Hi folks! This is my 2018 Summer Reading Good:Book List. I will give you the top five books I have either read or “audibled” this summer. Audible is a great program. I purchased an Audible subscription a few months ago and that has really become my main way of intaking books these days. Since purchasing Audible I have listened to over 30 books, in just a few months. It has become almost an obession!
I will be starting my Audible Addicts group later this year. Follow me for more support! 😉
Back to the books! Here is my top 5 books I have read in the summer of 2018:
- Start With Why – Simon Sinek
- Published in 2009, Start With Why is not a new book. It is a new book for me though. I was well aware of Sinek and his message long before this. I wanted to get his book for a long time. It was one of my first Audible purchases. I have been following him on Social Media for a few years after watching a TED (or TED X) talk he did.
- Start With Why is a great book that makes the reader really pay attention to the underlying reasons why people and businesses do what they do, and why those things either work, or do not, in the business world.
- Sinek focuses much of his message on leaders; what makes a great leader, how to develop the skills that leaders have, and how to apply the skills and ideas of great leaders to business.
- I don’t think one phrase can totally sum the entire book, but this one captures a key premise of the book – “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” – Simon Sinek
- As I read about big business mergers happening all the time in this era of business, I wonder if business leaders remember this truism, or if they are chasing business partnerships that look like they will drop the bottom line, or give some other benefit(s) on paper, while ingoring the key component of “WHY”.
- Tested, The Dream is Free but the Hu$tle Comes at a Cost – Alpesh H. Patel
- In Tested, Patel gives his personal story of coming up in tough circustances. Patel’s narrative is filled with life and business lessons that any entreprenuer could benefit from.
- Patel had successes and failures along his journey. He shares them in the book for anyone to learn and draw value from.
- This book has value for the salesperson, the corporate CEO, the entreprenuer, or anyone who wants to just learn how to perservere through failures and tough times.
- Patel developed grit and if you follow his examples, so will you!
- 12 Rules For Life, An Antidote to Chaos – Jordan B. Peterson
- I thought this was an amazing book. I don’t believe everything Peterson says but he makes some good points and knows how to back his points up with logic that I can understand.
- Peterson talks about his youth and childhood, growing up in a rough northern Canadian town where you either drank, fought, and worked your life away, or you got out. Peterson got out and went on to pursue his education.
- I think some of Peterson’s best thoughts in this book are when he talks about dealing with headstrong children. Parents of so-called “problem” kids could really benefit from the wisdom shared in these parts of the book.
- Revival – Stephen King
- Revival is a great read for King fans. It is full of King’s humor, wit, and even a few of the “easter eggs” that King includes in his works; elements of stories that somehow brilliantly link this story in to his other stories and the King Universe.
- ** Quick warning about this book. It talks a little about religous stuff. One of the main characters is a pastor and then an “evangelist” type. This is a work of fiction people. It is not saying anything real about religion or God or anything. It is a made up story that just happens to involve these topics. If you are sensitive to the topics, you might want to pass on this book. If you can appreciate fiction for fiction, read on!
- The story follows Jamie Morten from his youth to his old age. We meet Jamie as a little boy, growing up in Maine. We are introduced to Reverend Charlie Jacobs, when Jacobs becomes the pastor of the church in the town, and develops a bond with young Jamie. Besides being a man of God, Jacobs is obsessed with electricity. Jamie and Jacobs develop a bond right away. The bond doesn’t last too long though; the young Reverend Jacob’s wife and young child are killed in a horrific car crash, sending Jacobs off the deep end. Jacob’s has a public meltdown and soon leaves the church, and Jamie’s life for several years.
- Jamie grows up to be a traveling, guitar picking, hard living, rock-and-roller. In his travels he finds Jacobs again. The two are united and Jacobs helps Jamie to overcome his drug addiction, using his “secret electricity”. Jacobs has “helped” several people with his techniques. On the surface his techniques seem to have cured the people he was helping, but in the long run there may be more damage than benefit.
- This page turning thriller was hard to put down! I didn’t want to stop reading it. I don’t want to give much more away but this book is fun, scary, witty, and thrilling. In my opinion it is King at some of his best writing. The Stephen King Universe is ever-expanding, and this portion of the universe is worth a read if you want a good page turning thriller! **Mini-Spoiler Alter** The terrifying end of this book might be one of King’s darkest. I was not a huge fan of the ending, but it’s still a good read.
- The Chris Farley Show: A Biogrophy in Three Acts – By Tom Farley and Tanner Colby
- This one is an Audible only. This a great listen for anyone who watched Chris Farley. I grew up watching Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live. I probably have every line of the Chris Farley Best of SNL memorized. I binged this book and listened to the whole thing in one weeked. I learned that I have a lot more in common with Chris Farley than I thought. Our families were both very religious, we both grew up overweight, we both used comedy as a way to make friends, we both had a habit of taking care of others over ourselves. I was going down a very similar path to Chris, but chose to quit drinking on my own. The story of his struggle touched a personal note for me. I never got as bad as he was, but I can relate to where he was. His story makes me greatful that I made the life changes I did, when I did. Overall the performances in this audiobook are incredible and much of the story is very funny. Any Chris Farley fan will appreciate this book. Anyone who is struggling with addiction, alcohol, food issues, or other personal battles could benefit from this story too.
There you have it folks. These are my favorite books I have read or listened to this summer.
Honorable Mentions include:
- My first ever Hemmingway novel – The Sun Also Rises
- High Performance Habits – Brendon Bruchard
- The President is Missing – Bill Clinton and James Patterson
If anyone has read/audibled these books, or reads/listens to these books, I would love to know your thoughts on them. Please feel free to leave a comment. If this post brings you value, please hit the like buttom. Subscribe for more. Remember you can be the hero of your own story!