What I read so far 2020
- rena
- Jun 1, 2020
- 6 min read
Since the world is crazy, I thought it would be good to catch up on my TBR shelves. Yes, that’s right, shelves. Including the digital shelf. I made it a personal goal to finish all the series I was in the middle of this year and to read some self-development books in between.
We are six months into the year 2020 and we already had numerous disasters happen. It doesn’t even feel like six months has passed, probably because for me 2 months were spent in quarantine. I love to hole up and forget everything with a nice book.
This post includes links to where you can buy these books if you are interested! None of the links are affiliated, I just included them for your ease, so click away! And also the book photos were taken from the websites I linked to.
Here is what I read so far this year in no particular order:
Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life by Barbara Stanny.
This book was insightful even if I found most of the “strategies” to be actions and behaviors I was mostly aware of, so not surprised. Since the book was published in 2004, most of the information I read I also found in workshops or other financial spaces. However, this book is a very easy read, has the information in a fluid motion to help jumpset your changes, and it helped me reconsider my mindset with money.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey.
I don’t know why I never read this book before now. It was free on Prime Reading, so I downloaded and began my journey. In the self-help space, this book has to be the number 1 recommended and I now see why. What I am working on right now is empathetic listening. This book is a great read whether you are trying to better yourself personally or professionally.
The Dream and the Underworld by James Hillman.
What a ride this book was. I had bought it from a used bookstore in Portland, Maine two years ago and finally decided to start reading it as part of the research for my next novel (hint hint). It takes a look at Greek mythology and how the realm of dreams connects us to the underworld more than it reflects our own day-to-day life. It was a very interesting perspective. I only wish I knew a little more about Greek mythos before reading this, but I think you can get the picture without knowing too much.
Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media by Brittany Hennessy.
I worried a little that this book would be outdated since it was published in 2018 and the digital world moves at light speed. But I was so glad I read it. I thought this would be like Branding Yourself by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacey, but since it was free on Prime Reading, I figured another similar book wouldn’t hurt. But oh no, I was wrong! This book was from the perspective of a PR person whose job is to seek and work with influencers, and I think many influencers would benefit from this read! Too often do people take their opportunities for granted or don’t realize that this is still a professional job, and Hennessy does a great job outlining the do’s and don’t’s of working with brands.
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown.
I loved her Ted Talks, so why not read a book? I wanted to read a few books that would specifically help me professionally, and this book will definitely do so! She takes a look at commonplace actions and behaviors in the workplace, how those actions and behaviors can be harmful to not only our business but to our employees, and she explains how we can solve the issues.There is also a free workbook and online resources to practice some of the easy-to-remember methods by yourself or with your work team.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek.
This was recommended to me by my boss as a book for professional/managerial development. I think it is a great addition or partner to Brown’s book. Sinek delves deep into why we do what we do. Why do we get up every morning and work at this business or run this business? Once we have that down, everything else falls into place.
The Poetry of Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman.
I haven’t read any poetry since college. And I graduated four years ago. I had picked up a few poetry books and fell back in love with it. Whitman is one of my favorites because he takes the mundane and shows it beauty. He is also huge on nature and love. This book was just a collection of his works from multiple volumes of his writing, but it was a good collection.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
I don’t know why I picked this book to read first after I said I would focus on finishing series first. Ooh boy, this is a LONG one. But it was worth it. Even though it was written in 1999, many of the ideals and issues are relevant today. I didn’t think I would stay interested in a trans-continental railroad company nor people whose every move was a grand gesture for capitalism, but I found myself intrigued. It made me think about how businesses are run and how people don’t want to work for what they receive. Entitlement is a big issue in this book.
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King: The Waste Lands & Wizard and Glass.
This is the main series I wanted to finish this year. I was dragging my feet with it. My grandma had given me her copies of the series, and after she died, I decided it was time to get this series finished. I read two books and am in the middle of another, which I will talk about in the next section. Speaking of wild rides, this series is a trip. The walls of dimensions and time are coming down and worlds are colliding. The ka-tet are traveling through weird towns lost in time and plight. Wizard and Glass has to be my favorite so far because I am a sucker for a love story, and we finally get introduced to Susan, Roland’s first love. This whole series is a darkly comedic western. I never thought I would like something like it, yet here we are.
So, of course, since I can never focus on one book at a time, I am in the middle of three books right now. I usually have one ebook and one physical book that I am reading. I try to keep one non-fiction and one fiction, but things happen.
The Wolves of the Calla (Dark Tower Series #5) by Stephen King
We have come to a town that needs help. Some of the folk have accepted the fact that humans or creatures (they can’t really tell) in wolf masks take one of their twin babies then returns them as mentally-devoid shells of themselves. Most of the beginning is story-telling from the priest, and how he got to this world from Earth, but it’s at least interesting. All the ka-tet’s backgrounds are told in the earlier books before they are “drawn” into this world. I am getting to the part where the wolves are coming, so am excited to see where this goes.
Codependency for Dummies by Darlene Lancer
This is another recommendation for me, but from my counselor/therapist this time. I only had 3 sessions with her, but she thought this would really help and oh my so it does. This book has sent me on an emotional rollercoaster about why I am the way I am and I am now getting to the part on how to heal from that. It goes through families who have an addict or mentally ill person that causes codependency throughout the household. It also touches on abuse which unfortunately resonated with me and has me thinking about my relationships with my mother’s side of the family. I am looking forward to further deep-diving into these emotions, and I might pick up Lancer’s Conquering Shame and Codependency next. If you are having trouble accepting yourself, so you hide your true self to be accepted, this is a good read for you. It helps you identify your emotions and learn how to set boundaries as well.It is an easy read, no hard to understand psychological lingo, but it really gets down in the dirt about understanding your Self, relationships, and how to begin healing.
English Romantic Poetry: An Anthology edited by Stanley Appelbaum
I forgot to mention that I would also like to keep a poetry book in my rotation as well! Poetry really brings me comfort and I feel the beauty of it has been lost from the mainstream. This book includes works from our boys Wordsworth, Byron, Coleridge, Blake, Shelley, and Keats. The authors are described briefly in the beginning with some comments on some of the poems, and then the rest of the book is just pure poetry.
Have you read any of these books? Or let me know which ones you plan on reading, I want to know your thoughts in the comments!
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