Books Books Books: What I’m Reading In January

I told GoodReads that I would read 15 books last year. I read more than that, but I set the bar low, so that I could get a quick win. Meh!

I just set a 2017 goal of 36 books. That’s me committing to read three books a month, which is absolutely doable! But the trick is, writing the review when I’m done.

My 2017 Challenge: Write a short review on each book I complete and publish it! Here’s hoping I exceed this challenge.

So this what I’m reading this month:

I have been reading Luvvie’s blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com,  for a few years, so when she published her debut book, it’s no surprise that it’s been on my reading list for months. I received it as a Christmas present because I have the best friends! I’m looking forward to reading her “act right” advice and her laugh-out-loud observations of this thing we call life.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Funny enough, this book was also a Christmas present from a friend many moons ago (seeing a trend here). I am re-reading it this year because I cannot remember what I thought of it the first time and I want to be more present to the present in 2017. This is the underlying message from the book, that all suffering originate from not living in the moment. You have to learn to let go of  your regrets from the past and fear about the future.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday

I have always admired the works of Marcus Aurelius and here is a book that combines the works of the great Stoic philosophers: Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca in bite-sized pieces. Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman have organized each month into themes. January is the month of clarity and the year begins with Epictetus’s insight into control and choice:

The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…

and I’m still reading:

I got hooked on this book series because I binge-watched the show Outlander (all two seasons) on Netflix. I’m on Book 5, after having devoured 1 through 4 in one month. This is quite a feat because these books are actually tomes. I’ll admit I’ve lost a bit of my steam but I’ve spent so much time with these characters, I kinda miss them when I haven’t read a few pages in a while.

I love hearing from you…what are you reading? And do you have any recommendations on what I should read next? This is my invitation to you to share below!

The Best Books I Read This Year

I read a whole lot. A fact you wouldn’t know because the number of reviews published on this blog is not a true reflection of the number of books I actually read…another case of my Drafts Folder working overtime.

Anyhoo, I was fortunate to read books this year that moved me in a very real way, so much that they left a lasting impression on me and my life. And then of course there were the duds but thankfully not very many.

The most influential book I read this year was I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. Getting my finances in order was a major priority over the last 12 months and this book provided much-needed guidance on doing just that.

The Darkest ChildMy OH-EM-GEE-I-LOOOOVE-THIS book for 2014 is The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips. This book was a page-turner I devoured in eight hours…I shit you not! It was that good.

Unfortunately, I learned that the author, Delores died earlier this year. So there is no chance of a follow-up story or even reaching out to her for answers. I have so many questions. But such is life. SO now I have to be content with recommending it to everybody and hoping to start a conversation about it.

This writing business is soul work sometimes and it takes a whole lot out of you most times. The book that helped me hone my writing craft is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. It just may be my absolute favourite book on writing.

One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life, at life as it lurches by and tramps around. – Anne Lamott

The book I reread this year and totally recommend is The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It’s the kind of book you want to reread every year…if only as a reminder that life is short. Get busy living NOW.

Honorable mention goes to Wishing for Wings by Debbie Jacob because it changed my perspective on a forgotten bunch of young men in Trinidad & Tobago.

Debbie is a local author who taught English to young men imprisoned for crimes that included murder and robbery. I had the awesome pleasure of meeting the author and being able to get some of my questions answered. This book was truly an eye-opener and I will write a review on soon. It is a definite must read.

The book I started at the beginning of the year, and is still reading…because ironically I find it absolutely boring is The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. It’s long and kinda meh. I hope to finish it before the end of the year…not holding my breath though.

Already on my reading list for 2015:

And now it’s your turn.

Tell me, what books have you read this year, that you recommend I put on my reading list for 2015?