I ended last year with some very specific goals for myself in 2015. One of those goals was to read more. Instead of waiting until the end of the year to make one gigantic list, I am going to post a monthly book report of what I’ve been reading. And instead of just listing the titles, I wanted to give my two cents while the books were still fresh on my mind. (I am, however, keeping this year’s giant list–sans reviews–here.)

The Gratitude Diaries (Janice Kaplan)

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a memoir but also full of scientific research on the practices and benefits of gratitude. (I’d say it’s in the same vein as a Gretchen Rubin work.) Kaplan spends a year researching gratitude and the role it plays in our lives. She share the ways in which she personally benefits from the practice of journaling what she is thankful for and the impact it has on her marriage and parenting. Each month of the year, her gratitude takes a different focus and the chapters are set up in the same way. In addition to her own experiences, she also includes research from “professionals” in the industry of human behavior. You’ll read about her transformation towards positivity through her experiment.

The Silver Star (Jeannette Walls)

If you read and loved The Glass Castle or Half Broke Horses, you will ADORE Walls’s fiction work. I couldn’t put this book down. The Silver Star is a tale of two young teen sisters forced to embrace their lives without the presence of their mother. They have all but been abandoned when they make their way back to their parents’ hometown. Many challenges await them there, but thorough their sisterly bond, a new-to-them extended family support system, and loads of courage and moxie, Bean and Liz survive. Thanks to my sweet friend and fellow bibliophile, Ginger of The Little Caboose Blog, for passing along this book to me. I’ll send it out into the world again for another book lover to read.

Engage Your Strengths: Strengths and Scripture Engagement to Transform Your World

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to take the EYS Strengths Finder assessment and attend a day of invaluable training on the material. I wrote about some of my impressions and passions for this assessment here. My awesome friend and Certified Strengths Coach, Corie truly inspired and challenged me. This month, I was blessed to attend a second, more in depth training on engaging my strengths as well as how to help coach others in theirs. This book was one of our take-home study materials.

I read through it almost instantly making notes and answering all of the questions about my Signature Themes. I love that this book also includes awesome coaching strategies and Theme Insight cards.