JULY BOOK CLUB + WHAT I’VE BEEN READING
Hello everyone, welcome back to The Dairy Free Diaries! This week I am going to be sharing one of my favorite things to talk about. And honestly, I have no idea how I haven’t talked about this until now, but here we go. I have found reading to be one of my favorite ways of spending alone time.
And for that reason, I am sharing what books I have read and why I love them, along with the books I am planning to read during the month of July. I really want to make this a monthly book club and share my thoughts on what was read the month before, in addition to what I am going to read in the upcoming month. Hope you all enjoy!
BOOKS I'M READING THIS MONTH
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Genre: Memoir / Autobiography
Summary: Poehler’s memoir, divided into three parts, is not a formal memoir, but the journal of someone looking back on her life so far and wondering what she can learn from her mistakes. At the same time, Poehler hopes we will take something useful from her musings, but she doesn’t pretend that this is meant to be an educational or inspirational book. It is purely for entertainment value, as she explains in the introduction.
So I am going to be pretty honest in that this is a genre that I am not usually inclined to pick a book from. I usually stick to the self development genre, but I can say that I am extremely excited about reading this book. One of these reasons being I absolutely love Amy Poehler. I have seen practically all of the movies she has been in and directed, the SNL skits she has acted in, as well as being known by my close friends and family as the person who has watched Parks and Recreation probably 50-100 times. I think she is hilarious and I am looking forward to reading a book outside of my comfort zone.
Winging It by Emma Isaacs
Genre: Self Development / Productivity
Summary: I’m about to welcome you into my world. Show you what works for me and share openly what hasn’t. I hope that what you find in the pages of this book inspires you to dream up new ways to be kind to people and to think about how the game you’re currently playing might be worthy of a bigger court. I hope it stretches your thinking about what’s possible, and shows you that when you take giant leaps of faith, the only challenging thing will be some temporary discomfort.
This genre is very much in my comfort zone. I absolutely love reading and absorbing information that will allow me to become the best version of myself. And for that reason, this book is on my list for July. I have very much felt that I have a tendency to overthink myself out of doing something. And in hindsight, I look back and regret that decision. I feel confident in knowing that taking action instead of overthinking is the right move in many situations. But I struggle with the how. So, I am excited to learn how to take action in my daily life.
LAST MONTH'S READS
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
If you struggle with fear of failure, not living up to expectations, and just overall stress and anxiety, this book will challenge you!! Within the past 2 years I have read a lot of books, and I can say that I have yet to read a book that spoke to my soul as much as this one did. I absolutely love how she writes in the form of her life stories, which I related to so much. I have really struggled with not living up to this “perfect” version of myself, whether it be in school or in my personal life. I had this idea in my head that if my life or myself wasn’t perfect, I was not worthy of all the things life had to offer me. She opened my eyes to new ways to challenge these negative thoughts and feelings, and how to embrace all parts of myself unconditionally.
How to Make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is also a very unusual type of book for me to read, but I have been trying to expand my boundaries when it comes to reading. And I am so glad that I did. This book teaches you actionable ways that you can be a better friend, boss, employee, sister, etc. I have learned so much about the way that we, as humans, interact and behave and how to use that to benefit all parties. Most of these skills apply to the workplace and how to be successful through the way in which you treat and talk to others. But there are also a few that can apply in your personal life. Although this was a new genre for me, I am very glad to have read this book and learned all that I have.
