None Of This Is true by Lisa Jewell

An adventure of twists and turns and rights and lefts… never knowing what is going to happen next – but in a good way. A very good way. ~ Sheila

Popular Podcaster, Alix Summers meets Josie Fair while out celebrating her birthday. Turns out, it is Josie’s birthday too. A few days later, the two women find each other again and Alix in intrigued by this mysterious woman who showed up with a matching birthday. Josie, who has been listening to Alix’s podcasts feels she would be a great subject to be interviewed as she has an interesting life story. Intrigues, Alix agrees – calling the podcast, “Birthday Twins” and sharing with her fans the story of how she and Josie met.

As the two women dig into the podcasts, Alix finds that not only is Josie’s retelling of her life story interesting – it is down right shocking. Married to a much older man when Josie was only 16, Alix finds herself thinking of words like – pedophile, groomer, and rapist – and truly begins to worry about Josie.

As the two women create some sort of friendship, the unthinkable happens to Josie and the only place she feels she can turn is to Alix… and Alix, dealing with her own troubles in her marriage, feels that she has no choice…. not knowing – this would be the beginning of the end and her podcast was about to be introduced to a new and darker theme. Darker than anyone seen coming.

My gosh it has been a long time since I have read Lisa Jewell and after reading (well listening to) this, I wonder what has taken me so long to return to this incredible author. The story line held me, and while at first the breaks in the narration by the podcast felt odd… the style of reading grew on me and actually ended with me thinking if was pretty brilliant to put the audio version together this way.

I actually really enjoyed this dark read and feel those who enjoy a good twisted story would find this one interesting. I use the word dark in my description as topics of child rape/neglect, as well as abuse are themed throughout the book.

Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts

“The Second Book in the Trilogy, while not my favorite of the three, you definitely need this story to get from the beginning – to the end… ~Sheila

Ripley loves to keep her life simple. She has her morning run, coffee stop, and job as a Deputy of Three Sisters Island. With a glass of wine at night (or two…) life was all bundled up neatly and that was the way you like it.

Toss in that a geeky – yet hot – guy is staying on the island looking for the magical history and secrets that the island holds… Ripley is putting her off her lunch. 

Yet fight as she may, some facts are just that and they cannot be changed. While Ripley is strongly against all the magical hoopty-do (my word) and her so-called part in – she will never turn her back on family – or a friend… and in there, lies the rub.

Out of the three books in this trilogy, Heaven and Earth is my least favorite. While Nel, book one, comes in to the story all destroyed from life and looking for a quiet existence, and I enjoy reading of her rebound and strength as she finds who she really is and where she is meant to be; Mia (book three) is all strong and assure of who she is and what she wants (honestly one of my all time favorite non fictions characters), Ripley falls somewhere in the middle. For me, I think it is the EXTRA romance in this particular book – I have never been a romance reader. Its also a bit more technical when Mac enters the series, looking to discover the magic of the island with his gadgets and reading and spreadsheets. 

While I may grumble….. you still very much need this book as it links the sisters in ways that they need to for what is to come. As the three sisters learn how their posers work – and more importantly how they work together.

For a January re-read, this series is a comfort reading. The characters are like old friends and if Three Sisters did exist – with that book store and upstairs cafe with a magical twist…in another life I may have very well called such a place…. home.

The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness ( a re-read)

The Knife Of Never Letting Go, the Chaos Walking series, holds a special place in my heart.  Never have I raved so much about an author’s brilliant writing style since JK Rowling.  Ness makes the book literally come alive and the font very well may be a character in itself.    ~Sheila

My brief synopsis:  Protagonist Todd Hewitt, lives in a world where a virus has killed off all of the women and caused men’s thoughts to be heard out loud in a way that has become known as Noise.  Todd is the youngest of Prentisstown at almost 13 years of age.
When Todd takes a walk away from the town one day he discovers a void in the noise.  When he searches more closely he finds something that he never thought he would see again…

a girl.

Suddenly Todd’s world has changed in a blink of an eye.  How can he keep his thoughts quiet enough so no one knows of his discovery?  And why are the people who raised him – the only people he trusts suddenly sending him hurriedly on his way once they know of his discovery?  Todd’s world has just been upended.

I wish my writing could do this book justice.  There is so much rave-worthy content yet when I try to write it down… I feel a little…well, “duh.”  I read this book (originally read in 2011) and now again I read it with my friend Mena over a series of weeks where we would talk every Sunday on the phone and discuss what we have read.  Even though it was a second reading for me – it was exciting and often new all over again.  There was so much I had forgotten.  With the movie hopefully out by the end of this year or the first part of 2020… I am renewed in my love of this book.  If you enjoy a good dystopian read, I recommend this book.  (So does Mena) 😀

The Circle By Dave Eggers

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Mae Holland can not believe her luck!  When she is hired on to be employed by The Circle, the largest Internet company she jumps in with both feet.  After all, what is not to love?  Great pay, live entertainment in the evenings, dorm rooms to stay in if you need to work late, groceries, stores, free medical, a gym on site… and a chance to work with some of the most brilliant minds in the world!

