Favorite Books of 2015

I stumbled on my list of goals for this year and discovered that getting back into books was high on the list. I was able to make reading more of a priority this year! As the year comes to a close, I’d like to share five of my favorites for anyone in search of a good read.

I’ve seen Aziz Ansari on a few television shows here and there. The title and description of this book intrigued me. Basically, Aziz applies his humor to a study of the impact of technology on dating. You know, dating in the digital age. What I learned from reading this book was that how we do love is so different from decades ago. Not just the technology, but the expectations that we have of others when we are searching for Mr. Right or Mrs. Right have dramatically changed. Spoiler alert: our expectations are much greater these days. That’s not a big shock, right? I liked how the book mixed research with humor and personal experience because Aziz is dating in the digital age along with many others out there. This is great for anyone who likes data, humor and learning about the impact of social networking and the age of the internet on personal relationships. I read it during my vacation to Punta Cana over the summer.

I purchased this book solely based on the fact that I like Terry Crews and saw this great Huffington Post Live interview of him. I didn’t bother to read the book description at all. I just assumed I would enjoy it because I like him. I thought it was going to be a totally different book than it was. It’s a memoir and less of a humorous guide I thought it would. It completely exceeded my expectations. It’s a story of addiction, faith and self-evaluation that I’m excited I picked up. I didn’t put it down for several rainy January days this year. I have passed the book along to my mom and now it’s in the hands of my brother. I would share this with anyone out there who is looking for a raw and vulnerable life story.  I enjoyed reading about Terry’s journey through marriage and the insight and unwavering support of his wife even through their darkest times.

I found out about this book from my virtual mentor, Michael Hyatt. I have followed his blog for years sharing it with others and listening to his podcast. He comes highly recommended from me. So when I saw him talking about this book, I purchased it. Basically, Donald is in search of more meaningful relationships and goes on this quest to explore how to drop the act and really connect with people. This one is hard hitting, at least it was for me. For anyone out there ready to take a deeper look into their personal relationships, this is your book. I recommended this one to a coworker who also loved it.

Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde – Jennie Garth
I picked this book up for multiple reasons. I really enjoyed reading Tori Spelling’s autobiography sTori Telling a while back. I thought it gave a humorous spin on a semi-charmed life. I’m also a big fan of playing Beverly Hills, 90210 and 90210 on marathon (Netflix and Hulu) while I do housework or writing. With that said, I enjoyed reading the story of Jennie’s life and journey to becoming a television star. The title is tongue in cheek of course, the book isn’t incredibly deep or filled with sad stories. However, I liked that. It is filled with lessons about life, love and career that are quick to read through, easy to swallow and appreciate.

I read this book because of Beyonce. Well, kind of. I heard about Marco Borges and this plan because of press around Beyonce. I purchased the book after getting targeted with many ads across social media and seeing many emails around the diet and challenge. (Behold the power of marketing) It doesn’t hurt that I have a good friend who is vegan and constantly tells me about the amazing benefits. So, I followed the plan and tested it out. I was more of a vegetarian over the 22 days, I’m sure some of the bread I had was not vegan. Anyway, I would definitely do it again entering into the plan more prepared. I also incorporated many of the recipes into my regular meal plan. Regardless of your dietary selections, I think that incorporating more plants into it can have a positive impact. For me personally, plant based diets make me feel good! The recipes are tasty and the diet gave me lots of energy.

I’m growing a collection of books for 2016. I used to be a fiction lover and I want to make sure to read at least one good fiction book in the new year. When it comes to goals, I want to have more of a consistent reading plan. I joined the Barnes and Noble Members Club to help save money purchasing new books too. I also want to do a better job of sharing my favorites. I like to read a combination of digital versions as well as print ones. Maybe two books per month? This year, I did read more, but I didn’t read consistently.

How do you stick to a consistent reading schedule?

Do you have any reading goals for 2016?

What were your favorite books of 2015?