This month I read a random mix of books!

1. Heartburn by Nora Ephron – Although When Harry Met Sally has been one of my favorite movies for decades, I have never read anything written by the screen writer of the film. This is an old book, but I enjoyed reading a few lines that later ended up in my favorite movie. The main character used storytelling to ease her pain of two divorces, sharing recipes all the way. It was a simple, quick read.
2. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick – This was another celebrity audio book I listened to.  I love this actress but she is young and her autobiography is a small snapshot into her young life thus far, interspersed with her humor and sarcasm and neuroticism. I enjoyed it, but it was just fluff entertainment!
3. It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff – After hearing Abrashoff speak at the ACSA Leadership Summit, I wen out and immediately bought his book and read it cover to cover. He is a great storyteller. His leadership ideas are often common sense ideas, but his examples remind us of the many ways in which we often operate outside of common sense. I appreciate his simple messages about getting to know people, providing them individual, personal praise, and encourage people to have fun at work. This was a great read with great leadership tips!
4. Interference by Kay Honeyman – This is a YA novel that was a cute read in between deeper books this month! There are elements of local politics mixed with high school drama (sadly, not so different).
5. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth – I listened to this audiobook read by the author. This was recommended to me by a colleague recently, though I saw Duckworth’s TED Talk on grit years ago. I like the ideas explored through her research, but this book was very dense and chock full of said research. I appreciated the connections between grit and growth mindset, and how Duckworth wove her research with Carol Dweck’s. I appreciated that a PDF came with this audio book, which I was finally able to access on my computer after finishing the book!

What did you read this month? Only one month left in this year. Luckily, I’ve gone a little beyond my goal of #16in16