Be Ready When Luck Happens- a memoir by Ina Garten →
Of course, I gave this five stars. Why wouldn’t anyone? Ina’s memoir is her life story, and there is no reason to believe it is anything but authentic. She shows her passion and perseverance to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals in life. It doesn’t take long in her story to understand that her saying, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens,” means that being ready also means being true to yourself. Ina's memoir is not just a recount of her life, but a source of inspiration and valuable life lessons that can motivate and guide us in our own journeys.
As you read this memoir, it becomes clear that Ina stands her ground on things she wants, but those things have something in common. What they have in common has more to do with what she wants from those things. The common thread is quality. She looks for quality in her real estate options, the ingredients of the food she makes, the flowers she arranges, and much more. This emphasis on quality truly reflects the depth of Ina's character.
The Waiting by Michael Connelly - A Book Review →
Renee Ballard is an LAPD officer who has been placed in charge of the previously mothballed Open-Unsolved Unit, which at the time had only volunteers working there. Renee starts many days early to allow some time to catch the waves at the beach, but her car is broken into, and she loses her badge, gun, and ID.
She wants to find the thief on her own to avoid letting it become ammunition for those in her department who want to end her career. This leads her to seek advice from semi-retired Harry Bosch.
At about the same time, Renee has taken on Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter, one day a week in the Open-Unsolve Unit as a volunteer. Maddie has some interest in a high-profile unsolved case and quickly goes to work; the department has a possible connection to a two-decade-old case of the Pillowcase Rapist who has a genetic link to a man recently arrested.
Ballard is a character in Michael Connelly's book series who often appears alongside Harry Bosch to investigate cold cases.
The Human Factor: How Finding Your Dream Job Starts By Getting To Know Yourself, by Brent M. Jones →
Book Review: The Human Factor
In this book, Brent M. Jones, a seasoned career development professional and founder of Connected Events Matter, shares his wealth of experience to help you find a career that's truly meant for you.
Among the invaluable lessons you'll learn are:
The story you're telling yourself (often keeping you stuck in old situations) and how to change it.
The straightforward approach to figuring out your purpose.
How to network with people who might bring new opportunities into your professional life.
How to find the job you want with what you already know about yourself (and how to convince your interviewer that you're the perfect fit for that job).
How to nail the interview by asking the right questions and using the information you learned to land the job.
Why gratitude might be the most crucial factor in landing your new dream job (even if you haven't landed it yet), and how to cultivate it.
Whether you're just starting your professional career or are looking for a much-needed change, then The Human Factor is the guide you need.
To Die For: A 6:20 MAN Thriller by David Baldacci
Travis Devin, the 6:20 man in To Die For, was featured in the prior books as an army ranger and on the financial battlefield as a high-powered corporate man. In this book, he is assigned to aid the FBI in escorting 12-year-old Betsy Odoman, an orphaned girl, to meet her uncle, who is under investigation for RICCO charges. As Devin gets to know Betsy, questions come up about the death of her parents.
The term "three-dimensional chess" is appropriate to this plot because the twists and turns come from all directions.
I enjoyed the first two books, but this was the best in many ways.
Terminology Is More Than Words: How Terminology Shapes our Network, Career & More by Brent M Jones →
As an author of personal development and self-help books, I saw a connection between my book about LinkedIn, Finding the Best Version of Yourself, Interviewing Yourself, and Asking the Right Questions, and The Human Factor. The connection was that to obtain success, you needed to be authentic. That means that your values and goals must align with what you are looking for.
That is the key. Unless you know your real values and goals, you may be looking for the wrong things.
Words are a tip-off. The words in defining a goal may or may not fit with your personal values, but they need to. The words you use will attract people who fit with the values those words reflect.
The LinkedIn algorithms look over the one billion connections LinkedIn has and find the words used to describe a job posting. A speaker connects with their audience by using the words that the audience are familiar with or the words that idendify the audiences wants and needs.
Citizen: My Life After The White House by Bill Clinton →
Citizen: My Life After The White House by Bill Clinton
"On January 21, 2001, after twenty-five years in politics and elected office, eight as president, I was a private citizen again," was an opening remark in this book. What follows is a fantastic focus on helping people in trouble. It is too bad that those accomplishments will be viewed through lifelong assumptions about Clinton's view with a partisan lens. Much was accomplished working with George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, clearly showing how influential good leaders can be even when they don't have to be.
The accomplishments seemed neverending, but it would be hard to complain about too much good work. Some will, I expect.
American Zion: A New History of Mormonism by Benjamin E. Park →
American Zion provides a clear and factual summary of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from its inception to 2024. It presents perspectives on important historical moments and focuses heavily on the ideological and historical debates within the Church in the 20th century that members often overlook.
