Growing Up Amish

Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

My rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed Ira Wagler’s life story. The Amish lifestyle is intriguing. Wagler tells of his inner struggle to define himself and define his beliefs.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“Ira Wagler was born in 1961, the ninth of a Canadian Amish couple's eleven children. At seventeen, in the dark of night, he left the religious settlement, but it was only nine years later that he finally left the church for good. His favorite Bible verse is from Psalm 34: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." In this new memoir, he tells what it was like growing up Old World Amish and what it felt like leaving it for a strange new world. Far more than picturesque; Growing Up Amish conveys one man's heartfelt experience.”

The Wedding Girl

The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)

My rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My Thoughts:

I’m not a huge Sophie Kinsella fan, but gave this one a try. It was a decent read. I felt that the characters lacked substance. Very airy and fluffy.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“At the age of eighteen, in that first golden Oxford summer, Milly was up for anything. Rupert and his American lover Allan were all part of her new, exciting life, and when Rupert suggested to her that she and Allan should get married, just so that Allan could stay in the country, Milly didn't hesitate, and to make it seem real she dressed up in cheap wedding finery and posed on the steps of the registry office for photographs.

Ten years later, Milly is a very different person. Engaged to Simon - who is wealthy, serious, and believes her to be perfect - she is facing the biggest and most elaborate wedding imaginable. Her mother has it planned to the finest detail, from the massive marquee to the sculpted ice swans filled with oysters. Her dreadful secret is locked away so securely she has almost persuaded herself that it doesn't exist - until, with only four days to go, her past catches up with her.

Suddenly, her carefully constructed world is about to crash in ruins around her. How can she tell Simon she's already married? How can she tell her mother? But as the crisis develops, more secrets are revealed than Milly could possibly have realised…”

Taking the Leap

Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves From Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron

My rating:

4 stars—I really liked it.

My thoughts:

Pema Chodron is inspirational. What he brings to light here seems so simple, but is incredibly hard. This book reminded me to stay in the moment, to live my life to my standards. I always need reminding…every day.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“In this book Pema Chödrön shows us how to break free of destructive patterns in our lives and experience a new sense of freedom and happiness. Drawing on the Buddhist concept of shenpa, she helps us to see how certain habits of mind tend to “hook” us and get us stuck in states of anger, blame, self-hatred, and addiction. The good news is that once we start to see these patterns, we can begin to change our lives for the better.

The key is learning a new way of facing the inevitable difficulties and insecurities of our daily lives: we must learn how to stay present and open our hearts. “This path entails uncovering three basic human qualities,” explains Pema. “These qualities have always been with us but perhaps have gotten buried and almost forgotten. They are natural intelligence, natural warmth, and natural openness. Everyone, everywhere, all over the globe, has these qualities and can call on them to help themselves and others."

This book gives us the insights and practices we can immediately put to use in our lives to awaken these essential qualities. In her friendly and encouraging style, Pema Chödrön helps us to take a bold leap toward a new way of living—one that will bring about positive transformation for ourselves and for our troubled world.”

How

How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything…in Business (and in Life) by Dov Seidman

My Rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My Thoughts:

This book had a lot of good information. Interesting stuff!

Description from Goodreads.com:

“The flood of information and unprecedented transparency reshaping today's business world has dramatically changed the rules of the game. It's no longer "what" you do that sets you apart from others, but "how" you do what you do. "Whats" are commodities, easily duplicated or reverse-engineered. Sustainable advantage and enduring success--for both companies and the people who work for them--now lie in the realm of "how," the new frontier of conduct. For more than a decade, Dov Seidman's pioneering organization, LRN, has helped some of the world's most respected companies build "do it right," winning cultures. Seidman's distinct vision of the world, business, and human endeavor has enabled more than ten million people doing business in over 100 countries to outbehave the competition. In "HOW: Why How We" "Do Anything Means Everything . . . in Business (and in Life)," Dov Seidman shares his unique approach with you. Through entertaining anecdotes, surprising case studies, cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, and revealing interviews with a diverse group of business leaders, experts, and everyday people on the front lines, this book explores how we think, how we behave, and how we govern ourselves to uncover the values-driven "hows" of 21st-century success.Divided into four comprehensive parts, this insightful guide: Exposes the forces and factors that have fundamentally changed the world in which business operates, placing a new focus on the "hows" with which we conduct ourselvesProvides frameworks to help you understand these "hows" and implement them in powerful and productive waysHelps you channel your actions and decisions to thrive uniquely within today's new business realitiesSheds light on the systems of "how"--the dynamics between people that shape organizational culture--and introduces a bold new vision for winning through self-governance

The qualities that many once thought of as "soft"--trust, integrity, values, and reputation--are now the hard currency of business success and the ultimate drivers of efficiency, productivity, and profitability. With in-depth insights and practical advice, "HOW" will help you bring excellence and significance to your business endeavors--and your life--and refocus your efforts in powerful new ways. If you want to stand out, to thrive in our fast changing, hyperconnected, and hypertransparent world, open this book and discover "HOW."”

The Blessings of the Animals

The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

My Rating:

5 stars—I loved it. Amazing.

My Thoughts:

Katrina Kittle is extremely talented. I love all of her stories that I’ve read so far. She is able to convey such deep emotion. I loved Cami in this one, very complex and very realistic.

A definite recommend!

Description from Goodreads.com:

“From Katrina Kittle, critically acclaimed author of The Kindness of Strangers, comes a wry and moving story of forgiveness, flexibility, happiness, and the art of moving on.

Veterinarian Cami Anderson has hit a rough patch. Stymied by her recent divorce, she wonders if there are secret ingredients to a happy, long-lasting marriage or if the entire institution is outdated and obsolete. Couples all around her are approaching important milestones. Her parents are preparing to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. Her brother and his partner find their marriage dreams legally blocked. Her former sister-in-law—still her best friend—is newly engaged. The youthfully exuberant romance of her teenage daughter is developing complications. And three separate men—including her ex-husband—are becoming entangled in Cami's messy post-marital love life.

But as she struggles to come to terms with her own doubts amid this chaotic circus of relationships, Cami finds strange comfort in an unexpected confidant: an angry, unpredictable horse in her care. With the help of her equine soul mate, she begins to make sense of marriage's great mysteries—and its disconnects.”

By the Light of My Father's Smile

By the Light of My Father’s Smile by Alice Walker

My rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My Thoughts:

I am a huge Alice Walker fan. I love her work. This particular book I found a bit odd, but enjoyed it overall.

I think I need to do a more thorough reading at some point…

Description from Goodreads.com:

'All your life you have the necessary illusion that you know all there is to know about heartbreak. I hate to the one to tell you about the heartbreak you will experience after you die...' A family goes to the remote sierras of Mexico - the writer-to--be Susannah; her sister Magdalena; their father and mother. There, amid indigenous people called the Mundo, they begin an encounter that will change them more than they ever could have dreamed. This is a deeply sensual novel that explores the richness of female sexuality as a celebration of life, affirming the belief 'that it is the triumphant heart, not the conquered heart, that forgives. And that love is both timeless and beyond'.