Tag: stories

REVIEW: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

REVIEW: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperOne in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Ian Cron’s new book is a great second-tier Enneagram resource, and a perfect what-to-read-next for fans of The Road Back to You. In this book, Ian shares stories from his friends and podcast guests and shows how the stories we grow up telling ourselves about the ways we need to deal with the world to stay safe or feel loved can become dysfunctional. Then he helps each type see the way to a new story to embrace in a move toward more health and wholeness.

I don’t always want to read every number’s portion of a new Enneagram resource, but this one is so engaging and delightfully conversational, it’s almost like reading fiction. I was afraid to skip a number and miss out on a great story! There are fun, and insightful pop-culture and literary references that brilliantly illustrate points Ian is trying to make to each number. And the Typology podcast ends up being both a foundation and a follow up to this book. Many of the stories shared here came from the podcast, and readers have episode references so they can go back to those episodes for more content. It’s pretty clever organization!

The breezy tone and sense of sharing stories and coffee with a friend will make this a great resource for folks ready to go a little deeper in their Enneagram journey. The faith references in this felt genuine and natural and never overpowering or manipulative or intrusive. I was delighted by the whole book and highly recommend it for my friends doing personal work with the Enneagram. I am looking forward to holding my own copy soon and highlighting and underlining and making notes in this great new book

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Reading People AND I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

REVIEW: Reading People AND I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

Posted on by Jaymie

Reading People – Summary

This nonfiction book is about several different personality assessments and how they can be used to help the reader understand him or herself better. The book covers

  • Introverts and Extroverts
  • Highly Sensitive People
  • The Five Love Languages
  • The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Keirsey Temperaments
  • The Clifton Strengths Finder
  • The Enneagram

Reading People – Review

This was an enjoyable read. The writing style and tone is conversational and approachable. I felt like I was chatting with a friend about her exploration of these tools. And as I love several of these tools, this is a conversation I would actually have with someone! The author shares not only her personal discoveries but also her false starts and personal growth as she learns about herself and her friends and family.

I was familiar with each of the systems on the list except the Highly Sensitive People one. While most of the other information was review for me, it was a great review and got me thinking about digging into my old materials on each of these tools/assessments.

If you already have a deep knowledge about these tools, this may be too basic for you. If these are mostly new to you, this is a terrific introduction. This was my first exposure to Anne Bogel, but I’ve found that I like her work a lot. She has an online presence (Modern Mrs. Darcy blog) and a podcast (What Should I Read Next?) as well as another book that I loved.

Rating:♥♥♥♥

 

I’d Rather Be Reading – Summary

I’d Rather Be Reading is a collection of essays on the reading life. Libraries and bookstores get a lot of love, and readers are encouraged to embrace their reading lives as they are, not as someone thinks they SHOULD be. There are cautions about becoming “book bossy” and some encouragement to develop a system to record or track your reading. Bogel’s love of story and books and reading is evident throughout.

I’d Rather Be Reading – Review

I adored this! I feel like Anne Bogel and I could go to the bookstore together and have a great time – although I think our personal reading preferences are pretty different. The writing in this is, again, friendly and down to earth. It feels like a chat over coffee. There’s no pushiness or “my way is the right way.” It’s a celebration of reading and readers – whether you haven’t read a book all year or you’ve read three this week already.

My favorite chapter was Chapter 10 – Bookworm Problems. It could not have been more perfect or accurate in my opinion.

I think this would make a lovely gift for the avid readers in your life. Be sure to get one for yourself, too. The book is hardcover but in a smaller size – about the size of a mass market paperback, though thinner. I consider it “gift book” sized.

The book inspired me to think about my own stories as a reader – milestone books and memorable reading experiences. I loved the whole experience of reading this and celebrating my own reading journey. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