Books Read: 3rd Quarter 2026

For the 3rd quarter of 2026 I managed to read 5 books. The is the most number of books I have read in a quarter in a long time.

1) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck: an interesting look into how to have a more growth oriented mindset. There were a few tips that I was able to take away for myself and the boys. 

2) Be Your Own Bestie: A No-Nonsense Guide to Changing the Way You Treat Yourself by Misha Brown: I have been following Misha on social media for awhile now. When he announced his book I knew I had to read it. It is defiantly in his style of being kind while also not pulling any punches. And he also blends in a bit of humor as well. 

3) What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings - and Life by Laura Vanderkam: the description of a short guide is right on - it was only about 30 pages or so. It was fine since it was such a short read but there was not really any new ground being broken.

4) Solitary: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement by Albert Woodfox: this book will make you angry. The abuse and corruption this man dealt with during his time behind bars is crazy. I would hope that things have changed in the system I have my doubts.

5) The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland: this was a fun cozy mystery set in England. I didn't figure it out until closer to the end of the story. I loved the interaction of the 3 main characters and they way their different personalities compliment each other. 

Books Read: 2nd Quarter 2026

For the 2nd quarter of 2026 I finished 5 books.

1) A Few Drops of Bitters: A Savannah Reid Mystery by G.A. McKevett: another installment of one of my favorite cozy mystery series. These books are not great literature but they are fun and easy to read.

2) Wake Up Grateful: The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted by Kristi Nelson: this book was a nice blend of a memoir and practical advice. It did get a bit repetitive at times though.

3) Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham: an interesting look into the case that inspired the movie Heavenly Creatures. The author is able to breakdown the legal and psychological parts of the trial very well.

4) The Child by Fiona Barton: the second book in the Kate Waters trilogy. I enjoyed the twist at the end. I knew that things were not quite as they seemed but I did not guess the reveal.

5) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, PhD: the author gave good practical tips on how to move from a fixed to growth mindset. It really made me think about how I talk not only to myself but to the boys and what to change to make all of us have a more growth mindset.
 

Books Read - 1st Quarter 2026

I am still working on getting my reading mojo back and it has been rough going at times. For the 1st quarter of 2026 I read the following 4 books.

1) Death of a Ghost Writer (Wye Valley Widows Book 1) by Gaynor Torrance: a nice and easy cozy mystery. Two of the main characters learn that they are married to the same man who also has a 3rd wife. Eventually they learn that the husband has been murdered and they must solve the mystery.

2) 10% Happier by Dan Harris: part memoir part self-help book this is an interesting look at how meditation can help us move through our lives with ease.

3) Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Musical 'Rent' by Anthony Rapp: I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the origins of my favorite musical Rent from the original Mark. I will say that I was reading this book around the anniversary of my mom's death so reading about him also losing his mom hit me pretty hard.

4) Why Has Nobody Told  Me This Before? by Julie Smith: this book tells us how to deal with the many problems we face in our lives that are very common but we rarely talk about. It did have a few good options for how to handle these different issues. 

Books Read: 4th Quarter 2025

So I fell 2 books short of my GoodReads 2025 reading challenge. I finished 18 of 20 books and to be honest several of them were really short. I set my goal for 2026 at 20 again so we will see how it goes. These are the books I finished in the 4th quarter of 2025.

1) The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau: I liked the way that this book highlights relatively small businesses and how they became what they became. It is nice to read success stories of people who seem relatable unlike the billionaires of the world.

2) We Are Inevitable by Gayle Foreman: a look at grief, family dynamics and love and how they affect us. I really did not like the main character I found him to be very whiny but I think he was written that way purposely.

3) The Haunted Mitten: A Guide to Haunted Locations, Ghost Stories, and Spooky Happenings Throughout Michigan by L.A. Miller: one of the very short books I read. A fairly interesting read.

4) Supernatural Michigan by James Blessing: another one of my shorty books. The stories in this one were a bit different than the normal haunted location stories.

5) Hauntings, Spirits, and Eats Michigan by Kathy Conder: I enjoyed reading about these different locations. Some of them I was familiar with but there were some that were new to me as well.

6) Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews: a cute Christmas romance. It was fairly predictable but sometimes a bit of brain candy is called for.

Books Read: 3rd Quarter 2025

I am still working on getting my reading in every day. Some days I just do not have the brain power to read at the end of the day. For the 3rd quarter of 2025 I finished 4 books.