The book focuses on the Church's history within the United States of America, even though its membership is greater outside of the USA. It presents a history that made some mistakes but shows how it has evolved and shaped itself to be stronger, perhaps because of those mistakes.
Women’s involvement in the Church is better reflected in this history of Mormonism than in many other histories focused on the same topic, and it is interesting to see that it is something that most denominations have had to deal with.
The author presents the church as one that its internal conflict has always defined, yet the story also shows that it has become stronger as time has passed.
War by Bob Woodward →
Bob Woodward said in this books epiloge that this book was radically different than many of his prior books. Most of those books were stories of failures, mismangement, dishonesty and corruption of executive power.
He added that “War, this book on Biden, however, gave me what was often a real-time, inside -the-look at genine good faith efforts by the president and his core national security team to weild the levers of executive power responsibly in the national interest.”
We also see in this book President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.
BIBLIOPHILE DIVERSE SPINES by Jamise Harper & Jane Mount →
The authors of this book, in their introduction, set a compelling goal for the reader: to “find at least ten new-to-you and resistible diverse by authors of backgrounds different from your own (or from your that you haven’t yet read) that you will read in the next year.” They envision this as a yearly habit, a challenge that can inspire and motivate us readers.
The book cover features 22 books on top of each other, with colorful spines showing titles like 'Unheard Voices' and 'Cultural Journeys' that describe what to expect in this book. What you may not fully appreciate from the cover is brought into focus with the unique table of contents, which highlights the incredible diversity of a book about diversity. The introduction also explains the author’s definition of diversity. The definition expands into the book chapters and includes “the authors, illustrators, designers, store owners and bookstagrammers highlighted in this book are Black, Indigenous, and people of color most existing in places marginalized by a dominant white society.”
The book is a testament to its goal of introducing readers to diverse authors from backgrounds different from their own. It's a journey of enlightenment, a window into the rich tapestry of literature that exists beyond our usual reading lists.
Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese
Author John Cleese said, “Creativity is not a talent; it is a way of operating. Anyone can be creative.” After reading his book, I concluded that John Cleese did indeed find a creative way to look at creativity.
I say this despite the fact John Cleese's theory of creativity is based on the book Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind by Guy Claxton. The book explores the idea that humans have two types of thinking:
Hare brain
A quick-thinking, logical part of the brain that's good for solving mathematical or logistical problems
Tortoise mind
A slow-thinking, contemplative mind that's good for working out complex problems and producing creative work
Even with this very helpful book of Author Guy Claxton to draw on, I found John Cleese’s book to have its own originality and focus on the ways to look at creativity.
Resurrrection Walk, A Lincoln Lawyer Novel, by Michael Connelly →
Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, is the leading character in this novel, but author Michael Connelly has brought his other star character, Harry Bosch, the key character in the Bosch Series, is on board in this plot in a very important role of researcher and investigator for his half-brother Mickey Haller.
These two characters have been the source of some exciting novels. Bosch was the famous LAPD detective who has now retired and has some medical issues. The plot of this novel was made for both of them.
Of course, it was because author Michael Connelly wrote it that way, but these two brilliant fictional characters' brothers, plots, and goals fit perfectly together.
Michael Conelly is consistent, and 5 stars for this work are obviously appropriate.
Overthinking in Relationships and Survivors of Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Mental Health and Aging by Joseph Mendoza →
'"Overthinking in Relationships and Survivors of Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Mental Health and Aging” author Joseph Mendoza concluded the book’s introduction in a profound way for those who experience caregiving and those who have to cope with this disease.
The author said, “This book is my heart laid bare, a compilation of the lessons that life with Alzheimer’s has taught me- lessons of love, patience, and the strength we all carry. An excellent overview of the issues and problems that must be faced by those who have relationships with those who need caregivers and understanding.
The book is a precious look through a window at what caregivers face. Finding a clear view back out through the window is a challenge.
You Like It Darker - Stories by Stephen King →
Book Cover and Back “You Like It Darker” by Stephen King
Collections of short stories are not my favorite type of Stephen King book, but this one was well worth reading. It just reconfirms Stephen King's talents as a writer. Not that that is needed, but to see stories that seem to build on events that would be unlikely material for a larger book become so interesting before being finished is incredible.
King's personal introduction to the twelve stories, in which he states,
'You like it darker? Fine, So do I,'
adds a layer of intimacy to the reading experience. The story delves into the darker side of life metaphorically and literally.
It's as if he's inviting us into his world, which we know is darker than our own.
As the master of this form, his declaration wasn’t needed, but it added value to a great book.
Rachel Maddow - A Biograhpy by Lisa Rogak →
Rachael Maddow Book Cover
From Stanford to Oxford, Rachel Maddow’s journey reflects both intellect and principle. This biography reveals her commitment to truth, her willingness to engage opposing views, and her unmatched skill as an “explainer.”
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