The Gifts of Imperfection

By Brene Brown

Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. So most of us perform, please, and perfect, all the while thinking, “What if I can’t keep all of these balls in the air? Why isn’t everyone else working harder and living up to my expectations? What will people think if I fail or give up? When can I stop proving myself?”

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown, PhD, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares what she’s learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living—a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.

In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, “no matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough,” and to go to bed thinking, “Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.”

Brene Brown is one of my favorite authors for self-help and research. She just turns things on their heads and helps you see things from a totally different perspective. I loved her book “Daring Greatly” which focused a lot on shame resilience and vulnerability and how it was a good thing. In this book she focuses mostly on Women and how imperfection is truly a gift and how to accept yourself whole-heartedly and live the truth that you are enough and your worth doesn’t depend on how much you get done in a day or what others think of you or even what you believe about yourself. It’s a book about loving yourself and giving yourself a break. I really enjoyed it, but still prefer “Daring Greatly”. Brene Brown does a few TED talks that are definitely worth watching too. like this one: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Prince Tennyson

By Jenni James

This captivating story is about a ten-year-old girl who is trying to prove if God is real or not. Her dad died in Iraq the year before and now she wants to know if she’ll ever see him again. Prince Tennyson was his nickname because of how dashing he looked in his uniform—he was her handsome prince. This is an endearing father-daughter story told through the eyes of a ten-year-old. It is a story of overcoming trials, moving on, and finding not only faith in yourself, but in a loving God as well.

I’ve read Jenni James’s Timeless Fairy Tale series and enjoyed most of them, so when I saw she wrote a book about a little girl searching for the answer to “is God real?” because she wants to see her father who died in Iraq, I knew I wanted to read it. Especially when I saw the high ratings it’s gotten, if only just under a hundred ratings on Goodreads. This was a cute and simultaneously sensitive story about loss and the need to know what’s next. Chelsea loved her Dad more than anything, and she has to figure out how to help her mom smile again, make sure her two little siblings don’t forget their Prince, and she desperately wants to know if she’ll get a hug from her Dad again. It’s a faith-affirming and sweet book about family and love that never ends. I liked it, but it was a little predictable (me having read a lot of similar short stories).

I give it a 3.25 out of 5 

Hope for the Flowers

By Trina Paulus

Hope’s theme of life, moving through seeming death to a new and more beautiful life, has touched the hearts of millions of people. Hope for the Flowers is for young and old, lovers, husbands and wives. It’s a book to learn to read with, or to comfort those who are dying or grieving. In the tale, the caterpillar heroes, Stripe and yellow, want something more from life than eating and growing bigger. They get caught up in a “caterpiallar pillar,” a squirming mass of bodies, each determined to reach a top so far away it can’t be seen. Finally disillusioned, they discover that the way for the caterpillars to find their particular “more,” who they really are, is to enter the cocoon and “.risk for the butterfly.” Hope for the Flowers has helped people gain the courage to leave jobs, change their lives and explore their love for another human being.

You can read this book in about 15-20 minutes. It’s heavy on the illustration, an allegory for anybody who is looking for a purpose, or ‘more’ to their life. It was a sweet little story that has a lot of life applications, some of which left me a little confused in the ambiguousness that ensued. Was it saying that “love is all you need” or was it saying that you should wait for the answers to fall from the sky? I liked some of the morals that were in this, but some just seemed…off. I could tell that this book was written in a certain era, and the morals come from that time and culture. That was the stuff that was throwing me off. It was a cute read. If you find it take a second and read it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it, and I think there are better gifts to give for a motivational or inspirational story for someone.

I give it a 3 out of 5

The Running Dream

By Wendelin Van Draanen

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She’s not comforted by the news that she’ll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don’t know what to say, act like she’s not there. Which she could handle better if she weren’t now keenly aware that she’d done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she’s missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that’s not enough for her now. She doesn’t just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.

