As the holiday season approaches, what better way to celebrate the magic of the Charmed Life Master Mind than by diving into literary treasures crafted by our very own community members? This Book Boss Gift Guide is here to enchant your reading list with works by three talented authors who are not only masters of their craft but also cherished members of our Charmed Life Master Mind.
Let’s embark on a journey into the realms of mystery, fantasy, and intrigue, all while supporting our fellow members. Get ready to discover captivating stories that will make the perfect additions to your holiday reading wishlist.
1. Thanksgiving Treachery (Holiday Cozy Mystery Book 7) by Tonya Kappas Link to the book
Join Tonya Kappas, a distinguished member of our Charmed Life Master Mind, as she weaves a cozy mystery that will transport you to the heart of holiday intrigue. “Thanksgiving Treachery” is the seventh installment in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, promising suspense, charm, and a touch of seasonal magic. Get ready to unravel the mysteries that unfold in the quaint town of Bliss, where holidays are anything but ordinary.
2. The Broken Bond: The Chronicles of Discovery Book 1 by Lady Velvet C. Peterson Link to the book
Lady Velvet C. Peterson, a visionary in our mastermind community, takes us on an epic adventure with “The Broken Bond.” This fantasy novel, the first in The Chronicles of Discovery series, invites readers to explore a world of magic, ancient prophecies, and a broken bond that could change everything. Immerse yourself in Lady Velvet’s rich storytelling and embark on a quest that transcends time and space.
3. Death by Dissertation (A Cassandra Sato Mystery Book 1) by Kelly Brakenhoff Link to the book
Kelly Brakenhoff, a talented wordsmith within our Charmed Life Master Mind, introduces us to “Death by Dissertation.” This intriguing mystery, the first in the Cassandra Sato series, combines academia, humor, and a dash of danger. Follow along as Cassandra Sato navigates the world of academia and untangles the threads of a perplexing murder mystery. It’s a captivating journey that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Get ready to immerse yourself in these literary gems, authored by the brilliant minds within our Charmed Life Master Mind. Whether you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, fantasy realms, or academic intrigue, there’s a book here for every reader. Happy reading, and may your holidays be filled with the magic of storytelling!
And, if you would like to join the Charmed Life Master Mind, this is a great time to enroll as the Annual Membership subscription is currently on sale!
I have finally written and published my book on planning and productivity called the Functional Planning Handbook and it is available right now for sale on Amazon.com.
Those of you who have been following me for a while know that this book is something I’ve been talking about writing for years, and I’m so excited to finally launch it publicly to the world!
As you can surmise from the title, this book is my official guide to functional planning, and it was truly written to be a companion to your planner as you can see from it’s petite 4 x 6 inch size!
It’s a book you can learn from by reading through it, sure, but it’s really meant to be a reference guide for you as well because if you have been planning for any period of time, you know that it’s not about learning the strategies once and you suddenly know exactly how to plan and organize your life.
Functional planning is truly a skill and a practice that you develop over time and I wanted this book to be your pocket reference guide and handbook that you could reach for when you had a question about how to perform your daily planning routine, but also to be a source of inspiration and motivation for you to get things done. That’s why several chapters of this book are dedicated to discussing time, task and energy management strategies you can implement quickly and easily in your life.
This book, like much of my content, is direct strategy- no fluff or filler- that is actionable and practical for the variety of women and lifestyles in my community. If you are an ambitious woman in my community who desires a more organized, intentional and successful life, and knows planning and personal organization are strategies that can help you achieve more with less time, stress and effort, then the functional planning handbook is for you!
And, of course, for those of you who support the launch and purchase your copy this month, I have a special bonus gift for you- A Functional Planning Routines planner insert with 21 prompts that you can use to support your daily, weekly and monthly planning routine so that you make better, more complete plans that you feel confident executing on to make your ideal life a reality!
I sincerely hope you love the book, the bonus and will consider leaving me a positive review for the book on Amazon so we can get this essential functional planning information in the hands of more amazing women who need it!
Thank you all so much for your ongoing support and encouragement, this won’t be the last you hear of the book- we will certainly be discussing it more in the coming weeks, so you can understand more of the behind the scenes of what finishing this major goal looked like for me!
Thanks for joining me on this journey and we will talk soon!
Did you know that reading is considered to be one of the most universally acknowledged success habits?
Statistics are thrown around all the time about how many books millionaires and CEOs read in a year. It’s always something crazy like 4+ dozen!
I know for some people, that number seems intimidating. They say the average American reads less than one book per year.
But personally, I don’t believe that it’s the exact number of books read that really makes someone successful. What I think is a more accurate predictor of success is that you are someone who values ongoing education and the way that is most commonly and easily practiced is by reading.
That is why as part of the Productivity + Planning Mastermind Membership that I host, we have a bookclub where each month the members who are interested are able to read along with a book chosen by me that addresses an important productivity or personal development topic.
