January 2020 Reading List

It is crazy to me that we are at the end of the first month of 2020. Like January is done and we are on to February now! As I always say when I realize this, time flies when you're having fun! How was everybody's January? Are y'all sticking with your New Year's resolutions and goals? I am trying to stay true to mine and doing well so far but like I said at the beginning of the year, it is a daily thing not something I do when I can.

Now that is the end of January, you know what that means... READING LIST TIME! It is time for me to share my January reading list filled with the books that I read during this month. It has been a little while since I have done one of these because I didn't really get a whole lot of free time to read during my last semester at NC State. Y'all know I love to read and putting these books together is great because I get to relive the stories all over again. This month, I revisited some books that were passed down to me and some that I was truly too young to read at the time, along with some new ones as well. I hope y'all enjoy!

What have y'all been reading recently? Do y'all have any good book recommendations that I should try out?

~THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN BY: GARTH STEIN | MEET THE DOG WHO WILL SHOW THE WORLD HOW TO BE HUMAN. The New York Times bestselling novel from Garth Stein—a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope—a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. This reminds me that I am not built to read books about dogs. Such a beautiful tale and reading it from the dogs point of view makes you wish that you could understand what your own dogs were thinking when they looked at you everyday.

~MR. HOCKEY: MY STORY BY: GORDIE HOWE | The NHL may never see anyone like Gordie Howe again. Known as Mr. Hockey, he led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cups and is the only player to have competed in the league in five different decades.In Mr. Hockey, the man widely recognized as the greatest all-around player the sport has ever seen tells the story of his incredible life...Twenty consecutive seasons among the top five scorers in the NHL. One hundred points after the age of forty. Playing for Team Canada with his two sons. Gordie Howe rewrote the record books. But despite Howe’s unyielding ferocity on the ice, his name has long been a byword for decency, generosity, and honesty off of it.Going back to Howe’s Depression-era roots and following him through his Hall of Fame career, his enduring marriage to his wife, Colleen, and his extraordinary relationship with his children, Mr. Hockey is the definitive account of the game’s most celebrated legacy, as told by the man himself. I am a hockey girl through and through and growing up you knew that one of the greats of the game was Mr. Gordie Howe. Getting to read about his life and where he came from and how hard he had to work is truly amazing. I loved getting to read about and see the differences between how the game used to be played and how it is played today.

~THE ARRIVAL BY: SHAUN TAN | A shockingly imaginative graphic novel that captures the sense of adventure and wonder that surrounds a new arrival on the shores of a shining new city. Wordless, but with perfect narrative flow, Tan gives us a story filled with cityscapes worthy of Winsor McCay. Tan's lovingly laid out and masterfully rendered tale about the immigrant experience is a documentary magically told. I got this book as a graduation gift and it is truly beautiful! This is different from my usual recommendations because it is purely pictures and no words but the pictures are just pictures, they are drawings. Over the course of 4 years, Shaun Tan drew these powerful and amazing drawings to show the life of immigration and it takes you back in time and makes you wonder.

~ENRIQUE'S JOURNEY BY: SONIA NAZARIO | This is the true and heartbreaking story of sixteen-year-old Enrique, who sets off on a journey alone to find his mother, who he has not seen for eleven years, not since she left her starving family and illegally entered the United States, hoping to make enough money to send home to Honduras. With little more in his pocket than a slip of paper bearing his mother’s phone number, Enrique embarks on a treacherous odyssey, traveling by clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains. Even when confronted by bandits, thugs, and corrupt cops, he is determined to complete his journey, often buoyed by the kindness of strangers or simply by luck finding water or food. In the face of this hostile world, Enrique’s love for his mother and his desire to be reunited with her endure and triumph. Enrique’s journey tells the larger story of undocumented Latin American migrants in the United States. His is an inspiring and timeless tale about the meaning of family and fortitude that brings to light the daily struggles of migrants, legal and otherwise, and the complicated choices they face. This is one of those books that I reread after so many years. Enrique's Journey was one of those books that was required to read in school but now that I am a little older and able to appreciate it more now that it isn't an assignment, I picked up on a lot more. The story of this journey is oh-so powerful and the will to get to where you want and need to be speaks volumes.

~THE $100 STARTUP: REINVENT THE WAY YOU MAKE A LIVING, DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND CREATE A NEW FUTURE BY: CHRIS GUILLEBEAU | Still in his early thirties, Chris is on the verge of completing a tour of every country on earth – he’s already visited more than 175 nations – and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back. There are many others like Chris – those who’ve found ways to opt out of traditional employment and create the time and income to pursue what they find meaningful. Sometimes, achieving that perfect blend of passion and income doesn’t depend on shelving what you currently do. You can start small with your venture, committing little time or money, and wait to take the real plunge when you're sure it's successful. In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and from that group he’s chosen to focus on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment. Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise” – even if you don’t consider it such — and what other people will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid. Being a business kid I absolutely love reading about different business techniques and how I can sharpen my mind and become better. I agree with this concept of not needing a whole lot of money to start something but also creating something that you are passionate about. Chris Guillebeau walks you through everything and I do mean EVERYTHING. He also takes you through the process that other entrepreneurs have gone through with their start-ups and where they are today.

If y'all have some books that you think I should check out, please comment and let me know I am back in bookwork mode and love reading right now.

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

Love, Dani