1) Own Your Past Change Your Future: A Not-So Complicated Approach to Relationships, Mental Health & Wellness by John Delony - I found Dr. Delony through some videos on Facebook. I really enjoyed his no nonsense but kind and caring approach to the callers to his show. His voice really comes across in this book and I also enjoyed that he shared his own issues and struggles.

2) And the Killer Is ... : A Savannah Reid Mystery by G.A. McKevett - this is the 25th book in the series. In this book Savannah is helping her friend solve the murder of his friend, a former Hollywood starlet, while taking in a child after her husband arrests his mother. This is one of my favorite cozy series and I enjoyed this one.

3) Outliers: The Stories of Success by Malcolm Gladwell - I have always been interested in nature versus nurture. This book is an interesting look and what makes some people successful while others who should also succeed don't.

4) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - I have heard about Henrietta Lacks' story but only had a general idea of what occurred. The book was an interesting look at what happened and also how Henrietta's living children dealt with what happened to their mother.

Books Read: 2nd Quarter 2025

This quarter was pretty slow reading wise. I only finished two books in the quarter. Here are the books I finished.

1) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain - this one has been on my to-read list for awhile. There were some interesting insights into how our personalities are formed. She also had a few good ideas on how to use power of introversion.

2) Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant bu Curtis Chin - Chung's was a very popular and famous Chinese restaurant in Detroit. This is the memoir of the son of the owners as he navigates his Asian identity while also coming to terms with his homosexuality in the 1980s. I really enjoyed the book and liked reading about places I am familiar with. 

 

Books Read: 1st Quarter 2025

I am glad that my reading mojo has returned. I am still not reading as much as I used to but I am also a lot busier than I used to be. Here are the books I finished in the 1st quarter of 2025.

1) Easier Than You Think ... because life doesn't have to be so hard: The Small Changes That Add Up to a World of Difference by Richard Carlson: this does not contain anything really new or groundbreaking but it always good to have a reminder that little things do matter.

2) Ghosthunting Michigan by Helen Pattskyn: a fun little book that is not too scary. I always like reading about places I know in real life.

3) The Miracles of Your Mind by Joseph Murphy: an interesting look into how our subconscious minds affect our lives in ways we do not even realize.

4) Organizing Your Home and Life With ADHD by Kai M. Jordan: while I have never been diagnosed with ADHD a lot of the symptoms are things I do deal with. This book does have some interesting ways at looking at how to organize your life when you are easily distracted.

5) The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit by Mel Robbins: I really enjoy Mel Robbins books. She has a great way of telling stories to make her points. I enjoyed the book but will admit that I have not been so good at implementing the ideas.

6) There's Someone In You House by Stephanie Perkins: the plot of this book is very frightening. it is scary to think that when you misplace something in your house it was moved by a psycho who wants to kill you. It started out pretty slow but once it got going it was really good. 

Books Read: 3rd & 4th Quarters 2024

My reading output took a major hit in 2024. I only managed to finish 2 books for the last half of the year. Here's to hoping that my 2025 books read will be better.

1) 10 X is Easier Than 2X: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More By Doing Less  by Benjamin Hardy - even though this book is geared mostly toward entrepreneurs I feel like there are ideas that can be applied to any area you want to achieve in your life. 

2) An Island Christmas by Nancy Thayer - a cute little book about a Christmas wedding on Nantucket. At first I really disliked the main character but after awhile she grew on me.

Books Read: 1st and 2nd Quarters of 2024

I just realized that I never did a books read post for the 1st quarter of 2024. My reading pace really fell off so there was not much to report anyway. So here are the books I read in the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2024.

1) Christmas in Maine: A Winter Romance #3 by Grace Meyers: not the best books but I wanted to know how it would end (although it was pretty formulaic).

2) Christmas in Maine: A Winter Romance #4 by Grace Meyers

3) You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero: a pretty good book of advice but if you can't deal with cursing you will want to skip this one.

4) Christmas in Maine: A Winter Romance #5 by Grace Meyers

5) Master the Obvious: 74 Easy and Proven Habits to Become Happier and Stronger by Virat Deswal: it was an ok book but provided a lot of advice that is out there in other places.