(If you are interested in being part of our bookclub and getting ongoing support from me to help you live out your own personal vision for success, I would love to have you join the Mastermind and my inner circle, so please do click here to learn more!)
So, I decided that in order to share the love of books and truly, the success habit of continuing your education through the enjoyment and curiosity of reading, I am starting a series here on the blog where I will share one of the books we have read in the Mastermind and provide my summary/feedback on the book.
I am calling this series #BOSS Bookshelf!
Today’s book will challenge you to question everything you think about yourself and the way you interact with the world; Conscious by Annaka Harris.
In order to streamline this review, I have an outline of seven questions I’ll be using to frame my summary and key points of the book.
Q1: What was your overall experience of the book?
I really resonated with this book because it combines many beliefs about science, metaphysics and the nature of our experience as humans, and challenges some fundamental assumptions humans have about ourselves. I specifically chose this book for January because as it is the start of a new year and goal setting season, I wanted to challenge your assumptions about yourself in a way that perhaps helps you see that there is no need for us to be so controlling, perfectionistic or set high expectations for ourselves. In this book the author is making a scientific argument for why we as humans may not be in as much control over our lives and actions as we believe.
Q2: What was something new you learned from the book?
There was really no completely new information presented in this book- it was all studies and information I have already encountered in other places, but what I really love is how Harris arranges this information so simply to support her argument. This isn’t an argument freely discussed or accepted in the scientific community, and from history we know that doesn’t mean the information is wrong- it simply means the overall scientific community is not willing to accept this idea because it would mean having to discount centuries of work and understanding that have brought us to this point. So, the newness of this book comes from the perspective and courage it takes to present inconvenient truths in a way that people are willing to consider and perhaps dig deeper into.
Q3: Where did you find yourself in alignment with the information shared in the book?
Now, I’m personally in alignment with the idea that we as humans, need to stop being so hard on ourselves about what we can and cannot accomplish because we definitely have less control over ourselves than we’d like to believe. In her research, Harris explains some studies that show that the impulse for making decisions happens without human consciousness, even though to our experience, it seems like we are actively making the decision. The natural next question in my mind is then, who or what is controlling us? There are some philosophies that use this information to support the idea that human life is similar to a video game where we are characters being played by some other entities, however, I think the answer, which Harris doesn’t really dig into, is that from conception, our neural net is crafted from early childhood experience, and once that net is set, our resulting actions are controlled by those dominant pathways. Dr Bruce Lipton, a notable child psychologist has for years suggested that the experience of a person by the age of 7 will determine the fate of the rest of their life. None of this is included in this book, however, I mention it to support the information Harris shares with us that there is evidence that we, as adults, may not be fully in control of ourselves because default networks in our brains that control the way we think and act based on our past experience in life. Therefore, if we want to make changes, we have to take steps to adjust our neural net as much as possible, which can be done, but only if we are willing to do and think outside of our comfort zones. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr Joe Dispenza is a great book that explains strategies for this!
I am personally also a believer in Panpsychism. If you recall, this is the belief that consciousness is a fundamental principle of all matter. Actually, I believe specifically that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of all energy because matter is energy. To be part of this reality we share means that anything here is conscious. Yes, that means I believe rocks are conscious, water is conscious, my chair is conscious. But as Harris lays out in this book, there is a difference between consciousness and intelligence. I don’t think my chair is having active thoughts (it doesn’t have a brain to think with, it doesn’t have nerve endings to feel with) but I do believe it has it’s own type of life on this planet because it’s made of the same particles and basic matter I am made up of. There are protons and neutrons and electrons swirling around deep inside the fabric of my chair that are the same as mine, what they are arranging is just a different structure. Now I mention this because piggy backing off what we learned from reading The Alchemist, I believe that the universe itself is a conscious system that we can interact and manifest with. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” There is even another part of The Alchemist where the actual Alchemist is talking to Santiago and says something to the effect of “you may have noticed that even the glasses in the shop were conspiring for your success.” If it is accurate that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of all matter and energy, then this could explain how manifestation works. Our conscious energy and desires are able to interact with the consciousness of every other thing in the world to work together to achieve our ends.
Q4: Where did you find yourself resisting the information shared in the book?
In her discussion of panpsychism, Harris seems to argue for panpsychism and yet against the idea that rocks are conscious. Perhaps I read it wrong but I felt like she was being too delicate in navigating the issue as to not upset people or take a strong stand on one argument. I can understand that maybe she doesn’t want to influence people or look foolish by arguing that a rock has consciousness, but this is one of those situations with science where we don’t have enough technology or information yet to test the theory practically.
Q5: What new action or inspiration are you taking away from what you learned in the book?
Reading this book really just makes me feel like other people on on board with some of the metaphysical beliefs I have. Although the book didn’t teach me anything new per se, it did strengthen my resolve to continue researching this path and executing on practices that stem from my metaphysical beliefs because there is clearly more going on than we understand.
