My bookish friends, Noah and Leslie, decided to compete for "Best Book" each month. This month, Noah and Leslie submitted a self-help book for the February book. I intentionally wanted to keep it super broad because I love to learn and it gave each person an opportunity to submit what they thought was “self-help.”

This book is about leadership but also winning. Winning implies a zero-sum game, which I strongly disagree with as our world changes.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is about an unassuming man in an unassuming city in a government job devoid of all personality. But despite the dreary world, he works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY). After seventeen years, his near-perfect performance in his role vaulted him on an assignment to an island home to some of the most magical of magical children. And it’s there that his bubble pops, and his life is changed forever.

The premise of Four Thousand Weeks is that an average person lives for only four thousand weeks. What will you do with that time? All of human history has taken approximately 310,000 weeks. We are but a blip, and knowing this, Burkeman asks the reader, how will you get everything done?

Our main character, Lara Barnes, is plagued by the mysterious disappearance of her fiancé, Todd Sutton, on their wedding day. His disappearance matched an identical disappearance from thirty years earlier on the same day in the same place.

Having a book goal keeps me from watching too much TV or playing endlessly on my phone. After reading 12 books in January, here are my favorites.

At the end of each year, I work on strategy, goals, and content ideas for this site. My big goal for 2022 is to reach more fiction. I've spent the last two years on a big non-fiction binge, and I'm missing the world of fiction. I also wanted to mix up my content and include a fun way of reviewing books. So, my bookish friends, Noah and Leslie, decided to compete for "Best Book" each month.

What struck me in reading this book is the argument Desmond makes for the home being central to breaking negative generational trauma cycles. These systems and cycles disproportionately affect people of color, highlighting racial inequalities in other systems. I hope Evicted shines a light on the need for stable housing for all and shapes the political debate.

Starting a Book Club at work is comes with both benefits and challenges. I’m a big fan of them, but you may find that choosing a book to read with your coworkers is no easy feat. Here’s a quick and easy list for you to save and refer to anytime you find yourself stumped when suggesting books.

Many executives want to start book clubs to encourage emerging and existing leaders to learn from others’ mistakes, think differently, and apply knowledge from multiple industries to their daily roles.

So, how do you start a book club at work – and keep it going?

The fictional story reads like it is part memoir, with a bit of fantasy and a healthy dose of a love story. It hooked me immediately with the tale of a aboy whose skin is so dark we only ever hear him called Soot. Then, our main character’s story pulled me in; he’s an author on a book tour promoting his newest release, Hell of a Book.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows Pippa (Pip), who, for her senior project, attempts to solve the disappearance and alleged murder of a local popular girl, Andie Bell. The alleged killer’s brother gets pulled in to help Pippa, and together, they uncover things neither ever expected.

After starting a new job at a company with fewer than thirty employees, I’ve been reading more and more about building great companies and cultures. Principles fits the bill.

Reading is one of the quickest and most inexpensive ways to learn and improve. If you’re looking to make reading a habit or looking for books in specific areas, I’ve put together a list of the best books for New Year’s Resolutions.

157/100 Books Read

Here are my top 16 books from 2021!

Happy Holidays! Time for stillness, reflection, and quiet action.

There’s no shortage of ways to share books around gift-giving occasions. If you want something for a specific type of reader in your life, here are my favorites.

As we prep for the end of the year, I’ve been researching fairy lore and legends and watching shows like The Witcher and The Wheel of Time and rewatching The Lord of the Rings. It’s amazing to read all types of myths and tales from history to see how they show up in today’s pop culture!

100 Book Challenge: 135/100

Stretch Goal: 135/150

Thank you for being a part of this community.

Personal preferences are important because if you don’t like a book, you’re probably not learning from it. However, there are millions upon millions of books published each year. Read some reviews. Follow book reviewers online. Talk to your friends and people you admire and see what they are reading. Ask questions and try something new.