Ten Books Challenge

Cozy reading nook

Recently there's been a lot of publicity for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  In fact, for the last several weeks it has been nearly impossible to take a look at Facebook without seeing at least one video of a person dumping icy water on his or her head in the name of creating awareness for this debilitating disease.

Bonnie, my neighbor, took on a challenge of a different sort.  A friend of hers challenged her to publicly list the ten books that had been most influential to her.  After doing so, Bonnie passed on the challenge to me.

For the last three days I've been making my list.
Checking my list.
Rewriting my list.
Reordering my list.
Amending my list.
Adding to it.
Subtracting from it.
Laying awake at night obsessing about my list.

There are just too many good books, and it's darn near impossible to narrow them down to a list of only ten.

Anyway, here goes (and I know as soon as I publish this blog post, I'll be smacking myself for not including the one title that I will think of in that first moment after I hit "Publish.")

1.  The Bible - I usually read the New International Version, but sometimes other translations too.

2.  The Purpose Driven Life:  What on Earth Am I Here For, by Rick Warren.

3.  Put Your Dream To the Test, by John C. Maxwell.

4.  Complete Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey.  (I have listened to this book in audio form, several times through while traveling.)

5.  The Blessed Life, by Robert Morris.  (Another book about money, and the changing of the heart from selfishness to generosity.)

6.  The Butterfly Effect, by Andy Andrews.  Read this little book if there ever comes a time when you are thinking that your life makes no difference in this world.

7.  The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy.  This book is based on the principle that little, everyday decisions will take you either to the life you desire or to disaster by default.  This is an operation manual for success, or failure.

8.  The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson.  In many ways, this book is similar to The Compound Effect.

9.  The Early To Rise Experience, by Andy Traub.  Shifting your day to an earlier start might make you more productive and lovable.

10.  The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl, by Shauna Reid.  I found this author's six year weight loss journey inspiring.  She is simply hilarious and fun to read, too.


I cannot do it.  I can't limit myself to ten books, and so I'm throwing in, for kicks and giggles (and because I love these books), my favorite three book travel trilogy:

Roadfood, by Jane and Michael Stern
New Treehouses of the World, by Pete Nelson
Watch It Made In the USA, by Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg

Restaurants, treehouses, and factory tours - I will often refer to these three unique books when I'm planning a trip into a new area.

I guess it's time for me to hit "Publish," but you know what that means.

What good books are you reading these days?  Do you have a cozy book nook?