I heard a podcast guest say she doesn’t like to read business books for her job, because there’s so many new business books and so few new ideas.

So, when authors do come up with new ideas, we need to celebrate, clap and cheer.

These are break through books.

These are the books that are going to help today’s creative.  Because we are more distracted than ever before.  But, it’s easier than ever before to reach our audience and build our tribe and find our patrons and make a living.

Creatives face unique problems:  creating a life where they can do their work well, finding the people that appreciate their work, making a living from what they create.  It’s all a challenge, even today.

These are the pioneers who are showing the way.

(Note: “Buy now” links are affiliate links.  At no extra cost to you, a percentage of your purchase will support this site.)

  Buy now from Amazon

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

Newport first builds the case for the importance of deep work, then he expounds on practical steps to accomplish it.  Simply put, what is needed is focus and discipline.

I agree with Newport’s main premise:  we are doing worse work because we’re distracted.  I see it all the time in the low quality of books that are published and the huge vacuums that exist in many genres for high quality work.

Newport is a college professor.  Publishing in scholarly journals is the deep work he needs to accomplish.  I think the principles apply to all writers, and probably all knowledge workers in general.

I think the most profound books are ones that are simple common sense:  ones that people agree with and see the wisdom of, but haven’t be able to articulate themselves.  It seems so simple.  So obvious.  And, yet, it wasn’t done before.  I would put The Purpose Driven Life in that category as well as Deep Work.

   Buy now from Amazon

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

I’ve followed Michael Hyatt’s blog for a while and find his advice practical and succinct.  I even self-hosted this blog on his recommendation and with his affiliate link.  Even though the book was nothing more than a collection of blog posts, some of which I’d already read, I found the information helpful. Especially interesting to me were the collection of short chapters about using Twitter: a new world for me.  All his writing rings true, down to the necessity of building a platform and the step by step on how to do it.

Building a platform online changes so fast, that some of the information in this book is dated, but the basic premise remains the same:  you can build an audience or a tribe or a following by leveraging the incredible resources on the internet today.

  Buy now from Amazon

The One Thing: The surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

I’ve been wanting to read The  One Thing FOREVER. I think I’ve been on my library’s waitlist for over a year.

Now I know what all the rave reviews are about.  This is a GREAT book!

It addresses the problem of distracted focus and the importance of lasering in on your most important work in order to achieve excellence.

A huge light bulb moment for me reading The One Thing was the idea of chaos derailing you and distracting you from your one thing.

Chapter 17, The Four Thieves of Productivity hit me hard.

The Four Thieves are:

1. Inability to Say “No”
2. Fear of Chaos
3. Poor Health Habits
4. Environment Doesn’t Support Your Goals.

Wow. These were so good and right on the money.

“The One Thing explains the success habit to overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.” –from Goodreads

   Buy now from Amazon

Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age by Jeff Goins

This book is a game changer.

It challenges long held beliefs and deconstructs myths.

Real Artists Don’t Starve doesn’t just refer to painters and sculptors, but writers, poets, and creatives of all types.

The twelve principles that emerged from Jeff studying creatives are supported by success stories from today and throughout history.

I love lots of them, but my favorite is about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and the literary group they belonged to, the Inklings.  They shaped each other’s art.  It debunks the myth of the lone genius and highlights the need to work in collaboration.

This message is important for young people who have been told to put their dreams on hold in favor of a steady income.

It’s also important for older people who have not pursued their dreams believing in the inability of artists to make a living.

It’s time for a paradigm shift and Jeff Goins is leading the way

  Buy now from Amazon

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz

If Jeff Goins makes the argument that creatives should be getting paid for their work, Mike Michalowicz teaches the best way to handle that business income.

What an incredible book.

It tackles the default method of operating a small business:  pay all expenses first and take profit last.

Michalowicz argues that you when you operate that way, expenses will take all your income.  If you plan to take profit first, and also make a plan to compensate the owners, set aside money for taxes and operate on what’s left, your business becomes much healthier.

Expansions are realistic.  You don’t face cash flow problems.

I think it’s a great way to go.