Q6: Which quotes from the book that stood out to you as impactful?
I have some notes written down from listening to the book and I’m not sure if these are direct quotes or they were my summary but I still wanted to share.
“Consciousness is not controlling the system it is experiencing and witnessing the system.”
“The conscious mind lacks of a mode of expression.”
“Psychedelics suggest consciousness survives the disappearance of the self.”
Q7: What were some new or interesting terminology you learned from the book?
Most of these terms were not new to me but I wrote them down as key vocab:
Consciousness is experience itself. What it’s like to be a particular thing.
Intuition is a feeling associated with our unconscious queues from our environment.
Umwelt is the world as it is experienced by a specific organism.
Panpsychism is the belief that consciousness is a fundamental principle of reality.
Emergence in philosophy, systems theory, science, and art, emergence occurs when an entity is observed to have properties its parts do not have on their own, properties or behaviors which emerge only when the parts interact in a wider whole.
Quale is our experience of a phenomenon
If you’ve read Conscious by Annaka Harris, I would love to know what your big takeaways were from the book, so please leave a comment and share your thoughts!
Did you know that reading is considered to be one of the most universally acknowledged success habits?
Statistics are thrown around all the time about how many books millionaires and CEOs read in a year. It’s always something crazy like 4+ dozen!
I know for some people, that number seems intimidating. They say the average American reads less than one book per year.
But personally, I don’t believe that it’s the exact number of books read that really makes someone successful. What I think is a more accurate predictor of success is that you are someone who values ongoing education and the way that is most commonly and easily practiced is by reading.
That is why as part of the Productivity + Planning Mastermind Membership that I host, we have a bookclub where each month the members who are interested are able to read along with a book chosen by me that addresses an important productivity or personal development topic.
(If you are interested in being part of our bookclub and getting ongoing support from me to help you live out your own personal vision for success, I would love to have you join the Mastermind and my inner circle, so please do click here to learn more!)
So, I decided that in order to share the love of books and truly, the success habit of continuing your education through the enjoyment and curiosity of reading, I am starting a series here on the blog where I will share one of the books we have read in the Mastermind and provide my summary/feedback on the book.
Big changes have small beginnings: Small incremental changes are what lead to success more than large sweeping changes. Example, British Cycling Team became world champions through small 1% improvements. This makes sense to me because it’s harder to actually sustain large sweeping changes and small things can domino into larger outcomes. Any change in the right direction, is change in the right direction that ripples outward. However, with the example of the British Cycling Team, and truthfully, with any and all changes people make, I question from a metaphysical point of view, whether the small changes really did add up OR if the focus and dedication to making small incremental improvements made them believe they had done enough to win? As someone who does believe everything happens in the mind, I just wonder if it was the focus on the changes itself that caused their expansion.
Trajectory as a productivity concept vs having solid objectives: Where you put your focus and having a goal in and of itself is what supports our productivity. You don’t necessarily need a solid objective, and in fact, sometimes having an objective actually halts progress once you hit said objective. So, you can just choose a direction and overarching goal to go for and make those small incremental changes to establish an ongoing pattern of improvement and success.
The tipping point: As with many things in the world, there is a point where our effort isn’t seen, until it is seen. Example of the Ice Cube melting once the temp raises beyond 32 degrees. This is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t give up on ourselves and the changes we want to make because we may have made unseen progress and then hit a tipping point where all the results of our effort are evident.
Don’t set goals, create systems: I understand this point, I really do, because with many things in life, the outcome you want isn’t just a one and done situation. Examples- weight loss isn’t just reach a desired weight and your done, you also need to maintain. Same with income goals, etc lots of goals we have require maintenance. However, I would adjust the authors words to say, Don’t just set goals, create systems. Because I DO think having that hard concrete goal is important if for nothing more than visualization because it’s hard to hold an idea in our minds of what constant improvement means to us. Until we hit the next level we often don’t know what the next level after that looks like. So for me, I think that hard objective is important to get started, but developing systems as a strategy for goal planning is necessary. I believe this echos my philosophy well of having habit based goals. Goals where the outcome isn’t dependent on a limited sequence of actions, but the outcome requires ongoing work and establishing new habits.
If you’ve read Atomic Habits by James Clear I would love to know what your big takeaways were from the book, so please leave a comment and share your thoughts!
Did you know that reading is considered to be one of the most universally acknowledged success habits?
Statistics are thrown around all the time about how many books millionaires and CEOs read in a year. It’s always something crazy like 4+ dozen!
I know for some people, that number seems intimidating. They say the average American reads less than one book per year.
But personally, I don’t believe that it’s the exact number of books read that really makes someone successful. What I think is a more accurate predictor of success is that you are someone who values ongoing education and the way that is most commonly and easily practiced is by reading.
That is why as part of the Productivity + Planning Mastermind Membership that I host, we have a bookclub where each month the members who are interested are able to read along with a book chosen by me that addresses an important productivity or personal development topic.
