My Powersheets goal this year was to read 15 books with a solid mix of fiction, spiritual, and business. So far, I’m on track! At the end of June (halfway through the year), I had finished 8 books, and in July I finished reading 3 more!
These are all books I actually read, so I can’t vouch for the Audible versions. For some reason, despite loving podcasts so much, I can’t seem to focus when I listen to audiobooks. Maybe someday!
My January - June 2018 Reading List
January: Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
If I could somehow force every business owner to read this book, I would! After hearing Donald Miller speak at Business Boutique last year, I was hooked on his message of clarifying your brand. The tagline, “Clarify your message so customers will listen” is EXACTLY what this book will teach you to do. I saw a huge shift in my business after I applied the Storybrand method to my social media, website, blog, emailing and everything in between!
This book is one that I go back to time and time again as a resource as I work through this same method with all of my clients!
My rating: 5 out of 5
February: The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
Anyone else a little enneagram obsessed?! I am after reading this book! The enneagram is an ancient personality test with 9 different types. I’d always been a Myers-Briggs girl before exploring the enneagram - they are super different. In this book, you’ll find 3 introductory chapters and then a chapter on each of the 9 types. After reading the intro, I started with the chapter for the type I thought I was and worked around from there. This book is written from a Christian perspective, which I love! Rather than just knowing your type and then leaving it at that, it explores ways for you to grow spiritually. As the book puts it, the Enneagram is for “people who want to get out of their own way and become who they were created to be.” We seek to know God, and we need to also know ourselves. My hubby and I read this together in February, and besides how amazing the book was, it was also just really incredible for us to be reading the same thing and discussing it. If you’re married, I highly recommend reading this with your spouse!
My rating: 5 out of 5
March: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
When it comes to fiction, I’m a thriller/mystery fan through and through, and this book did not disappoint. Stillhouse Lake tells the story of a midwest housewife whose husband turned out to be a serial killer. When her husband was put in prison, herself and her children had to move away and remake themselves with new identities. And, of course, as mysteries go, things start to go wrong when she starts receiving threatening letters and a body turns up in the lake outside of her home. This book is definitely a page-turner!
My rating: 4 out of 5
March: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
The Miracle Morning is a guide to the “secrets to transform your life”. To be totally frank, I found this book disappointing. I had heard the author on a podcast and became super interested in his message, but the book was lacking. It took reading over half the book to get to the chapter where he talks about the things you should do every morning. As someone who already has a morning routine, I found the things you should every morning really basic. I wouldn't recommend this one, but I know there are a ton of mega fans out there of this book, so I may be in the minority.
My rating: 1 out of 5
April: A Simplified Life by Emily Ley
I would call this book a “must read” for any woman! It covers everything from decluttering and organizing your home and clearing out your closet, to creating a steady faith life. This book immediately put me into action mode to set my home and life up to foster life, love, and beautiful memories! After each chapter I tackled another space in our home through organizing and throwing away the things we didn’t use anymore. I highly recommend getting the print version (not an eBook) as the print version has workbook style questions to answer each chapter!
My rating: 5 out of 5
May: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Talk about a MILLION plot twists! This book is the story of an agoraphobic woman who witnesses a something crazy happen across the street. If you love unreliable narrators and crazy twists, then this would be a good book for ya! This book was certainly engaging from beginning to end, and no joke there are like 10 different twists!
My rating: 4 out of 5
June: The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
I became a big Liane Moriarty fan last year when I read her book Big Little Lies, and I think this book topped that one! The book starts out with a woman who discovers a letter written by her husband that says to only open it in the event of his death. She’s intrigued. OF COURSE. And, she calls him and he plays it off like the letter is no biggie, but you’ll find out, it is. I was so intrigued by the first chapter that I literally almost Googled what the letter says because the nosey chick in me JUST HAD TO KNOW. But, thankful I didn’t spoil it for myself, and instead, I had the pleasure of reading this one while I was at the beach. If you only read one fiction book from my list, read this one!
My rating: 5 out of 5
June: Everybody, Always by Bob Goff
I’m so glad that I’ve read this book. God is really working things in my heart through it! This book is (to put it simply) an entertaining story on how to love others the way Jesus does, and what we are called to do as Christians. It’s about loving people who are “harder” to love, not letting our opinions get in the way of showing Christ to people, and how to love someone really well. One of my favorite quotes from the book (there are many!) is this: “when joy is a habit, love is a reflex.”
My rating: 5 out of 5
[Want more book ideas? Check out this list of what I read in 2017!]
