Favorite Books of 2014 (So Far...)

If you have been following me for a while or you pay attention to those little badges on the side of the blog, you will know that I have set a 100 book challenge for the calendar year. I've set the same goal for the past three years and have yet to make it, but this is my year!!! I promise you it is.

Currently, I am sitting at 55 books read for the year and I thought this would be a good time to check in and share my favorites so far. This year, I have not been posting regular reviews here on the blog but you can always find them over on my

Goodreads

. This has been a fantastic year so far and I am looking forward to the next 45 (or more) selections.

So these, in no particular order, are my favorite 5 books for the year so far. I rated all of these 5 out of 5 stars so they come highly recommended from me to you. As always, I must say that I consume books in traditional print, electronic and audio format. The links below are just what is convenient to pull and not indicative of how I read the book.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

This was such a timely read for me. The crazy antics on the farm reflected all too well some of the nonsense I was seeing at work. This book really makes you think about the politics and popularity of life.

How to Stay Motivated-Developing the Qualities of Success by Zig Ziglar

This was another timely read for me. I have hit a rough patch in life and career this year and I was in need of some counseling. Well, you don't get any better than Zig. This was the kind of boost that I needed because it forced me to stop looking at the problems so much and start focusing on myself and what I could get out of this. I needed a refocus so I could reflect more on God and less of the "man" principles I was seeing before me daily.

This journey is not just about being at the top of my game, but about being over the top. I, April Corbett, will be over the top when I stand in front of the Creator of the universe and He says to me, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." I hope to see you all over the top.

Inferno by Dan Brown

It's art and intrigue and mystery and all the things that make Dan Brown's world magical. He knocked it out of the park again and I can guarantee you this one will also be a knock out movie.

Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton

It's hard to imagine anyone telling Diane Keaton she was not good enough. This was a nice, down to earth, reality check for those that think some of the big names had things magically fall into their laps.

Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud

I have to say this is the most impactful read for me this year. As I said before, this has been a tough year and I finally had to take a step back and evaluate some things and determine what it was time to let go of. Divorce was one of the biggest necessary endings that I had to face and now I am walking away from a job position and city so I can get back to a place of health. I knew what had to be done, but I needed an extra push to get me to make the final decision. This book was that push.

I hope you enjoy these reads. If these have hit your shelf already, I would love to know what you think.

Why the Kindle Fire Doesn't Work For Me

When tablet fever hit the world, I was interested. But the iPad as the leading device did not and still does not appeal to me. It’s entirely too big and after being an Android user with my cell phone, I see a lot of limitations with the form factor of the Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad software. I was determined to get an Android tablet when they hit the market, but I couldn’t justify the $500+ price point. To justify the purchase I needed to figure out ahead of time exactly what role the tablet would play in my life. I set about trying to decide exactly how I would use it, which really just resulted in it being an extension of the things I could already do on my cell phone. Of course, the bigger screen was a great selling point. I even considered incorporating the tablet into regular use and downgrading to a feature phone.

When the Kindle Fire was announced at $199, I no longer needed the justification. I was okay spending the money to try it out. Fast forward a few months and I hardly ever use the thing. One reason is that Amazon has put Apple-like limitations on the Android software so unless you are comfortable with rooting the device, you were a little stuck until app developers worked around things. One of the best and most useful things to me about Android is the use of widgets on multiple home screens. Amazon only offers you one home screen that displays like a book shelf.

But, I can still get most of the apps that I love on the Kindle and so I could still do all of the things that I like to do on my cell phone. But I find myself not even thinking to pick the thing up. When I’m home, I go for my laptop. When I’m on the go, I go for my cell phone. The Kindle Fire, although a really great device at a really great price point, has no place in my life. And I do have to say when it’s time to read, my go-to device is the e-ink Kindle.

I have to expand this to be inclusive of any tablet. I just don’t have a place for them in my life. Most of the people that I know that use and love tablets so much are people who are not big laptop users or have children that can not be trusted with a laptop. Some of them still have desktop computers at home and so the tablet hits a nice sweet spot for them. That place does not exist in my life. I never thought I would be rejecting a nice little piece of technology, but it is nice to say that I have everything around me that I need.

Maybe in a couple of years when it’s time to update my computer needs will I reconsider using a tablet device. For now, I will be bidding a fond farewell to my Kindle Fire. I have already wiped it and deregistered it and will be selling it on to someone who can find a place for it.

If you are a tablet user, I would love to hear how it is working out for you.

Escape in Real Life

Above is the castle featured in the Downton Abbey television series.  Apparently, it is becoming a bit of a hot spot. Read the article here on CNN.  Oh, if only I could go and get away. I could walk for days around the house and grounds.