Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

book club

What I’m reading: July 2014

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here.
What I'm reading this month! Full list on Taraswiger.com/blog

What I read

  • Foodist, by Darya Rose – a good primer for anyone wanting to feel better about food
  • Mindset, by Carol Dweck – a LOT of research showing how your mindset (do you think people are capable of change?) matters in…everything.

I didn't get a lot of reading in this month, because I spent most of my time writing and editing my new class materials. This month I'm flying, so I hope to get more in!

What I’m reading

My new bookish obsession

About a  month ago (right when my workload was ramping up), I got obsessed with the idea of reading the Great Books – you know, the books that have formed the foundation of our culture, that teach us something about ourselves…those books that everyone else read in high school and college that I missed. (As a French Lit major I read MANY “classics”…in French. But I seemed to miss many of the English/American classics.) I scoured many Great Books list, and added the ones that seemed to show up the most (and that seem “great” to me). You can see my list of 102 Great Books here (some of which I've read, thank goodness!), but I'd love to hear from you – what are the most important books to how YOU see the world? Whether the Western Canon thinks they're “great” or not, what would be on your own Great Book list?

And also – what the heck should I do with this list now? Read through it in a year? Read one a month? Where would you begin?

 

My most-recommended books for your small business or life:

I've collected my most-recommended books in a list of 28 books in the Bibliography of my new course. This list is my answer to the question: Where do I start? And: How did you learn to..? I'm entirely self-taught via books, and these are the ones that have had the biggest impact in my own business business and life. You'll get the full bibliography when you purchase the course here.

 

 

What I’m Reading: May 2014

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here. 
What I'm reading

 

What I read

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Quilting with a Modern Slant, by Rachel May.

Devotion: A Memoir, by Dani Shapiro

Gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson

 

What I’m reading

FaceTime, by S.J Pajonas (interview with her here)

The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkin

The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg

The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday

 

How about you? What are you reading? 

What I’m reading: April 2014

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here. 

What I'm reading, April 2014

What I read

Slow Motion by Dani Shapiro. A fascinating memoir-ish book by my new favorite author.

Knowing your Value, by MikaBrzezinski. If you work for The Man, you're probably not being paid enough. This book will help you work through asking for more.

Ready Player One, by Earnest Cline. SO GOOD. I devoured it.

Hotel New Hampshire, by John Irving. I went through an Irving spell several years ago and I don't know how I missed this one. A great novel, recommended by Kim.

A pile of quilt books, including Word Play, The Quilts of Tennessee,and Tula Pink’s City Sampler.

 

What I'm reading

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Quilting with a Modern Slant, by Rachel May. So good!

The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkin

Parallel Lives, by Phyllis Rose

 

Frankly, I've lost my reading mojo. Got a book suggestion? I'd love to hear it!

How about you? What are you reading? 

 

 

 

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer!  Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. Read the usual disclaimer here.

What I’m reading: March 2014

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here. 

And now I'm in my pjs, on the couch, with a post-run smoothie and this fabulous stack. #fridaynightpartynight

Snow days are great for reading! I got through so much during the very short February!

 

What I read

$100 Start-up by Chris Guillebeau. As I hoped, this is going to the top of my to-recommend list for those where-to-start questions. This is for you IF you're not sure how to get started. IF you are seriously excited to start a business. Even though I'm 8 years past “start-up”, I still learned stuff – I used the Launch Checklist while opening Pay Yourself (and had my biggest class launch ever!)

Money: A Love Story, by Kate Northrup. In preparation for leading Pay Yourself, I wanted to read up on some of the emotional side of money. This book is a good look at the emotional stuff, particularly if you're afraid to get started.

No Meat Athlete , by Matt Frazier. If you're not sure where to start with eating more healthily, this book's first half is GREAT. Not only does he give you the knowledge of nutrition you might be missing, he really focuses on habit change. Because it's not just about knowing the thing to do, it's about doing it.

If You Can Talk, You Can Write, Joes Saltzman. The title says it all! I used the prompts to keep up with my 1,000 words a day and found myself quoting it to the writing-scared.

The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I wasn't sure if I liked this novel, but I kept going (and it's huge!). I enjoyed it, but didn't love it.

Fuzzy Nation, by John Scalzi. Read this sci-fi classic (it is a classic right? It should be!) in one long weekend. Fun!

 

What I'm reading

 

Slow Motion by Danie Shapiro.

Knowing your Value, by MikaBrzezinski. Another Pay Yourself-inspired read, and it came just at the the perfect time -I've been helping one of my clients double her rates.

Ready Player One, by Earnest Cline.

A pile of quilt books, including Word Play, The Quilts of Tennessee,and Tula Pink's City Sampler.

 

How about you? What are you reading? 

 

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer!  Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. Read the usual disclaimer here.

What I’m Reading: February 2014

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here. 