**************

And there you have it:  five break through books for today’s creatives.  How to do the work, how to get paid for it and how to manage the money once it starts flowing.

What books would you recommend for today’s creative? 

P.S. Did you see these book lists?

5 Can’t Miss Books for Introverts

Love Stories You Can Feel Good Recommending

Awesome Middle Grade Novels Adults Will Love

Do you feel like you have too many balls to juggle?  That you are sure to drop some?  There’s no way to keep them all in the air.  

We don’t always realize that not all balls are created equal. 

Some are made of glass.  Some are made of rubber. 

When a glass ball hits the floor, it shatters.  A rubber ball bounces back, but probably not into our hands.  We might have to chase it.  But, the point is, it’s not permanently damaged.  Once we recover it, it can still be in play. 

The real trick is figuring out which is which. 

Some balls we didn’t even choose. They were handed to us without our consent. 

It’s hard to extend grace to yourself when you drop a ball, even if it’s rubber.  We’d like to think of ourselves as wonder women who can keep all the plates spinning. 

The crushing weight of overwhelm paralyzes you.

Life is a juggling act.  The trick is figuring out which balls are glass and which ones are rubber.  

Identifying our top priorities is critical to life success.

To use a parallel metaphor, the classic illustration of putting the big rocks in first has to do with a jar. If you fill your jar with pebbles and sand first, you won’t be able to fit the big rocks in. If you put the big rocks in first, then the pebbles and sand and water will fill in all the cracks and you accomplish more with your life than when you’re just chasing all the little things and ignoring the most important priorities.

Putting in the big rocks means choosing to prioritize the glass balls. Making everything else fit into the smaller cracks.

So, if you’re going to avoid overwhelm, you’re going to have to assign your priorities and make peace with them. That means if you slip up on something else, you extend grace to yourself. You keep your focus where it needs to be. On the most important things.

Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Amy Lynn Andrews in Tell Your Time talk about organizing your life around roles.

This is one way to identify which of your balls are glass and which are rubber. In general, your relationships, especially family, are going to be glass. Work is generally rubber, meaning if you drop a ball at work, or something slips through the cracks, it will bounce back. You can make apologies, clean up the messes and keep going.

Prioritizing your important tasks helps you fight the urge to always be a tyrant to the urgent. Even prioritizing your relationships isn’t enough, though. As well as quality time, you also have to be doing the right things with your important relationships.

So many people get stuck in life. They keep going in circles making the same mistakes over and over again.

It takes some down time to identify priorities.  It takes some quiet reflection and some hard mental work.  

Who can do that when you’re overwhelmed?  But, it still needs to happen.  Fight for it.  It’s totally worth it.

Do you ever feel paralyzed by overwhelm? How do you deal with it?

Sometimes you just need a good love story.  Sometimes you need to give or pick a good love story for someone else.  Here’s ten that you can feel good about recommending.

Linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy’s Quick Lit.

(Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  At no extra cost to you, a percentage of your purchase goes to support this site.)

  Buy now from Amazon

Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freeman

“A moving love story set in the Canadian wilderness, Mrs. Mike is a classic tale that has enchanted millions of readers worldwide. It brings the fierce, stunning landscape of the Great North to life—and tenderly evokes the love that blossoms between Sergeant Mike Flannigan and beautiful young Katherine Mary O’Fallon.”  — Goodreads

One of my all time favorites. All the feels.

  Buy now from Amazon

Christy by Catherine Marshall

“The train taking nineteen-year-old teacher Christy Huddleston from her home in Asheville, North Carolina, might as well be transporting her to another world. The Smoky Mountain community of Cutter Gap feels suspended in time, trapped by poverty, superstitions, and century-old traditions.

But as Christy struggles to find acceptance in her new home, some see her — and her one-room school — as a threat to their way of life. Her faith is challenged and her heart is torn between two strong men with conflicting views about how to care for the families of the Cove.”  –Goodreads

Catherine Marshall takes her mother’s own incredible story and tells it superbly.

 

  Buy now from Amazon

Pride and Predjudice by Jane Austen

“‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ Thus memorably begins Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice, one of the world’s most popular novels. Pride and Prejudice–Austen’s own ‘darling child’–tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when she was just twenty-one years old.”–Goodreads

Rightly hailed as one of the greatest love stories of all time.

