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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-March 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

 

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

 

This is the first book in a trilogy that I read in the first few months of this year. I noticed after that it was being created into a movie and I think it will be a great comedy with the cast and production. The trilogy (linked above) dives deep into the Chinese and Asian cultures with a few funny mishaps. This isn’t usually something I would pick up to read but I still really enjoyed them and looked forward to hearing more. I listened as an audio book which helped with the characters and hearing their language and inflections. The movie, like the books, should be dramatic and might give you Gossip Girl vibes. Great for poolside this summer.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Liane is the author of Big Little Lies, The Husband’s Secret and some other big hitters that I’ve loved reading. This fictional book follows Alice, an Australian mom, while she struggles to recover ten years of lost memory. It isn’t a thriller but it does keep you guessing and putting puzzle pieces together along with Alice. I can highly recommend all of the books I’ve read from Liane so far!

 

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

This is one I started reading last year but just now finished. It’s long and I had to wait for it to come back up in the library. This is a fiction book but it just as easy could go under the ‘improvement’ section. This is a Christian-based storyline that follows a woman (Angel) who was orphaned into prostitution and experienced a life of tragedy. God sends the most stand-up, sought after man to marry her and you’ll follow both sides of their journey. Even though this is a Christian book, it does cover some language and sensitive subjects so anyone younger than 18 should have parent’s permission. With that disclaimer, I think this would be important for high schoolers to read as it talks about redeeming love through the most minor or major moments in your life.

 

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

From the same author as The Fault in Our Stars, John Green uses Turtles to describe mental illness in teens that can be difficult to describe otherwise. The main character is working with her friend to find another character’s missing (very rich) father for a large cash reward. You’ll feel their anxiety, worries and pain as she fails to enjoy the simplest parts of being a teenager due to her overpowering thoughts. As she wonders if she’s a threat to herself, she discovers a blog written about her (by her best friend) and how ‘debilitating’ she can be. Some people LOVED this book and others preferred Fault In Our Stars or thought it was too hard to read. I listened to this book on audio but think I would have understood it better on paper.

The Futures by Anna Pitoniak

If you’re in a long distance relationship, if you’re a senior in high school, if you’re in college or if you’re a new graduate (see a theme?) you absolutely will relate to this book. Anna describes events and falling apart of a selfish, confused couple seeking a relationship they weren’t looking for to begin with and wondering if it will stand the test of life changes. Your 20s are one of the most pivotal times in your life and things aren’t always black and white. Do I take this job or do I take this relationship and move? Do I move in with my parents or do I go to more schooling? This novel adds even more obstacles as it takes place during the financial crises in New York. GREAT read!

 

 Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates

This was long awaited on my holds list. Grist Mill Road is a descriptive, grisly written psychological thriller that focuses on three main characters, a big secret, murder, guns, criminal moves and marriage. It’s interesting, dark and twisted. You’ll feel empathy for each one of these characters and, while you will see a major change in them over the years, they don’t see it in one another. This took me about 3 weeks to read but I highly recommend.

 

Read For Improvement

Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt

This book is based around setting goals for New Year Resolutions but I think this is a step-by-step guide on how to create (and act on) SMARTER goals. This was a quick, easy read with some great takeaways and there were pages of examples for more visual learners. I would specifically recommend this for college students and above, working on their business and life goals.

 

Originals by Adam Grant

This book used lots of statistics which prove Adam’s thoughts and ideas. He interviews several ‘non-conformists’ but not the crazy kind. They’re successful, prominent and it comes with a discussion guide, chapter tests and more resources online if you’d like to use them. If nothing else, it’s an educational and motivating read whether you like statistics and numbers or not.

 

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There’s not a lot in this section, huh? I noticed that, too.

I am aiming for one of each category each month and audio books help me reach that goal. I’ve also substituted this book genre for podcasts (this is what I’m listening to) when working as well. I don’t have a big preference for how I get the info as long as I get it.

 

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!