52 Book Challenge – Aug & Sept 2014

Remember the 52 book challenge? I haven’t forgotten. It’s just that August and September were filled with so many other blog posts I decided to combine two months.

I don’t know about you but my summer flew by. Everyone I talk to say the same. I can’t believe winter is just around the corner! Which means more time reading books. There’s nothing like laying on the couch enjoying a good book during a snow blizzard.

I managed to read 9 books during August and September. That makes it a total of 29 books since end of April. I don’t want to get too excited but I think I will make my goal of 52 books in a year. But like they say, don’t scream wahoo until you have successfully crossed the finish line.

Here are the books and what I thought of them:

Brand You New
by Mike Loomis. Mike is a branding and marketing expert who truly knows what he is talking about. He helps people, authors and organizations launch their dream projects by creating their brand and marketing strategy. The book is short, concise and to the point. It walks you through what branding is, the steps to take and how to create a brand – namely you. Brand You New is only available through this link. (sorry Amazon fans).

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
by Rolf Plotts. This is a must read for anyone that loves to travel and would like to find a way to do that for longer periods. Rolf gives so many great tips that even avid travelers can benefit from. Rolf Plott has made a life out of vagabonding and is one of the experts on that topic. Plus, he gives many examples of how you can work while traveling. The book is of course thin and light enough to pack in your suitcase.

Think and Grow Rich
by Napoleon Hill. This is a classic and one of the most recommended books for entrepreneurs or anyone that wants to expand their thinking and learn how to yes, become rich. The book describes a proven process of how to do that. It’s a process inspired by Andrew Carnegie that has been used by Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edison, Charles Schwab and countless other very successful people. I read this book back in 2009 but I wasn’t at a point where I could fully take advantage of what the book has to offer. The process is only clear to you if you are at a certain stage in your life. If you are at that stage, read it. If you are not, read it anyway and then re-read it when you are.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown. This book has made it onto my Top 5 book list I recommend you read. If you could only read one book this year this is the one. This is a game changer. This book is especially good for anyone that is a “yes” person, adds too much to their schedule and that have a hard time setting boundaries. That describes pretty most of us. Most of us have a hectic schedule. If you don’t have time to read it, listen to it on audio.

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life
by Chris Guillebeau. I wrote an entire blog post on this including interviewed Chris about his book. He gave some great answers. You can read about it here. Love, love, love this book. Yes, add this to your list too.

Podcasting Good to Great: How to Grow Your Audience Through Collaboration
by Jared Easley. Want to start a podcast? Then this is the book for you. Actually, I take that back. The book is so full of awesome advice and tips it applies to anyone that has an audience, whether it’s blogging, writing, singing, performing or any other form of creative outlet that has an audience. Great resource.

Hit The Mark!: Improve Your Focus Boost Your Energy Make the Most of Your Time
by Erik Fisher and Jim Woods. They have done it again. My friends Erik Fisher and Jim Woods just came out with their second book in a series meant to get you off the couch and get going. No, it’s not an exercise book but a book full of tips, advice and actions steps on how to improve your focus, boost your energy and make the most of your time.

Go Solo: How to Quit the Job You Hate and Start a Small Business You Love!
by Kelsey Humphreys. How many of you would love to quit your job and become a solopreneur? Kelsey describes the steps she took and the book includes a lot of great examples of what to do as you are pursuing that goal of becoming your own boss. The book was just released and climbed very quickly on the charts. I’m not surprised. It’s a great book that will have positive impact. This is a book for you hamsters that are spinning the wheel.

6 Week Declutter Challenge: Rid your home of the clutter once and for all
by Corie Clark. Remember the book called The Simplicity Project I mentioned in an earlier post? Here’s a new challenge for you. This book is a super easy and fun read and will get you up and going on tackling your clutter in no time. Each day for 6 weeks contains a simple 15 minute task to do. You can feel Corie’s passion and energy through her writing. Go check it out!

Now let me and other readers know what book/s you read during the summer that made an impression on you. Share in the comments.

 

*There are affiliate links to Amazon in this post. If you were to purchase through that link I will receive a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a great way to support this blog and the hard work that goes into delivering valuable content to you. I appreciate you!