Whether you followed along with us during our first book club last year or not, we are launching it back up again for 2018.
Last year was our first year, so we were learning as we went along. We quickly discovered that reading one book a month didn’t work for everyone. It was moving too quickly, and by April-ish, people were already really far behind. As we went along, we discovered that some of our book choices weren’t books that everyone wanted to read. By July we were burned out! We couldn’t keep up!
SO- this year, we are making some changes. We will launch the group and have a once a month poll/discussion topic or check-in about what our members are reading or how they are doing with their own personal goals.
If you are interested in joining the book club- we go through the goodreads app which you can access via computer or phone, and it even keeps track of the books you have read! We chat in our group and update once we have finished a book.
Click here to join!
Although I exceeded my goal of 12 books in 2017 (I read the ENTIRE Harry Potter series over the Summer with my 8 year old), I have a ton of books I want to read in 2018!
Here are some of my favorites from 2017 and why. (You can buy any of these books at your local book store, but if you purchase through the affiliate links, SDMB will get a small portion of the sale.)
Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley. I thoroughly enjoyed this very quick read. I feel like her life and my life mirror each other a LOT. As moms, we are constantly stressed about one thing or another, and we are so hard on ourselves. Her book really puts things into perspective and makes even the most insane mom feel remotely normal. I have yet to read A Simplified Life, and I also can’t afford a $60 planner, so for now, I will likely re-read Grace, Not Perfection when I need to bring myself back down to earth.
Eat Smart by Niomi Smart. This gem was gifted to me last year by my SDMB writing team for Christmas. I loved every aspect of it! Inside you will find recipes, thoughts on why you should eat right and lots of inspiration partnered with some beautiful food photos. When women take care of themselves and put themselves first, they can be energized and led to be the best moms and wives as possible. I am a firm believer that eating right an exercising isn’t for losing weight- it’s to have the best life that you possibly can!
The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst. I think I read this 2-3 times last year. Not because it was too overwhelming or too full of information- mostly because I needed the REMINDERS! The main one being- IT’S OK TO SAY NO! Say this out loud a few times a day… seriously. It’s ok to say no. Really. Also, try the study guide that goes along with it. I didn’t have it, but I bet it’s a great tool! This is pretty faith focused, so just know that before deciding if this is the right purchase for you.
The rest of these reads were equally as wonderful as the ones listed above. Grit (well worth the price) and How Remarkable Women Lead are great reads for small business owners or entrepreneurs. I also read a few John Maxwell books (borrowed from the library) that talk about how to be a great leader.
The Stress Proof Brain was a little something I needed to read to really dig deep and figure out WHY us mamas consistently feel stressed. It was great figuring out some of the science behind those issues and applying some of the suggestions shared in the book.
I will admit, Present-Over-Perfect was a long read for me. I am not sure if I had trouble connecting with the author because of her writing or because I wasn’t in a great space personally or what- but I am scared to read it again because it took me well over 3 months to get through. Maybe I will give it another shot in 2018.
What are you looking forward to reading in 2018??
Don’t forget to join our group on Goodreads!