6) Christmas in Maine: A Winter Romance #6 by Grace Meyers

7) Murder on Liberty Bay: Pacific Northwest Cozy Culinary #1 by Dennis Shock: I liked this cute little book. There are quite a few more in the series so I will probably read more of them.

8) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: I know that many people swear by this book but it left me a bit underwhelmed.

9) The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg: I enjoyed learning about why we do what we do but I am not sure there was a lot of practical things I took away from it.

10) Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes by Stephen A. Smith: I enjoyed this look into the career of the ESPN star.

11) Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel: a little too preachy for me but there are some interesting insights in here.

Books Read: 3rd Quarter 2023

My reading mojo seems to be back with a vengeance. For the 3rd quarter of 2023 I read the following nine books.

1) How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety by Ellen Hendriksen: I enjoyed this book even though I do not think it included anything I have not read before. The author did provide some great examples from her own life and that part was enjoyable.

2) The Last Day of Emily Lindsey by Nic Joseph: this book was pretty interesting. The twist came pretty quickly in the story but it was nice to see how the plot came together once you know what happened.

3) 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life: BS-Free Wisdom to Ignite Your Inner Badass and Live the Life You Deserve by Andrea Owen: another book that I enjoyed but that does not provide much new information. Again, the author tells some fun stories to make her point. However, if you are offended by adult language you may want to skip this one.

4) No Stopping Us Now: A History of Older Women in America by Gail Collins: I really enjoyed this look at how women have been treated as they go through the aging process from the early years before America was a country until now. 

5) 19 Tiny Habits That Lead to Huge Results by Nicolas Cole: there were some pretty good ideas in this little book. These are things that are fairly easy to implement. He also has some interesting stories that help to reinforce his message.

6) The Lost Diary of Venice by Margeaux Deroux: I loved this book. The story bounces between modern day and Venice in the 1400's. I know this bothers a lot of people but I actually enjoy it. The book seemed to be well researched and really brought Renaissance era Venice to life.

7) Girl Mogul. Dream It. Do It. Change the World by Tiffany Pham: this book is geared toward girls in their teens and early 20s but I still enjoyed it. I feel that the advice provided can be used by anyone regardless of their age.

8) The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott: this book was a strange one and I am still not sure how I feel about it. It started out promising but started losing steam toward the middle. And the ending was just weird.

9) How to Go From Procrastinate Hero to Procrastinate Zero by Darius Foroux: this was a very short and easy read. Again, nothing groundbreaking but a few interesting ideas.

Books Read: 2nd Quarter 2023

I am feeling my reading mojo returning which is a good thing. For the 2nd quarter of 2023 I finished 4 books.

1) The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe - this was a fairly good book with an interesting and original premise. The book did take a bit of a weird turn at the end which was a bit disappointing but the mystery did keep me guessing for awhile.

2) Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B.J. Fogg - a different way of looking at the creation of habits. I am not sure if I will be able to use it in my life but I am not sorry that I read the book.

3) Game Face: A Lifetime of Hard-Earned Lessons On an Off the Basketball Court by Bernard King with Jerome Preisler - I had a major issue with this book and that is that I do not feel like it was well researched. I found 3 errors in the book and who knows how many more there could have been. The book was more about his on the court activities so if you are not interested in that it will not interest you.

4) Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown - another book with an original and interesting premise. While I started out hating the 3 main characters I eventually ended up liking and understanding them as they went through their character development in the book.

Books Read 1st Quarter 2023

 

I am really working hard on my reading mojo. For the 1st quarter of 2023 I finished five books which I am pretty happy about. Here are the books I completed.

1) Slipstream Time Hacking: How to Cheat Time, Live More, and Enhance Happiness by Benjamin P. Hardy: this was an interesting look into how to be more efficient with your time. It reads like part self-help, part science textbook and part science fiction. I am not sure that I will actually implement anything from this but it was an interesting read.

2) The Road the Better Habits by Darius Foroux: this was an interesting little book. There were a few good tips in here but not a lot of information that I have not heard previously.

3) Uphill: A Memoir by Jemele Hill: I met Jemele at a party while we were at Michigan State and she was an interesting character even back then. I really enjoyed reading about the difficulties she faced growing up in Detroit and while trying to bust through the barriers she faced while at ESPN.

4) Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman: this is one of those books where you really dislike most of the characters. Of the 6 main characters only 2 of them did not get on my last nerve. I figured out the twist pretty early but I still enjoyed this one.