(If you are interested in being part of our bookclub and getting ongoing support from me to help you live out your own personal vision for success, I would love to have you join the Mastermind and my inner circle, so please do click here to learn more!)
So, I decided that in order to share the love of books and truly, the success habit of continuing your education through the enjoyment and curiosity of reading, I am starting a series here on the blog where I will share one of the books we have read in the Mastermind and provide my summary/feedback on the book.
So this is how I feel about the Alchemist. I’ve already told you this is essentially my favorite book because to me, it’s not a story, it’s an illustration of the principles of Alchemy at work in “real life” situations. For those of you who are not as familiar, Alchemy was an ancient science and the precursor of chemistry, but it was so much more than that. Early Alchemists theorized about the world and physical science and many of their predictions were ultimately proven true through modern research. They had no science or evidence at the time to rationalize their belief, instead, their belief came from pure intuition and engaging and learning from the world, the way the Alchemist in the book taught Santiago to engage and learn from the desert to gain true knowledge or gnosis.
For example, the belief that all things are a manifestation of just one thing, that is true from a quantum mechanics perspective. All things known to us in the universe are created by the arrangement of energy into matter (E=MC Squared), we know this know and it’s a major pursuit of science to understand how we can manipulate the arrangement of energy to create whatever we want or need.
The concept that everything evolves, even seemingly inanimate elements evolve, we also know to be true now via the Theory of Evolution and the fact that coal becomes diamonds, fossilized remained become oil etc. A grain of sand was once a particle of star matter. The dunes of the desert take the form of solid waves, referring back to the fact that the dessert itself was once an ocean.
The great mystery of life is unraveled in this book if you read it deep enough because it is a principle of both this book and alchemy that you can look at the face of any thing in our world and read the entire history of the world in it. It’s quite profound and thats why every time I read this book I learn something new about life and how to evolve myself into the person I want to become.
As the book points out during the scene when Santiago is tasked with turning himself into the wind to avoid death, all of us, each human, plant, animal, mineral, are part of the story of the world written by the one hand (God) and because the one who wrote us is infinite, so are we. We have a story to live out that was written inside of us, and to uncover our purpose we need to get our hands dirty and get down to the business of living.
This is the thing I love about this book the most- it comes out and tells you the thing many religions and world philosophies simply dance around. That you were put here for a reason, that your story began long before you were ever conceived and it will go on as you evolve past your current form. You yourself are not a god but you live inside of God and are connected on a metaphysical level to that single power and every other thing in existence known or unknown to you. Your life has significance and meaning, and it’s up to you to live it out or not, the choice is yours.
Now, I have also come up with a few discussion questions to help us dig a little deeper into the lessons and meaning of the book. Feel free to share your thoughts on these questions as part of our ongoing discussion of The Alchemist.
Question 1:What was your favorite or most impactful lesson from the book?
Question 2:Do you use a system of signs or omens to help you tap into your internal guidance system and what are they?
Question 3:Can you think of a time when the pure expression of enthusiasm and a solid work ethic brought you to success?
Question 4:What is your personal legend?
Question 5:What was the moral of the story for you?
17 Inspiring Books About Life, Productivity & Business to Read in 2017
Every year I like to make a list of books for the blog that I’ve read, or want to read in the coming year. I’ve been asked a few times in the last year, whether or not I would consider taking this list and doing a Charmed Book Club, but for me, reading has always been a pretty solitary pursuit. I like to read at my leisure, not feel like I have to read to keep up with an expectation. At least, I haven’t done that since college and I swore to myself once I graduated that I would never make myself read anything on some arbitrary schedule again! Although I prefer to read at my leisure, I don’t necessary read for pleasure either, most of the books I read are non-fiction or personal development because I read to learn. If you were curious why I know certain things or how I got to be so intelligent, I’d have to blame it on something I read or the act of reading itself. This year, I’ve challenged myself to do something a little out of character with my reading habit, and that is to read regularly. What I read is up to me. When I read is up to me. I just want to develop my habit into a more regular practice and finish at least a book a month. Right now, I read at least two dozen books a year, but some months I read none, and others I may read five. I’m not consistent with my reading, and I’m convinced that if I commit to the habit of reading a few days a week and finish the book of my choice a month, that it will stimulate the creativity in my brain and expose me to thoughts and ideas outside the norm of what I regularly experience online.
So, to follow in my annual footsteps, I have assembled a list of 17 books to read in 2017. These books cover a variety of topics from finance, productivity, and business, to confidence, career and sleep. Some I have read before, but many are new to me, and my plan is to share my progress with these books via Instagram. So if you are interested in what I am reading and what I’m thinking about each, definitely follow me there.
I’d love to know if you have read any of these books and which you recommend. If you have any other suggestions for me and the community, I’d love for you to share those down in the comments or let us know what is on your TBR (to be read) list for 2017!
