Tag: Self Care

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Faith Family

Rhenáe’s Randoms: Digital Detox

I made a post yesterday to show my highlighting from my reading of 1st Corinthians and mentioned that I think I need a digital detox.  And I decided today to take that digital detox.  I wanted to write a bit about why I came to that decision just in case you have been feeling the way I have.

As most of the world knows, we are currently in the middle (maybe?) of the COVID-19 pandemic.  With that comes the following:

  • constant news updates (almost every half hour)
  • its the topic of EVERY conversation
  • every part of life seems to be impacted
  • negative feelings and emotions about what we are doing/not doing with this time

 

Can I just say I am over it all?  This virus is serious yet instead of focusing on praying for the sick, the family of those that have passed away, or those impacted, I am just complaining (and hearing complaints).  As a Christian, my fear should not be in what’s happening around me.  My faith should be shining through in moments like this.  People should be able to turn to the body of Christ for light. (I know there has been a thing recently about not telling people how they should feel and what they should be doing.  While I agree with that for most things, I do know that the Bible tells us to do the beforementioned in times like this, so I won’t stop saying those things.  Even if our flesh isn’t allowing us to do it at the moment.)

So after a particularly moody week, I decided just to pull back from what is causing me so much angst and turn towards what will have me keeping my eyes focused on Jesus (Hebrews 12v.2).  Here is what I will personally be doing this week.

  • unplugging from ALL social media (I will be deleting the apps to remove temptation)
  • disabling all notifications for news apps or any other apps that are delivering COVID updates
  • not reading or responding to messages, calls or emails unless they are emergencies (emergency means an illness, death or prayer request for everyone else besides my husband)
  • spend more time reading and studying my Bible
  • journaling to God
  • praying more
  • writing (I’ve learned that the more I am focused on God, the more my creative juices flow)
  • reading and learning (my leisure activities)
  • spend as much time outside as possible

I hope that you are able to unplug for a bit this week in whatever way that looks like for you!

Update:

I typed the above part of this post this morning before I watched our church service. (Don’t judge me.)  And I just want to point out how good God is and how I love that He will confirm and affirm for us when we are doing something right.  Today’s message was obviously about Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in John 12.  But that triumphal entry would not have been possible without the triumphal tragedy that happened with Lazarus’ death in John 11.  Pastor Tim made comparisons between that time and what is happening now.

He gave two paradoxical statements:

John 11v.5,6 “Jesus loved…He stayed”

John 11v.14,15 “Lazarus is dead…I am glad”

Here are some points from the message that spoke to me.

John 12v.16 Sometimes when you are going through things, you won’t understand until after it is over.

John 11 – The triumphal entry of chapter 12 starts here with Lazarus’ death

v.4 – This sickness with not end in death.

v. 5 – Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

v. 6 – because of that love; so/therefore He stayed for two more days (He doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we want because He has something greater in store for us. Ephesians 3:20)

v. 14 Lazarus is dead (remember v.4 tells us this will not end in death, not that he won’t go through death)

v. 15 I am glad…so that you may believe. (There is purpose.)

v. 35 Jesus wept. (Jesus had feelings and expressed them.  But He was still glad.  We need to learn to navigate faith in feelings)

v. 45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him.

John 12

v. 9 Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. (the same group from chapter 11)

v. 12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!” (this would not have been possible if the tradegy in chapter 11 didn’t happen)

v. 27 Jesus again expresses His feelings for a situation that must happen.

Philippians 1 (Paul tells us about his time in prison)

v. 12 – what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel

v. 14 because of my chains

2nd Corinthians 12 (Paul speaks about his unanswered prayer)

v. 7 I was given a thorn in my flesh

v. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me (another prayer not answered it seems)

v. 9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (the reason the prayer is not answered.  God’s glory!)

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities (NKJV) (Paul’s response)

v. 10 I take pleasure in my infirmities (Paul is choosing to take pleasure)

Y’all God is so good.  Even through everything that is going on right now.  God will use all of this for His glory.  Continue to lean into God during this time. “Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over – will be poured into your lap.” – Luke 6v.26  Here is a verse that is bringing me comfort right now:

His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. – Hebrews 12:26-29 CSB

I’m praying for you!

Categories
Family Finances Home

Our Monthly Budget Spreadsheet Part 1

If you have read any of the Year of Healthy posts from January, you learned that I have a love for budgeting.  You also learned that after taking a break from handling our household budget, I decided to break out a spreadsheet that helped us previously and update it a bit.  I wanted to share with you what our monthly budget spreadsheet looks like.  To get some more background information check out the previous posts here and here.