What I'm reading, February 2014

This was the month of starting and then giving up on books. Even though I'm a fan of  quitting (it's one of my reading rules), it's still a bummer when I realize that the book's not getting any better.

What I read: 

Ape: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur – Everything you need to know to self-publish including laying out your book + making all the different ebook formats.

Released, S.J. Pajonas – So good! And I got to interview her here! 

The Nerdist Way, by Chris Hardwick – This was a Christmas gift from Jay, because it's been on my list for years and we're fans of the Nerdist podcast (the perfect road trip sidekick – something for the radio that we can both agree on). Loved that it was so in line with what I teach, especially the Map Making Guide.

Rockabye: From Wild to Child, by Rebecca Woolfe – I love this blogger's voice so when I saw the book at the library, I snatched it up. Quick, easy, entertaining.

Give and Take, by Adam Grant  – Well, I got about halfway through this, then skipped around. I agree with the premise, but all the examples are a bunch of old, corporate white guys who “give” by introducing tech companies to possible investors. This got old, so I decided to give it up. 

Allegiant – another book I gave up on after being annoyed. So sad, because I loved the first book in this trilogy. Oh, and I skipped ahead and read the last chapter, so I know how it ends. (Harry had it right)

What I hope to read: 

 

 

How about you? What are you reading? 

 

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer!  Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. Read the usual disclaimer here.

 

What I’m reading

Posting about this month's reads on TaraSwiger.com. What are YOU reading?

Last year, after writing about reading 100 books in one year, I started sharing what I was reading each month (see them all here). I love that the project brought a lot more conversations about books (and books I never would have discovered) into my life, and I'd like to continue it into the new year, but maybe with a few changes.

Do you have suggestions? Do you want me to review my favorite book of the last month (like this)?  Share more business books?
I'm open to all ideas! Leave a comment here.

Now, for this months' reads:

I'm going to be in and around airplanes a lot (TNNA!) so I'm mostly planning to read from my Kindle. I hope to get to:

Everything I Know, by Paul Jarvis
Platform, by Micheal Hyatt
Released, S.J. Pajonas (I'm interviewing her later this month!)
Your First 1,000 Copies, by Tim Grahl

I'm also hoping to read:
The Desire Map, by Danielle LaPorte
How to Deliver a TED Talk, by Jeremy Donovan
Give and Take, by Adam Grant
The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert

 

What are you reading? 

 

 

 

Explorer Club of Book Lovers – December

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments!

It's book talk time! What are you reading? Find my list on the site!

 

What I read in November

 

What I'm reading in December

 

 

What are you reading this month?

What was your favorite book of November?

 

 

 

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer! I’m not in any way coerced into saying nice things about anyone's book. Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. Read the usual disclaimer here. 

 

 

Explorer Club of Book Lovers – November

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments!

November Book Club for Business

What I read in October

Whew! I read quite a bit this month (thanks to all that time in airports + the following Introvert Recovery days).

My favorites:

The good:

  • I got a good start on the ginormous Steve Jobs biography but had to return it to the library about halfway through (he's just made Toy Story with Pixar!). Whenever it comes back in, I'll pick it up again.
  • Turning Pro was fantastically inspiring. I'll probably be writing more about it soon, in the style of this book review.
  • Someday, Someday Maybe. Lauren Graham's novel is funny and tender, and felt a lot like being in my early 20's. Fun + quick!

The meh:

  • The Culture Code. This was interesting, if a bit reductionist. All the same, it helped me understand a little more about what drives people's buying decisions.

November's To Read List

  • I already slurped up Erika Lyremark's smart book on the 2nd day of the month! It is a collection of her stories from stripping (yes!) which she transforms into business lessons you can apply to your own work. So inspiring, I read it in one day (and came up with a whole new offering!) Best yet, you can download it free when you join her list!
  • A carry-over from last month's list, I'm hoping to get to Shawn Achor's second book soon!
  • Wool is the mega-successful self-published sci-fi novel. I've been hearing about it forever and I just started it last night. Gotta read anything with “Wool” in the title, right?!
  • If You Want to Write, by Brenda Ueland is one of my all-time favorite books. I checked it out again to get me through NaNoWriMo.
  • Wired for Story is another writing-fuel book.
  • Allegiant is the third book in the Divergent trilogy and I am on pins + needles waiting for this book to come in for me at the library!

What are you reading this month?

What was your favorite book of October?

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer! Srini sent me Turning Pro + Erika gifted Think Like A Stripper. But I’m not in any way coerced into saying nice things. Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. Read the usual disclaimer here.

 

Explorer Club of Book Lovers – October

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. I'd love to hear about your books – please share your own list in the comments!

Writing about this month's reads today. Stack # 1!

What I read in September

 

Stephanie’s new novel, Removed, is so so good. I can't believe I have to wait for book #2! Totally addictive!
Use What You’ve Got is a funny mix of personal stories-turned-into-business advice. Hilarious and encouraging, even if you're not a real estate mogul!

