Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Aug 17

Back on the Carousel (August 17, 2026)

by kennithfreeman

Sometimes, it feels as though I am meeting myself coming and going. As the semester gets rolling again, that’s the atmosphere in my world. I get up, frantically try to get things done between all of the other crises that arise around me, get a quick bit of food, crawl in bed and do it all again. In the midst of the constant shuffle, I still managed to get some reading done!

What I Finished This Week

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. I adored this book! It was such a fun, informative read. This piece of historical fiction centers around the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune as together they work to improve the lives of women and African-Americans. I was entertained. I was educated. I was inspired by the reading. This novel inspired one of my personal studies for this fall; I’m going to explore the life and presidency of FDR. 4.75 stars.

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall. Valentine is a wealthy duke who has been promised to Arabella. There’s only one problem — Arabella doesn’t love him and intends to run away to avoid a life of marital servitude. Her twin brother, Bonny, joins Valentine in pursuit of Arabella. Things become complicated as Bonny and Valentine develop feelings for each other. The novel explores the stereotypes of MM relationships and the desire of all people to find authentic love. The first in a series that I don’t anticipate completing. 3 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (p. 362 of 870). With all of the meetings that had happened this week, I didn’t manage to get much done in this behemoth this week. Still, I got through roughly 100 more pages. Now that the story is heating up as young Ian fears that he may have murdered a man unintentionally and there is a possibility that political tracks printed by Jamie may be circulating among his enemies, the story is much more compelling. I’m hoping to get very close to a finish this week. We shall just have to see how that goes though.

Getting Things Done by David Allen (p, 53 of 125). Every few years, I return to this productivity work. Published in 2001, the book is starting to show some age, but the basic concept presented continues to assist me in my personal management. (I think there may be an updated edition that I should probably check out.) I’ve been feeling as though my world is a little out of control, so this is the perfect time to revisit the book and see if I can find ways to help tame the craziness.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto (p. 76 of 365). Earlier this week, I asked friends for book recommendations. While I am always thrilled to hear what others are reading, this request was part of the Summer Beach Read challenge over on The 52 Book Club. I took the first 6 books recommended, assigned each a number, and rolled a die. That’s how I got started on this Julie Soto novel. It’s a romance featuring two musicians. I’m far too early in the reading to tell you much more than that. I’m very happy that it is a rather light read that is perfect at the end of the day.

2026 Reading Challenge audio Big Book Summer ebook historical non-fiction personal management romance Series Summer Reading Challenge The 52 Book Club

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Mar 26

#8: Ready for Anything (David Allen)

by kennithfreeman

On a recent roadtrip from Arkansas to west Texas, I listened to David Allen’s follow up to Getting Things Done. I’m always a sucker for books on time management and figuring out to accomplish more with our limited time while still keeping work and personal life in balance.

Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life began as a search for information for a piano pedagogy course that I’m currently teaching. I was searching for recommendations about managing long-term tasks and planning for their successful execution. One quote from Allen’s book grabbed my attention and my heart, becoming the basis of much of the work we are doing in my class: “A map is a futile tool until we know where we are.”

For anyone looking for help with time management and productivity, I highly recommend Getting Things Done (which I’m actually re-reading at the moment). Ready for Anything builds upon some of the concepts presented in the earlier book, but as a stand-alone work lacks the depth and impact of Allen’s previous book. Do yourself a favor and go for the real “meat and potatoes” book on the subject instead.

audio personal management self-help

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Dec 13

#32: Atomic Habits (James Clear)

by kennithfreeman

Every major goal that we reach begins with a simple step. Typically, if we can just take that first step, the path to achieving our goals becomes much more certain and attainable. That’s my initial take-away from my first journey through Atomic Habits by James Clear while driving to my parents’ home for the Christmas holidays.

Audio books are not normally a good way for me to consume self-improvement books, but Clear’s reading drew me into the topic and his conversational prose held my attention. When listening to his Four Laws of Behavior Change, the power of the laws were obvious. I was struck by their simplicity and found myself thinking that there really had to be a little more to the power of “Atomic Habits” than just that. But when you get right down to it, the solution to achieving success as we attempt to complete daily tasks that will ultimately lead us to our goals is really as easy as 1) make it obvious; 2) make it attractive; 3) make it easy; and 4) make it satisfying.

When I reached my parents’ home, I immediately signed up for Clear’s weekly newsletter and plan to purchase a hard copy of the book so I can study the material further and make notes. I am interested in seeing how Clear’s Atomic Habits will combine with the concept of Grit that Angela Duckworth has presented so ably. I have a feeling that the two concepts combined will be extremely powerful.

So…..run to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Atomic Habits….or a few! They would make excellent gifts to the people in your life during this holiday season.

audio personal management self-help

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Sep 17

Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (Brian Tracy)

by kennithfreeman

With a title like Eat that Frog, how could I not crack open the pages of this book to see what in the world the author was actually talking about? I’ve been on a time management kick lately. I suppose it has much to do with the fact that it has been a constant topic of discussion with students this semester. I’m not a master of the discipline either, but since I was offering advice to others, I decided it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some other ideas.