When I started reading I was in a negative mind place and almost decided not to read this book. It starts out with Jessica in the hospital, having just lost a leg. I was expecting a downer book, and I wasn’t particularly in the mood. I decided to keep going and I’m so glad I did. This was an amazing book. I loved the message and I loved how Jessica’s character shows that people are amazing. It was inspiring and motivational. I wanted to fly out my front door and start running. This book was very well written and thought out, having been through a life-changing health situation myself as a teen I had a lot of the same feelings and concerns that Jessica voiced. It was vindicating. This wasn’t a downer book, this was a book about not giving up your dreams and having hope for the future, whatever future that may turn out to be.

I give it a 4.25 out of 5

The Uses of Adversity

By Carlfred Broderick

Some kinds of pain seem to run too deep for words. What can you say that could possibly be of any help to someone who is having one of those “Gethsemane” experiences? Carlfred Broderick has some answers that may surprise you. Acknowledging that pain comes into all our lives, he uses a variety of personal stories to demonstrate that what we do with that pain is part of what shapes us as human beings.

In the end, what really matters is not what happens to us but what our experiences teach us about God. This remarkable little books shows us that He is indeed our Father, and His love will ultimately reach deeper than any trial we might encounter in mortality.

 

This is a really short book with stories about people who have gone through some of the hardest trials out there; losing children, abuse, etc. It is a great little snippet of why God allows these things to happen to His children and how we can come to understand how we can rise above and work with the adversities we are given in this life. I enjoyed it and honestly, there are a few gems of wisdom that it is worth reading this little 60 page book for.

 

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Introvert Power

By Laurie Helgoe

 Embrace the power inside you.

 Are you an introvert? Psychologist and introvert Laurie Helgoe reveals that more than half of all Americans are. Introverts gain energy and power through reflection and solitude. Our culture, however, is geared toward the extrovert. The pressure to enjoy parties, chatter, and interactions can lead people to think that an inward orientation is a problem instead of an opportunity.

 Helgoe shows that the exact opposite is true: Introverts can capitalize on this inner source of power. Introvert Power is a groundbreaking call for an introvert renaissance, a blueprint for how introverts can take full advantage of this hidden strength in daily life. Supplemented by the voices of several introverts, Helgoe presents a startling look at introvert numbers, influence and economic might.

 Introvert power includes ideas for how introverts can learn to:

• Claim private space
• Carve out time to think
• Bring a slower tempo into daily life
• Create breaks in conversation and relationships
• Deal effectively with parties, interruptions, and crowds

Usually I'm not one to read self-help sorts of books, thinking that most of them are simply oppinion and not really going to help long-term, but this book was both enlightening and really changed the way I see myself. I'm one of the many introverts out there who loathes getting stuck in social events and then feels pathetic when I just have to leave a party because I'm going crazy because I can't think. This book teaches introverts how to live in an extrovert world, and how to be assertively introverted and like exactly who they are and see why it's a great thing to be an introvert. It's nice to have somebody tell you that you aren't insane for craving alone time and feeling like you're unraveling when you don't get it. Basic difference between extroverts and introverts: Extroverts get energized from being around people- the more the better, while introverts get that grounding and energy from ideas and solitude. So nice to finally understand that I'm not abnormal and weird and that being introverted IS NOT A BAD THING!!!!

4 1/2 out of 5 (Because I no longer feel like I have to fake extroversion!)

Skellig

By David Almond


Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister’s ill, his parents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage.
What is this thing beneath the spider webs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever.
Told in lyrical prose, Skellig is a mystery, an adventure, and a family story, in which Michael learns about nature, poetry, and the healing power of love.