Although Fall begins in September, October is truly the month that brings the autumn chill and with it, plenty of opportunities to snuggle up with a good book and something warm to drink. So, I have been compiling a list of my favorite books to read in October. Some are quintessentially spooky for Halloween and others are classics that just feel like they need to be read with a side of pumpkin spiced anything!
Amazon Says: H.P. Lovecraft’s tales of the tentacled Elder God Cthulhu and his pantheon of alien deities were initially written for the pulp magazines of the 1920s and ’30s. These astonishing tales blend elements of horror, science fiction and cosmic terror that are as powerful today as they were when they were first published.
This handsome tome collects together the very best of Lovecraft’s tales of terror, including the complete Cthulhu Mythos cycle, just the way they were originally published. It will introduce a whole new generation of readers to Lovecraft’s fiction, as well as being a must-buy for those fans who want all his work in a single, definitive, highly attractive volume.
Amazon Says: Undoubtedly the most famous verse written by Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven is also one of the most famous poems in the world. Though it did not bring him much in the way of money, this piece was, as per the author’s statements, composed quite methodically, with an aim to appeal to the masses. And appeal it did, making Poe an overnight sensation, a household name almost the moment it began to circulate. Full of brooding guilt, moody atmosphere and love lost, The Raven depicts Poe’s overwrought narrator and that most infamous of all fowls, the titular croaking Raven.
Amazon Says: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
Amazon Says: Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That’s because he’s being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he’s really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.
Amazon Says: Few creatures of horror have seized readers’ imaginations and held them for so long as the anguished monster of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein’s terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. Considering the novel’s enduring success, it is remarkable that it began merely as a whim of Lord Byron’s.
“We will each write a story,” Byron announced to his next-door neighbors, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley. The friends were summering on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland in 1816, Shelley still unknown as a poet and Byron writing the third canto of Childe Harold. When continued rains kept them confined indoors, all agreed to Byron’s proposal.
The illustrious poets failed to complete their ghost stories, but Mary Shelley rose supremely to the challenge. With Frankenstein, she succeeded admirably in the task she set for herself: to create a story that, in her own words, “would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror — one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.”
Amazon Says: In 1603, James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne, becoming James I of England. London was alive with an interest in all things Scottish, and Shakespeare turned to Scottish history for material. He found a spectacle of violence and stories of traitors advised by witches and wizards, echoing James’s belief in a connection between treason and witchcraft.
In depicting a man who murders to become king, Macbeth teases us with huge questions. Is Macbeth tempted by fate, or by his or his wife’s ambition? Why does their success turn to ashes?
Like other plays, Macbeth speaks to each generation. Its story was once seen as that of a hero who commits an evil act and pays an enormous price. Recently, it has been applied to nations that overreach themselves and to modern alienation. The line is blurred between Macbeth’s evil and his opponents’ good, and there are new attitudes toward both witchcraft and gender.
Amazon Says: English solicitor finds himself at the center of a series of horrifying incidents. Jonathan Harker is attacked by three phantom women, observes the Count’s transformation from human to bat form, and discovers puncture wounds on his own neck that seem to have been made by teeth. Harker returns home upon his escape from Dracula’s grim fortress, but a friend’s strange malady — involving sleepwalking, inexplicable blood loss, and mysterious throat wounds — initiates a frantic vampire hunt. The popularity of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror romance is as deathless as any vampire. Its supernatural appeal has spawned a host of film and stage adaptations, and more than a century after its initial publication, it continues to hold readers spellbound.
Amazon Says: This is the book that started it all! The basis for the smash hit Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Gregory Maguire’s breathtaking New York Times bestseller Wicked views the land of Oz, its inhabitants, its Wizard, and the Emerald City, through a darker and greener (not rosier) lens. Brilliantly inventive, Wicked offers us a radical new evaluation of one of the most feared and hated characters in all of literature: the much maligned Wicked Witch of the West who, as Maguire tells us, wasn’t nearly as Wicked as we imagined.
Amazon Says: Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.
Amazon Says: This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz’s popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright.There is a story here for everyone — skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney.Stephen Gammell’s splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories — and even scary songs — all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.
If you have any October favorites you would recommend, please make sure to share yours in the comments below, or better yet, snap a pic of your favorite books, post it to Instagram or Twitter and tag me @MissTrenchcoat and use #CharmedGTD so the whole community can get inspiration from your recommendation!
2016 Business & Personal Development Books to Read in 2016
In 2015 I read a lot of business and personal development books. Some were good, and some were not so good, but as an entrepreneur, I think it’s so important to keep your mind challenged and informed and reading books is probably the easiest way to expose yourself to new concepts and methods of thinking. One of the reasons I was able to read so much last year was due to Audible.com which I finally subscribed to after years of dragging my feet and it was one of the best decisions I made for my business in my opinion. If you’re curious about Audible, check out this offer where you can get not one, but two free books with a trial subscription! So, out of all those books, which did I enjoy the most? Well, here are the 16 business and personal development books that I read and recommend you read in 2016!
