May 22, 2013

The Book List

There are a few things you should know about me. One, is that I drink everything with extra extra ice. The second, is that I absolutely LOVE books. I love to read almost as much as I love to take pictures. And it helps that often, the books I read can relate to photography or owning a business. Double bonus!

Over the past few months, I have been able to devour some wonderful books and there are some that I just want to tell everyone about. Sometimes, when I read a book, it feels like it was written for me to read at that exact moment. It’s like the author knows me. And that they have a little piece of wisdom, like a little treasure for me to find hidden between the pages.

Book #1 : The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Kyle and I read this book as part of our courtship and I am SO glad that we did. Learning to communicate love to the people in our lives is so important. But what’s more important is making sure we are communicating in the right way. Chapman breaks down what he considers to be the 5 languages of love. (Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, & Physical Touch.) At the end of the book, there is a short quiz to help each person assess their love language. I scored the highest in Words of Affirmation & Quality Time. I completely agree. I could live off of a compliment for a week. And nothing makes me happier than a coffee date with a friend. I HIGHLY recommend this book for ANYONE.

The Five Love Languages can be purchased here.

Book #2 : The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

This book challenged me. In the best way possible. It challenged me to dream big and believe for the impossible. The book is based around a story of a man named Honi who actually drew a circle in the ground while praying for something and did not leave the circle until his prayer was answered. How many times have I done that? Just prayed for something once and when I didn’t immediately see a result, given up. Batterson challenges us to pray circles around things. Even if that takes months, or even years. The stories of answered prayers built my faith and challenged me to believe that Jesus really is possible of doing the impossible in my life and in the things I am praying for.

The Circle Maker can be purchased here.

Book #3 : How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This book took me quite a while to get through. Mainly because life has been busy and there were other books that I wanted to read more than this one. However, I am SO glad that I spent the time to finally finish it a few weeks ago. I have heard that some people are not a fan of this book, but I really enjoyed it. I think it is full of wisdom that really talks about communication, business, and relationships. There are plenty of true stories proving each of the points Carnegie makes in the book which make the book relatable and interesting. Although it was written in 1936, it still is relevant today. He even talks about what to do when correcting someone, and how to offer suggestions that people will be more inclined to listen to and act upon. Overall, I think it is a book packed full of wisdom.

How to Win Friends & Influence People can be purchased here.

Book #4 : No One Ever Told Us That : Money & Life Letters to my Grandchildren by John D. Spooner

Okay, I LOVE this book. It totally reminds me of things my Grandpa would say to me. It is comprised of letters that Spooner has written to his two grandchildren. One point he makes is “Life is about relationships.” It is so so true. He talks about making connections with people really opens the door to so many thing, especially in the business world. It’s an easy read that I think anyone could enjoy. It also would be a great gift for someone graduating college, or entering into a new career. Really practical, and really fun to hear his life experiences. This man has lived a FULL life.

No One Ever Told Us That can be purchased here.

So there you have it, 4 of my favorite books that I have read recently. As you can see, I don’t read much fiction. But! That is mostly because I don’t really know where to start! I’m not a “romance novel” kind of girl, and Twilight really isn’t my thing either. However, if you have a recommendation, I would LOVE to hear it! I have a few trips coming up, and everyone needs some good airplane reading material!

Coming Soon to the Blog : A Las Vegas Wedding, A Maternity Shoot that involved ICE CREAM, & some Spring Family Sessions!

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  1. Tyandgail Forsberg says:

    Nicely written Kelsey! Thank you! I will look for the one by John D Spooner at the library when I get a chance! I love the library! You are a blessing in my life! I love your enthusiam and openness, not to mention your photographs! Thanks for giving me so much joy just by being you! Love, Gail