This was quite the amazing book. There was magic in the telling of it and the reading of it. I read this directly after I finished the Shel Silverstein book and found that it truly was poetically written. There is a beauty in the story that wrapped me up and carried me away with Michael and Mina, wishing to find Skellig too. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lyrical prose and inspiring messages along with a bit of mystery and magic. I will say this as a warning: it does swear quite a bit using British profanity and the occasional use of the usual swear words. Since I am not British, it did not bother me, though I know that 'bloody' is apparently a very naughty word. Just so you know, it may change your desire to read it. If Harry Potter doesn't bother you, then this probably won't either (language speaking).
There is also a movie version of the book with Tim Roth in it (Lie to Me, The Incredible Hulk,) as Skellig. This movie was pretty good, but the book was so much better simply from the feeling of reading it. Read the book first if you want to see the movie. Please. :)

Through His Eyes

By Virginia H Pearce


As anyone who has ever cleaned out a closet or a basement can attest, clutter is a reality of life. And it’s not just a physical reality. Our minds can become cluttered too, filled with beliefs about everything from our relationship with God to our feelings about our bodies to our housekeeping methods. Some of these beliefs are what author Virginia H. Pearce calls “Truths with a capital T.” They are eternal and will always be true, whether anyone believes them or not. The confusion in our lives comes because mixed in with those Truths are other beliefs, some of which might be useful but some of which are just plain harmful.
In this insightful new book, Sister Pearce invites us to become “inquirers after truth,” to examine all of our beliefs and try our best to see them in the light of the Truths we know to be eternal. By doing so, we can discard the half-truths and lies that may be hindering our progress. Our lives can be filled with greater happiness than we ever thought possible as we learn to see them Through His Eyes.


Read this book. Really. Read it. Doesn't matter if you're LDS or not. This is an awesome book to help you clean out the attic upstairs and gets some better ones in their place. This book is all about watching our thoughts and realizing that sometimes the things we take as truth can be outright lies and bad for our health and self esteem. It helps you to recognize truth with a captial 'T' and truth with a lowercase t and the outright lies that we tell ourselves daily that we hang onto without even realizing it. This is such a wonderful book full of great exercises to get you thinking and on the way to feeling better about yourself and rooting out the weeds in your mental garden.

Change Your Questions Change Your Life

By Wendy W. Nelson

As a young boy, Joseph Smith asked a question that not only changed his life forever but also changed the world. Truly, questions are powerful agents of change. Do you want better relationships? Ask better questions. Do you want a great life? Learn to ask great questions. The questions we ask ourselves and others can significantly influence the kind of lives we create. They can motivate or they can demoralize. They can increase our ability to solve problems or they can make situations worse. Sharing information based on more than 25 years of clinical research and practice, Dr. Wendy Watson Nelson helps readers look at the questions in their lives and the influence of those questions on their relationships, their challenges, and their beliefs. In her first book since marrying Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve in 2006, she discusses how our questions influence our attempts at problem solving and shares seven questions that can change our lives. Full-color graphics and illustrations throughout help readers visualize these important concepts.


This book is amazing. It is truly different from the typical doctrine-like books you find. Wendy Nelson leads you on an amazing journey, asking questions and making you think in ways you never have before. More importantly, she helps you realize how to ask the questions that you need to ask right now. With pictures to illustrate incredible lessons, and read-and-answer sections, this book is a great gift and learning tool. I keep learning every time I read it. Excellent book.

He Took My Lickin' For Me

By Timothy Robinson

Rambunctious boys make rules for stealing, and one boy takes the punishment for another.

I had this story read aloud to me in Young Womens and remember getting teary. This is another special story that everyone will love. It's about love and mercy and forgiveness. Christians will especially resonate with the story and its parallels to what Jesus Chrsit has done for each of us.

The Secret of the King

By Rachel Ann Nunes

Two medieval children long to become knights in the king’s army, but they learn that they can be just as valuable doing other things.

This was a special story. I'm not sure why, but it really hit me. The plot is great and the story wonderful with knights, kings, and young kids who dream of serving a larger purpose. The illustrations add even more depth to the story and are beautiful to look at. I was amazed at the detail that went into this picture book's illustrations. This is a wonderful story, pick it up if you want to be inspired and feel those ever so wonderful warm fuzzies.