If there is one book from this list that I would suggest you read this year, it’s Essentialism! So much of my approach to working smarter, not harder is diluted into the contents of this book and I truly believe that everyone – not just business owners – need to hear the message of this book.
A lot of what sets successful people apart is attitude and perseverance. This book is a tried and true narration of what it takes to be truly successful in life and the obstacles that we all must face as we rise to the top. This book is honestly packed with gems of advice and actionable items, so I would suggest getting a printed copy, highlighters and a lot of page flags as you devour this one, or if you read the audiobook as I did, make sure to keep a notebook handy!
I absolutely couldn’t create a list of books for you to read and not include my eBook on strategic goal setting. This is definitely not just a read it once and think about the message type of book, it’s a true workbook with worksheets and actionable items to help you plan your goals and ensure execution by prioritizing them as well as the key routines that will make it easier for you to establish a pattern of success. Hundreds of members of my community have already purchased this book since its release in November, and the positive reviews are rolling in daily so if you struggle with goal setting and making big things happen for your life, this is the book for you!
This short but direct book outlines the mental blocks that keep creatives from doing their best work and how to overcome them. If you are someone who struggles with producing creative work and truly wishes to make a full time career from it, you need to read this book.
In my opinion, this is the only financial book one need ever read. I was first exposed to this book when I was very young and finally reread it this year. To my astonishment, I had spent the years in between actively executing the principles of this book. It’s so funny the way solid financial principles are just timeless and once they are engrained in your mind and put into practice, your whole life can change and set you free from financial burdens. If you struggle with finance and feel like the topic is overwhelming to you, this book will break down money and wealth for you in a series of parables that anyone can relate to and understand.
This is one of two habit formation books I read this year, and between the two, I connected more with this one. I think many of us take for granted the roles that routines play in our lives, but this book really explained in great detail what routines are, how they control us and how, with targeted and sustained effort, we can change them. It’s not easy to break a bad habit and establish a new routine, but if you have something – anything really – that you want to accomplish in your life, great or small, you need to understand how to control your habits and routines and build ones that will actually create success for you!
And this is the second habit formation book I read this year and definitely still enjoyed or else it wouldn’t have been included on this list! In this book, Gretchen Rubin outlines her own experiments in habit and routine formation. She definitely acknowledges the established work of Duhigg and expounds upon it with some helpful personality based observations that are truly the crown jewel of this book, however, this work was a little less science and a little more personal anecdotes. Definitely worth the read, but I’d suggest Duhiggs book first.
Now this is one of those books that no matter who you are, if you want to make any sort of impact at all, either personally or professionally, you need to read it! Again, another short read but one all about tapping into your authentic voice to connect with others and share your personal story to motivate and inspire.
After I read through this awesome eBook by my dear friend Anne Samoilov, I immediately called her to find out why in the world she wasn’t promoting this book to the high heavens because people seriously need to hear about and practice white space in their daily lives. We are all too busy, or so we say. Anne’s book really shows you how important it is to have time and space in your life to create and explore in order to do your best work, be your best self and fully engage in the lives of those who matter most. If you feel constantly busy and overwhelmed, you need to read this one!
10. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is the quintessential book for interacting with other people. It’s like a psychology lesson distilled into relatable action. Again, I truly believe this is a development book that everyone needs to read, but especially anyone who interacts with customers, clients, vendors or really any people who you need to rely on to help make your goals and dreams a reality.
11. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
This is one of two quintessential productivity classics that I think everyone needs to read. Covey’s book is a long running go to for business professionals, but it certainly applies just as equally to stay at home moms or creatives.
The second productivity classic, again beloved by the corporate sphere but seriously applicable to anyone and everyone! Getting Things Done is an annual reread for me and it seems that every time I dive back in I pick up a new lesson or tweak to my productivity systems that I hadn’t tried before.
Another classic for artist’s and creative types that really dives deep into the creative process and how to support creativity in our lives. If your job or passions are even remotely artistic or fall into the creative space. You should read this!
Out of all the books on this list, this is the only true business book I’ve included, so if you don’t own, or ever hope to own your own business, this doesn’t apply to you, however, if you do you need to read this. You know those statistics people throw around about how many businesses fail in their first year and then how many more fail within a few more years and how many are still standing after a decade? This book explains all about that. It’s actually very interesting to see that lack of customers isn’t actually the thing that kills a business, it’s so much more about plans and systems than you really could ever have imagined.
Yep, I added a woo-woo book to this list, but one that really made a big impact on me. I’ll agree that there are some things about this book that are perhaps a little too much for me, but the underlying message of this book is really powerful and honestly moved me to tears so many times. I think it’s good for us to read personal development, even perhaps spiritual development books (which is really what this book is), that really move us because some times I feel numb to the world and books like this make me feel reconnected to the human race. Definitely not the book for everyone, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t one of my favorites.
