Books I’ve Read Lately #8 - 40 in 2019 Challenge

Welcome to the first ‘Books I’ve Read Lately’ for 2019! I’m wrapping up the last 4 books I read in 2018! 

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to read 40 books this year, upping the ante from my goal last year of 30! It’s certainly not just about the number of books but rather the quality they add to my life but I like to keep myself accountable with measurable goals and 40 seems like a nice step up from last year.

I love this series because not only do I get to share with you my thoughts on each book but I also include key takeaways so that you understand the main concepts to determine whether you would enjoy reading it also. Without further ado let’s get into the last 4 books I read in 2018..



27. The 4 Hour Work Week - Tim Ferris (2.5/5) 
I have heard so much hype surrounding this book and it’s promise that you only have to work 4 hours a week to derive the same results as a full 38-hour role. Some concepts in the book were interesting takeaways but a lot more of them were quite gimmicky. I feel like the whole book was written to appeal to those looking to “get rich quick” or achieve surface results with little effort – I certainly get the appeal but don’t agree with the approach. The main takeaway is to focus on being productive rather than busy and take things off your workload using automation and delegation. Worth the read but not life changing. Some parts of the book I did like include;

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”

“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”

“The question you should be asking isn't, "What do I want?" or "What are my goals?" but "What would excite me?”

“The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is boredom.”


28. The End of Normal - Stephanie Madoff Mack (4/5) 
This is a memoir from the widow of Mark Madoff and daughter-in-law of Bernard Madoff who was behind one of the biggest ponzi schemes in history. It is an extremely interesting read that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what went down and the fall out from it. It is an emotional rollercoaster of a book that shows a raw and unfiltered take on depression, suicide, marriage, family, resilience, perseverance and overcoming hard times. I would definitely recommend checking this one out.


29. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway (2.5/5) 
I wanted to love it but I don’t think I did… In some ways this was one of the most beautiful and raw books I have read but in others it sounded like nonsensical dribble from a drunk writer. It certainly is a classic and I think the appeal lies in the fact that it encapsulates a period of time so unwaveringly well. It could just be that I don’t enjoy fiction books! I did enjoy getting to know the writing of Hemingway though but don’t think it’s for me.


30. I Thought It Was Just Me - Brene Brown (5/5) 
I LOVEDDD this book! In a nutshell, this book picked apart at the topic of shame, specifically in women, and reclaiming power in this fractured society. There are so many amazing key takeaways from this book that I’ll let them do the talking – but just know that this is a MUST READ.

“Our self-esteem is based on how we see ourselves—our strengths and limitations—over time. It is how and what we think of ourselves. Shame is an emotion. It is how we feel when we have certain experiences. When we are in shame, we don’t see the big picture; we don’t accurately think about our strengths and limitations. We just feel alone, exposed and deeply flawed.”

“There are studies that identify shame as the dominant emotion experienced by mental health clients, exceeding anger, fear, grief and anxiety.”

“One reason shame is so powerful is its ability to make us feel alone. Like we are the only one or somehow we’re different from everyone else.”

“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.”

“We cannot survive when our identity is defined by or limited to our worst behavior.” (Dr Lerner)


So that’s a wrap on the last few books I read in 2018! I would highly recommend ‘The End of Normal’ and ‘I Thought It Was Just Me’ but would give ‘The Sun Also Rises’ and ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ a miss in my opinion.

I’ve already finished up 2 books this year and I’m in the middle of reading 2 others so I will have another post going up shortly on those! I’m happy to have kicked the year off with some seriously good books already so I can’t wait to tell you about them!