One of my goals for 2015 is to read six books. When I made that goal I thought that would be pretty doable as that is roughly one book every 8 weeks.  However, here I sit, almost at the end of April and I have already read four books this year. My goal of six is going to be reached by the end of May and smashed by the end of the year. I love it!

I thought it would be good to do some reviews on the books a few times during the year. That way I could either introduce you to some new reads or give you my view if its one you already know about but weren't sure if you should go ahead with it or not.  Please note that the categories that I have put the books into are my own opinions as opposed to what the author may have originally intended them to be.

To Protect and Serve - Staci Stallings
Christian Fiction - Kindle
I downloaded this book for free from Amazon kindle around Christmas time last year.  I was looking for a new fiction book and thought this looked like a good option. It was a nice and easy read. The characters were interesting and the story line held my attention.  The only negative that would say about this story is that at times it was a little on the predictable side. You could see what was coming and a few pages in you find yourself reading what you thought you would. All in all it was a nice book but it wouldn't be at the top of my recommendation list.



Make It Happen - Lara Casey
Self Help - Paperback
I came across Lara's power sheets last year and was very interested in them. Unfortunately the postage associated with getting this item shipped to the UK was more than the cost of the item and therefore I never went ahead with the purchase.  And then I came across her book.  I have seen mixed reviews from different people but I personally loved her book.  Yes I guess there is nothing really new around her goal setting steps however what made it ace for me was the structure she gave to it. From the very start to the very last review everything is clearly mapped out and that I love.  I would recommend this to friends and will likely read through it again in time to set next years goals.




The Darkside Of Fat Loss - Sean Croxton
Health - ebook
As far as I am aware, you can only get this book from Sean's website. It took me about 3 days to read and is all about fat loss and the health of your body.  This book turned the way I see food and my body on it's head. It;s all about being healthy in order to lose fat rather than losing fat in order to become healthy. I have been following his approach to food for two weeks now and I am enjoying it.  He focuses on healthy fats, protein and carbs from fruit and veg while avoiding processed foods, sugar and simple carbs.  For me personally, the one thing that his way of eating offers that I have not come across before is his 80/20 guide.  Eat this way 80% of the time and enjoy those foods which don't meet the criteria 20% of the time.  It's weird but I feel like I have permission to have something off plan without feeling like I have come off the plan. It's been lacking for me when following other food plans and I honestly love this concept.  Its probably worth mentioning that I don't follow everything that he suggests, purely because I believe in baby steps.  I think that this book is definitely worth a read if you are interested in how foods impact your body and what you can do to help your body heal.




To Principle Of The Path - Andy Stanley
Christian Self help - Audible book
This was the first, and probably last, audible book that I have listened to.  I didn't enjoy listening to the book or the book itself.  Audible aside, I like the main point of the book. The fact that your actions decide your path, but I found that the book repeated itself a lot. It seemed that it could have been more concise and shorter.  I normally enjoy Andy Stanley but I probably wouldn't this book of his to anyone.




I hope that you have found my reviews helpful. I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these and any books that you are currently reading.

After I spent some time doing the fun stuff above, I grabbed a notepad and jotted down some "Open when...." ideas.  As one set was going to my mom and the other to my friend, the typical ideas on the internet just weren't right. So, I had to come up with a number of them on my own.

The next part was the most difficult and time consuming part - writing the actual letters.  I wanted the letters to be perfect, to convey meaning and thoughtfulness and the exact wonderful words that would lift their spirits and encourage them.....and then i took a step back, checked my thoughts, and reminded myself that the goal here is not perfection but encouragement, blessings and relationship.

Along with each of the letters, I wanted to include one or two quotes which are small enough to pop on the mirror or slide into a handbag. This way they can take this out into the world with them and pull them out whenever a reminder was needed.  After selecting the quotes, I printed them out, pulled out my chopped up cards and got cutting.


Once I figured out the placing of the quotes on the card, I stuck them down with my double sided tape and popped them into the envelope.  For a portion of these envelopes that was it. Job done. For a few others, I included a few extra items like a chocolate, face mask, nail file. Just small things to add that little something extra. Final stage was putting it all together, creating a tag and then handing them over.  

Overall it was a fun project. If you plan to do your own you'll need about four to six hours depending on the length and number of letters.  If you decide to have a go I would love for you to share.

This idea has been around for ages. I remember giving it ago years ago but never really getting very far. As I have now finished my degree and have more time on my hands I thought I would have another go at this.