If you are a male or female working in corporate America and you haven’t read this book yet, please stop whatever you are doing and order it asap. I realize that this book was meant to inspire women, but anyone who works in a business environment should read this. I know this can be a polarizing book, but the results of real research was put into this book and it’s truly heartbreaking to be confronted with the fact that women are held back at work. They hold themselves back, their partners hold them back and worst of all, their own teams and companies hold them back. Obviously this book doesn’t apply to 100% of situations, but its enough that we all need to be aware of workplace biases and work to break our own preconceived notions.
So now you have 16 new books to add to your to read list or Audible queue! I am still in the process of researching the books I want to read for the year. I’m not necessarily someone who makes a full list and then checks books off one by one, but I do want to get started with some new-to-me reads asap. I already know I am putting another Todd Henry book, Die Empty, on my reading list and I have a few fiction novels that I started in 2015 that I want to tie up Q1, but I’d love to hear any suggestions you have for me based on these recommendations or even something totally different that you absolutely love and recommend. Let me know in the comments what you think I need to read this year! Oh, and one final thing I want to say about reading and personal development– I think reading is great, I obviously do or else I wouldn’t share book recommendations with you. However, I want to make sure you don’t spend all your time reading and leave no time for acting on what you’ve learned. Some people have a tendency to go into research and personal development mode before they feel like they can begin to implement and act, but unfortunately, that can often lead to a holding pattern where one is reading, reading, reading and never actually getting started on their business or new and improved life. I guess what I am trying to say is don’t use books as an excuse not to begin living your life. I want you to act on what you learn in these books, not use them as a barrier to keep you from living your dreams!
Many of you have been asking me about the business books I am currently reading as I have made some passing suggestions and mentions of books in my Audible queue in different posts and videos over the past few weeks. Today I wanted to share with you the 3 business books that are currently in my audible queue, because as many of you know, I prefer to listen to audio books than to read. I just get more enjoyment and I feel like I complete more books when I listen to them as opposed to making time throughout my day to stop what I am doing and read. I’ve also gotten a few questions about how I like Audible and if I’m affiliated with them since I do talk about them whenever I talk about books pretty much!
To answer that first, I do happen to love Audible. For a long time I was resistant to the idea of signing up to Audible because it is subscription based and for some reason I was under the impression that any books you downloaded through your subscription to Audible would be lost if and when you canceled your subscription, but I was very pleased to discover that this is not the case. Once you download an audiobook, it’s yours, no matter if you cancel your subscription! This really eased my mind and so I did sign up for a monthly plan where I get two credits per month for something like $22.95 a month and I do find that I use the credits and finish books at a faster rate using Audible. Plus, Audible ends up having lots of sales on specific books and genres all the time, so not only will I get the two credits a month to use on my account (they do roll over as well, it’s not use them or loose them on a monthly basis) but I do buy one off books at discounted prices pretty frequently. I use my credit towards books that are newer or cost more than $11.50 (as thats essentially the price I am paying for a book with my credits) and if there is a sale and a book I want is $5.99 or something inexpensive like that, I will jump on the price and save my credits for a full price read. It works out pretty well for me!
I am also not directly affiliated with or sponsored by Audible. I know some people have direct relationships with Audible and have special membership codes to distribute where they get a cut of sales when people sign up, but that’s not me. I do, however, get a small commission from Amazon because I am an Amazon Affiliate and Amazon owns Audible. I’m not exactly sure how it works out, but when you sign up for a free trial through one of my links, I do get a few dollars, and if you buy a book through audible (I believe at face value price, not using credits) I get the same Amazon commission I would get if you purchased a physical copy of the book! So I am affiliated by proxy with Audible, but this isn’t a situation where I am sponsored or work with them directly to promote their services. I share about Audible because I do use it (and pay full price for my membership) and I only tell you about books I have read or purchased and I think are worth your time to check out as well! And that’s what I’m here to share with you today because I know many of you are like me and are on a quest for as much knowledge as possible, especially when it comes to business and personal development!
So this book is one that I have recently just finished in my Audible queue and I knew you would want to know about it because it’s often touted as being a must read for entrepreneurs and I definitely agree. The book begins with the premise that a staggering number of small businesses fail in their first year of business and more fail even by the five to ten year mark as well. Gerber explains that the reason for this is that entrepreneurs start businesses out of a desire to work for themselves but then end up creating businesses where they are an employee and have to take on a tremendous amount of work to keep the business going. Eventually, these employee minded entrepreneurs burn out and close up shop. So, Gerber outlines the key business strategies that differentiate successful entrepreneurs and business owners from their failed counterparts and outlines the changes you can make to ensure the solvency of your business for the long term.