Pathways to Perfection

By Thomas S. Monson


I’ve been reading this one for months. It was my Sunday reading, so I was doing one chapter once a week about. It was excellent. It’s a bunch of compiled talks that President Monson has given throughout his apostolic career. This book was published quite a few years ago, so this was before he became the prophet. It’s been fun because I recognized a lot of the stories from talks he has given recently. They are just tweaked a little. Then there are some stories in this book I’d never heard before and greatly enjoyed and were very inspiring. President Monson’s book is filled to the brim with stories, poems, and motivational talks. I greatly enjoyed it.

A Little Princess

By Frances Hodgeson Burnette

Little 7-year-old Sara Crewe has lived her whole life in India with her father, an English soldier. But now she is coming to England to receive and education at a 'seminary for girls'. Sara is a curious, strange child who loves her father more than anything. But though her father gives her everything any little girl could want, Sara is far from spoiled. She is good natured and content just to have her Papa near. Miss Minchin of the girl's seminary is charged with her care. But when Sara receives news of her father's death, Miss Minchin reluctantly takes Sara in as a servant to work off the enormous debt that has accrued. In her new life Sara decides that no matter what happens to her, she will always act like a princess who is good and kind and suffers silently and nobly. This inspires many, and infuriates others. This is Sara's story of love, loss, and enduring hope.

I grew up watching the many adaptations of this book in movie form. I'd never thought to read it until I saw it in the bookstore and thought, 'why not?' I love the story. What I didn't know was how much I would come to love this novel. It is inspiring, motivating and purely wonderful in all the ways a book deemed 'classic' should be. Little Sara became a model for the way I want to face unpleasant realities in my life; to act like a princess despite nasty turns of events. This is a book especially for girls I think, but is welcome for all readers. I can't wait to visit its pages again, full of magic and love and especially...hope. Definately on my top 10 favorite books.

Stories From My Life

By Elder James E. Faust

There isn’t really a synopsis for this particular book since it’s a compilation of stories and little snippets of talks given by Elder Faust. I’ve had this book for about 5 years, my grandmother having given it to me. She used it for her own Family home evening lessons. The stories are at average just 2 pages each, being on all kinds of topics ranging from honesty, to nurturing faith, to poise under pressure. I really enjoyed it as a little refresher thought book with short but poignant messages. A great book of insights from a truly wonderful apostle.

P.S. I couldn't find a picture of the book, so I just got a picture of Elder Faust. :)

Some Fruits of Solitude

By William Penn

When William Penn wrote these words in 1693, he had served as a Quaker preacher, minister, and missionary for over 20 years. He had been imprisoned for his faith half a dozen times. He had written dozens of books and pamphlets defending his faith and arguing for religious tolerance. He had founded Pennsylvania as a refuge for those persecuted for their faith, and he had been a friend and advisor to the King of England. But after being falsely accused of treason, he was forced into hiding for three years until he could clear his name. During those years of imposed solitude, he had time to think, to reflect, to reevaluate. This book is the product of that solitude. In it, Penn distills the essence of his spiritual idealism, combining it with practicality and common sense. His topics range from our choice of clothing to our choice of a spouse, from the benefits of a country life to the nature of virtue. He presents a practical morality, while also addressing the conditions of the heart that lie behind it.
For all of us who have at times gotten caught up in the values of the society we live in, for all of us who have gotten caught up in the maddening rush over things that really have no deep value, Penn's reflections offer us a needed point of reference and call us back to a place of sane spirituality.

So this is the first book I've read on my Harvard Classics list, and it was very wonderful. I've quoted it multiple times already and have gained some insight into my own life and peace of mind from Penn's words. It reminded me a lot of when I read Thoreau's Walden and all the experiences he had while living alone. While there were many things I smiled at, condoned, and believed were very true, there were also things that I felt missed the mark, if marginally. It still is a beautiful work, though sometimes hard to understand the language, and I would recommend it to any just to have with them to read at odd moments. The layout is such that it reads in verses, much like scripture, with each topic as a heading. It's a quick read, with a lot of worth in it, from a man who was rich in experience and good character. my favorite excerpt:

"He that lives in love lives in God...And to be sure a Man can live no where better...Love is indeed Heaven upon Earth; since Heaven above would not be Heaven without it: For where there is not love; there is Fear: But perfect love casts out fear. And yet we naturally fear most to offend what we most love. What we love, we'll hear; what we love, we'll trust, and what we love, we'll serve, ay, and suffer for too."

