I Read: Make Your Bed

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World by William H McRaven

This is such a simple little book, and the advice in it is very common sense, but it's written in a way that would probably make an impact for a different set of people than the traditional self-help set. 

There are very few people in the world who can't use a reminder or two that McRaven has written into his book, even if it's something they're already endeavouring to do in life. 

For example, the title piece of advice is to make your bed, every day.  Even if you accomplish nothing else in the day, you've achieved the first goal that you set out to do, which was to make your bed. It sets the day up for success in a simple way that nearly everyone would have no difficulty following. 

The other tidbits shared within are just as simple, but they make you think just a little bit about how you conduct your life. Some things are easy, some things are hard, but there is always room for change, room for growth. Take a chance to make the most of what you've got. Make your bed. 

#50-2021

I Read: Remembering Whitney

Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped by Cissy Houston

I picked this up figuring that if I was going to read a book about Whitney Houston, who better to have written it than her mother. I should have realized by the subtitle of this that the book would really be more about Cissy's relationship than about Whitney. I've always had that impression of Cissy Houston anyway - that she's really more interested in how the world affects her than anything else. 

It's kind of a mutual biography - of both Cissy and Whitney. It is interesting to read how Cissy got where she was and became who she is, as well as knowing how that framed her relationship with her kids. She's led a very musically influential life even without being Whitney Houston's mother, and I would imagine that she often gets overlooked because of that fact. 

I Read: Happy Women Live Differently

Happy Women Live Differently: 13 Ways to Trigger Your Happiness Every Day by Valorie Burton

I love the logic with which Valorie Burton writes. Nothing she says in her books is particularly groundbreaking, or earth-shattering, but most people would never reach these conclusions on their own. 

The thirteen triggers or areas that we each need to look at in order to live our best life are fairly simple to see. And taken individually they are also easy to adapt into your own life. You may not want to change all of them, but you can acknowledge that making the changes might increase the happiness in your life. 

The biggest take away from the book is to be at least content with your life the way that it is now. Dream big, keep striving, but don't expect reaching those goals to provide the miracle of happiness. Be happy now. Be happy with what you have now. Then strive to be better. 

#48-2021

I Read: Successful Women Think Differently

Successful Women Think Differently: 9 Habits to Make you Happier, Healthier and More Resilient by Valorie Burton

I loved this book.  Not because I have any grand ambitions to be "successful" in ways that most of the world would consider important, but actually because this book considers success differently than that. 

Success isn't about money, or power, or career advancement. It's about feeling fulfilled, content and happy with what you've achieved, and created. Learning how to frame your life and motivation in ways that make you feel successful is really the key to success. Do what motivates you, what you're passionate about and put your heart into it. That's how you become truly successful. 

The 9 habits are mostly common sense, but as with most practices a person doesn't actually give them much thought until someone else points them out. They make sense. They're logical. But Burton doesn't write them in a way that makes you feel stupid for not having clued into it before. 

This is a great read for anyone who's interested in being their better self, while also acknowledging that success isn't externally acquired. Find your joy, feed your passion. Live your best life. 

#47-2021
 

I Read: How to Think Like a Cat & Behind Every Great Woman is a Great Cat

How to Think Like a Cat by Stephane Garnier

Behind Every Great Woman is a Great Cat by Lulu Mayo

Alright, so I'm lumping these together because they were quick reads and don't deserve a lot of discussion. 

Firstly, thinking like a cat makes a lot of sense, when laid out in this manner. Cats really don't seem to put much thought into the things that tend to stress out people, and they take a lot of naps, which are stress relieving. Who isn't a fan of a nap? And less stress. Cats are not actually as independent as the author seems to portray because the reason they're able to be as stress-free is that they have doting owners/slaves to look after the details. But I'll let that go for sake of the broader point. 

Secondly, there are definitely some women in the book that I wouldn't necessarily have put in the "great" category (Taylor Swift anyone?) but the point still stands that there are a lot of very talented women who are also cat lovers.  And maybe that's not necessarily a coincidence. I like the concept of this book and appreciated that it's a mix of contemporary and historically significant women included. I would find it interesting to see if there are others that might resonate more clearly with me, but overall I did enjoy it. 

#45-2021 & #46-2021

I Read: The Princess Diarist

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

The world lost a great mind when we lost Carrie Fisher a few years ago. She was witty and self-effacing, and far smarter than she gave herself credit for. She wrote a number of books; this one happens to be an account of her first experiences being Princess Leia, making Star Wars and reflections on more recent situations that sprouted from that past. 

I watched Fisher's special called "Wishful Drinking" based on her book of the same name, and hurriedly picked up as many of her books as I could find. This was the first one I picked up to actually read. It's the penultimate book that she wrote while covering almost the oldest content. 

It was fun to hear her tales of the early days of Star Wars, interwoven with the fandom that it's become.  And her perspective of being in the midst of that fandom through no fault of her own. She respects the fans and their passion, while not really understanding how she's become such an idol within it. It's an interesting take on celebrity. 

I enjoy the personal way that Carrie writes (and yes, Carrie, because that's how she writes) - almost as if she's telling you the stories herself in person. Sharing what she knows with a group of friends. I wish I had read her books sooner. I would have appreciated her more. 

#44-2021

I Read: The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories

The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories by Charlaine Harris

I enjoyed this because it was like revisiting an old friend. I read the Sookie Stackhouse novels years ago, when True Blood was the popular thing to watch on HBO. So coming back to Bon Temps and seeing a few more glimpses into Sookie's world (with a few guest appearances from other series as well) was welcome. 

This is an anthology of short stories/novellas that had previously been included in other anthologies but are now collected under the Sookie banner.  With an introduction to the entire collection by Charlaine Harris, and then small explanations for each story and where it fits into the grander Sookie Stackhouse universe preceding each story. 

It makes me want to revisit the entire series, and include these stories in the order where they fit.  But with my current TBR pile seeming to multiply on its own overnight I don't think I can fit in a reread currently. 

If you're someone who enjoyed True Blood, or has read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, you'd do well to read this. It's just a nice quiet trip back to Bon Temps. 

#43-2021