August Reads

Happy Labor Day! If this year is doing anything, it is surprising me how quickly time is flying by. I'm pretty sure we just celebrated Memorial day 2 weeks ago! LOL I am hoping you are enjoying your day off and the unofficial end of summer.

YES you read that right, I read BOOKS in August. This is a first for me since MARCH! I ended up finishing 6 books. I couldn't stop reading and I love it! All the books I read were really good, in their own ways. The Libby app has really helped me get back into reading and I've already finished one book and working on book two and three for September. 

Here is what I read:

The Testament by John Grisham//// 4 Stars
What a great book; I think this is the first book I read by John Grisham and it did not disappoint. This book talked a lot about Wills and Estates and since that is part of my job, I found it very interesting and engaging. The chapters were long but I never felt they were not relevant. I loved all the detail about South America and what had to be done to get this estate settled.  I read this in a few days thanks to the power outage we had in early August. 

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine//// 4 Stars
This had been on my list for a while but the physical copy of it was never available at the library; thanks to Libby I was able to read it. Our local library had a online book club and this was August's pick and it was really good. Super twisted and I was constantly guessing what was going to happen. 

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth/// 4 Stars
This book was on my list for a while as well. Set in Australia, it bounced between the present and the past and between different characters. I really liked how this book was written from different perspectives- it gave the reader the whole picture. A big twist towards the end which made me love the book even move. 

Open Book by Jessica Simpson//// 4 Stars
I had heard a lot of good things about this book. The beginning for me was slow but I stuck with it and I ending up really liking this book. I thought she came off a lot more relatable and I learned a lot about her life. I used to love her music when it first came out. Long read but its filled with a lot of funny moments. 

Thank You for My Service by Mat Best/// 4 Stars
I found this book originally in Barnes and Noble last November. It looked interesting but I never found it again. When I found it on Libby, I downloaded it immediately; this book talked about his early life, how he got into the military, his life in the military and the life outside of the military, I enjoy these books because I will never know military life and I find it fascinating. While there was a lot of "bro" moments overall its a good read. 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher//// 4 Stars
This book was amazing. I went through an array of emotions reading this book. I LOVED how the base story took  place of over one night. It blows my mind what teenagers go through and how its even more complex now with technology.  I am curious now to see how the series on Netflix converted the book to TV.  

Phew! That's a wrap for the books I read in August. It was an eclectic bunch of books this month and I cannot wait to see what September brings for good reads. 

What are you reading currently?

[[A well read woman is a dangerous creature.]]

-gabrielle

PS. this is post ONE HUNDRED of this year! Woah! Thanks for reading along!

The Power of Broke: Your Greatest Competitive Edge

Source

Setting a goal, doing Homework, Adoring what you do, Remember you are the brand and Keep swimming. These are what Daymond John calls his Shark Points. These are Daymond's principles that are reoccurring throughout the book. He provides examples from the real world and his own business and in stories of other entrepreneurs who started with little and grew their business using the Power of Broke.

Daymond John started his company, FUBU in the early nineties with little money but he was hungry, metaphorically speaking for success. He knew he wanted to do something with this idea of his but with not many resources, he had to be creative and start his business only a  few dollars. He has grown FUBU into a huge company and now as one of the sharks on Shark Tank, he is taking what he has learned in the business world, and sharing it with everyone. Known as the People’s Shark, Daymond really wants to show that it is possible, you can become successful and do great things. The Power of Broke reads like an old friend who really cares about you is giving you the advice directly.
Power Facts, Shark Points, true life stories and personal advice is how Daymond shares that being broke can work to your advantage and help you succeed even more. He breaks down the principles of being successful and how you can start small, and grew your business into something big. The love of the business really shows through when Daymond is explaining how his ideas can help you reach your dreams. He wants you to be as successful as you can be.

One of my favorite stories in the book was about Mo’s Bows-how a little boy named Moziah (Mo) who loved to get dressed up for school, didn’t like his options for bow-ties. He enlisted his mom and grandmother to help him create his own unique bow-ties using some of his grandmothers scrap fabric. This kid had the vision, idea and ingenuity to enlist people who could help him. When Mo wore his bow-ties, they caused a lot of noise in his small hometown. When he started to make his own bow-ties then slowly but surely making custom orders for men of all ages. Mo’s Bows grew into something that they couldn’t believe and were elated to see it flourish. It all started with his idea, his vision and some help and it turned into a big company.  I loved that he dressed up for school but Mo got creative and asked his grandma for help and eventually teaching him how to sew. He not only learned about business but he learned a new skill too!

Setting goals and talking about them is another point Daymond talks about in The Power of Broke. “If people aren’t laughing at your dreams, then you’re not dreaming big enough” (p. 209) This is an inspiring quote that I wrote down and keep close. I think people are sometimes afraid to dream BIG and talking about your dreams is almost taboo. In order to keep your dreams alive, you have to talk about them and tell anyone you come across about your dreams.  Earlier in the year, I remember I started talking about a dream I would like to accomplish and I was super nervous to even say it out loud to myself; after I told my family who was very supportive about this goal; then I started to talk about it with co-workers and friends, I got some weird looks and a few people who tried to discredit my dreams. Even though,  people had their doubts,  I felt even more empowered to accomplish this dream.

Daymond provides great advice about loving what you are doing. I always feel that is so important- in order to succeed, you must love what you do, you absolutely have to love each and every part of your business, life, project etc. If you aren’t in love with what you are doing, then why are you doing it?

I absolutely loved this book, it gave me great advice; so much to think about and great heartwarming stories about how the power of broke influenced some many people with their crazy ideas. I would recommend this book for anyone who is thinking of starting a business,  anyone who owns a business and for Shark Tank fans. This book is filled with a lot of advice, ideas and inspiration. Check out The Power of Broke to see how your greatest competitive advantage can work for you!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this honest review.