year. From the get-go, this book kept me more interested than maybe any other nonfiction book has. I was so interested to hear about starting a company from the ground up and hearing about how big name people like Steve Jobs have made an impact not on the world but on the people who worked with him as well. I think what I related to this in particular was how leadership style and creativity go hand in hand. There were times I felt myself nodding along and there were times I scribbled down lots of notes. All I have to say is that I love books like these because they help make me a better leader.
Favorite Quote: “I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know—not just because humility is a virtue but because until one adopts that mindset, the most striking breakthroughs cannot occur. I believe that managers must loosen the controls, not tighten them. They must accept risk; they must trust the people they work with and strive to clear the path for them; and always, they must pay attention to and engage with anything that creates fear. Moreover, successful leaders embrace the reality that their models may be wrong or incomplete. Only when we admit what we don’t know can we ever hope to learn it.”
You might like this if: you’re a leader or like learning about business in general.
Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need in a World Telling You What You Want
by Maria Goff
Nonfiction – Christian | ★★★☆☆
I still don’t know what to think of this book. I’ve read a couple books in the last year or so that have been heavily marketed towards women that are faith based but aren’t necessarily a bible study and, in general, I just haven’t had great experiences. I read this with a group at work and I was one of the few women who don’t have children. Although it prompted great discussion about craving the things in life that matter, it’s was very clear to me that I wasn’t the target audience of this book. I found it particularly hard to connect with her examples and often felt indifferent to her woes. Her husband, Bob Goff, who wrote Love Does, is a missionary lawyer who does mission in other countries so Maria talks a lot about her experiences doing mission in her home and community. Overall, not awful, just not for me.
You might like this if: you want a quick read that will encourage you right where you’re at.
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
by Alfred Lansing
Nonfiction – History/Leadership | ☆☆☆☆☆
This year, I joined a leadership team at work and we were given a list of books to pick from that we would meet to discuss on a monthly basis. This was not my choice, but it won the majority so we went with it. It was encouraged as a leadership related book and while I’d love to say that it really opened my eyes to something, it really didn’t and I ended up not finishing it. Thank goodness for the internet and summaries that have gotten me through the discussions.
You might like this if: you’re really into history and LOTS of details about ice floes/ships.
What books are you loving right now? Let me know in the comments so I can give more five star reviews!
Mar 12, 2017 | Books
Book reports are always some of my favorite posts of other bloggers. It’s been a while since I took some extra time for reading, but when I started being more intentional about my screen time in January, more books happily fell into my lap. That being said, I originally set a goal for myself to read 15 books in 2017 and since I’m on track to hit that in March, I thought it might be fun to try got myself, since I have plenty of books to write about.
After having a couple friends on goodreads point out that I grade pretty tough, I thought it might be helpful to include my rating codes first, just to make sure we’re on the same page.
★★★★★ – 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.
The Magnolia Story
by Chip and Joanna Gaines
Nonfiction – Biography | ★★★★☆
Honestly, I think I may be a little biased on this one because I’m under the impression that this duo can do no wrong. I just LOVED their story and I appreciate that they are using their platform to share their faith. This biography is basically just their sweet life story that’s almost so sweet it’s a little puke worthy (haha, only kidding). I loved that this book is told from Joanna’s perspective and gives Chip’s two cents in a different font – their banter in this book is very similar to the show. I’m looking forward to sharing this one with other Fixer Upper fans in my life.
You might like this if: you watch Fixer Upper or uplifting life stories.
None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us
by Jen Wilkin
Nonfiction – Religion and Spirituality | ★★☆☆☆
I picked up this book for a one read my church was hosting. I unfortunately was unable to go to the event when the date was released, but I still wanted to finish the book because I figured if my church was recommending it, it would be good. I liked where she was going with the content and thought that it was a good regurgitation of some very key characteristics of God, but I was rubbed the wrong way of how the information was presented and by some of her examples, which seemed to be quite negative.
Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy #1)
by C.S. Lewis
Science Fiction | ★★★★☆
This was the first novel in C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy and was recommended to me by a friend after I was gushing about Chronicles of Narnia. The main character, Dr. Ransom, is abducted and taken to another planet, Malacandra, where his captors are trying to take the planets treasures and kill Dr. Ransom as a sacrifice. Since I don’t read a lot of science fiction, this was a very interesting read for me. I don’t quite have the imagination to even think about some of these things, let alone create a story around them – so my hats off.
