18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done

It is spring break and I am reading a self help book!  Most people would find that action repulsive, but to me 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done is the best book I have read in months.  Why?  Because for me,  Bregman "cuts it to the quick" so to speak.  Rather than giving the reader a multitude of tasks, Bregman helps one discover what is important, and then suggests a way to keep a daily focus.  For anyone feeling as though email rules the day, there are two many errands to run, too much paper to manage, or too many items on their "to do" list 18 Minutes is the solution.  I would take this book over a beach read any day......

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I just finished reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and this is truly one of the finest young adult novels I have read in several years. It is the story of Hazel and Augustus. They are very typical teens, but they are not really typical, as they meet at a cancer support group for teens. There is so much in this novel.

It is, of course, a love story. But it is also a story about how we connect to each other and to our world. It is a story about how important we all are in the scheme of things, and it is a story about books and authors and how they connect to us in many special ways. I cannot tell you too much of the plot, as it would be a "spoiler". Do take a break from your regular adult reading to let these two characters pull at your heartstrings for a few memorable hours.

John Green is a favorite with young adult readers. He has written Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Papertowns, as well as many short stories. He is known as one of the Nerdfighters!

The Touch: A Novella by Randall Wallace

Imagine having a gift that you cannot give?  At this time of year giving is a priority on the minds of many people.  This novella by Randall Wallace will bring you warm feelings as you read.  Randall Wallace's book is spiritual, but not preachy.  The book has an element of sadness, suspense, and surprise that is perfect for this time of year.  I started reading this short book on a late Saturday afternoon and finished the book by evening with warm thoughts and a new perspective.  Take a moment to watch Randall Wallace's video:  Video Trailer

Have a wonderful, restful December break!

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

Emily and Chip Linton move with their twin girls to a Victorian house in a small town in New Hampshire after Chip's plane crashes, killing thirty-nine people. The family hopes that this move will help Chip recover from his dreams and nightmares, and they look forward to a fresh start for the family. After they move in, Chip discovers a strange door in the basement with thirty-nine carriage bolts, and they learn that many of their neighbors are herbalists with greenhouses. The women in the town pay special attention to Hallie and Garnet, the twin daughters.

This is a ghost story and will keep you turning the pages, but it is also about the demons that haunt us in our own lives. Chris Bohjalian has written many other excellent books such as Midwives and The Double Bind.