Monday, January 4, 2021

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful - But the Books in Here Are Delightful!

While we are not dealing with snow down here in Texas, we are still having chilly and wet weather. I, for one, haven't been wanting to go out in it. Between the stress of a kiddo that wasn't feeling well and my own pain, I have been keeping at home. However, I can only drown my stress in cleaning for so long. Our home isn't that big. So what else am I to do in the meantime? Well, I have been writing! No, not here on the blog. I'm writing my own book! And I'm excited. But even with that I have to take breaks. So what is my next go-to? Reading! And for this blog post, I want to share all those lovely books with you. My favorites actually. Perhaps they will spark some ideas for you. Give you inspiration while you are stuck inside. So get cozy, grab your favorite beverage, and let us dive into world's unknown!

Fiction

The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas - This was new at the local library, and I thought a modern superhero/villain story might be cool. I'm more into Young Adult stories than the adult fiction. Less raunchy and more inventive. So bear with me here. This story follows a girl who just wants to be noticed. Daddy is the Mayor, and older brother is a superhero. She's just - herself. Your average good girl, leading an average teens life. That is, until she meets the supervillain. Or is he? This story was very well written. Enough twists to keep you guessing, but written to make it easy to follow. This takes falling for the bad boy in a positive track for a change. I mean, after all, how bad can he be if he gives her chocolate bars?

The Jackaby series by William Ritter - I love stories that bring fantastic characters to life in a more modern age. Elves, fairies, giants, ogres - you get the picture. But what about those in the human world with a gift for seeing them? That is Jackaby. And he takes on Abigail Rook as his efficient assistant. Think of it as a twist to Sherlock Holmes, where they meet dragons, ghosts, a banshee, and even make a friend in an ex-policeman who can become a large dog. They are, however, set in America when electricity was an exciting new idea. I'm currently finished with all but the last in this series (have to buy it soon as the library doesn't have it). I can't wait to see the grand finale and learn how our heroes will stop the destruction of human life. And I look forward to adding it to my personal collection one day.

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn - Another fairy tale, of a sort. Again, I love them! And this one is a modern re-telling of the classic story, Rumpelstiltskin. Out of all the fairy tales, this was one of my least favorites. Who promises their first born child for a quick fix?? Well, this story gives that one a makeover that had me in love with it! It gives glimpses into the lives of immigrants from overseas in the olden days. Days when women didn't have the rights we enjoy today, but they had strength that some of us dream we had. I greatly enjoyed the historical references being tied together with a more realistic version of the events that led to a happily ever after ending. Including a better explanation for the firstborn!

The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot by Josh Gottsegen - This one was not something I thought I would enjoy when I started reading it. The description of it, the fact that it is written more for kids, well... Didn't strike any bells for my fancy. However, after I started reading it, I couldn't stop! All the characters are animal, but their emotions and actions mimic human so much so that you forget you are reading about a chipmunk. This story tells about the life of one in particular - Rockford T. Honeypot. It walks the reader through challenges that come in real life and the endurance Rockford had to overcome them all. It was heartwarming and something that I think was good for all ages. I also enjoyed the references he tied in to popular culture.

Non-fiction

I'm sad to say that I only have one book on this list that is non-fiction. Haven't had any recent reads to put here besides the self help variety that seemed better in their own genre.  Really need to get more non-fiction.

Real Life Organizing by Cassandra Aarssen - I love being organized. And neat. And as clutter-free as I can be. If I have piles, they are typically organized and I know what is in them. Even if no one else does. I enjoyed this book because of how down to Earth she was in her writing. How realistic she is and sympathetic to a family lifestyle. Her ideas have inspired me to work harder at creating the home I dream of that is fully functional, yet stylish for my family. She even includes helpful inserts in the back of her book.  

Self Help and Betterment

A Script for Aspiring Women Leaders: 5 Keys to Success by Mark Villareal and Crystal Ann Suniga - I was excited when this book came out. I worked with both authors in different ways and enjoyed seeing how Ann rose from entry level to become a Million Dollar Producer, all with the help of an amazing manager - Mark Villareal. This book gave details and scenarios that will enable the reader to follow through the process as if they were there. You can then start applying the techniques to your own goals and see how far you can go with them.

The Millennial Factor:10-Steps to Managing Millennials to Success by Mark Villareal - Though I don't work anymore, this book gave some great insight. Millennials are the butt of many jokes these days. Self-righteous, lazy, entitled - there are so many ways to describe them. However, Mark Villareal has a managers good heart to see past these characteristics. He knows how to approach, manage and boost productivity of even the worst of them. In this book, he outlines some scenarios and how to best deal with those described.

Leadership Crisis Management: Understanding the 3-Stages of Crisis Management by Mark Villareal - If there is one thing 2020 taught businesses, it was how quickly they could lose productivity. Mark saw what was happening and wrote a book to prevent businesses from repeating mistakes and leading them down the path to bankruptcy and permanent closure, by giving them a process to follow. With his help, you can set yourself up to be prepared for whatever might happen. And hopefully, not suffer too much loss. 

These last books are all by the same author, and he has so many others you should check out if your goals include better business traits this year. He is a multi-time international best seller for good reason. I have been reading his sporadically throughout last year. Now I'm moving on to half a dozen other books I'm reading in turns. Including 2 daily devotions. 

What are you reading? And are you old fashioned like me - need books made of paper? Or are you riding the future with electronic reading devices? Let me know!

12 comments:

  1. It is good that books can still help us in our life. Whether it be teaching us something new or just letting us escape for a little bit.

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    1. I definitely agree! I'm so glad to have my kids reading so much. Better grades, builds imagination and gives them something constructive to do.

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  2. Reading books is my favorite past time especially during this summer season and I can't go out due to restriction. The book 'The Crimson Thread' seems intriguing, I love fairytale sort of stories.

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  3. I'm going to save Real Life Organizing for later this month. Thanks for the list.

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  4. I love love love reading, I just wish i had more time to read more books! Thanks a lot for the selection, they're great.

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  5. These seem like really interesting books to read— judging by your reviews. I also do not like to go out when it's really cold. Good thing you found something to keep you busy in the meantime.

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    1. Thanks for reading! Let me know what your favorite books are :)

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  6. I started to read A Script for Aspiring Women Leaders: 5 Keys to Success, but then got interrupted by something. Thanks for reminder!

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