2017 Reading Challenge - Part 3

“So many books, so little time.” 
Frank Zappa

In 2017, I set a New Year’s resolution – a reading challenge to read 30 books in a year. By December 31, I had achieved my goal plus some – 38 books read.

Here is the list of books I read in 2017, along with a few closing reflections.

Business
Mentoring 101, John C. Maxwell
The End of Membership as We Know It: Building the Must-Have Association of the Next Century, Sarah Sladek
E-Lawyer: A Guide to Legal Practice Leadership in the Internet Age, Adam Newhouse
The Lawyer’s Guide to Succession Planning: A Project Management Approach for Successful Law Firm Transitions and Exits
The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career, Reid Hoffman

Fiction
Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver
Small Great Things, Jodi Picoult
Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult
Second Glance, Jodi Picoult
Salem Falls, Jodi Picoult
Winter Street, Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Stroll, Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Storms, Elin Hilderbrand
The Barrowfields, Phillip Lewis

Non-Fiction
Christmas at Biltmore: Celebrating America’s Largest Home, The Biltmore Company
Biltmore: An American Masterpiece, The Biltmore Company
Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making it Work, Tim Gunn
Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell
How to Life Like a Gentleman: Lessons in Life, Manners, and Style, Sam Martin

Health
It Starts with Food: Discovery the While30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways, Dallas Hartwig
The Whole 30: The Official 30-day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, Melissa Hartwig
Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt and Anxiety Around Food, Melissa Hartwig

Memoir
What Happened, Hillary Rodham Clinton
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy, Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant
A Long Way Home, Saroo Brierley
Open, Andre Agassi
One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, Marie Monville
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife, Dr. Eben Alexander
Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling
My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem

Political
The Loudest Voice in the Room: How Roger Ailes and Fox News Remade American Politics, Gabriel Sherman

Self-help
Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organzing, Marie Kondo

Spiritual
Holy Bible, New International Version
Give God a Year, Change Your Life Forever, Carole Lewis
The Women of Easter: Encounter the Savior with Mary of Bethany, Mary of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene, Liz Curtis Higgs
When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life, Squire Rushnell
Lies We Believe About God, William Paul Young

Reflections

As I mentioned yesterday, setting the Reading Challenge made me intentional in my desire to accomplish my goal. I spent less time watching television, reading magazines and web stories to focus on books.

Another benefit of my reading challenge was a health challenge. Several friends and family members read the Whole30 health books in 2017 and we followed the Whole30 eating plan. The idea is simple – whole foods for 30 days. It is a nutritional reset where you avoid dairy, sugar, alcohol, grains, and legumes for 30 days. As a result, I lost weight and saw an improvement in several medical markers such as blood pressure and cholesterol readings. I am a big fan of Whole30 and love sharing tips and recipes.

One reason I decided to leave my reading goal at 30 books instead of increasing it is to spend more time writing. While I write plenty for work, I want to spend more time on recreational writing. My personal blog hasn’t seen any attention in recent years so I’m dusting off “Traveling Mercies” and I plan to dedicate hours to this writing project in 2018.

Reading is my favorite pastime and I enjoyed the many hours spent on my reading challenge. I know several of us have this in common and I hope you have countless happy hours reading in 2018.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Technology is Overrated

Do you Twitter? I’m trying to decide if I should. I’m thinking about doing it, so a friend told me to go ahead and set up my Twitter account and follow other people. The cocktail party concept, you have to listen to some of the conversation before jumping in. So, I set up a Twitter account. “It’s so easy, everyone says, only takes a minute. Find some people, follow them and you’re done.” So, I set up the account. First, I had to spend some time thinking what my Twitter “handle” (name) would be. Good grief – what a decision. Should I go with my real name? Should I go with a pseudonym? Do you have to worry about cyber stalking on Twitter? I was really just worried about not following Twitter protocol under my real name, but I decided if I’m going to do this, it might as well be for real. So my Twitter handle is @camillestell. Next, I had to figure out how to follow people. I’m sure for those who aren’t technologically challenged, all of this is a breeze. But I have to do research. Look a...
Read more

Changing Seasons

Image
It’s finally beginning to feel like fall. Today, I’m wearing a sweater and boots, for me a sure sign of changing seasons. During this time of year, I’m sure that fall is my favorite season. I love how invigorating cooler temperatures feel and how deep blue the sky looks after a summer of baby blue softness. I love the robust colors – orange, burgundy and gold. In the fall, one of my favorite things to do is to go to a pumpkin farm and walk around admiring the hundreds of pumpkins plucked from the patch waiting for me to adopt and perch on my front steps. And while I’m walking around admiring the pumpkins and the fall mums, hopefully, I’m drinking apple cider or eating pumpkin ice-cream – a once a year treat. On Saturday, I’ll take my 7 year old niece Carly and 11 year old nephew Lane to the pumpkin farm and we’ll do all of this and more. There will be a corn maze, wagon rides and face painting. But my primary goal will be making memories. There will come a day when the pumpkin patch wo...
Read more

My 2016 Reading Challenge - Part 3

“If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.”   Ralph Waldo Emerson In 2016, I set a New Year’s resolution – a reading challenge to read 52 books in a year. By December 31, I had achieved my goal plus one – 53 books read in 2016. I discussed the challenge in Post 1 and Post 2. Here is the list of books I read in 2016, along with a few closing reflections. Biography Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, Ben Montgomery Business The Future of the Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts, Richard Susskind Lawyers at Midlife: Laying the Groundwork for the Road Ahead, A Personal and Financial Retirement Planner for Lawyers, Michael Long Personal Branding 101: How to Develop Your Brand With Ease, Katy Goshtasbi The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars, Joel Glenn Brenner Internet Branding for Lawyers: Building a Cl...
Read more