Tracy’s thoughts can be summed up fairly easily into a couple of statements. Plan and prioritize your day before getting things started. Do the task you are dreading the most at the beginning of the day. (That’s what “Eat that frog” actually means.) Realize that 80% of your activity should be spent on the 3 or 4 tasks that only you can do that bring success to your company. Delegate and let unnecessary tasks go the way of the dodo.

Eat that Frog is clearly written from a business perspective. While some of its premises seem out-dated (especially the advice to refrain from using any type of electronic device during a meeting), the ideas are manageable to implement and seem like good advice. Personally, I really like the simplicity of Tracy’s planning process. List everything that needs to be done tomorrow and categorize into what A) must be done, B) would be nice to do, C) eventually needs to be done, D) can be delegated, and E) should be eliminated. Begin working in category A with the most important and then proceed down the list. No file folders to sort. No grouping according to location. Just put your head down and get the work done.

Tracy’s premise does seem problematic in the world of academia. How do you manage getting things done when you are constantly interrupted by classes, office hours, and meetings? I like the ideas, but I don’t know that they will actually hold up in reality for the majority of the workforce — including those outside of the academic realm.

non-fiction personal management self-help

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Jan 4

#30: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck)

by kennithfreeman

2017 ended with lots of illness for me, so I’m just getting around to writing my thoughts about the last book I read of the year. Fear not! I am slowly returning to a regular reading routine and will update you on my progress to reaching 2018’s goal of completing 32 books before the end of the year.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is a book that I recommend to all teachers, coaches, business leaders, and parents. Honestly, I think anyone who approaches Dweck’s book with an open mind will find themselves on its pages and see how a shift of personal mindset can potentially transform their life. I am certain that I will return to this work on a regular basis as I work with young adults and developing musicians.

The basic premise is rather simple. All of us choose one of two mindsets in every area of our life every day. We either buy into the fixed mindset — that tells us our abilities and intelligence are at their maximum level, unable to be changed — or we hold a growth mindset — that says that failures and mistakes are opportunities for improvement and learning. Sounds simple, huh? At its core, it really is just that simple. However, when we begin to examine how our mindset can be shaped by our environment and our perception of what is expected of us — as well as words spoken to us by parents, teachers, coaches, and employers — we realize that changing our mindset can be an enormous battle of the mind that has enormous implications.

When things didn’t go quite as planned — a test score is lower than you hoped, a friend misunderstood your words, or a performance was less than stellar — how do you respond? Was the outcome inevitable? Do things just happen sometimes? Do you buy into the mantra that “I gave it my best, so no one can ask for more”? These are the responses of the fixed mindset. A more-productive response found in the growth mindset would ask what lessons can be learned from these failures. What adjustments need to be made to my test preparation? Was a text the best method of communicating in this situation or would face-to-face conversation have reduced the possibility of a misunderstanding? Was my poor performance due to anxiety? How can I improve future performances? 

After reading Mindset by Carol Dweck, one question is at the forefront of my mind. Why is this work not being used as a required textbook in freshman experience courses in colleges and universities around the country? If our students can learn the power of recognizing the fixed mindset and how to adjust their thoughts to a growth mindset, their potential for success will increase exponentially!

leadership non-fiction personal management

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Feb 14

#4: Getting Things Done (David Allen)

by kennithfreeman

 I am horribly unorganized! My desk is a mess and I never feel as though I am accomplishing everything I need to get done.  Recently, I read a friend’s blog post referring to the GTD method and, after asking him to clarify, decided to read the book for myself.  Honestly, I didn’t expect to find much that I hadn’t been exposed to before.

Quite simply, Allen’s method essentially is a combination of various lists and a thorough filing system.  At first I was very skeptical of the practicality of using seperate lists for everything — especially since I am away from my homebase much of the time.  Now that I have decided to give the method a try, I am finding it very refreshing to pull out my action list when I’m sitting at the computer and another when making phone calls.  I think that my productivity will greatly increase if I follow through with the method; that’s been the case this week, anyway.

The filing system is an alphabetical arrangement of everything.  No color coding or sub-files within a larger context here.  Rather than separating personal from business, everything co-exists in a single system.  I’m just getting started with my personal filing, so we’ll have to see how this actually goes.

Lists are not always date specific.  Rather, they represent the “next action” that needs to be taken for each project currently on your plate. The lists are reviewed weekly and adjusted and amended as needed at that point.

All in all, I think most people can take something away from reading “Getting Things Done.”  Written primarily from a business perspective, it is not leisure reading.  Whether or not you decide to implement Allen’s method (or even if you don’t think you need to improve in your personal organization), the book is insightful and full of useful information and ideas for improving your productivity.

4 out of 5 stars!

non-fiction personal management

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