Before we begin, look to the right. If that doesn’t say you’re following the blog make sure you put your email in and I’ll send you free downloads from here on out!

In 2017 I started a list of my goals and accountability tracking for the year. I reached and exceeded every goal. (You can see that post on my personal page here.) If you haven’t read my January-May favorites, here ya go.

The goal of my blogging is to share a glimpse into what inspires, motivates and teaches me. Out of the books I read, I only bring up the ones I would suggest taking a look at…there are still a few that get left out; entirely based on my own opinions.

So where do I find all these books to read? Lots of places. I follow the Book of the Month Club on Instagram and I get weekly suggestions from my daily news source, theSkimm. You can sign up for free here using my referral code!

 

Read For Fun

 

 

 

Bliss by Shay Mitchell and Michaela Blaney

This caught my eye when it released last summer and I’ve been following Shay Mitchell on social media. It came through my library and reminded me very much of her role in Pretty Little Liars as far as writing and conversations went but for a much more mature audience. It follows three friends through their individual journeys to ‘find their bliss’ and was a very easy, light read. This won’t be the most profound thing you’ve ever read but it was entertaining and great for the lazy summer days or road trips coming up.

 

 

 

 

 

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

 

I listened to this via audiobook so it didn’t really sink in for me until the end of the book. This book was about the perfect suburbia many people know and hear about in every story line. The perfectly lined streets, planned out houses and established community. Then here comes a single mother with her daughter and…yep…a mysterious past. They rent a home from the wealthy family featured in the book and when their old friends try adopting a baby a dramatic custody battle starts.  There’s suspicion of motives, a divided town and whatever opinion you have before the final page.

 

  A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

I a friend reading this online and decided to give the Oprah Book Club selection a go. I listened to this on audio but from looking up the book online I saw the writing included separate sentences for conversations instead of punctuation. I also saw the drama and controversy over this book because of how many ‘facts’ were actually made up by the author. It was more than renaming characters, it was creating events that never happened. It was even nicknamed A Million Little Lies from online readers. This wasn’t something I enjoyed reading because I was hoping it would have some other story line or outcome. He didn’t show recovery or remorse that well, he didn’t appear to care about his actions and even while writing the book he chose a sketchy path to follow. There were friends of mine that said they really liked it so I would give this a shot but thought the most interesting part was the controversy. Let me know what you think if you read it.

 

 

 

Read For Improvement

 

 

 

 

 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

If you’re familiar with my cleaning and organizing habits then this would come as no surprise to you. This book goes through her ‘KonMarie’ method you might have heard of; holding an object and seeing if it brings you joy or not. While some of her tactics were a little woo-woo for me I did like how she reaffirmed reasons for letting things go. I plan on writing up about some of these thoughts but it’s the same reason some people get dressed up to work at home or do their hair/makeup each day. When you de-clutter and keep your space clean, you’re respecting it and helping yourself. There is no reason to hoard things that would better bless other people and help them to enjoy. Mark it for sale, donate it or recycle it. Look at your local providers to find resources for help with this. She tells you the order in which to organize, how to best fold or store, etc. Best way to not spend money AND gain clutter with more books? Get this from your library.

 

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Dr. Brown begins and ends this book with Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘Man In The Arena’ speech. She elaborates on vulnerability and what it takes to be courageous. She tells personal stories that flow with her educational lessons to embrace your insecurities and turn it into fuel for the fire. High schoolers, college students and professionals alike can all gain something valuable from this book.

 

Podcasts

Here is my original post on podcasts. I have added just a couple since then and wanted to share them with you:

 

 

 

 

 

How I Built This With Guy Raz

This is the ultimate podcast for entrepreneurs. From their bio “Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.” It’s like the business version of How It’s Made. I recently listened to the founder of Panera and found out he never had a passion for bread or bakeries but for business and a vision. The advice you hear on this show is motivating and it’s like you have a personal mentor at your fingertips.

 

The Jennifer Allwood Show

From the founder of The Magic Brush, Inc., Jennifer Allwood is the hometown KC girl. One of my clients uses her coaching for her creative business and that is what a lot of Jennifer’s energetic mentorship revolves around. While I don’t own a cupcake shop or craft store like a majority of her clients, I still listen to her perspective so I can learn and share that with clients I represent. This isn’t a podcast I regularly listen to and usually pick and choose based on topics but I do listen to her marketing experiences.

 

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You’re probably here for the FREE stuff, huh? Not a problem. Make sure you are following the blog (upper right of this page) to get free downloads in the future. Once you’re following, go ahead and download this document: GOALS FOR 2018 from Local Collaborative I mentioned to track your goals and adventures for the rest of the year.

 

Cheers!

Marin

PS: Are you enjoying these blogs? Have we worked together? I would love to get your short and honest review on my Facebook page. Thanks in advance!