Am I the only one that blinked and October was over? I swear I was just at the University of Alabama visiting my oldest child for parents’ weekend and now all of a sudden there’s snow on the ground and we’re figuring out how big of a turkey we need for Thanksgiving. I only read six books last month, but each of them stood out in a very unique way and all six are definitely books worth reading.
If you know me, you know I’m a personal development junkie. Extreme Ownership and Big Magic were both books worth reading and both spoke words to me that I need to hear right now. I loved the style of Extreme Ownership. I’m not sure everyone would find the military stories as fascinating as I did, but Willink and Babin did a wonderful job of weaving those compelling (and sometimes heartbreaking) stories into real-world leadership lessons that are applicable in a multitude of personal and professional situations.
I will admit I was hesitant to read Big Magic after ditching Eat, Pray, Love somewhere in the first 100 pages and slogging through The Signature of All Things only to feel like it never really got any better. So many of my creative friends and idols SWORE I would love Big Magic that I decided to give it a try. I gave the book 4 stars because there are parts of the book that have me convinced that I am destined to become a great novelist. I didn’t give the book 5 stars because there are parts of the book that felt the same way Eat, Pray, Love did and I wanted to throw it against a wall. The best part of the book to me, though, was when she talked about writing The Signature of All Things. Even though I didn’t personally enjoy that book, I loved hearing how the idea was initially born, then how it grew and formed into the book it became, warts and all. If you are creative with dreams, no matter how big or small, this is definitely a book worth reading.
I thought that The Rosie Result, Evvie Drake Starts Over, and Ask Again, Yes would all feel similar when I read them… chicklit, fun reads, right? (did you read The Rosie Project? Hello quirky humor at its best!) But Ask Again, Yes was not chicklit nor was it fun. It was a heartbreakingly real family drama that stayed with me long after I finished it. It forces you to contemplate your own definitions of family, friendship, and forgiveness and how they affect each other. But Evvie Drake??? Chicklit at its finest… until my bookclub got a hold of it. We agreed that this is a perfect Hallmark Christmas movie until you start digging into the whys and wherefores of what is actually going on in the book. A charming read that really hits home about love and friendship.
So that leaves the Rosie Result… surely Don and Rosie came through with a little lighthearted fiction??? I am happy to report that, yes, Don Tillman is just as quirky as ever and now Hudson, their just-as-quirky son, has joined the mix. If you haven’t read The Rosie Project and The Rosie Result I highly recommend this trio of books not only because the story is fun, engaging, and relevant, but because the characters are so absolutely lovable (most of the time).
And because Halloween…. my other bookclub chose The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware. If you haven’t read any of Ware’s books yet, add them to your TBR and get on it. I really enjoyed this one… many in my book club declared this to be their favorite by Ware. I still give that honor to In a Dark, Dark, Wood but this one was good. “Agatha Christie good.” You can read about another of her books, The Turn of the Key, in my August Wrap Up.
Links will take you to Goodreads, summaries are from Goodreads as well! Enjoy!
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (4 stars)
How much can a family forgive?
A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the bond between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, two rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne—sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Francis and Lena’s daughter, Kate, and Brian and Anne’s son, Peter. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while tested by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace.
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (3 stars)
In a small town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her house. Everyone in town, including her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and she doesn’t correct them. In New York, Dean Tenney, former major-league pitcher and Andy’s childhood friend, is struggling with a case of the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and he can’t figure out why. An invitation from Andy to stay in Maine for a few months seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button.
When Dean moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken–and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. But before they can find out what might lie ahead, they’ll have to wrestle a few demons: the bonds they’ve broken, the plans they’ve changed, and the secrets they’ve kept. They’ll need a lot of help, but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance–right up until the last out.
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (4 stars)
“An incredible book… you teach guys and gals about leadership and you’ve helped not only military guys but families.” – Megyn Kelly
“You show in the book how to motivate… thanks for writing the book Extreme Ownership.” Bill O’Reilly
“[Jocko] is the co-author of an incredible new book – which I’ve been loving. Trust me. Buy it.” – Tim Ferriss
“This is a life-learning lesson for everyone… the book is awesome.” – Sean Hannity
Sent to the most violent battlefield in Iraq, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s SEAL task unit faced a seemingly impossible mission: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a city deemed “all but lost.” In gripping firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories in SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, they learned that leadership—at every level—is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails.Willink and Babin returned home from deployment and instituted SEAL leadership training that helped forge the next generation of SEAL leaders. After departing the SEAL Teams, they launched Echelon Front, a company that teaches these same leadership principles to businesses and organizations. From promising startups to Fortune 500 companies, Babin and Willink have helped scores of clients across a broad range of industries build their own high-performance teams and dominate their battlefields.
Now, detailing the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, Extreme Ownership shows how to apply them to any team, family or organization. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic such as Cover and Move, Decentralized Command, and Leading Up the Chain, explaining what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in any leadership environment.
A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership revolutionizes business management and challenges leaders everywhere to fulfill their ultimate purpose: lead and win.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (4 stars)
“A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life… I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar
From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of
Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware (3 stars)
On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.
Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the centre of it.
The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion (4 stars)
I was standing on one leg shucking oysters when the problems began…
Don and Rosie are back in Melbourne after a decade in New York, and they’re about to face their most important project.
Their son, Hudson, is having trouble at school: his teachers say he isn’t fitting in with the other kids. Meanwhile, Rosie is battling Judas at work, and Don is in hot water after the Genetics Lecture Outrage. The life-contentment graph, recently at its highest point, is curving downwards.
For Don Tillman, geneticist and World’s Best Problem-Solver, learning to be a good parent as well as a good partner will require the help of friends old and new.
It will mean letting Hudson make his way in the world, and grappling with awkward truths about his own identity.
And opening a cocktail bar.
Hilarious and thought-provoking, with a brilliant cast of characters and an ending that will have readers cheering for joy, The Rosie Result is the triumphant final instalment of the internationally bestselling series that began with The Rosie Project.
What were your October books worth reading? LMK in the comments!!!!
Did you enjoy this?
Check out more of my monthly wrap ups here!
