Recent Reads Early 2022

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Are you looking for some books to add to your TBR pile? I’m here to help with my recent reads!

 

Admittedly, I had a difficult time starting to read this year. I go through phases of where I can’t get enough of reading to times that I just can’t get myself to pick up a book – all the extremes! Regardless, I still try to get a chapter a day in of some sort of reading material. 🙂

 

I had written out a list of books I planned to read between January and March of this year, and to be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to grab those at my local library. I decided to go to the library and take a look around at some of the books they had out on display, and I felt myself get excited again about reading.

 

Sometimes things just don’t go according to plan, right? I hope you’ll find something you’d like to add to your list soon!

 

*All the synopsis’ below are taken straight from Amazon’s description*

 

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

 

Synopsis:  Carey Duncan has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

 

 

I loved that the author included so much humor (que the ‘country girl at heart’ in the synopsis). It reminded me a lot of The Hating Game with the spats between Carey and James, so if you enjoyed that book, this one is definitely going to be a favorite of yours. I want to look into more of the author’s books now after reading this one.

 

Such an easy read, so it’s great if you’re an avid reader or just trying to get back into a habit of reading again.

 

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

 

Synopsis: Most of us have a habit we’d like to change, and there’s no shortage of expert advice. But as we all know from tough experience, no magic, one-size-fits-all solution exists. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.

In Better Than Before, acclaimed writer Gretchen Rubin identifies every approach that actually works. She presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits—and to change them for good.

Infused with Rubin’s compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better Than Before explains the (sometimes counterintuitive) core principles of habit formation and answers the most perplexing questions about habits:

• Why do we find it tough to create a habit for something we love to do?
• How can we keep our healthy habits when we’re surrounded by temptations?
• How can we help someone else change a habit?

Rubin reveals the true secret to habit change: first, we must know ourselves. When we shape our habits to suit ourselves, we can find success—even if we’ve failed before.

Whether you want to eat more healthfully, stop checking devices, or finish a project, the invaluable ideas in Better Than Before will start you working on your own habits—even before you’ve finished the book.

 

 

If you get excited about creating new habits/creating and achieving attainable goals – this book is for you. Likewise, if you’re not really into those things, there will be a lot of jargon for you to fish through that you probably won’t enjoy.

 

The author breaks down different types of people and how they learn or adapt to new habits. I found myself constantly assessing which box I fit in, and I know generally speaking that may not sound like a good thing, but it IS in this case. It sort of goes along with enneagrams, of trying to see which one truly embodies you and using that information to help you persevere.

 

I really ate up all of this information and will definitely be implementing some things that I learned from this book!

 

Embrace Your Almost by Jordan Lee Dooley

 

 

Synopsis: Jordan Lee Dooley knows firsthand how devastating it can be when you almost achieve a goal, almost reach a dream, or almost get to where you want to be, only to land just short of the finish line or watch it all fall apart at the last minute.

Disrupted, delayed, or even seemingly destroyed dreams have a way of making us rethink everything. But perhaps rethinking dreams is not always the worst thing. In those moments, you have a chance to pause and consider what matters most to you in a world that’s constantly telling you what you should want or should do.

Believe it or not, it is possible to cultivate a life you really like—and one where you can succeed—in the tension of the middle, between where you started and where you hoped to be. Discover:

• practical steps to move forward when your plans don’t go according to plan
• how to clarify which goals are right for you to pursue
• what to do when dreams seem to come true for everyone but you
• the unexpected gains that can arise from unwanted pain
• how to know when it’s time to let go of a dream—and what to do with the space left behind

As hard as unexpected interruptions, uncertainty, and in-between seasons may be, they also offer a unique invitation to align your dreams and goals with what matters most. It’s time for you to gain greater clarity about what you truly want, why you want it, and how to pursue it.

 

 

I had the honor of being part of Jordan’s launch team and enjoyed getting to know her better via our Facebook group and just her IG Stories in general. She has a beautiful soul and it truly comes through in all that she does.

 

Before joining her launch team, I loved the snippets that she posted on her Instagram Stories and knew I had to pre-order a copy. I’m so glad I did!

 

I took a few soul-crushing hits recently, and one afternoon I made myself just sit and be. I opened up a digital copy of this book and was immediately captivated by how much I could relate to the words on the page. It actually helped bring me out of that dark place on that particular afternoon.

 

Absolutely love this book and it’s definitely a staple in my personal growth book section!

 

 

Thanks so much for checking out my recent reads, friends! Please let me know if you’re interested in any of these, or if you’ve actually read them.

 

I plan on making recent reads a thing around here from now on! 🙂 Please let me know if you have any suggestions for me to read and review!