Good Reads & Views

The Stranger by Harlan Coben
Fiction

What is it? The idea that "No one knows what goes on behind closed doors" is played out in this story. As secrets continue to be revealed, you quickly realize how fragile life can be and how badly we want to preserve our “image." This is a non-stop book of excitement, gasps, and heartache. 

Is it for you? This is the first book I’ve read written by Harlan Coben. I love this book and now can’t wait to read another one by him! If you’d like to read a suspenseful thriller that might make you think about your answer to the question, “How far would you go to protect your family?” then you’ll want to read this book!

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Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud
Nonfiction

What is it? Henry Cloud uses a great mixture of neuroscience, years of first-hand experiences, and tangible steps to guide leaders into lasting strategies for success. Readers will be primed to lead their business, their teams, and themselves in a way that will energize and strengthen them, not deplete them.

Is it for you? Also addressed in this book are the deep-seated issues of why and how people deal with their decision-making process. Every one of us have filters that we sort out information through. If we process through our past hurts and failures, we will make faulty decisions. This book encourages us to keep the big picture in focus while dealing with ourselves and others.

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Good Leaders Ask Great Questions by John C. Maxwell
Nonfiction

What is it? This book really uncovered the importance of asking the right questions at the right time. Questions are not only key to learning and furthering your personal growth as a leader and as an individual, but they also facilitate building relationships and establishing trust.

Key insight: When you ask questions and truly listen, it can be a very remarkable experience. As a leader you must genuinely listen to your people and be there for them. John C. Maxwell emphasizes this, and he is right. A leader is a servant. When you listen, you emanate love for that individual. They will feel that and trust you which is humbling and a wonderfully delightful feeling.

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The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell
Nonfiction

What is it? Another great work from Dr. John C. Maxwell! This is one of the best books on leadership I have read. It offers specific examples and motivational thoughts on what it takes to live the life of a leader.

Is it for you? This is a fantastic book for anyone motivated to learn how to lead others. This book is best read slowly, taking in each quality while examining yourself.

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Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Nonfiction

What is it? People who have been victims of any kind of abuse, are commonly the individuals who struggle most with boundaries. Life experience has subconsciously schooled them that inappropriate line crossing is a part of daily life and almost every relationship. Often it can be a painful lesson to UN-learn. This book is a tool to help people with boundary struggles learn where the line is, how not to cross it, and how to defend it.

Is it for you? This is an excellent book for those looking to understand the reasons behind deep emotional stumbling blocks. It explains that while accepting unfortunate experiences that may have happened to you and were not necessarily your fault, it’s your responsibility now to do the work to heal and forgive in order to step into your greatness.

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The Song of a Wounded Heart by Lora Jones
Nonfiction

What is it? This is an inspiring and gut-wrenching true story of a very dear person in my life. It’s a testimony of how God loved and cared for her after losing her husband and two children in a weather-related car accident, leaving her the only survivor.

Personal Note About the Book: Reading Lora’s story raised my spirits in my own healing journey as it was clear to see that all her encounters with God involved healing and redemption.

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Deception Point by Dan Brown
Fiction

What is it? I listened to the audio version of this book. The book was gripping and difficult to pause. There were SO MANY twists and turns in the plot until it was impossible to distinguish who could be trusted. At the end, Brown wraps everything up in a well-ordered, satisfying way.

Is it for you? If you enjoy a thrilling plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, you need to read this book! Even though there are many different characters, Brown does a brilliant job of making sure we know each one and eventually their surprising motives.

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The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory
Fiction

What is it? After doing some research of my own, I found that much of Gregory's history is accurate. This book brings to life the little-known story of the sisters of Lady Jane Grey, Katherine and Mary. I found I could not put it down and am eager to listen by way of Audiobooks to her other series. The way their stories are told in first person makes for a fascinating read and makes clear the difficulties of survival of women in those troubled times.

Key insight: I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory, have been for years. I really enjoy her style of writing and when I listen by way of Audiobooks I like the woman's voice who does the reading. As with every book of hers that I've listened to, strong emotions are experienced as the story progresses. This book made me feel delighted but mostly angry with Elizabeth I or shocked by the actions she took to inflict pain to her poor cousins.

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The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory
Fiction

What is it? The King's Curse, written by historical fiction writer Philippa Gregory, takes you into the world of Margaret Pole, the Countess of Salisbury and the cousin of Elizabeth of York. She was forced to marry the father of Henry the 8th, the infamous King of England. This story provides an intriguing perspective of the reign of King Henry VIII from one who would have intimately known it well.

Key insight: The reader should not lose sight of the fact that this is historical fiction. The author, as always, weaves these true historical facts and events with her own thorough and exhaustive research concluding ideas of what may conceivably have been the backstory, thoughts and actions of the women of that time period.

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Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller
Nonfiction

What is it? As Miller says in her book, it's easy for people to watch the TV show “Hoarders” and judge “those people.” However, in reality Kim's parents weren’t behaving that way because they wanted to. Hording is a disorder; just as obsessive-compulsive behavior is. They can't help themselves, and people like that deserve help, not ridicule.

Personal note about the book: As a child from hoarding parents this was a very emotional read. The same words, the same behavior, and the same emotions. The anger that develops can easily overshadow the underlying mental issue. It did to me. Kim did an amazing job staying on topic to pinpoint the real issues with hoarders. Her loving approach towards her parents made it easier to process this difficult topic.

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