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The Best Books to Help You Accomplish Your New Year’s Resolutions

January 22, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

It feels like we just celebrated the new year, but somehow, we’re already nearing the end of January?! It’s bizarre, because I remember last January feeling like it stretched on forever. Time is weird.

While the end of January typically marks the end of people’s new year’s resolutions (some of mine included), I’m hoping a fresh surge of inspiration will help keep the momentum alive. For me, that usually involves sitting down with a book related to the goal I’m trying to accomplish. Whether your goal is related to fitness or creativity, I hope these books will help you as much as they’ve helped me!

Year in Review: A Breakdown of My 2021 Reads

January 5, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I’m having a hard time believing it, but my book journal is telling me it’s true- I read 72 books in 2021!!

While I don’t view reading as a competition, I was excited to see that I read more books in 2021 than in 2020: 72 books vs. 65 books. This was especially surprising after my sloooww month of reading in December.

This is my second year of actively tracking my reading, so it’s exciting to be able to compare the numbers and reflect on my favorite books of the year. Hopefully, you enjoy them too!

What I Read: December 2021

December 30, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 2 comments

Between the holidays, traveling, birthdays, and more, this month has been absolutely hectic- though mostly in a good way! I hope you’ve been staying safe amid Omicron and enjoying this time with loved ones.

That said, this all has led to a slooowww month of reading for me with only two books making the list this month:
-Before and After the Book Deal
-Creative Calling

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I read: November 2021

December 7, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

This time of year is always so hectic- mostly in a good way though! The holiday season has arrived and so have parties, trips, family time, and more. This also meant a slower month of reading, but I did still manage to squeeze in five books.

It was definitely a fiction kind of month with a mix of romance, horror, and fantasy:

-The Shining
-Blood of Elves
-Chasing the Boogeyman
-Dial A for Aunties
-I Let You Go

Let’s get into those reviews!

What I Read: October 2021

November 3, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 2 comments

After the whirlwind of reading in September, my pace slowed down a bit this month. (Probably because I took a break from audiobooks after discovering Morbid: A True Crime podcast) That said, I still managed to squeeze in 6 books covering everything from personal finance to YA fantasy.

Here’s the full list:
-Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
-I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
-Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
-Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
-Gravel Heart by Abdulrazak Gurnah
-Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Let’s dive into the reviews!

What I read: September 2021

October 3, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

September proved to be a BIG month of reading for me! Though, to be fair, a few of the books I technically started in August.

From fantasy to science fiction to extreme athletes, my book choices were all over the place this month.

Here’s the list:
-Deep Work by Cal Newport
-Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
-Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
-Verity by Colleen Hoover
-Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
-Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor
-Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller
-The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
-Finding Ultra by Rich Roll
-Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight

Let’s get into those reviews!

What I read: August 2021

September 2, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 2 comments

I feel like I’ve been on a reading roll lately!

In August, I read an entire trilogy, listened to a 23-hour long audiobook, and finished a book I’ve been reading since April.

Here’s the list:
-Big Macs & Burgundy by Vanessa Price
-Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
-The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
-Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
-Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
-Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
-10% Happier by Dan Harris

Let’s get into those reviews!

What I read: July 2021

August 3, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

July proved to be another strong month of reading for me!

I didn’t break my record (looking at you, July 2020), but I managed to squeeze in seven books this month featuring a good mix of fiction and non-fiction choices:

Malibu Rising
Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba
The Rejection That Changed My Life
The Maidens
I Was Told There’d Be Cake
People We Meet on Vacation

Let’s get into those reviews!

What I read: June 2021

July 7, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

I hope everyone is having a good summer so far! Between a vacation (finally!!) and just relaxing, I’ve been a little late in getting my June reads posted. I had a good mix going on this month with both fiction and non-fiction included.

What I read: May 2021

June 1, 2021 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

May was another weird month of reading for me.

I don’t know if I was being really picky, but I had a hard time getting into some books this month. Some of the plots felt very slow? Maybe, I was just distracted?

That said, I still managed to squeeze 5 books in:
1. Pretty Little Wife
2. Girls of Brackenhill
3. Beartown
4. The Midnight Library
5. Tell Me Lies

Let’s get into the reviews…