GoodReads

Happy freakin' new year!!! Wow the last few years have been full of ups and downs. Let's toss it aside and cheers to 2022.

Speaking of the new year...each year we all get together and talk about our new year's resolutions. Most have some variation of a weight loss or health goal for the year, but today I'd like to focus on those who have lofty reading goals.

Have you heard of Goodreads? It is essentially the Facebook of all things book related. You need a book recommendation, it's there. You want to connect with other readers or find your friends book list, it's there. You want to create a community or digital book club, it's there. You'd like to track your reading progress and write book reviews, it's there too. I have found it to be an amazing tool to use for creating my yearly reading goals. Last year I read 16 books...this year I plan on reading 24. I love a good challenge. I think it is an achievable goal for a full-time working mom and wife, right?. Time is limited, but I can make it happen.

Joining a local book club jump-started my passion of reading again. I forgot how much I loved reading and it made me analyze how I spent my time. I realized I could do better at making time for the activities I enjoy. With reading we get to use a different part of our brains that have deteriorated from all of the Netflix binge watching over the years. Let's be honest we all have jumped on that band wagon at some point in time.

This year I have a few books on my list I am looking forward to reading. The top 5 anticipated reads are:

1. This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace

• This Naked Mind discusses the fear of drinking less and the stigma associated with alcoholism. Annie Grace provides insight into the reasons we drink and it's role in our culture. I have already started to read this book and it has definitely opened by eyes to the relationship I personally have had with drinking. This book has a bit of everything sprinkled in it from psychological, neurological, cultural, social, and industry related to alcohol. I do want to mention, this is not a "quit drinking" book, but an book written to provide insight to the world of drinking.

2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

• Let's play a game. An eccentric millionaire locates an assortment of strangers to participate in a weekend getaway on a private island off the coast of Devon. Each guest has a wicked past they are unwilling to reveal...we will see about that. Each room of the mansion has been marked with a famous nursery rhyme riddle. As the guests learn about each riddle they realize that murders are occurring exactly as the riddles are describing. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who put this scheme together? Read to find out.

3. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

• Brene Brown is a very influential writer of our time. She even had a Netflix documentary "The Call to Courage." Her research focuses on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Daring Greatly challenges the reader to self-reflect on their perception of vulnerability. Brown argues it is not weakness, but our path to courage and meaningful connection.

Personal development is a big piece of my life. I add a few of these throughout the year to grow and develop. It is my way of becoming a better person.

4. The Guest List by Lucy Foley

• A magazine publisher is getting married off the coast of Ireland. Everything from the designer dress, remote location, luxury party favors, drinks, and the guest list is perfect... that is under the festivities begin. Resentments, jealousies, clicks, drinking games, and the bride's dress getting ruined leads to the unexpected. Someone ends up dead. This thriller/mystery will keep you guessing who wanted to ruin the wedding and why.

5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

• On Goodreads this book as been deemed 4.47 out of 5 stars. Lets just say it must be a fantastic novel. It was also a Goodreads choice award nominee for fantast (2020). The House in the Gerulean Sea is a fantasy/fiction about a magical island and a case worker named Linus Baker who is in charge of magical youth. Linus is given an assignment to travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage where he finds six dangerous children. It is up to Linus to determine their fate. Of course that isn't the only decision he will have to make. Secrets begin to unfold and he must make choices that could destroy a home or watch the world burn.

I'd love to know if you end up reading one of these books. Share a pic on social media and tag me or send me an email at aliivyxo@gmail.com with your personal book review. I'm always looking for new friends who enjoy reading as much as I do.

Looking for a book to read this year, find me Aliivy_ on Goodreads.