It’s April, yikes what a crazy year. Who saw this coming I didn’t. So much is happening and not happening at the same time. My heart goes out to those of us who have lost our jobs and loved ones, I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. We should all do our best to stay home and social distance even if we don’t believe what’s going on. I’ve seen some of the crazy conspiracy theories online and I just have to shake my head, who comes up with this shit.
That being said, Book Lovers Anonymous has reached it’s first official quarter. That means a winner will be announced and the second quarter has begun, along with a new opportunity to win. Before I announce the winner, I want to talk about two books I read from last months list that were disappointing.
Disappointing Book Number One – Jonathon Seagull
This book was on my list last month and I read it and I know I will have to read it again. It reminds me of The Alchemist in the way the story is written and told, kind of like a Buddhist parable. It started out strong enough for me to finish reading it but somewhere in the middle I lost interest and got lost. I assume some parts of it were speaking about religion and how it is overly done to the point where it might not even make sense anymore and is unrealistic is many of its standards. I also feel that Jonathan Seagull is a societal outcast with big dreams and big ideas that no one else can see. Again I will have to read this over, I don’t think the lesson hit me as hard as The Alchemist and maybe im wrong for comparing the two. If any of you have read it please let me know what you think.
Disappointing Book Two – Jessica Simpson’s Open Book
The first mistake I made with this book was getting it as an audio book and the second mistake was made by Simpson, she should have not narrated it. The story didn’t not grab me from the beginning, I get it that she had some sort of drinking problem and she speaks about some childhood trauma but if I was editing the book I would have started with her reality show Newly Weds and then go back in time. Since Newly weds is more familiar to us all. She started with her current husband whose name I still don’t even though I listened to the book. Needless to say I returned the book and have no interest in picking it back up. I want the tea but I’m over it now.
New Books I’m Eyeing This April and Early May
Own Your Industry by Douglas Kruger –
This was suggested by my good friend Carlington and him and I like very similar books. So when he told me to get this before he got off the phone I bought it. I just started it as an audio book and its being narrated by the author, personally I wish he would have chosen somebody else to read it. his voice is driving me mad, but none the less the book is promising and therefore I’m going to try listening again or I will have to buy the actual book. The focus of the book is basically a guideline of how to become an expert in your field and the value being an expert has on your income.
Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
I don’t know if I have mentioned this book previously but it was recommended to me a while back. It’s a book about negotiating whether in the boardroom or you know in line at Starbucks lol. Voss has worked with the FBI, coming face to face with some of the most hardened criminals. From terrorist to drug lords and he teaches the same tactics in his book that you can use and apply to your daily negotiating skills. Let’s see if it’s all hype or an actual solid read.
Good Economics For Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo
I think we would all agree that the current times we are in and heading for calls for a good economics read and this one is currently trending.
Figuring out how to deal with today’s critical economic problems is perhaps the great challenge of our time. Much greater than space travel or perhaps even the next revolutionary medical breakthrough, what is at stake is the whole idea of the good life as we have known it.
Immigration and inequality, globalization and technological disruption, slowing growth and accelerating climate change – these are sources of great anxiety across the world, from New Delhi and Dakar to Paris and Washington, DC. The resources to address these challenges are there – what we lack are ideas that will help us jump the wall of disagreement and distrust that divides us. If we succeed, history will remember our era with gratitude; if we fail, the potential losses are incalculable.
The above is the publishers summary found on Audible’s website. I think it will be a great read or listen. I have added it to my wishlist and I’m looking forward to reading it.
50 Billion Dollar Boss: African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership by Kathey Porter and Andrea Hoffman
This was suggested to me by a good friend it’s a collection of stories about successful black women who become leaders and millionaires running their own businesses.
The impact of African-American women in business is undeniable. According to the 2014 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express OPEN, while firms owned by women of color are smaller than non-minority women-owned businesses, their growth in numbers and economic clout is generally far outpacing that of other women-owned entities. Businesses owned by African-American women led that growth, up 296% from 1997 to 2014, generating nearly $50 billion in revenue. It is, in a sense, a second Black Renaissance, creating what we like to call the ’50 Billion Dollar Boss.’ ~ Amazon Publishers Note
So we have some interesting reads this month. The winner for the giveaway will be posted on my Instagram, by the time this blog goes live or within 24hours. Anyone who logs three books between January and April is eligible to win a book of my choice and a $50 gift card to wherever they like. This closes the first quarter but the second Quarter opens up starting right now and the rules are exactly the same. Log three books between May and August (you can also get a head-start by logging a second book in April but only if you have already logged a book for April.
see you soon Book Lovers, xoxo Lauren
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