  Buy now from Amazon

Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay

“Samantha Moore survived years of darkness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in literature, even adopting their very words. Her fictional friends give her an identity, albeit a borrowed one. But most importantly, they protect her from revealing her true self and encountering more pain.

After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity. The anonymous “Mr. Knightley” offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.

As Sam’s true identity begins to reveal itself through her letters, her heart begins to soften to those around her—a damaged teenager and fellow inhabitant of Grace House, her classmates at Medill, and, most powerfully, successful novelist Alex Powell. But just as Sam finally begins to trust, she learns that Alex has secrets of his own—secrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters.”  — Goodreads

I enjoyed the Austen references in this book that enhanced the story.

  Buy now from Amazon

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

“When Jerusha Abbott, an eighteen-year-old girl living in an orphan asylum, was told that a mysterious millionaire had agreed to pay for her education, it was like a dream come true. For the first time in her life, she had someone she could pretend was “family.” But everything was not perfect, for he chose to remain anonymous and asked that she only write him concerning her progress in school. Who was this mysterious gentleman and would Jerusha ever meet him?”  –Goodreads

A long time favorite of mine that stands up to re-reading.

 Buy now from Amazon

These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

“A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author’s own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon–from child to determined young adult to loving mother–she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose.

Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters, These Is My Words brilliantly brings a vanished world to breathtaking life again.”–Goodreads

Unpredictable.  Well-written.

   Buy now from Amazon

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

“Hannah Coulter is Wendell Berry’s seventh novel and his first to employ the voice of a woman character in its telling. Hannah, the now-elderly narrator, recounts the love she has for the land and for her community. She remembers each of her two husbands, and all places and community connections threatened by twentieth-century technologies. At risk is the whole culture of family farming, hope redeemed when her wayward and once lost grandson, Virgil, returns to his rural home place to work the farm.”–Amazon

Less of a love story, more of a life story the narrative spans decades to get a panoramic view of Hannah’s life.

   Buy now from Amazon

Papa’s Wife by Thyra Ferre Bjorn

“This novel follows the lives of a conservative, Swedish minister, Pontus Franzon, and his pretty young wife, Maria, through their years in a parsonage in Lapland, their eight children, and their journey to a new life in America.”– Goodreads

You can’t help but love the Franzon family. This is one I like to re-read.  I enjoy it every time.  Maybe because it’s based on the author’s own history, you are drawn in and feel like one of the family.

   Buy now from Amazon

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

“Grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. The four March sisters couldn’t be more different. But with their father away at war, and their mother working to support the family, they have to rely on one another. Whether they’re putting on a play, forming a secret society, or celebrating Christmas, there’s one thing they can’t help wondering: Will Father return home safely?”–Amazon

The heart-warming story of Little Women is a classic for a reason.  The March sisters will find a place in your heart.

 Buy now from Amazon

Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown

“Sharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation: Hannah, a pastor who doesn’t realize how exhausted she is. Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past. Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage. Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right. You’re invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and find themselves drawn out of their separate stories of isolation and struggle and into a collective journey of spiritual practice, mutual support and personal revelation. Along the way, readers will be taken into a new understanding of key spiritual practices and find tangible support for the deeper life with God.” –Goodreads

I found these characters to be well-rounded and relatable.  I also liked an inside look at spiritual disciplines outside of my experience.

   Buy now from Amazon

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

“Laura is teaching school, and it’s terrifying! Most of the students are taller than she is, and she must sleep away from home for the first time. Laura is miserable, but the money is needed to keep Mary in a college for the blind.

And every Friday—no matter what the weather—Almanzo Wilder arrives to take Laura home to her family for the weekend. Laura and Almanzo are courting, and even though she’s not yet sixteen, she knows that this is a time for new beginnings.”– Amazon

One the lesser known books in the Little House series, Almanzo and Laura’s love story is heart-warming.

Have you seen Awesome Middle Grade Novels Adults Will Love ?  Check it out here.

 

 

I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been drawn to middle grade novels recently.