The E-Myth Revisited deserves all the praise it’s received and then some! I was so glad to find that I myself was at least approaching my business from the right mindset, however, hearing Gerber’s suggestions for running a sustainable business really helped me to clarify some big picture questions I had been struggling with recently in my own business.
Essentialism is an audiobook that I am currently in the middle of listening to so I have not finished the book to the point where I can give a full review, but if the second half is as good as the first half, I can rest safe in my opinion that this book is also an essential read for not just business owners, but anyone who feels overwhelmed with their life. If you haven’t already heard about this book, it explains that in order to do our best work and perform at our highest levels of productivity, we must only do those items that are essential to our life and work. McKeown goes through some great examples and case studies supporting why less is really more and squashes some terrible business myths that have really been causing workers to underperform due to job stress which could very well be costing a tremendous amount of money to our economy in lost productivity.
If you come from a traditional corporate business structure, you should really read this book and hopefully free yourself from some self-imposed shackles that are most likely eating away at your time and your life. But I also believe that even an overwhelmed stay at home mother can get benefit from this book, it’s not just for a working professional!
Louder Than Words is the most recent book on my Audible queue, and I haven’t actually started on this one yet, but I still wanted to share this with you. Todd Henry has written a few other best sellers like Die Empty and The Accidental Creative which have received heaps of praise. Personally, I haven’t read his previous works, however, the concept of this book really spoke to me as I am always trying to learn the best way to communicate with my audience and spread awareness of my products and services in a natural and engaging manner. I honestly can’t wait to finish Essentialism so I can start on this book. I guess I could start on this book now, but I have found that I do get more from these books when I listen to one at a time because my mind doesn’t have to remember which book discussed which topics.
If you have read any of these business books, I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you have some feedback on Louder Than Words. In the meantime, if you would like to sign up for Audible, I do have a special sign up link that gives you two free audiobook downloads as opposed to one when you sign up for their 30-Day trial. Again, just sharing this with you because you’re my friends and I want to make sure you get a deal!
I spent quite a few hours in the air last week traveling to and from Aruba on vacation, and so I decided to spend some of that travel time wisely by catching up on a few audiobooks I had downloaded from Audible.com. The book I was most anxious to listen to, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, was recommended to me on numerous occasions by a variety of mentors and so I decided it was time to check that one off my list. The audiobook wasn’t long, less than three hours in total, so I listened through to completion on a single flight. The book was by no means ground breaking, however, it was immediately evident to me why so many people had suggested it, because I myself have been living by and evangelizing about every message in this book for years! I honestly felt such a deep connection to the book as I sat there listening and internally applauding each sentence. The crux of the book was simple; in order to find success in the creative fields, you must learn to overcome the various types of resistance you are sure to face on a daily basis. You may think that the hard part of being creative revolves around the execution of it, but really, it’s the muddy waters of resistance that begin far before you get to work that are the true challenge. If you find that you get overwhelmed at just the thought of your work, or feel like your riding a rollercoaster of emotions that make creativity difficult for you to sustain, here are 3 ways to overcome resistance and start getting shit done in your life!
1. Turn Pro
Within the War of Art, Pressfield explains the difference between an amateur and a professional and why it is necessary for you to turn pro, even if you are taking on an endeavor as a #sidehustle. An amateur is someone who says they are doing something for the love of it, but really, this is a barrier that keeps the amateur from fully realizing their potential. A professional, on the other hand, takes their work seriously and knows that the success of their endeavor needs to be beyond the whims of passion or pleasure. An amateur can worry about failure and feel discouraged by it because they are working from a place of emotion, while a professional can rise above outcomes and work through failure until the point of ultimate success.
2. Understand the source of creativity
One of my favorite quotes from Marianne Williamson explains that “You are a faucet and God is the water,” and this concept is one that Pressfield explains within his book as the true source of creativity. Any great artist or creator knows that it is an impossible feat for one person to come up with an endless supply of creative ideas, and likewise, all great artists know that their ideas do not come from them, but instead are dictated to them from God. This phenomenon may seem very woo-woo, but it is one that I experience on a regular basis. When I submit my creativity over to God, magic happens. An outpouring of ideas flow through me like water and all I have to do is grab a pen and keep up!
3. Never give up
Another interesting phenomenon that is again, often chalked up to being outside the realm of possibility, is that your success often lies on the other side of great failure. Because of this, it is essential that you do not give up just because you have failed. Personally, I believe that when you give a whole-hearted and well organized effort, it is impossible to fail entirely, but failure is a part of success that a true creative artist must fully embrace. Everything is impossible until you do it, and although you may fail a hundred times on the way to success, the only way to cross the finish line is to keep going and refuse to give up.
This book wasn’t a long or difficult read, but it sure was powerful. If you feel like you could use a fire under your butt to get started or to work through a creative endeavor, definitely pick up this book and start applying its many lessons to your life! Let me know down in the comments if you have read this book or even if you face resistance in your own life and how you deal with it. I’d love to know your thoughts and strategies as well!