All In One Place

While this post will talk about our monthly budget, I do want to touch on what else is in this excel document.  I am a firm believer in having all you need in one place for almost every area of my life.  That is probably why I have a lint roller in the living room, laundry room, bedroom, bathroom, and the closet.  It just doesn’t make sense to me to have to go hunting for things.  So when it was time to update our budget spreadsheet, I knew I wanted it to include all things financial for us.  I may do a post later showing the specifics of what else is included but for now, here is a quick list:

  • PayDay Calendar
  • Mortgage Tracking (Statement Info, Date Pymts Posted, Escrow Details, Principal Balance, Interest Paid Balance, Estimated Equity)
  • Financial Goals (Monthly, Yearly, Lifetime)
  • Bank Transactions
  • Yearly Budget (until 2021)

Monthly Template

One thing I did while putting together the spreadsheet was to create a new tab for each month.  That way, when things come up that are in the future, I can already have a spot designated for it.  For example, if we decide to take a trip in May, I can increase our blow money for that month during my planning in January.  Each month already has my budget template, and I only need to update it if I make significant changes.

On the left side of the template is the actual budget.  I have our income and expenses sectioned off in groups because it makes it so much easier to see where our money is going.  I have a column labeled Budgeted, and that is where I do my preplanning for what we expect to receive income-wise and spend expense wise. The next column is Actual 1-15. Any money actually received or spent will get documented under this column for the first half of the month.  The second half of the month is recorded under the column Actual 16-31.  The final two columns are Diff/Remaining, which I have set as a formula to let me know where we either overspent or underspent by subtracting our Actual from our Budgeted and lastly, a Notes column.

On the right side, is my trackers.  Each major group has one, so I can keep track of the totals and sometimes compare it to our goals.  Some of our sections, like gas, needs to be tracked in more detail than just saying we will spend $250 this month.  We can see which car is using more gas, etc.  This side also has our Debt Snowball information, our bill tracker with specifics such as due dates, how it was paid, and if it has cleared yet.

Let’s jump into the different sections and trackers.  *By the way, I include blank shots of our template.  I’m just not there yet with showing specific numbers on the intranets.  I hope you feel me!*

Income

This section in our budget is pretty self-explanatory.  Any income that comes into our household gets documented here.  That could be traditional employment, business income, rental/investment income, side hustle income, gifts.  It all goes into our income section.  Since it is just Chris and me, we have it noted as His Salary and Her Salary and then a couple of spots for Extra Income.  For this section and every section, we have a formula for the subtotal and also for the Diff/Remaining column.

On the right side, we do have a Paycheck Tracker.  Although it probably should be titled, Income Tracker.  But this is where I track the details of our income.  Specifically, the date received and what type it was.  If you expect to get rental income every month on the first, under Extra Income #1, you will document 1/1/20 with a Target amount of $1,000.  If that is what you actually get, you record the Actual amount to $1,000.  This is extremely helpful for those who don’t have a consistent income amount.  We expect our paycheck to be a certain amount every month, but different variables could have us receiving more.  I only want to budget off of what I know we will receive.  Anything extra is an added benefit that I can distribute out once that money is in my hands.

Giving

Our next section is giving.  I am a Christian, and I believe in tithing.  For me, tithing is done before paying anything else as I am a firm believer in God being able to make the rest stretch as long as I give Him my first fruits.  I actually already have the formula set up in that field based on our total income.  Right now, it is documented as 10% Tithe, but I believe that one day we will be able to do more.  This section is also where I include our Offerings amount and extra spaces for monetary Donations that we make during the month to charities or those in need.

My YTD Giving Tracker helps me track our giving towards our specific goals.  Under Target, I list out our goal (for example, 10% of our annual income would be our 10% Tithe target), and each month, I would update the Actual amount.  I have a formula set up for Percent Given.  This allows me to make sure we are on track each month.  If I get to, let’s say, July, and for some reason, we are under 50% of our goal, it is time to reevaluate or confirm that the rest of the year has us hitting our goal.

Saving

I also believe in paying yourself first before you pay anybody else.  I’ve seen (and done) too often, people who wait until everything is paid before they put any money in savings and then they are left with nothing.  This doesn’t work for us because we have goals that we are trying to hit.  In the past, we have followed Dave Ramsey, and he says that you should start with saving an Emergency Fund of $1,000 before you start paying off debt.  That is more of a short term goal that we may already have accomplished.  But if we ever have to use the fund, we need to focus on building it again.  And that is why it keeps a permanent spot on our budget.  We then have a place for Retirement.  The older we get, the more critical this section is.  As a No Car Note family, we need to keep that going for as long as possible.  That means we need to save for our next set of cars, which happens in the New Car Fund.  Our next one is a calculation.  Have you ever heard the statistic that, if you pay one additional payment a year to the principal on a 30-year mortgage, it will remove seven years from your mortgage?  That’s seven years of interest I do not have to pay!  So we take that one extra payment and divide it by 12 to know how much extra we have to put aside each month in our House Fund.  We would also use this when it comes time to save for a new house.  For additional money that we want to save for no specific purpose, we have a Savings Goal section.  This is also a formula that can calculate 5%, 10%, or 25% of your total income.  If you are in school and paying for it out of pocket (like I was), there is a Tuition section.  Many financial gurus will tell you about the benefit of having a certain amount of your monthly expenses set aside in case of job loss.  Depending on who you follow, that amount could be anywhere from 3-12 months.  I prefer to save in 3-month increments for our goal.  So we currently have it set as 3-6 Months Expenses.  Finally, we have our Vacation Fund to save for those vacation dreams we have.

