August 30 2018

Reading as Personal Development

As many of you know, I am an avid reader. When I hear about a book I want to read I write it down in my Bullet Journal on the page for recommended books along with who recommended it. I then go to my local library’s website and check to see if it is available as an audiobook. If not audio, then ebook would be my next choice, with paper books coming in as the third choice.

It kind of depends on what sort of book it is, really. If it is one that will have lots of illustrations and charts I will need to flip back and forth to, then obviously, a hard copy of the book would be the logical choice. If it is something that I might enjoy listening to or being able to consume while driving, an audiobook is the best choice. One of the tricks I use for reading more books each year is to listen to them while I do mundane tasks around the house like loading the dishwasher, tidying the kitchen or folding/hanging laundry. I also tend to listen to most audiobooks at 1.4 to 1.8 speed to help keep my mind from wandering as it tends to do at the slower 1.0 normal speed. I choose books where others might choose to watch television or scroll through social media. I choose the library because we simply couldn’t afford to buy all the books I read and we would have long ago run out of room to store them all. I rarely read a book a second time, choosing instead to read something new to me instead. Life is too short and there are so many books waiting for my attention. Continue reading

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June 28 2018

Book Review: Vlog Like A Boss

Vlog Like A Boss Cover

I don’t often review the books I read. I read a lot and that would get old fast. When I do, it is because I want to have a record of it out there to help others find a great read. This is no different. Right now, I don’t vlog, though the idea is in the back of my mind that it could happen someday.

This is an excellent book. I’m not sure I will ever feel comfortable putting myself in front of the camera, but I read it thinking it would give me ideas on how to improve my blog. So many good ideas!

I loved the voice of Amy throughout the book. It was like watching her in video form in my head as I read her book. I highly recommend reading this book if you are considering starting a vlog or YouTube channel. At the very least, go to YouTube and subscribe to the Amy Landino channel.

If you plan to pick up a copy of this book, I would love it if you used the affiliate link below.

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Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging

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March 1 2018

Book Review: Holding the Fort

I was very excited to be able to read and review this book. It arrived in my mailbox in good shape but I was disappointed to realize someone had previously opened the package. How did I know? It came open way too easy for one of those rubber cement sealed bubble wrap envelopes. The book was in good shape and will make a great addition to my library.

I enjoyed reading this story. To me, it was a great story about taking control of your life and grabbing for the second chance when it was offered. It is also about overcoming stereotypes and a bad reputation to go on to new things no one would have thought possible of you. The historical wrapper in which this story was told is great too. It is always wonderful to be transported back in time and try to imagine how you would fair in the same situation. If you are looking for a great book to read, I highly recommend you grab this one.

Being as this is the first book in The Fort Reno Series, now the question becomes, when will the next book be released?

If you are interested in buying this book, please consider using the affiliate link below. It won’t cost you more and I might make a few cents because you did.

Holding the Fort (The Fort Reno Series)

I was sent this book by the publisher to review.
I will always give honest reviews on my blog.
My opinion cannot be bought.

(This book arrived in my mailbox Monday, 12/11/17)

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February 8 2018

January Reads

Here are the books I read or listened to in January 2018. Check back for more lists of books about once a month.

These are the codes for how I read each book:
(A) = Audio Book
(E) = Ebook
(P) = Paper Book
1 to 5 *s rating system

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1) Stronger by Jeff Bauman (A) ****

2) Reach by Andy Molinsky, Ph.D. (A) ***

3) The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau (A) ***

4) Written in Stone [Books by the Bay Mystery #4] by Ellery Adams (A) ****

5) Poisoned Prose [Books by the Bay Mystery #5] by Ellery Adams (A) ****

6) Lethal Letters [Books by the Bay Mystery #6] by Ellery Adams (A) ****

7) Writing All Wrongs [Books by the Bay Mystery #7] by Ellery Adams (A) ****

8) Killer Characters [Books by the Bay Mystery #8] by Ellery Adams (A) ****

9) The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau (A) ****

10) Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (A) ***

11) The Case for Hope by Lee Strobel (A) *****

12) God Speaks Your Love Language: How to Feel and Reflect God’s Love by Gary Chapman (A) *****

13) The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It by W. Chris Winter (A) ****

14) If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence, and Spirit by Brenda Ueland (A) ***

15) The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau (A) ****

16) Love in Every Stitch: Stories of Knitting and Healing by Lee Gant (A) ****

17) Selected Shorts: For Better and For Worse (Selected Shorts) by Symphony Space, Shahrnush Parsipur, Luis Alberto Urrea (Goodreads Author), Ethan Canin, Sherman Alexie, Ursula K. Le Guin, Karen E. Bender, Kamran Talattof (Narrator), Jocelyn Sharlet (Narrator), Robert Sean Leonard (Narrator), Harold Gould (Narrator), Keir Dullea (Narrator), Joanna Gleason (Narrator), Joanne Woodward (Narrator) (A) ***

18) The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks (A) *****

All of these books were checked out from my local library and downloaded as audiobooks to my phone. I can listen to them in my car while driving to and from work or on errands. I listened to them while getting dressed in the morning, eating my breakfast, and packing my lunch. If I am home alone, I am usually listening to a book while doing other things such as folding laundry and crocheting hats for charity. I was shocked by how much more reading I could get done by listening to the books instead of reading them either electronically or in the actual paper form.

As you might imagine, buying all of these books would be quite expensive, especially as quickly as I go through books. This is only one of the many reasons I LOVE my local library. I did read from paper books or eBooks, but those were the ones I carried along to read in restaurants while we waited to be seated or for our food to arrive. They are not on the list because I have yet to finish them. I find that I really enjoy listening to books. Maybe it helps me remember the times when I sat on or near my mother while she read from storybooks to me as a child? Who knows?

Why the library you ask? Well, other than the obvious money saving aspect of it, there is the fact that I have no intention of reading books more than once with a few exceptions, so I don’t feel the need to own them. If I own a book, I must find a place for it in our house and must on occasion dust it and all the others along with it. Life is too short to read the same books twice, so it is certainly too short to spend time dusting books or finding room for them. That is time I could better spend reading more books!

What is your preferred format? Do you read certain books in one format or another? What determines which format you choose?

I like to see what the front cover looks like, so you can see all of them below.

I actually read the first 3 books in this series in December 2017. This is a great series that I found when looking for writing books and I actually read the Writing All Wrongs book first and loved it so much I started the series and read it (listened to it) all the way through. I had apparently read the first book in the series years ago and never got around to getting the rest from the library.
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January 22 2018

Book Review: Do I Ever

This book has a refreshing assortment of believable realistic characters in numerous comedic situations. Drew and Andi Stevens, although both Christians, are on the brink of divorce and struggling over custody of a tuxedo cat named Tuck.

When good friends, Jonathon and Heather Hunt, who are also on the verge of divorce, come for a week-long visit to break it to their friends in person, everyone suddenly becomes an amateur actor or actress in order to keep their friends from knowing the true state of their marriages. Antics ensue due to these theater-worthy performances. Throw in Andi’s beautiful young assistant, BJ Diaz, who happens to be in love with Drew and also his best friend and there is no end to the complications. Discussions held in bathrooms, sneaking around to avoid the nosy neighbor and many other antics make this a fun read.

If you are looking for a clean, Christian book to read, this one is a great choice.

If you are interested in buying this book, please consider using the affiliate link below. It won’t cost you more and I might make a few cents because you did.

I was given a copy of this ebook by the author in exchange for posting an honest review. (Review also posted on Amazon.)

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