I believe there are multiple reasons, but the primary one boils down to one word: stress.

Middle grade novels offers an easy read.  The plot and characters are not complex.

Nevertheless, they take on some of the weightier issues of life.  Some do it incredibly well.

The middle grades are a great age for shaping opinions, values, attitudes and beliefs.

With my new interest in this genre, I read my first Harry Potter book.  I didn’t include it in this list because a) why would Harry Potter books need more press?  and b) although I can understand the cult following, I’ve read better middle grade.

Linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy’s Quick Lit.

On to the books!

(Note: This post contains affiliate links.  At no extra cost to you a percentage of your purchase goes to support this site.)

  Buy now from Amazon

The War That Saved My Life  by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

“Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.

So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?” — from GoodReads

Great story.

  Buy now from Amazon

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

“In this companion novel to The Wednesday Wars, Doug struggles to be more than the “skinny thug” that some people think him to be. He finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, who gives him the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival.”– from Amazon

Excellent book. LOVED it. 

Deals with so many important themes.

Abusive parent. War veterans. Learning disabilities. Young love. Poverty. Predjudice.

There’s just so much there. And the story is so satisfying.

You know how it is? When a story is satisfying? When all the right people win in the end and the rest get what they deserve?

  Buy now from Amazon

Rain, Reign by Ann M. Martin

“Rose Howard has Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter.

Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners.” — from GoodReads

Good story. The characters were believable and endearing. It was a good, inside look at autism. You couldn’t help but root for the heroine.
If that story doesn’t create empathy, I don’t know what will.

  Buy now from Amazon

The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech

It deals with the joy and pain and challenges of fostering parenting.

A childless couple wake up one day to find a strange boy on their porch. Although there’s no way to contact his parents, they learn that he’s been left there on purpose.

This novel explores what it’s like to love a child that’s not yours, the heartache it brings and why you should do it anyway.

  Buy now from Amazon

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

5 Stars!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this whimsical story. (That’s a lotta love.)  I’m thinking about reading it to the teens in my carpool, since I don’t have any little kids to read it too.  I’ll be giving it to my nieces and nephews, too, when I get the chance.

Four motherless girls on vacation with their father.  Their romps with pets, neighbors and each other:  a simple, but satisfying plot.

I loved the uplifting, engaging characters.  Real heroes.  Great values.   Whimsical.

  Buy now from Amazon

The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

What if you lived in a small kingdom where the prince chooses his bride from the graduates of the Princess Academy?

What if you had the chance for an education that would never be possible otherwise?

I loved this middle grade novel for telling a tale of what could be, the power of knowledge, friendships and courage.

One of my favorite parts of Princess Academy was how they snuck in principles of Commerce and Negotiation. It was fun how that played out.

There were a few weird and whimsical twists, but every fairy tale needs a little magic.

 Buy now from Amazon
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kirsten Levine

“The last thing Harry ‘Dit’ Sims expects when Emma Walker comes to town is to become friends. Proper -talking, brainy Emma doesn’t play baseball or fish too well, but she sure makes Dit think, especially about the differences between black and white. But soon Dit is thinking about a whole lot more when the town barber, who is black, is put on trial for a terrible crime. Together Dit and Emma come up with a daring plan to save him from the unthinkable. Set in 1917 and inspired by the author’s true family history, this is the poignant story of a remarkable friendship and the perils of small-town justice.”– from GoodReads

Alabama in 1917.  A friendship between a white boy and a black girl.  What could go wrong?

I loved the details of this time period.  Add that to a good plot and likable characters and we have a winner.

  Buy now from Amazon

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

“Fantastic creatures, heroic deeds, epic battles in the war between good and evil, and unforgettable adventures come together in this world where magic meets reality, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years. The Chronicles of Narnia has transcended the fantasy genre to become a part of the canon of classic literature.”– from GoodReads

In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better than Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia for middle grade.

But, not only middle grade. Narnia appeals to every age.

Lewis tells compelling stories with an amazing economy of words.  He weaves timeless truths into  tales that highlight the classic conflict between good and evil.

I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Have you read any middle grade novels that you loved?  Let me know in comments.