SpinKrun

New Year – More Books

Source: 60.life

  Wow!  It feels like forever since I’ve updated my blog . . . It has been!  But, I achieved my reading/listening/book consumption goal of 60 books last year!  Woohoo!   A part of me wanted to increase the target for 2019, but I decided to settle in at 50 and see what happens.

Well, I think I’m going to make it.  I paused my HULU subscription earlier this week and may do the same…

So many books . . .

I have so many books to add from this summer . . . Wowzers! I definitely got behind on writing reviews, but here’s a list of a few books I read or heard this past summer:

The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber The Book of Fate, Brad Meltzer Boundaries in Dating, Henry Cloud Zero Sugar Diet, David Zinczenko All In: You are One Decision Away from a Totally Different Life, Mark Batterson The 10x…

The Husband’s Secret, Liane Moriarity

I finished it. This was a long read for me.

BUT, the stories and impact of everyone’s secrets was powerful. The husband’s “big” secret wasn’t anything remotely similar to what I expected (no spoiler), but it was big.

And the ripple effect in the lives of his family and those in the community around him was scary. This story is a great reminder that the decisions I make not only affect my life and…

I Moved Your Cheese, Deepak Malhotra

I need to do some book review catch up, but I’m on track to hit my goal (Type A woes) . . . Nonetheless, this little book packs POWER!!!!

“Some pursuits are simply too important.  Some lives are not so easily confined.  Some mice are big.”

I read it in one sitting and felt like God was YELLING at me via the writing of Deepak Malhotra.

Over the last 11 years, I’ve had 18 different managers while…

Your Dreams. God’s Plan: Are You Longing for Something More?, Tiffany Smiling

I gave this one 5 stars because I think God planned this book for the time in my life when I was reading it.

I started it during the time I was “questioning” a guy I was curious about and got a clear answer. Then, I finished it at the tail end of a mission trip to Kenya where I connected with some beautiful and amazingly talented orphan girls.

So, when the author admonished us “girls” to…

Attract Love At Any Age: The Ultimate Dating Guide For Single Women Over 40, Marlene Wagner

** spoiler alert **

This one was fast. The advice is pretty straightforward: 1) love yourself, 2) be happy, 3) let a man be a man (let him pursue, etc), 4) don’t let him get away with crap (circa lesson 1).

While the target audience is for women over 40, I think the tone and content is appropriate for any single woman. The perspective of the author via her own life experiences probably make it…

A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I was VERY nervous about an upcoming cycling adventure from Houston, Texas.

I’m here to report that I made it!  I logged 417.7 miles in 6 days and celebrated a group historic event in being the first female to finish the 100 mile day.  I was pretty stoked!  I was VERY stoked!  I missed about 50 miles in there due to a mechanical (another story with Shimano…

Play with Fire, Bianca Juárez Olthoff

Source: https://vimeo.com/174819233 This lady has spunk! My Sabbath School small group was doing her study on the Book of Ruth, so I decided to see what else she had written. She was also one of the speakers for the 2018If: Gathering. This book was more autobiography than Bible study. I didn’t really have any expectations going in, but I enjoyed it. This gave me a little more perspective on the…

Braving the Wilderness, Brené Brown

Source: https://brenebrown.com/braving-wilderness-question-submission/ Strong back. Soft front. Wild Heart. Speak truth to BS. Just read it. I heard Brene Brown at Catalyst Atlanta in late 2017 and bought the event kit with this book included. I started reading it soon after Catalyst. Because I read so many books at a time, this became a “read in chunks” book with lots of highlights, dog-eared…

Short listens, good lessons

The 100/0 Principle: The Secret of Great Relationships, Al Ritter Be real.  Give 100%.  Expect nothing in return.  In personal relationships, workplace relationships, volunteer engagements, the message is the same.  I was listening to a podcast with Shawn Stevens and Andy Frisello this morning, and I didn’t even make the connection between this audiobook and the Model Health Show podcast. …

Crush It!, Gary Vaynerchuk

Source: http://www.crushitseminar.com/blog/ There were some good takeaways, but most of the activation suggestions are outdated as the book was written in 2010. However, the core message is to push yourself to valorize your passion. One of the final steps is to monetize it, but put numbers (ie time, investment) in developing your passion. I really like one of the key steps after work hard. Be…

Houston – Tour de Youth

Source: http://abc13.com/society/houston-looking-for-artists-to-paint-new-murals/2155863/ Houston.  Houston.  My spring fitness event this year is riding with the team from Tour de Youth to increase awareness of youth obesity and to raise funds for scholarships to Oakwood University. I switched up my training this winter from just riding a lot to spending quality time in the gym with a fitness…

An American Marriage, Tayari Jones

I feel like I’ve read some really good books this year.  Like, really really good books.  This one has to go on the top 3 list, though.  I’ve been thinking about this review since maybe the first 2 chapters of the book.  I should have taken notes as I went, but I’ll try to be true to this blog and let you enjoy the book when you read it.  AND, you MUST read this one.  This review is my response…

The Rooster Bar, John Grisham

** spoiler alert ** Dang, I love this work! The socio-political issue this time was a student loans and immigration. That’s all I’m gonna say. Sooooooo good. And, I was introduced to Saint-Louis, Senegal . . . 😉 I was going to stop my review with just read it, but I have to amend. I read some of the non-five star reviews on goodreads to see why people didn’t love this. And, I have to admit that…

Of Mess and Moxie, Jen Hatmaker

This was real. This was Jen Hatmaker being Jen Hatmaker. One of the things I have always appreciated about her work is her high level of integrity and sincerity. Integrity does not equal perfection. Christianity does not equal perfection. As a Christian, it is refreshing to get truth plus reality all in one place. I’m reading another book by a Christian author and I just wonder which planet this…

Finishing 2017 – 55!

Source: asuonline.asu.edu So I promised to come back and wrap up 2017 . . . yep, 2.5 months into 2018, I’m finishing 2017.  My goal was to read/listen to/consumer 55 books. And, somehow I made it. I have to admit that all were NOT overwhelmingly interesting, captivating or worthy of a recommendation.  But, I’m really happy that I crossed the 55 mark “finish line”. So, as is true to my blog, every…

. . . Yep. It’s been a minute since I’ve posted, but I haven’t stopped reading or listening. I’ll write a more formal catch-up post; but in my true Type A fashion, I hit my 55 books read (or listened to) in 2017 and set a new goal of 60 books in 2018. I own my Type. Lol. There’s more to come as there’s a ton on my mind in reaction to a lot of what I’ve been reading lately . . .