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Book Roundup, First Half of 2017

I’ve read some awesome books so far this year, and wanted to share. 

Here are the books:

A few months ago, I heard a leader from my church say something along the lines of "Every morning, hop out of bed with excitement and make it the best day." And I remember thinking "Yeah right." But it sounded like a nice idea, so I put a weekly reminder in my calendar telling me to do so. But every time I read my reminder to do this, I just rolled my eyes.

That has all changed with this book. When I wake up in the morning, I am excited about the day, and am confident that I can make it a great day. This book has transformed my mornings, my days, and my life.
I have been putting the suggestions into practice since February 2017, and as a result, these last few months have been some of the best few months of my life. I will write extensively about different parts from this book in the future. Stay tuned.
The main jist of the book is--get up 1 hour earlier than usual every day, and do a few specific things to start your day off right. You won’t regret reading and applying the principles in this book!

(Disclaimer: I receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.)

The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Kids and Your Self by Hal Elrdod, Lindsay and Mike McCarthy
I recommend reading the original Miracle Morning book (see above) before reading this one, and getting started with the lifestyle. After doing that, the first part of this book will be review, but the original book is not to be missed. The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families is a great supplement, and great for taking your parenting to the next level.
This book was fantastic. It gave me a new perspective as a Homeschooling Mom as to what will bring growth, learning, and fulfillment to the lives of my children. And it was also enlightening for me personally as I try to figure out where I should be spending my time to gain the greatest benefit. I highly recommend this book for anyone, but especially parents!

No Greater Love, by Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa inspires me. I love her great faith and willingness to follow God, even when doing so requires great sacrifice. This book taught me so much about what it means to love. I highly recommend it! I also highly recommend the film, Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I loved learning about her personality, which is very different than I had assumed.
This book helped me understand myself better--I am an introvert through and through. I didn’t realize that my tendency to be overwhelmed by a lot of activity (noise, lots of movement, etc.) is common for introverts. And rather than beat myself up about it, I can make time for the breaks I need for rejuvenation each day. The book also helped me understand my husband and children better, as well as people in general. This book opened my eyes to how society views extroverts and introverts, and how we need to value the richness that comes from accepting the strengths of both.

 Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, by Joel Fuhrman
A fantastic book on nutrition and how it affects our health, including susceptibility to developing diseases. The book is great for anyone who wants to lose weight, but also for those who do not, but are interested in learning how to eat in a way that will bring the greatest benefit. This book, along with other similar books, has changed my life.

Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, by T. Colin Campbell and Howard Jacobson
A fantastic read. The author, as an academic formerly involved in the formation of government policies on health and nutrition, and as a researcher on nutrition and health, has unique insights. I highly recommend this books for anyone who wants to learn about nutrition and health. This topic could be really boring to read about, but Campbell makes it interesting.

Good insights on the unique experiences and challenges inherent in adopting an older child (something we will be doing soon).

Fascinating account of the lives of a segment of the population in Guangdong Province in China (where I currently live).

The Trusted Advisor, by David H. Maister and Charles H. Green
A business book, and I found the first few chapters not very relevant to me, but most of the book was really helpful. I tend to want to provide all of the answers, but this book talks about how we need to develop trust in every relationship (and not just with friends and family)--trust is not a given in any relationship. The book discusses how we can advise without offending or leading to defensiveness, in a way that will lead to true results.

How Will You Measure Your Life, by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon
This book shares so many great insights. It was heavier on business anecdotes than I expected, but I truly admire Clayton Christensen, and love every opportunity to learn from him.

This book had some interesting insights, and there is a lot to learn from it, but I can’t help but thinking there must be a better book on this topic.

LDS Specific Books

The Infinite Atonement, by Ted R. Callister
This books was fantastic and gave me a deeper understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I will be reading this book again.
This book is fantastic! It helped me understand more what it means to be a person who has made covenants with God, and how those covenants can bless my life. And I loved her insight on the ministration of angels today, and how our ancestors are mindful of us and want to help us. A quick read.

A compilation of great stories and quotes to inspire LDS women to greatness. A quick read.

These books have richly blessed my life. More about that in my next post.

What books have you read and loved this year? Comment below.
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