When I was a little girl, I was a voracious reader. My nose was always in a book and I remember thinking that it would be so cool if I could read every book in the children’s section of the library. (Clearly, this was the beginning of my love for goals, albeit a bit unattainable!)
The January is for Learning Challenge has awakened that love for books again. At the beginning, I had to “force” myself to sit down and read. I had so many distractions: my phone, the computer, TV…they all seemed easier and more attractive. But I fought through and the habit has remained. I’m excited to see how many books I can get through in 2015.
Here are the four I read in January:
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
I first heard about this book from Anna…I think she posted on Instagram? She was a fan and I liked it a lot too. The main advice is that you should work ON your business, not just IN it. He makes the case that you cannot build a successful business around something you are skilled at. If you only want to be a worker, you should continue working for someone else! In order to be successful on your own, you need the bigger picture component as well. Gerber lays out a clear road map for creating systems within your company and I will definitely be incorporating a few of the ideas into Big White Farmhouse soon.
Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
This was an assigned family read aloud for M’s school and we all enjoyed it! It is about a boy who adopts two owls and each chapter describes an adventure. The writing is funny, the chapters are just long enough for the reader (you won’t go hoarse trying to finish!) and my boys wanted an owl for our house by the end.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
How do I even begin to describe this book? It is about the friendship of two women, one a teenager and the other elderly, who have lived difficult lives. I was sucked in from the first few pages, my heart breaking as their stories of the past unfolded. I hesitate to call it “good” because how can foster care and child neglect be good? It’s definitely a moving story and I recommend it.
Joy to the World by Scott Hahn
I received this book from Blogging for Books for review and could not wait to read it! Scott Hahn can always be counted on to explain Catholic theology in a simple, understandable way and Joy to the World was no exception. In this book, he encourages the readers to look closely at the different parts of the Christmas story (the town of Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph, the angels, etc.) and then weaves the story back together. It was like looking at Christmas with brand new eyes! This book would be a wonderful choice for Advent next year.
What books have you been reading? Share in the comments! I’m always looking for new recommendations!
