May 2019 Reading List

Hey y'all! IT'S FRIDAY! And it is prep & pack weekend so that means it is time to get up out of bed and start packing for Carolina Country Music Festival and Europe. I'm just a little stressed about that because I am not the greatest packer in the world so this should be really interesting! How was y'all's week? I felt like this week went by really quickly. I have been trying to have some sort of a summer routine especially to make sure I get regular workouts in which has been interesting because it has been so dang hot here! But it is also the end of MAY which absolutely blows my mind but I am ready for June and all the fun it is about to bring! Being the end of May means it is time to share my reading list for the month! Hope y'all enjoy!

If y'all have suggestions for some books I should read, please let me know I am always looking for new things to read.

~THE DEFINING DECADE: WHY YOUR TWENTIES MATTER- AND HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEM NOW (BY: MEG JAY) | Our "thirty-is-the-new-twenty" culture tells us the twentysomething years don't matter. Some say they are a second adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. Dr. Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist, argues that twentysomethings have been caught in a swirl of hype and misinformation, much of which has trivialized what is actually the most defining decade of adulthood.Drawing from a decade of work with hundreds of twentysomething clients and students, THE DEFINING DECADE weaves the latest science of the twentysomething years with behind-closed-doors stories from twentysomethings themselves. The result is a provocative read that provides the tools necessary to make the most of your twenties, and shows us how work, relationships, personality, social networks, identity, and even the brain can change more during this decade than at any other time in adulthood-if we use the time wisely. THE DEFINING DECADE is a smart, compassionate and constructive book about the years we cannot afford to miss. The Defining Decade was actually suggested to me by my dad and I am so glad that I read it! It is filled with different client experiences, research, and just straight common sense and reasoning. It is split into 4 different sections: Brain and Body, Love, and Work. If you are in your twenties or are a parent of someone that age, I seriously recommend reading this book because not only will you learn new things about yourself and the things happening in your life but you can learn about your kids and better understand what is going on with them.

~ULTRAMARATHON MAN BY: DEAN KARNAZES | Ultrarunning legend Dean Karnazes has run 262 miles-the equivalent of ten marathons-without rest. He has run over mountains, across Death Valley, and to the South Pole-and is probably the first person to eat an entire pizza while running. With an insight, candor, and humor rarely seen in sports memoirs (and written without the aid of a ghostwriter or cowriter), Ultramarathon Man has inspired tens of thousands of people-nonrunners and runners alike-to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and be reminded of "what it feels like to be truly alive," says Sam Fussell, author of Muscle. Ultramarathon Man answers the questions Karnazes is continually asked: - Why do you do it?- How do you do it?- Are you insane? THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! I have been a huge fan of Dean Karnazes ever since I started running and reading Ultramarathon man is just a crazy story. He does a really fantastic job of making you feel like you are right there running right next to him but thank god you aren't because 262 miles is a long way to go. A lot of questions are answered like, how he does it and why he does, which are probably everybody's two biggest questions.

~FORWARD BY: ABBY WAMBACH | Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. At age seven she was put on the boys’ soccer team. At age thirty-five she would become the highest goal scorer—male or female—in the history of soccer, capturing the nation’s heart with her team’s 2015 World Cup Championship. Called an inspiration and “badass” by President Obama, Abby has become a fierce advocate for women’s rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world.As she reveals in this searching memoir, Abby’s professional success often masked her inner struggle to reconcile the various parts of herself: ferocious competitor, daughter, leader, wife. With stunning candor, Abby shares her inspiring and often brutal journey from girl in Rochester, New York, to world-class athlete. Far more than a sports memoir, Forward is gripping tale of resilience and redemption—and a reminder that heroism is, above all, about embracing life’s challenges with fearlessness and heart. I have been a huge Abby Wambach fan for years and years because I grew up watching her be a bada$% soccer player playing for the US Women's soccer team! Reading about her life and what she has gone through as well is very eye opening and jaw dropping at the same time. She has been a huge role model for girls every where and I am not just talking about soccer players but truly girls every where to fight for what they want because they deserve it. Huge recommendation to read this and Abby's amazing story!

~TWO BY TWO BY: NICHOLAS SPARKS | At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear...and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding—one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined.When a chance encounter with an old flame tempts him to take a chance on love again, he will navigate this new opportunity with trepidation and wonder. But with the loyal support of his parents and his wise older sister Marge, and in the hard-won lessons of fatherhood, Russ will finally come to understand the true nature of unconditional love—that it is a treasure to be bestowed, never earned. I have been reading Nicholas Sparks since I was I think 10 years old and I legitimately have read every single book and I think this one has to be my absolute favorite. It is a beautiful story of a family that becomes broken but you see this beautiful form between a dad and a daughter. I can also admit that I cried reading this book because the end will really get you and that is all I am going to say about that. I guess you can say that in some way I related to this book and that made it so much more enjoyable to read. Highly recommend to read ALL of Nicholas Sparks books!

~RUN AWAY WITH ME BY: MILA GREY | Emerson Lowe and popular ice-hockey player Jake McCallister have been best friends since third grade but as their friendship starts to morph into something more, a terrible event occurs that heralds the end of innocence for both of them.Within a week, Jake’s living on the other side of the country and Emerson is left alone to pick up the pieces of her life in a small town determined to paint her as a liar.Seven years later, Emerson is still living on the beautiful Pacific West island of Bainbridge, helping run her family’s business. The last thing she needs is Jake turning up, bringing with him old memories and opening up old wounds. But Jake—even better looking than Emerson remembers—seems determined to revive their friendship no matter how much Emerson tries to push him away. Forced to work alongside him for the summer Emerson can’t help but fall for Jake, and soon they’re in the midst of a passionate romance that neither of them wants to end. But both Emerson and Jake know that if they’re to have any kind of future they must first confront the past—a past that most people want to stay buried. I love reading Mila Grey's books because they are in some sort of fashion so relatable and Run Away With Me really was! It is the classic tale of best friends that are separated and had feelings for each other that are now back together after years... how do we think that is going to work out? Your probably thinking, oh I see it says hockey that's why Danielle loves this... not fully no! It is a beautiful story that has, for sure, a lot of drama but a story line that will have you hooked and not wanting to put it down. Trust me because I finished this in one night! Mila Grey has a ton of other books as well so I would definitely go check out some of her other one's as well!

I hope y'all enjoyed this and may have even found something new to read for this next month! Do y'all have any suggestions for some new books for me to read?

As always thank y'all for stopping by and reading! I will see y'all back here next time!

Love, D