After watching (and loving) Shawn Achor's TED talk, I put the Happiness Advantage on my list..and I was not disappointed. I've got a whole post on why you're going to love this book (coming soon!), but if you can't wait, listen to Shawn's great BlogcastFM interview!

Writing about reading while working at the library. #meta (Full list on the blog - link in profile!)

October's To Read List

Since the first part of the month required a lot of airplane-time and thinky-thinking (4 live workshops in 8 days!), I've got more novels than usual on my list (and am so happy about that!)

  • Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Recommended by just about everyone, this was the perfect airplane read!
  • Someday, Someday Maybe. Lorelai wrote a book! Ok, so her name is really Lauren Graham, but she'll always be Lorelai of Gilmore Girls to me! (If you haven't watched Parenthood yet, you totally should. It is so much better than I expected!)
  • Grounded, by friend and Starship Captain Heather Ordover. I started this back in September and can't wait to finish it. You can order yours here + get your kit (yarn + pattern) here. (Riin + Heather met + collaborated thanks to the Starship. YAY!)
  • I liked the Happiness Advantage so much, I added Shawn's second book to my list!
  • The Culture Code
  • Turning Pro was a thank you gift from Srini + it's perfectly purse-sized. I've been reading it in little blips of time (the chapters are tiny + perfect for bite-size reading) and I already love it!
  • Steve Jobs has been on my list forever and it finally came in for me at the library.
  • The Art of Being Unmistakable, by Srinivas Rao.

What are you reading this month?

What was your favorite book of September?

 

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer! I was given a free copy of Stephanie’s book + Srini sent me Turning Pro. But I’m not in any way coerced into saying nice things. Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. (I bought Heather’s book.) Read the usual disclaimer here.

 

 

Explorer’s Club of Book Lovers – May

Hello book lovers! It's time for the book club, but let's change it up!

Last month I picked two books, but we didn't have nearly as much participation as the month before, and I think I know why. Two books is just way too limiting, isn't it?  I read a few at once, and I'm a fan of quitting whenever I want. So instead of just  picking 2 books for us to read and discuss together, let's just make this a space to talk about everything we're reading.

I'll share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can share your list of books in the comments, or we can talk about any of the books that you want to read along with me.

April's Reads

Icarus Deception. 

Amazon | IndieBound | GoodReads

This book was a big YES to everything I feel about my own creative business, and the way I encourage creatives in their own. It directly inspired this post about the Only Work You Have to Do, whose discussion led to this one on connection…which led to these two posts about creating a path of connection for your customer.

 

Market Yourself.

Amazon | Goodreads

Yes, I spent a good chunk of last week re-reading my own book, to prepare for teaching a workshop on Artist's Portfolios + Social Media. The timing was perfect since Saturday was my Book-iversary! The book launched one year ago! (You can get a signed one here.)

Sunday Morning Quilts

Amazon | IndieBound | GoodReads

I read a lot of quilt books last month, but this was by far the best – both in the I-would-make-that quality of the patterns and in the friendly, chatty beginning.

 

May's To Read List 

This month's reading list. Details are on the site.

I had intended to read Contagious last month…but I had to return it to the library (someone else had a hold on it) before I got to it. But it's all mine now, and I'm one chapter in. What makes this book different from all the other ones about business and social media is that it is well-researched by the author.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up is all about creative nonfiction. What it is, how to write it, and exercises to get you started. Since creative nonfiction is the best definition I can find for what I write, and I'm working on a new project, I'm super excited to read this.

After hearing Father Boyle on On Being with Krista Tippet, I wanted to read his book.  I strongly recommend the recording of their conversation. It's funny, heart-breaking, and is the very best I can hope for my faith.

Lean In. Eh, I'm requested this book from the library because I'm curious about what it says to women in the workforce. I've seen a lot of entrepreneurial types saying “You don't need to “lean in” because you should start your own business!“…but while I'd love for everyone to do exactly what they love, I know that's not a choice everyone has, in every situation. Until I read this, I'm not recommending it, because it has the potential to be completely annoying.

Last week my 14 year old brother called me up to say, “I just finished Divergent. It is BETTER than the Hunger Games. You have  to read it.”  We're going on a family vacation at the end of June, and since 14 year old boys are notoriously hard to have conversations with (without stabbing out my own eyes), I hope to be caught up with where he is in the series so we can talk about it. (Yes, I take recommendations from everyone. And I know we have similar taste (in movies and books, if not in video games.))

 

I’m an affiliate for Amazon + IndieBound, which means I get soy latte money if you buy through the links I’ve used here. GoodReads is a free tool for tracking what you read.  I  read all these books via my library, which I strongly recommend!

 

What are you reading? 

 

 

 

 

 

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