48 Days to the Work You Love - Review

48 Days to the Work You Love

By: Dan Miller

Published: January 1st 2007 by B&H Books (first published July 1996)

224 pages

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--48 Days to the Work You Love is not about finding a new job. It is about finding out what you are going to be.” According to Dan Miller, failing to make that fundamental discovery is why so many people find themselves in jobs they hate. But the great news is this book will lead you to the vocation you will love. Dan Miller will help you see clear patterns form from which you can make successful career and job decisions by understanding your God-given skills and abilities, personality traits, values, dreams, and passions. These patterns create a compass for you. Finding the work you love is finding the fulfillment of your calling.

Ok guys, if you’re not satisfied with your job right now….THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! This book has a wealth of knowledge in it. It took me over a year to actually read it, but the reason for that was two-fold. One of which is, I actually got a new job about halfway through my reading of the book. I had to skip ahead to the interview section which I think REALLY did the trick for me. I haven’t had a lot of experience interviewing and this book gave me the tools I needed to ace my interviews. That along with a lot of prayer for peace of mind and spirit during the process. But I’m living proof that this book has some great information that will help you find a job that you love. Now I’m not 100% sure where I am now is what I’d consider my dream job, but it’s definitely 100% better than where I was—handling customer service phone calls with people yelling at me day in and out over things that I had no control over and things that weren’t my fault. The non-customer service parts of my previous job I loved and I was really good at. Plus the girls I worked with really became a third family for me. But overall, I’m so much more satisfied with where I am now than where I was.

The second reason it took me so long to finish is because I loaned my book out to two other people who needed it more than I did in the moment since I’d already gotten my new job.

For me, this book is worth the information about the interview process and how to create a resume that works best for where you’ve been to where you’re trying to go alone. But all of the additional information is great stuff too. I can see myself referencing back to this book often throughout my life. And I’ll definitely be recommending it to anyone who’s in the process of looking for a new job.

48 Days to the Work You Love gets 4 Stars. Have you read it? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Flutter

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Flutter

By: Melissa Andrea

Expected Publication: October 30th 2012

Goodreads description--Sara

Sara's life is forever changed - Waking up, buried & hidden deeply in the last place anyone would want to be, will do that. She is determined to find out how she ended up there & why, but when the only person who can help her, continuously lies to her, she finds herself forced to suffer alone. She can't ignore the strange things that begin to happen to her nor can she hide from the nightmares that haunt her sleep. And when her world collides with Adan - the mysterious boy whom she can't seem to stay away from, literally - she is consumed by the familiar flutter that sparks whenever he is around and she is desperate to discover the reason why.

But the biggest discovery will come from the secret of what she is…

Adan

Adan’s mission to find Sara has finally approached - It seemed simple: bring her back to the enchanted world that lives, breathes and survives because of her, but he quickly finds himself faced with an entirely new challenge. Immediately, Adan realizes that staying unknown to Sara is a task he will fail before even attempting. The pull to her is far too strong to refuse, and being with her will defy the very reason he existed. He was the key to her survival and loving her was not part of the plan that he had been born to follow. Can he find it in himself too resist the urge to be with her and follow through with their destiny or will he destroy everything that had been left to Sara to protect and defend -

And the kingdom she is unaware she rules…

Flutter

As Sara and Adan struggle to overcome their own separate battles - There is a far more determined evil that is stalking the shadows and waiting to annihilate them both.

Sara will figure out that not everything is what it seems and knowing what she can and can not trust will be the key to finding out the truth to what happened to her, the reason why she had been buried alive and who she really is…

Sara and Adan will discover the hidden meaning to why she was the reason he existed and why he would be the reason she survived & together they will fight to change the rules and rewrite their fate.

Discover the Meaning,

Discover the Secret,

Discover Flutter

That's what I'm waiting on this week. What about you guys? What books are you anxiously waiting on? Let me know!

Top 10 Favorite Authors in X Genre

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Favorite Authors in X Genre.

I dont think I have 10 favorite authors in one particular genre. So...I'm choosing several genres.

Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

1) Carrie Ryan - The Forest of Hands & Teeth series

2) Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games series

3) Veronica Roth - Divergent series

Paranormal YA

4) Richelle Mead - Vampire Academy series & Bloodlines series; also Georgina Kincaid series & Dark Swan series

5) Maggie Stiefvater - The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver) series, The Scorpio Races, The Raven Cycle series, Gathering of Faerie series (Lament & Ballad)

6) Cassandra Clare - The Mortal Instrument series & The Infernal Devices series

7) JK Rowling - Harry Potter series  

 

Contemporary YA

8) Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits & upcoming Dare You To

9) Jamie McGuire - Beautiful Disaster & upcoming Walking Disaster, also author of Providence series though I haven't read that one yet.

10) Colleen Hoover - Slammed & Point of Review

 

Yes I'm cheating...  

 

Historical Fictional/Classics

11) Jane Austen - Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, Emma (not read yet), Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park (haven't finished reading), & Love & Friendship  

 

Religious/Christian/Inspirational

12) Frances Chan - Crazy Love, Forgotten God, & others that I have yet to read but plan to.

13) Stormie Omartian - Power of a Praying Woman, Power of a Praying Wife, Power of a Praying Husband, Power of a Praying Church, Power of a Praying Parent, Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage, etc.

 

And that's it guys, so far these are my favorite authors in these genres. As always, these are subject to change. What are your top favorite authors in any particular genre? Let me know!

 

Ascend - Review

Ascend (Trylle Trilogy, # 3)

By: Amanda Hocking

Published: April 24th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published January 1st 2011)

326 pages

Source: Borrowed my friend Paula's Kindle

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads--Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?

The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.

Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.

Ascend was probably my favorite of the Trylle Trilogy. I did struggle some more with Wendy. I felt consistently throughout the three books that she was overly self-sacrificing…not in a good way. It became immensely frustrating whenever any situation would come up and her immediately resolution would be to throw herself to the wolves or fall on her own sword or something of that nature.

Despite this constant character trait of Wendy’s, I did feel like Ascend out of all three books had the most character growth in it, which is something that I really look for in a good book. We finally get to see some emotion from Elora. Wendy did make some choices in this book that I agreed with and that I don’t think are typical of the YA world. So kudos to Amanda Hocking for that. I thought Tove’s decision was a bit of a cop-out, making things a bit too convenient. And I felt like the relationship development between Wendy and Loki began to develop a little late in the story. I definitely liked the way everything turned out between the Wendy, Tove, Loki, Finn square (what’s up with Amanda Hocking’s love-squares?)…but I won’t tell you how it ends.

I also found Rhys to be missing from too much of this book. I realize being a manks and all he’s not going to be allowed to the main meetings and such, but with as much as Matt wormed his way into the story, surely there was room for Rhys too.

Overall, I was really pleased with this series. I did have my frustrations with it, but they weren’t the kind that ruin a story for me. Having said that, I realize this is a short review, but I’m giving Ascend a 4 stars if nothing else for the character growth and the decision that Wendy made that I find to be atypical of the YA genre.

Have you read Ascend? What did you think? Let me know!

In My Mailbox - 24 & Sunday Post - 15

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where bloggers can discuss the books we got in the mail this week.

Magisterium

By: Jeff Hirsch

Published: October 1st 2012 by Scholastic Press

310 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run---with only one place to go.

With MAGISTERIUM, Jeff Hirsch brings us the story of a complex, captivating world that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.

Undeadly (The Reapear Diaries, # 1)

By: Michele Vail

Expected Publication: November 20th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

272 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!)

( Goodreads | Amazon)

Goodreads description--The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

The New Kid (New Kid, # 1)

By: Temple Matthews

Published: 2009 by Teen Libris

281 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!)

( Goodreads | Amazon)

Goodreads description--Will Hunter is used to being the New Kid; Harrisburg High School is his fifth new school in less than three years. By now, he knows not to be fooled by the bright pep rallies, the wholesome jocks, the innocent cheerleaders. He knows the evil lurking underneath. It’s the same evil that took his dad eight years ago: the same evil he battles every day.

