Friday, December 27, 2013
Five Year Project, Best Reads 2013
Hello, today is the last Friday of the month, so it's five year project time. This is a lovely little motivational tool brought to the blogging world by Misha Gericke, you can find out more about it here.
My five year goal is to see The Newstead Trilogy and it's follow-up books be the Next Great American Novels- high hopes, I know, but I figure dream big or go home.
How it's going:
Well. Not great, but well. I'm working on Blackbird, the first book in The Newstead Anthem, which is set to be released next November. The Revenge of the Rephaim is in the hands of my editor, and is still on track for it's May release. I've been working with artist Allen Waite, for what I hope to be the most amazing cover in existence. Like I said, dream big or go home. But seriously, I'm completely in-love with what he's creating. As far as the story itself goes I couldn't be happier with it, it came out exactly the way I wanted it to. Now marketing has always been my weak point, I'm just not a very salesmanny (is that even a word?) type of person. I figure if a person likes the book, they'll tell other people about it. That's about it as far as my marketing strategy goes. And a lot of trust in God. That about does it for this month. How are your goals going?
And this Friday, I'm participating in John Wiswell's Best Reads 2013, you can find more information here
Basically, you're supposed to list the books that have influenced you the most this year.
I know this sounds terrible, but I haven't read a lot of books this year. I've started a lot, but my internal editor is so high strung right now that I haven't finished many. Those I have, I've generally liked, you can find their reviews sprinkled on my blog. But that's not the question here, it's not about which books I liked or didn't like, it's about which ones have influenced me the most in 2013, and those are:
1. Knowledge of the Holy by Tozier. This is a short read, a Christian classic that was supposed to simplify Saint Augustine's earlier works. This book is anything but simple, but it is beautiful, and gave me a new appreciation of who and what God is.
2. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. This profound book got my mind thinking in about a hundred new ways. Very intelligent and thought provoking.
3. Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This was a book I shared with my seven year old daughter this year, but I think I felt the bigger impact. I didn't realize until I read this book again how much of me longs for a homestead; a sweet simple home filled with family and love. Reading this changed the way I interacted with my family, prepared my meals, enjoyed my garden, and celebrated Christmas. If that's not influential, I don't know what is.
How about you- which books have influenced you the most this year?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Oh, I LOVED Little House in the Big Woods when I was a kid. I used to pretend I was Laura when I was out in my backyard, even though we weren't close to any kind of woods, little or big. I bet it was wonderful to read with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to join Misha's project and forgetting, January seems like it would be a great time to start. Glad you are so happy with your stories and with the cover, that's such a great feeling!
I never read the Laura Ingalls books, but I know they were a favorite of my mom's. I've thought about reading them with my daughter. :)
ReplyDeleteI also found The Tipping Point very interesting, particularly for the notion of mavens and how they spread ideas. While I don't believe everything operates that way, we all know book mavens, or movie mavens, or fashion mavens or food mavens who really do sway many opinions. They're industries unto themselves!
ReplyDeleteYou're added to the list here: http://johnwiswell.blogspot.com/2013/12/best-reads-2013-is-live.html
I will have to find The Tipping Point. Megathanks.
ReplyDeleteThe Tipping Point aroused my curiosity; also Little House in the Big Woods seems familiar as a plot, I have to see if I have it somewhere and read it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI need to give Laura Ingalls Wilder a second chance. Distant relatives sent me a box set of Little House books when I was quite young, but as a kid living in Omaha, Nebraska I never took to them. Since moving to Arizona I've developed more of an appreciation for Midwest/Heartland literature and I think I'd enjoy those books now.
ReplyDeleteI loved Laura Wilder when I was little. The Tipping Point is curious - seen so much about it and I came close to picking it up a few times but never did.
ReplyDeleteThe Tipping Point was great. I love how Gladwell's books get the reader thinking above and beyond the scope of the book. Thank you for the list!
ReplyDeleteSundays are my favorite days to sit down and reading Laura Ingalls Wilder. Also, when I'm not feeling particularly motivated or domestic (like dinner needs to be done and the house cleaned) then reading her helps, for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteI know. I don't get it either.
Sounds like you're making good progress on your goal. I know how you're feeling, though. If your dream is huge, nothing we do towards it ever feels quite like it's enough. But it is. It has to be. Especially because we try even harder next time.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful 2014!