Multiple conventions and Spring Break have me a little behind in posting my monthly book post, but I still read and loved three nonfiction and one fiction book in February.
Below are my reviews of my favorite books of the nine I read last month.
My Sister Milly
My Sister Milly by Gemma Dowler is the story of her family’s struggle after the kidnapping and murder of her younger sister, Milly Dowler.
It look Gemma 15 years to tell the story of serial killer Levi Bellfield kidnapping, raping and murdering her 13-year-old sister on March 21, 2002 as she was walking home from school.
Milly’s body was found months after her disappearance, but it took years for the police to have any real suspects.
Gemma tells the story of her family’s grief and survival during the most difficult period of their lives. She discusses the perceived failings of the police, including focusing almost solely on her father as a suspect, withholding critical information to her sister’s case and outing family secrets while protecting Milly’s murderer. And Gemma writes candidly about media coverage of her sister’s kidnapping and murder, including the falsehoods and the damage it all did to the family.
Kristen Hadeed made a ton of mistakes while she was building her cleaning company, Student Maid.
Kristen started the company almost by accident 10 years ago while she was still a college student. She had no idea how to manage a company or the people in it.
Sometimes I was amazed at how naive Kristen was as I was reading her story in Permission to Screw Up. But I also appreciated the vulnerability of using her mistakes to teach others about how to build a company with high retention and a culture of trust and accountability.
Kristen now is a sought-after business speaker, but it really does seem that she learned almost everything the hard way.
The Motivation Myth
I just love a good kick in the rear, which is exactly what I got from reading The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden.
Jeff’s book told me what I knew all along—motivation is not a thing, and you certainly shouldn’t wait for it to appear so you can accomplish your goals.
Instead, motivation is the thrill of success when you’re actually accomplishing things. It’s the outcome, not the catalyst.
So, instead of waiting for motivation to appear or not working when it doesn’t, it’s more important to set goals and realistic steps to meeting those goals, then force yourself to do the work.
The Breakdown
I tend to love B.A. Paris’s writing. The Breakdown was no exception.
Cass wasn’t sure if she should pull off of a deserted road in the middle of a rainstorm to help a stranded motorist. She pulled over and waited for the driver to flash the headlights for help. When that didn’t happen, she assumed the driver already had called someone and headed home. The next morning she finds out that the driver was murdered and she knew the woman.
As Cass struggles with her secret guilt, she starts forgetting things. She can’t remember where she left her car, if she took her pills, who she invited to dinner, or how to work the coffee maker. Cass is afraid something is seriously wrong with her. Even more so, she’s terrified by the silent calls she’s suddenly receiving at certain times of day and she’s certain the murderer is watching her. Cass’s husband thinks she’s losing her mind, but is she?
There they are, my favorite books of February! I hope you find something on the list to read and love.
As always, happy reading!
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