Natalie Holand’s life fell apart the night her sister Emily disappeared. No one believes her when she tells them what she saw: yellow and green eyes, glowing beneath the surface of the water in which Emily supposedly drowned. And Emily isn’t the only person to go missing in Harrisburg lately. The town is changing, not for the better, and Natalie doesn’t know why. What she does know is that, whatever’s happening, it’s bad, and the New Kid is right in the middle of it.

Because Will has a secret even bigger than Harrisburg’s, and there’s more to it than even he knows.

This fast-paced, action-packed first novel by veteran Hollywood screenwriter Temple Mathews takes the idea of high school as hell to a whole new level. Will’s story, part wish-fulfillment sci-fi adventure and part iconic hero’s journey with a side of budding romance, will appeal to teen readers of both genders.

The Rising (New Kid, # 2)

By: Temple Matthews

Published: 2012 by Teen Libris (first published 2010)

274 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Will Hunter’s had a rough few months. He just survived the battle of his life. He learned the devil was his father. And his newly demonic best friend Rudy is trapped under glass until Will can find a way to bring him back from the dark side. All Will wants is to lay low for a while with Natalie, the girl he loves, and focus on saving his friend.

But Will never seems to get what he wants.

In Seattle, Will encounters a dangerous new breed of female demon, faster and more deadly than anything he’s ever faced, and a mysterious, striking girl who arrives just in time to save his life. Natalie doesn’t trust her, but Will is drawn to her in a way he doesn’t fully understand. Is she a powerful new ally? Or will her secrets destroy him and everything he cares about?

As the devil’s minions work to reassemble their leader’s body piece by piece, Will must once again become the New Kid to prevent the Dark Lord from rising—this time for good.

Whisper Cape (Whisper Cape, # 1)

By:Susan Griscom (writing as), Regan Walsh

Published: October 15th 2011 by Amber Glow Books

321 pages

Source: Kindle Freebie

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Escape to a world where the impossible becomes possible. WHISPER CAPE is a town of secrets and Addison MacKenna soon becomes tangled in a web of them. Plagued with nightmares of her father’s sudden and brutal death, Addie struggles with her anguish and refuses to believe his demise was accidental.

Fighting to shake off one of those devastating early morning nightmares, Addison finds it even harder to escape from the vision of a man lying on the side of the road—a man she may have just killed. When she frantically tries to locate him, he seemingly disappears, just the beginning of strange occurrences in her life. She also cannot ignore the weird sensations in her own body. Suddenly, the impossible seems possible, but is that a blessing or a curse?

Believing that her continual and worsening nightmares are both the key to her own new abilities and the clue to her father’s death, Addie knows she will not rest until she has the answers she craves. As she strives to cope with her new remarkable talents, someone else learns of her abilities—a disgruntled maniacal psychopath with his own agenda that involves eliminating Addie. The only one who can protect her, instruct her in the use of her powers and teach her how to destroy the murderous monster is the same man who makes Addie’s heart race and her blood heat with passion. The same man she’d left for dead.

Cael Sheridan may be arrogant and mysterious but he's also undeniably gorgeous. A member of a secret society, he is sworn to protect the woman he believes to be the daughter of his recently murdered mentor. In the process, he finds it impossible to resist her magnetic sensuality, complicating his efforts to shield and guide her as she learns to manage her newly acquired skills. At the same time, Addison has much to teach him about trust and commitment. Fate has brought them together, but will it make them stronger or destroy them both in end?

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, # 1)

By: Richelle Mead

Published: March 1st 2007 by Kensington

343 pages

Source: Bought as a $1.00 Deal on Amazon

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess getup complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Because I already participate in the In My Mailbox meme (above), I'm just going to use this one as way to recap my week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review Torn (Trylle Trilogy, # 2) by Amanda Hocking (3 Stars); Fraterfest Final Updates

Tuesday: Top 10 All-Time Favorite Books (Top 10 Tuesday)

Wednesday: Waiting on Gravity (Waiting on Wednesday)

Thursday: Review Slammed by Colleen Hoover (5 Stars!!!!)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Ascend (Trylle Trilogy, # 3) by Amanda Hocking

Tuesday: Top 10 Tuesday: Top 10 Favorite Authors in X Genre

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday (hopefully...)

Thursday: Review of 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller

That's it for my mailbox and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you get in your mailbox this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!