I’ve been focusing lately on releasing some of my time sucks (too much Facebook surfing) and replacing it with what fills me (like more time to read each day).
I’ve always been an avid reader. I LOVED the day when the Bookmobile would come to town and I read every single Nancy Drew book as a kid.
I love many different genres and always aim to take time to read every day. (You can hear thoughts about this on one of our recent podcasts.).
I also love getting recommendations. I accumulate my reading list on my Amazon “save for later” list.
I don’t necessarily purchase them all from there, I’m still a library gal, but it’s handy to drop and save books quickly when I hear an intriguing suggestion.
So I thought I’d start sharing some of my recent reads to garner others’ thoughts and suggestions or in case you’re looking for your next read.
Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to lately in the book department…..
Small Great Things – Jodi Picolut. I listened to this one on Audible. Fabulous readers! This was a very thought provoking story challenging our perceptions on race and forcing us to look closely at our prejudices. I highly recommend it!
Getting Things Done – Peter Allen. I read the updated version of this classic. It’s chock full of methods to create more organization in your life. I was pleased to see I was already using a lot of these ideas, but found several strategies to bridge some of the gaps. Little by little I’m refining my systems. It’s not so much about having the perfect filing or planning system (yes, that’s the focus of a lot of the book), but about freeing your mind from the tasks nagging at our mind to open up to creativity and freedom. I know I’ll refer back to this one often.
My Name is Lucy Barton – Elizabeth Strout. A friend recommended this one and though we usually have similar tastes, I thought it was just ok. Definitely not much action in this book at all.
You Negotiate Like a Girl: Reflections on a Career in the National Football League, – Amy Trask. I knew nothing about Amy Trask, former CEO of the Oakland Raiders, before reading this book. Her main message is about achieving success irrespective of gender in an almost soley male dominated field. I found her insights into the NFL to be interesting and her career inspiring, however I thought the book was heavily weighted on her relationship with Al Davis, owner of the Raiders. Al was really a pioneer in being blind to gender, race or age, but still a good story.
I Know How She Does It –Laura Vanderkam.Having read, and thoroughly enjoyed her first book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, I was not surprised to find this book chock full of revelations. In her latest book, Vanderkam studies 1001 actual days in the lives of high-achieving women and shares anecdotes on how we can design our lives in alignment with what our priorities are. I did my own time log for a week after reading the book and
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman. Listened to this one on Audible as well right now. Quirky, but I really enjoyed it. Plus I see that it’s out as a movie on Netflix as well. Can’t wait to check it out.