As a Man Thinketh

By James Allen

Throughout his life, James Allen sought an oasis of tranquility amidst the violent tides of change wrought by the Industrial Revolution in England. Inspired by his meditations, he composed a series of short, pointed essays on the power of thinking positively and its influence on character, circumstance, and health. Since its publication, As a Man Thinketh has put that power in the hands of millions of readers, and continues to provide inspiration in the twenty-first century.

In expanding on the aphorism "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," Allen takes in the full range of natural philosphy. His message is that we are the architects of our own destiny, and that the tools for building a purposeful, satisfying life lie within us, "Only the wise man, only he he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him," writes Allen. As a Man Thinketh is a book of optimism, hope, and practical good sense for all those seeking wisdom and serenity in a turbulent, complex world.

I was first introduced to As a Man Thinketh in my institute class my freshman year of college. I had every intention of picking it up and reading the whole of his essays, but it has taken me three years to actually do it. I wish I would've read it sooner. Allen's book is full of great and powerful truths about the way we work and how our thoughts direct our lives. It is absolutely amazing. I read it and found out a lot about myself and have started putting many of its teachings into practice. Everyone should not only read this book, but they should go buy it, and read it again and again, marking it and treasuring it. It is one of those books that will make your life better by reading it! It went directly on my 'favorites' shelf, only to go right back into my purse to read whenever I get a moment. Again, it is fantastic!

The Screwtape Letters

By C.S. Lewis

A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation-and triumph over it-ever written.

I don't care what religion you are, if you're trying to life a good life, you need to read this book. It is, like the summary said, hilarious yet very thought-provoking. It certainly made me more aware of why I choose to do things for good or ill. It tuned me in to how a Screwtape might be subtly pulling me off the path. At the beginning, it took a while to get used to C.S. Lewis's way of writing. It takes a bit more brain power to stay on track with what is going on, so it is a little hard at first if you're used to easy reading (like youth books). But it definitely makes my list of 'books everyone should read before they die'.

The Alchemist

By Paulo Coleho

This story is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

The Alchemist has stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 88 consecutive weeks now and for good reason. In the same style as Johnathan Livingston Seagull, the story of Santiago will fill you with a new motivation to live life and follow your heart. Mr. Coleho tells his story in a simplistic, yet very deep way. I very much look forward to reading it again because I am positive it has more than I picked up in it. Santiago's story is one that has inspired people all over the world, and I would recomend this book as one not only to be read by everyone, but one you should go and pick up to keep on your shelf. It was absolutely incredible and gave me a lot of hope to fufill my own Personal Legend. Without a doubt you need to read this one!

However Long and Hard the Road

By Jeffery R. Holland

“It is difficult to make a man miserable while that man feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him.” Often in our most difficult times the only thing we can do is endure. We may have no idea what the final cost in suffering or sacrifice may be, but we can vow never to give up. In doing so we will learn that there is no worthy task so great nor burden so heavy that will not yield to our perseverance. We can make it…however long and hard the road.
Elder Holland tells how others have overcome temptations and feelings of inadequacy and, through repentance, have obtained forgiveness and strength- and how we too may find success in our searchings.

I haven’t read too many books by the general authorities and apostles, and what I have read is sometimes difficult to understand, though it has much to offer. Elder Holland is different in this respect. He does not mince words, and he writes in a way where all can understand. This book had so many treasures in it, with so much to offer those who struggle with living this earthly life. Whatever may be your affliction, trial, or challenge, Elder Holland gives many examples from the scriptures, modern literature, and his own experiences, to help us find the way to God despite all that may cause us pain or doubt. Everyone who would read this book thoughtfully will come out the better for it if they put into practice the hope-filled messages contained in this book.

Interesting info: Elder Holland has also written: Christ and the New Covenant, Of Souls Symbols and Sacraments, and Broken Things to Mend.