5) The Upside of Fear: How One Man Broke the Cycle of Prison, Poverty, and Addiction by Weldon Long: although his book is fairly short it is pretty powerful. Although I have pretty much nothing in common with this man I do feel that I was able to learn some good lessons from him through this book. It is a good look at how anyone can turn their life around and end up a success.

Books Read: 4th Quarter 2022

 

The last quarter of 2022 saw me complete only 2 books. Although I did a lot of reading on psychological ethics and social and cultural psychology for school. But here are the 2 books that I completed for my personal enjoyment.

1) Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation by Benjamin P. Hardy - an interesting look into how to look at your future self as a completely separate person and do things now as they would do them. This is something I am trying to do more and more since I finished the book. 

2) Donna Has Left the Building by Susan Jane Gilman - this book is a bit all over the place. It starts as a book about a woman having a midlife crisis and ends up being a lesson on the refuge crisis in Greece. I am not quite sure how these two ideas were supposed to work together but it did not come together smoothly. It was interesting for me though since the start of the book takes place in my area so it was fun to read about places and areas I am familiar with.

Books Read : 3rd Quarter 2022

My reading output has seriously suffered lately. With all of the reading I do for my classes my reading for pleasure is suffering. Although I did manage to finish 4 books for the 3rd quarter of the year which is better than I thought it would be.

1) Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found by Gilbert King - this book made me very angry at many places. Even though I know that corruption like this occurred (and still does unfortunately) it is hard to read how the system took advantage of someone who had no power to fight what was happening. 

2) The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence and Success by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin P. Hardy - I enjoyed this different way of looking at how to look at how we are making progress towards our goals in life. Although I found it to be a bit repetitive at times but overall I think this is a good one to read for self development. 

3) Good Morning, Midnight: A Dalziel and Pascoe Mystery by Reginald Hill - this book started out as a good concept but I feel the execution was a bit clunky. Plus the ending was a bit unsatisfying. I was a bit disappointed that it did not end up to its promise.

4) When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn't the Life You Want by Mike Lewis - I really enjoyed this group of stories of people who made major changes in their careers and professional lives. As to be expected some stories resonated with me more than others but all in all these were fun to read. 

Books Read: 2nd Quarter 2022

 

My reading mojo is seriously lacking lately. According to Good Reads I am 5 books behind on my goal of 20 books for the year. Oh well I can only hope that it comes back at some point. For the 2nd quarter of 2022 I read only two books.

1) Half of What You Hear by Kristyn Kusek - an interesting look at life and secrets in a small town. I liked that you are never really know what is true and what is fiction. 

2) Only Child by Rhiannon Navin - this book is sadly very timely with recent events in America. The story follows a family as they deal with the aftermath of a school shooting. I was very torn with these characters. I wanted to smack the parents - especially the mother - several times. They seemed to be so oblivious to the needs of their surviving son. But then I felt sorry for them as they are trying to deal with the most horrible thing a parent can deal with. I think that is a sign of a good author.

Books Read: 1st Quarter 2022

My reading output has been very poor so far in 2022. As I said in my last post I am in a funk and have not felt like reading much. Plus I now use my lunch to pick Clark up from school so I have lost my biggest chunk of reading time. For the 1st quarter of 2022 I only ready 2 books.

1) Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart - I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It is set in a small town in New Jersey where Pamela, a widowed empty nester, and her knit group are pulled into the murder of one of their new members.  

2) On Fire by John O'Leary - this is the second time I have read this book. The podcaster and motivational speaker gives his ways to live your life on fire so you can be the best you possible.

Books Read: 4th Quarter 2021

My reading mojo went through a major bump at the end of last year. For the 4th quarter I only managed to finish 2 books. Here is what I read.

1) The Air Your Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles: this book takes place in Brazil which is not a location I have read a lot about. The main characters were pretty unlikable but that doesn't bother me. It was an interesting look into the music culture of 1940s Brazil.

2) A Darker Place by Laurie King: I had such great hopes for this book and they fell really short. I really did not like the reason for the cult to exist - it was just strange. I ended up not really caring what happened to any of the characters toward the end of the book.

Hopefully my reading output will be better for the 1st quarter of 2022.

