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Good Books to Read for Business & Pleasure * March 2015

Books That Make You Feel Lucky

March brings us spring and, maybe, the luck o’ the Irish. We often feel spring has sprung when our trees start flowering in February and, like this year, we get beautiful days sunny enough to go sunbathing. Rolling into March, we San Franciscans are sometimes forced to pull on our jackets and scarves because of our deceptively mild, but actually chill you to the bone, weather patterns. But not this year. As I write, the sun is shining and the birds are singing!

I’m not totally sure why I’m telling you about the weather here. I’m kind of like a new mama, proud of everything her baby does or says. It’s true! I love San Francisco.

Business

The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work by Christine Carter, Ph.D..

I was down. I felt, as so many working mamas and maybe working everybodies, or maybe just plain everybody in urban, capitalist environments, overwhelmingly overwhelmed.

I read the intro to The Sweet Spot and I felt hope. Dr. Carter seemed to understand exactly where I was at, right down to a nascent desire to be hospitalized, just for a few days, so I could read in bed.

Having felt so understood, I felt happy paying full price for the book right on the spot so that I could support Dr. Carter’s work and an independent book seller at the same time — and get started finding my own sweet spot.

I don’t really have anything against Amazon — I hope to sell my own books there one day. It is a strange feeling, though, for a writer like me to buy a book for a penny when I how much blood, sweat, and how many tears go into writing even a single blog post. Times are strange. We need The Sweet Spot.

If you would like to have this book for your very own, purchase The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work at the Anna Colibri Amazon shop.

Pleasure

Last Call by Julie Pepper.

Speaking of independent book sellers, let’s talk about independent authors. It certainly is my pleasure to have read, and now review, Last Call, a book written by my friend and colleague, Julie Pepper. I have to admit, I was nervous reading a book written by a friend. What if I didn’t like it?

Fortunately, I really enjoyed Last Call. In fact, it moved me to tears. Part of the pleasure, I admit, came from knowing the author. It is interesting to know someone in real life and find out how what you know of her translates to the page. It is cool knowing that I can go directly to the author and get insight into both her feelings and mine, as well as her technique as a storyteller.

Last Call is about a youngish woman named Nicky who feels stuck and the relationships she has with the people around her. Although our circumstances are very different, I could relate to Nicky as a character because she conveys the human experience.

I am impressed by Last Call because it evokes real emotion and inspired me with its conclusion.

If you would like to have this book for your very own, purchase Last Call at the Anna Colibri Amazon shop.

Children

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The children selected Treasure Island, which surprised me because I thought it might be too old-fashioned or “classic” for them. Perhaps because they chose it, they found it quite engaging. I like it, too, because it is well-written and, while it does have its share of violence, it is not over the top.

This classic children’s book is yet another must read.

If you would like to have this book for your very own, purchase Treasure Island at the Anna Colibri Amazon shop.

Here’s my advice: Read the classics and support independent authors and booksellers.

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