Whatcha' Readin'?

I'll be linking up with Judy L. over at Patchwork Times...  :)

I'm currently reading the book Ten Years Later, by Hoda Kotb. It is a non-fiction collection of stories regarding six different people "who faced adversity and transformed their lives" (book cover description). As an example, one story is about a woman who lost well over 300 pounds and was nearly killed in an abusive relationship, and how she is doing after ten years (I struggle to not say how she is doing in my blog post - you'll have to read it to find out). I've read through the first story so far (the one of the woman above), and look forward to reading more!


Amazon's description includes the following: "Ten Years Later is a firsthand testament to the enduring power of the human spirit. Through inspirational life stories, Hoda shows how adversity can unleash our best qualities: resilience, perseverance, gratitude, empathy, and creativity. This book will inspire you to believe in the future, no matter how dark the present, and tap into the ability to reach your highest potential."

UPDATE: This book is great for people who can't, or don't want to, sit and read an entire book in one or two sittings.  Each person's story is basically it's own "chapter," so you can read a story at a time.  Also, the stories vary in length, too, so you can choose to read longer or shorter stories depending on how much time you have.  Example - the first story is 35 pages, the second story is 63 pages, and the third story is just 22 pages long.  Nice.

UPDATE #2 (2/19/2013)
Ok, I'm still reading this book!  I've only been able to read a little bit at a time.  I do hope to finish in the next week.  :)

Whatcha' Reading?

Judy Laquidara over at Patchwork Times has  new linky group called "Whatcha Reading?"  I need to write & link up, because I got a new e-reader for my birthday and have all kinds of books waiting to be read...

The book that I'm currently reading is called The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin.  What a great book so far!  I don't normally read what I would call "self-help" books, but the author had such a great idea when she decided to do this project....  She considers herself to be very happy and fortunate in life - great family, etc...  But, she says, she's still not sure she's entirely happy.  So, this goes month-by-month, focusing on different aspects of life and figuring out how she can be both good to herself, and good to others (like, for instance, her husband).  I sometimes glance over some paragraphs because I figure "I'll never do that," but otherwise, she has some really great ideas and I've taken a ton of notes (my particular e-reader has that option).  Loving it so far!

Gretchen Rubin's description of the book reads: "One rainy afternoon, while riding a city bus, Gretchen Rubin asked herself, “What do I want from life, anyway?” She answered, “I want to be happy”—yet she spent no time thinking about her happiness. In a flash, she decided to dedicate a year to a happiness project. The result? One of the most thoughtful and engaging works on happiness to have emerged from the recent explosion of interest in the subject.

The Happiness Project synthesizes the wisdom of the ages with current scientific research, as Rubin brings readers along on her year to greater happiness.

In fact, Rubin’s “happiness project” no longer describes just a book or a blog; it’s a movement. Happiness Project groups, where people meet to discuss their happiness projects, have sprung up across the country—and across the world. Rights have been sold in more than 35 countries. Hundreds of book groups have discussed the book; professors, teachers, psychiatrists, and clergy assign it. The Happiness Project was even an answer on the game-show Jeopardy!"