I love to read! I always have. Inside the pages of a book, you can learn anything and go anywhere at any time, all while rockin’ the no make up, messy bun and yoga pants look! I only made it to twelve books this year, but my goal is to double this in 2020.

Here is a look back at the books I read in 2019: *I didn’t write this as I finished each book, I reviewed them all at once. I’ll do better next year. 🙂

1. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek. Always be able to give your why. I tell my students this. If you don’t like something, tell me why. If you do like something, tell me why. Your why should be the driving force behind what you do. Your passion! Start With Why is Simon’s third most popular TED talk video. Simon explains the Golden Circle and why it’s the opposite of what everyone else thinks. People don’t care what you do, they care WHY you do it! This book is a MUST for any business owner or entrepreneur.
2. Emotional Intelligence: An Effective Practical Guide to Mastering social Skills, Improve Your Relationships and Raise Your EQ by Alex Wolf and Joseph Baltz. Intelligence doesn’t mean just intellectual, it also includes emotional. The four major parts discussed in this book are: Self-awareness, Self-management, Social awareness, and Relationship management. This is a great book to help you improve your relationships both personal and professional.
3. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin. How do you stand out and not blend in, in a world of ‘sameness.’ What differentiates your business above the rest? Think about it- how many times have you been driving around, and see a field of brown cows? After a while, they all look familiar and you stop noticing. But what if, as you were driving around, you came across a purple cow? Something you had never seen before. That would make you stop the car & take notice. Big time! That’s what Seth writes about in his book. Companies like Krispy Kreme, Jet Blue, Starbucks, and Apple, they all have something unique, something that wasn’t done before. Something that got others to scratch their head and turn around and take notice. How will you get others to turn around and take notice?
4. Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This book was originally printed in 1937 and dives into the lives of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and other millionaires around that time. I liked this book, however, I listened to it and wasn’t keen on the speakers voice. That and the speaker would mispronounce the word especially as EXpecially. I think I would have enjoyed the book more, had I read it myself.
5. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell. This book was completely not what I expected. Because I’ve enjoyed other Gladwell books, I bought this without fully reading the description. While I don’t have a problem talking to strangers, I thought this book was going to help you polish those skills. Boy, was I wrong! This book gives compelling interactions with people we don’t know. In the audiobook, you’ll hear actual interactions from Sandra Bland and her traffic stop (this was hard to listen to), to the court hearings of Amanda Knox, Jerry Sandusky & Joe Paterno (this one infuriated me!) and Brock Turner (serious blood boiling with him!!). “Because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world.”– Gladwell.
6. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. Apparently the theme this year is Malcolm Gladwell. In his book Outliers, he discusses what makes people stand out- the outliers. From The Beatles, to the billionaire software developers and incredible athletes. What exactly is it that they have? Gladwell shares that it may not be what they have but where they are from, including the years they were born. This book was an interesting read that I really enjoyed.
7. Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No, To Take Control of Your Life. By Henry Cloud and John Townsend. Are you saying “yes” to everyone’s need or request? Do you feel like you can’t say no to your spouse, children, co-workers, parents, and even yourself? Do you feel like people take advantage of you? Make you feel guilty for saying no? Or make you feel like you don’t love them if you don’t give in to their wants? Everyone needs boundaries. Boundaries help give us balance. They give us peace and calmness in a world full of busy. Setting healthy appropriate boundaries doesn’t make you selfish. In this book, you will learn about: Can I set limits and still be a loving person? What are legitimate boundaries? How do I effectively manage my digital life so that it doesn’t control me? What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? How do boundaries relate to mutual submission within marriage? Aren’t boundaries selfish? Learning how to set boundaries will make your life better starting today!
8. Narcissists Among Us by Joe Navarro. This was the first book I read in 2019. Joe has several books on my “to read” list, and this one did not disappoint. Joe Navarro is a former FBI special agent, criminal profiler and behavioral specialist. He’s spent years mastering how to read people, figuring out their personalities rather quickly, and what makes them tick. Sadly, the reason I purchased this book was due to a dear friend going through an extremely deep valley in her marriage. There were so many things I wanted to be able to understand. This book is an easy read, intended for anyone to easily understand. You won’t find it filled with clinical terms, or psychological jargon that is way above your head.
9. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. I found this book fascinating! Why did certain things happen when they did? Why did crime suddenly drop? Why did a fashion trend that was was on the brink of extinction suddenly pick up steam? Why did a children’s television program turn people on their heads and stay successful for over 50 years? It’s the point when something tips. Gladwell looks at personality types he calls “pollinators.”
10. His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage by Willard F. Harley, Jr. I had heard about this book through several podcasts I listen to, and I believe Dave Ramsey even mentioned it a few times during his radio show, however, it wasn’t until I met a precious soul named Mallory at the Katelyn James Business Journey event in Virginia, that I really became interested in this book. Mallory is also a photographer, and she and I started chatting about books and “must reads.” She spoke so highly of this book, I knew I’d have to read it. I’m so glad I did! His Needs, Her Needs talks about the ten most important needs that men and women have (hint, they are complete opposites of each other). The author talks about how to love more intentionally, be more creative, communicate effectively, and ways to rid your marriage of problems which can lead to extra-marital affairs. If you are in a relationship, engaged, or married, I highly recommend this book!
11. Without Saying a Word: Master the Science of Body Language and Maximize Your Success by Kasia Wezowski. I’m fascinated with non-verbal body language, how to read people and how to be an overall better communicator. This book talks about simple things you wouldn’t expect and some things you don’t even realize you are doing. A slight upturn of the corner of your mouth, thumbs out of your pockets, or the position of your eyebrows all mean vastly different things. You may say one thing, but your body is clearly saying something else.
12. Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker. This book was very light-hearted. If your not familiar with Jen, she is a no nonsense, 40-something, Christian mama of five! In the pages of this book, she shares her stories of cooking, grossing her kids out by kissing her husband, tales of cross-country travel in a 70’s VW van, and the hilarity of the “Exercise” chapter. Boy was that one relatable! This was the last book I read for 2019. In fact, I finished it on New Years Eve!