Books Read in March
11. To the Nines-Janet Evanovich (Grade B)
12. Confessions of a Shopaholic-Sophie Kinsella (Grade A+)
13. Life Strategies-Phillip C. McGraw (Grade B+)




Best surprise/Most recommendable: Confessions of a Shopaholic. This was such a cute and fun read. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

Worst read of the month: I really like the Stephanie Plum series. However To the Nines was just an ok read.




I am still reading Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich. Next I am going to read the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Book #13
Book Title: Life Strategies
Author: Phillip C. McGraw
Category: self help; nonfiction
# of pages: 332
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B+
Short description/summary of the book: (taken from amazon.com):Some people spend their lives reacting to what life hands them, while others craft life to fit their goals. Author Phillip C. McGraw, who is a psychologist but describes himself as a strategist, is determined to make sure that his readers are the creators of their lives, not created by their lives. By accepting that you are personally accountable for every element of your life, McGraw says, you can erase the negative "epidemic behaviors" (found in all of American society: denial, false assumptions, inertia, deceptive masking) in your life and reach your goals.
Written in a tough-love, sometimes cantankerous tone, this self-help book is not for those looking to explore their inner child or visualize away negative energy. No, this is pull-yourself-up-by-the- bootstraps advice from someone who's done just that. McGraw opens with a scene describing how he helped Oprah Winfrey survive--and win--the 1998 "Mad Cow" lawsuit in Texas, when she was having difficulty coping with the reality of what was happening to her. He helped her face the facts about the lawsuit, after which she was better able to participate in crafting a strategy to win it.

McGraw first forces you to take a good hard look at who you are by dissecting your personality. It may be painful to realize that you fall into the "Porcupine" or "Perfecto" or any of the other personality types McGraw delineates, but here it's true that there's no gain without pain, because (Life Law No. 4) "You Can't Change What You Don't Acknowledge." He then describes in depth all 10 "Life Laws"--the rules by which the world plays--that he learned the hard way. Laws such as "You Either Get It, or You Don't," "Life Is Managed; It Is Not Cured," and "You Have to Name It to Claim It" make up the bulk of the book and McGraw's realist philosophy.

If you learn and abide by the Life Laws and go on to create a Life Strategy, McGraw claims you will not only know yourself better and eliminate negative behaviors, you will also know how to reach any goal you set for yourself.


My Thoughts: This was a very informative read that really has some great points on how to get the best out of life. The Life Lessons and Strategies were great points that everyone could learn from. However Dr. Phil seemed to be quite repetitive and there were times that it seemed to get dull. Overall it was an interesting read that I recommend to others that want a little more out of their lives.

Books read this year: 13/50. I'm 26% done!!!


Next read(s): I started Sweethearts for a Lifetime by Wayne A. Mack and Carol Mack.

X-posted to my book community, book_stuff and a whole lot of other places!

I know that Dr. Phil is not love and that he has done some not good things. However I really think that Life Strategies has some great points and I really do like this book so far. I am on a self improvement and motivational book kick.



What are you all reading now?

I am now reading three books all at the same time.

My gorl is to finish To the Nines by Janet Evanovich so that my mom can borrow it. Then I would like to finish The Testament by John Grisham. I have borrowed a bunch of those books from my mom and I should finish them and give them back to her so I can borrow some more lol. Then I would like to finish Life Strategies by Dr. Phil so that I can have at least one helpful book read this month.

ETA: I should add that I would like to read one book that is considered classical literature each month.


What will be your first read for March?
What will be your reading goals this month?