You might like this if: you can get on board with a classic and like to dig into themes.
Perelandra (Space Trilogy #2)
by C.S. Lewis
Science Fiction | ★★★☆☆
The second installment of the Space Trilogy the main character ends up on a different planet, Perelandra. To me, this book presented a lot of good and evil situations with the enemy of the story. My struggle with this one, was that while I didn’t want to put the book down, I almost felt as though I would never get out of the slower sections. At one point I just skimmed to get to the more fast-paced part.
That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy #3)
by C.S. Lewis
Science Fiction | ★★★★☆
This was my favorite of the three and was definitely the most different. It took me quite some time to realize how this book was related to the last two and I think that’s what made me enjoy it. It was like a puzzle trying to clue together pieces that didn’t seem to make sense. I’ve tried to summarize this book, but it’s just too complicated without giving the whole thing away. I guess you’ll have to read to trilogy to find out.
You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity
by Francis Chan
Nonfiction – Religion and Spirituality | ★★★★☆
I just loved this book. I don’t know if it is the season I’m in or what, but I felt like this really helped bring my focus back on my purpose. Even though this book is portrayed as a book on marriage, I don’t think it’s directly about marriage at all, but more about putting first the Kingdom of God and letting everything else fall into place. I’ve read another of Francis Chan’s books and wasn’t a huge fan, so I was happy that I was able to let that go because this was truly a winner!
You might like this if: you want to grow spiritually and want to work through the purpose of marriage (and life).
Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lews
by Michael Ward
Nonfiction – History and Criticism | ★★★★☆
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. After reading the Chronicles of Narnia last summer and the Space Trilogy in January, I was encouraged by a friend to read Ward’s take on Lewis’ writings. It was so well examined and really helped bring the pieces together, although being a criticism, this is not light reading by any stretch of the imagination. While there were tough patches to get through, I think on a whole it made me appreciate C.S. Lewis even more as an author.
You might like this if: (and only if) you’re a huge C.S. Lewis fan and/or have read the Space Trilogy AND Chronicles of Narnia.
Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your House Some Love
by Sherry and John Petersik
Nonfiction – Interior Design/DIY | ★★☆☆☆
I grabbed this book after hearing about it on Sherry and John’s podcast, Young House Love Has A Podcast. Again, these two have a FANTASTIC blog that I subscribe to, so I had really high hopes but I ended up skimming through this in just a couple nights. I really struggled with the projects because they felt more like corner cutting placeholders as opposed to long lasting DIYs. The upside is that it has some really great photos, which were visually inspiring for my next projects.
You might like this if: you are looking to do some cheap and easy DIY projects or want to be visually inspired.
The Broken Way: A Daring Path to Abundant Life
by Ann Voskamp
Nonfiction – Religion and Spirituality | ★★★★★
I knew this would be an all time favorite because I absolutely fell in love with One Thousand Gifts, Ann’s first book. When I saw this come out, I just knew that I had to purchase the hardback edition because it will be on my shelf for years to come. Ann has a way of writing that captures my heart and makes me feel every emotion. Her writing style is unlike any I’ve ever encountered – it’s more like a conversation that coaches me without making me feel like I’m alone in my brokenness.
You might like this if: you are a human. Just kidding. You’d like this if you want to experience spiritual growth (and emotions).
The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful
by Myquillyn Smith
Nonfiction – Interior Design | ★★★☆☆
I had bad feelings toward this from the get-go because when I pulled it off the shelf, it was a funky size – in between a novel and a picture book. I wanted to give if the benefit of a doubt because I love reading the author’s blog, thenester.com. This is one of those books that’s been going around the blogging community for quite some time. I’ve seen lots of people absolutely RAVE about it, so I had to see what it was all about. The author talks about the importance of making a house (even a rental) into a home and how to do that. She’s had plenty of experience since she had moved 13 times in about 18 years. There were plenty of good tips and tricks and I think the biggest take away for me was not being too afraid to start a project, especially with something you don’t like to begin with. While she provides great tips and tricks for home makeovers on a budget, my struggle with this particular book is that it could have been just as enjoyable if it were written in a blog series format.
You might like this if: you like quick, easy reads about home decor.
Have you read any books in the last couple months that I need to add to my list? Let me know in the comments.