Everything is connected from your email to your banking to your social media.  Transparency is key…  and really why would we not want to be transparent?

Yet when Mae finds herself in the office with Supervisors asking her why she always clocks out right at 5 and doesn’t stick around to take part in the after hours activities and why she is not more transparent on her social feeds as to what she does in her down time…  Mae has to decide to show her new employers just how transparent she can be…or choose to look for work elsewhere….

What happens when the lines between right and wrong get fuzzy?

I have been wanting to read this book for a while.  The synopsis of a futuristic company taking over (much like Google or Amazon…) peeked my interest.  I do love a good futuristic novel.  What I found interesting is that I could see where The Circle life style could become appealing…  If you did not have a family of your own… single, young, energetic a place where work provides you with on site entertainment, a group of like minded peers, a dorm room with clothes in your size, food, etc…. I could see where that could be appealing.

I for the most part liked Mae, (at least the early on Mae) until the job changed her to the point of losing right from wrong… I understood her ambition…

Over all I liked the book.  I am looking forward to the movie coming out later this month as I want to see how it compares and honestly…. you put Tom Hanks with Emma Watson…  how can I not watch?

Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less by Greg McKeown

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Do you ever feel stretched too thin, flitting from one project to the next, feeling over extended and really enjoying nothing because you are already thinking of your next “to do”?

Do you ever feel overworked and underutilized?

Do your days tend to get hijacked by someone else’s agenda?

Do you say yes to fill a need or because you feel you should only to stress and regret it later?

 

Greg McKeown shares in this enlightening book that you can say no to things – you can do less, feel better about it, and produce a better outcome.  It is about regaining control of our own choices where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others permission to do it for us.

Essentialism isn’t one more thing – it’s a different way of doing everything.

 

 

 

First up – I loathe self-help books.  I think, probably more accurately I loathe the category “self-help”.  It implies (IMO) that we are unable to help ourselves… it makes me personally feel weak-minded.  And not to say that there is anything wrong with these books – I just do not like how they are categorized.

This is NOT a self-help book.

This book is a way of tweaking how you do life, and more specifically what you say yes to, and evaluating why you say yes.

Family obligation

you feel if you don’t do it, who will?

There is a need and no one else is offering

It’s not a big commitment

 

I do all of his… ALL THE TIME.  I have turned into a yes person, and it is not all bad – by saying yes to things I have really experienced some awesome things.  I do have to admit though I have also taken on too much, been bitter about my commitments, missed out on things I wanted to do because I said yes to something else…. you get the picture.

I wanted to listen to this audio because I find the whole concept interesting.  Our world we live in is full of choices and commitments and opportunities… oh my!  I can not even imagine how many choices I make in a day.

What Greg is saying in his book, that saying no does not have to be a bad thing.  If saying yes to something at work is going to overextend you, make you stay late, put pressure on your other projects – then politely decline.  While it may cause irritation in the beginning from those who are used to you saying yes, in the long wrong it will gain your respect.

(for the record I am that person who will say yes, stay late to get it done, be upset with myself because now I have made myself late to whatever was next….  vicious circle!)

I enjoyed listening to this audio.  Greg McKeown narrates this himself (great accent!) I did pick up some things from it that I can apply and hope to. I like to learn, and by listening to this audio I did pick up on some tips I can apply to my own life and know that you should say yes…

to the right things 🙂

 

Publisher:  Crown Business

Release date: April 15, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Do you sometimes feel overworked and underutilized?
  • Do you feel motion sickness instead of momentum?
  • Does your day sometimes get hijacked by someone else’s agenda?
  • Have you ever said “yes” simply to please and then resented it?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist involves doing less, but better, so you can make the highest possible contribution.

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done. It’s about challenging the core assumption of ‘we can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’. It’s about regaining control of our own choices about where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others implicit permission to choose for us.

In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less.

– See more at: http://gregmckeown.com/essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less/#sthash.QpirtZky.dpuf

  • Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin?
  • Do you sometimes feel overworked and underutilized?
  • Do you feel motion sickness instead of momentum?
  • Does your day sometimes get hijacked by someone else’s agenda?
  • Have you ever said “yes” simply to please and then resented it?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist involves doing less, but better, so you can make the highest possible contribution.

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done. It’s about challenging the core assumption of ‘we can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’. It’s about regaining control of our own choices about where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others implicit permission to choose for us.

In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less.

– See more at: http://gregmckeown.com/essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less/#sthash.QpirtZky.dpuf