Books Read: 3rd Quarter 2021

I am behind on my 2021 reading challenge of 24 books for the year. I do not think I will be able to catch up but I am not going to worry about that. For the 3rd quarter of 2021 I read these five books.

1)  The Awkward Age by Francesca Segal - I really hated all of the characters in this book. They are all caught up in themselves and cannot see a situation from any one else's point of view. I felt that it fell a little flat.

2) Strange Animals by Chad Kultgen - this book has one of the most interesting premises that I have read. It is one of those books that really makes you think. In the end though I cannot say I loved the book but I cannot say that I disliked it either.

3) The Great Pretenders by Laura Kalpakian - I really loved how this book blended two ugly times in our recent history: the civil rights movement and McCarthyism. As someone in an interracial relationship this really hit home and broke my heart.

4) House of Ash by Hope Cook - an interesting mystery. The premise was different and the mystery was interesting. 

5) American Girls by Alison Umminger - I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I liked how the author managed to weave the story of the Manson girls with the experiences the main character has visiting her sister in LA.

Books Read: 2nd Quarter 2021

I am one book behind schedule toward my goal of reading 24 books in the year. My old eyes could not handle the small, light print of the second book I was reading in June so it took me awhile to finish. Oh well I still have plenty of time to get back on track. In the 2nd quarter I read the 5 following books.

1) Definitions of Undefinable Things by Whitney Taylor - a fun and interesting look at the relationship between 2 teens dealing with depression and the pregnant ex-girlfriend of one of them. I really though this was a sweet story but it did not sugar coat things either. 

2) Fear by Dirk Kurbjuweit - this is a story that will make you think. I liked how you never really knew if the protagonist was being honest about what happened or if paranoia overtook his thinking. I also liked that the main characters were not very likable, it made it easier to question their intentions and thoughts.

3) An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up From My American Dream by Julian Castro - an interesting memoir by the former San Antonio mayor, cabinet member of the Obama administration and presidential candidate. As the wife of a twin I also enjoyed reading about the relationship between him and his twin brother.

4) The Burning Girl by Claire Messud - I enjoyed this look at the end of a life long friendship once two young girls start middle school and start going down different paths. I guessed the big twist pretty early on but I still found the book to be pretty good and interesting.

5) Casanova's Secret Wife by Barbara Lynn-Davis - I loved this book which took me a bit by surprise. I loved the setting and the author was able to describe the scenery in detail but without getting to bogged down in it. This is one of my favorite books read this year so far.

Books Read: 1st Quarter 2021

I set a reading goal for 2021 of 24 books. That means reading 2 books per month. So far I am on track as I finished 6 books for the 1st quarter of the year. Here are the books I read.

1) How Far Can You Go?: My 25 Year Quest to Walk Again by John Maclean with Mark A. Tabb - the author of the book was paralyzed when he was hit by a truck while training for a triathlon. He then becomes the first paralyzed person to complete the Ironman Triathlon and swim the English channel. The book is very interesting and he manages to tell his story without being to preachy about his methods.

2) The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor - I loved this book. It is a fairly typical romance story with an interesting premise. The main character is bitten by a shark when she is 13 and that begins a life long obsession with the animals. Although the story is a bit predictable the wonderful setting makes up for it.

3) Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison - I loved the premise of the book. The main character returns to the beach house where her husband passed away 3 years previously to get it ready to sell. While there she starts seeing his spirit and he tells her that he is there to help her move on with her life. It was a good book but reading about a widow made me a bit sad because I tend to put myself in the characters place and I could not imagine losing my hubby. 

4) As Close to Us as Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner - my 3rd beach story in a row. I guess the dark days of January and February had me wishing for warmer weather. This is the story of a Jewish family in 1948 Connecticut as they go through their yearly summer trip to their beach house and deal with a tragedy. This book was a bit heavier than my usual fare but I enjoyed it. It does jump around to different time frames which doesn't bother me but I know a lot of people don't like.

5) Mirror in the Sky by Aditi Khorana - I really loved this book. The premise of the book is that astronomers find another planet that seems to be a mirror of ours which causes people to question their lives. It is sci-fi without being to sci-fi if that makes sense. It is more a character study of a teenage girl who finds her life turned upside down and how she deals with it,

6) If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales - this book is very powerful and timely. With our society's obsession with cancel culture this is an interesting look into how people who are cancelled deal with the issue. It made me think about social media and how, while it is great in many way, it can be abused.