The Last Mrs. Parrish by Live Constantine
Plot: "Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.
To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.
Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.
With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent."
My thoughts: It was a little slow during the first half, and I kind of guessed where it was going, but I enjoyed the second half so much I would still recommend it.
Should you read it? Yes, but trigger warning, it's got some abusive relationship elements.
Imperfect Courage by Jessica Honegger
Plot: "In 2015, Inc. magazine recognized Noonday Collection as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. But years earlier, as Jessica Honegger stood at a pawn-shop counter in Austin, Texas, and handed over her grandmother's gold jewelry, her goal was much more personal: to fund the adoption of her Rwandan son, Jack, by selling artisan-made jewelry.
This first step launched an unexpected side-hustle that would grow into Noonday Collection. Jessica embarked on this new journey and teamed up with her first artisan partner, Jalia, a Ugandan jewelry maker. She saw the meaningful impact Noonday brought to Jalia's community and knew it was the right move.
Fear crept into Jessica's heart as she realized her success, or failure, meant the same for Jalia. But refusing to let fear hinder her goals, Jessica found the necessary (if imperfect) courage she needed along the way—the courage to leave comfort and embrace a life of risk and impact.
In Imperfect Courage, Jessica takes you by the hand and invites you to trade your comfort zone for a life of impact and meaning."
Favorite quote: "It's tempting to bubble wrap our lives. Layer upon layer of protection means we stay unbroken, right through to the end. We wrap ourselves in fear. We wrap ourselves in isolation. We wrap ourselves in nightly glasses of wine or in our beloved Instagram feed. We avoid real issues involving real people who live in the real world, because, what if I get hurt? And yet, what does this approach yield for us? A life of boredom. A lack of impact. Spiritual death."
My thoughts: This was the first book I read after Girl, Wash Your Face. As you know by now, I had a freaking religious experience with that book, so really, any book I read after it was destined to not live up to the hype. I did enjoy this book, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It was more of an auto-biography and less of a self-help book.
It was crazy inspiring to hear the story of how Noonday started and get an inside look at the hustling that got her to where she is now, and I finished the book feeling super motivated.
Should you read it? If you're a fan of Noonday Collections and want to learn more about that story, yes.
PODCASTS:
The Morning Toast
Synopsis: A morning show centered on pop-culture where they discuss the top five stories every day.
Listen if you: Like pop-culture, enjoy celebrity gossip, wanna know all the (non-important) important news.
RISE
Synopsis: "RISE is a podcast hosted by Mogul CEO Rachel Hollis. A bold conversation with fellow business powerhouses that provides the listener with real-life tangible takeaways.
Listen if you: Love Rachel Hollis, want to be inspired by successful business people, want to hear "how I got here" stories, are currently hustling after your own dreams.
RISE Together
Synopsis: "Hosted by Rachel Hollis and Dave Hollis, The RISE Together podcast is more than just a conversation about their relationship. Each episode is filled with tangible advice that will get you and your partner to be the best versions of yourselves."
Listen if you: Like hearing other people talk about tangible things that helped their relationship, are interested in how to better your own relationship, think Rachel & Dave are marriage goals (they are).
The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast
Synopsis: "Hosted by entrepreneurs and brand builders Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick. On this show, you'll find a mix of audio entertainment including interviews with celebrities, entrepreneurs, experts, and thought leaders. You will also hear listener and audience questions answered on a weekly basis to answer questions on health, wellness, business, branding, marketing, and relationships."
Listen if you: Like The Skinny Confidential blog, are a fan of whoever they're interviewing that day, like logical tips on business, are interested in hearing how other people handle work/life balance.
What did you read / listened to this month?
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