What else have I been reading?

If the blog has seemed a little emptier than usual, I apologize. A lag in my ability to obtain YA books from my library has led me to read in other sections of the library. GASP! While my target audience is teenagers & young adults, I think these books will be of particular interest to the young adults. I know some of the titles will be boring, but I've learned a lot recently about varying subjects and would encourage you to occasionally read outside of your comfort zone. You never know what you might discover you like or even love! These are the books that I enjoyed. Look forward to the post about the ones that didn't hit the mark.

Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School by Andrew Hallam 

This book gives your financial life a wake-up call. The author really is a teacher who has a portfolio valued at over a million dollars. There's nothing fancy about what he has to say, but he gets you on board at the ground level. Andrew lays it all out on the board: debt, savings, investments, sage advice. You name it, this book has it. The plain language he uses to cover all these seemingly head-spinning topics allowed me a clearer understanding of just where I want to be in my future & what I need to do to get there.



The Acid Reflux Solution: A Cookbook and Lifestyle Guide for Healing Heartburn Naturally
by Jorge E. Rodriguez, Susan Wyler, Susan Wyler, MPH, RD

Acid reflux is on the rise. Millions of Americans suffer with this painful ailment needlessly. I was recently diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) & eosinophilic esophagitis. GERD is a fancy way of saying persistent and frequent heartburn & the esophagitis is a slightly more severe symptom where my esophagus is having a sort of allergic reaction. Immediately after my diagnosis I went in search of things to help soothe my stomach and throat. This wonderful book was such an eye-opener. There are so many possible causes & triggers that I found myself overwhelmed, but this book helped me pin-point some of my harder to name triggers. It also contains many recipes that (with some personal tweaking) were great to add to my GERD & low-fat friendly recipe repertoire. If you or anyone you care about are suffering from frequent heartburn, be sure to see a doctor.

Living The Savvy Life: The Savvy Woman's Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living by Melissa Tosetti, Kevin Gibbons

This is another plain-speaking money book, but it's about more than just money. This book is also about living your life to the fullest. There are ideas about vacations, lifestyle changes, & planning for the future that I wouldn't have come with on my own. This book teaches you not to be a tight-wad, but how to cut your spending in unnecessary places so that you can spend it how you'd like in other necessary places. You choose your priorities without judgment in this book and learn how to live with satisfaction. It's got a very European feel to it.

The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, Phyllis H. Klaus

I'm at that point in my life and marriage where many of my friends are starting to have babies. While we don't feel we're up to the challenge yet, it has gotten me thinking about what I believe. There are so many choices in life that it makes sense that you should have options when it comes to birthing and raising children. This is one of the required reading books for doulas to become certified, so I think it gives the clearest picture of what to expect from a doula. A truly moving book, it really helped to put into perspective everything that a pregnancy involves & just how special and magical a time it can be for not only the mother, but the newly-emerging family.


Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios by Lisa Bedford

I've been following The Survival Mom for quite a while. She was featured on Doomsday Preppers a while back and seemed to be one of the most level-headed folks I'd heard of talking about prepping. I enjoyed her book for the lessons I learned. She strongly recommends making 3 lists: to do, to buy, & to learn. I wholeheartedly agree with these lists. Since I live in the Midwest I figured it might be a good idea to be prepared for several difference emergencies and her book laid out what I needed to think about and how to get myself together.

So there you have some of the better, non-YA books I've been reading. Any recommendations? Anything is welcome as I'm learning to embrace the unknown in the publishing world.