I threw in some sample numbers so you could see what the YTD Savings Tracker looks like in action with the goals listed.  Target is where we keep our goal numbers for each section.  Each month, as deposits are made into these funds, the Actual amount gets updated.  Then the formula I have under Percent Saved will calculate and let us know how on track with our goals we are.  Admittedly, some of these goals have to take a back burner depending on whats going on in our life.  Some gurus will tell you only to have an emergency fund while paying debt.  Other’s will show you how to save in all these areas AND pay off debt, albeit slowly.

Debt

Although this tends to be a substantial section, the numbers are pretty straightforward.  The Debt section is where I list our budgeted and actual payments for our Mortgage, Credit Cards, Car Notes, Student Loans, and any Other Debt you have.  (I’ve added Student Loans up here because I know that is a large amount of the debt those in America carry.  We were lucky to pay mine off before we bought our house and cash flow, my classes, when I take them).  The Budgeted section here will show the minimum payment amount only.  Once we make the payment (which hopefully is always more than the minimum), we update the Actual section.

The Debt Snowball Tracker is for me one of my favorite parts on this spreadsheet.  But it can also be the most shocking if you haven’t taken stock of your financial situation before.  This is another section where I have added sample numbers for you to see.  The Debt Snowball is where we track the overall totals of our debt.  I include the Due Date since those are typically fixed.  Then I add in the Original amount for the debt.  Each month, I update the Balance.  And the formula calculates the Percent Paid.  I document the Interest Rate to keep an eye on those.  And I update the Per Statement Date to show where I got the balance from.  Plugging in all of those numbers will then have the formula calculate the Total Current Debt and the Debt Starting Point.  Then I have a section for the Total Debt Paid Off, which gives me the dollar amount that we have already paid off and the percentage.

The Bill Tracker is the biggest section on the right side of the spreadsheet, but I am going to break it up.  This section here is where I track the payment information for the debt that we have.  I document the exact Due Date, the exact Amount, the Method of payment (mail check, scheduled, autopay), which Paycheck it will come out of,  and if it’s Confirmed Paid/Payment Cleared.  Then I also have a Notes section here.  While the Debt Snowball Tracker shows the total amount of debt we have, the Debt section of our Budget shows the minimum payment due, and what we plan to pay, the Debt section of our Bill Tracker focuses on the monthly payments that we actually make.

Next Time

Next week, I will go into details about our other bills, subscriptions, blow money, and savings categories for some of those areas.  Let me know below if you have a budget spreadsheet or what you think of ours!

Categories
Family Productivity

Year of Healthy: November

If you read my Goodbye October post, you will see October’s goals did not go as planned.  I felt like they were all over the place, and when things shifted in my life, the habits I was trying to build quickly went out the window.  I decided to make a change with how I was going to do my monthly goals going forward.  I’m taking a page out of Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project, and selecting themes for each month, and that area is where I will focus on setting goals and building habits.  For November, I will focus on creating a nighttime routine.

A Great Morning Routine Starts The Night Before

One of my goals last month was to wake up at 4:30 AM at least five days a week.  My husband and I agreed on that time so he would stop hitting the snooze button, and I could get up a bit earlier.  The plan was that I would cook his breakfast, see him off for the day, and get my day started.  And while most days I was able to wake up, I spent way too many days going to sleep after my husband left.  Or some days just turning the alarm off and going back to sleep immediately.  But what I do remember is the days that I was able to get up and stay up, were some of my most productive days.  So why wasn’t I able to wake up and stay up?  Most of the time, it was because I didn’t go to sleep at a reasonable time the night before.  Actually going to bed and getting to sleep was such a challenge.  I realized that for me to wake up early, I needed to figure out how to get to sleep early.  Looking at my nights, I really didn’t have a plan.  I cooked dinner, hung out with my husband, and then went to bed.  But once I was in bed, most likely I was watching whatever Chris had on T.V. or on my phone or my thoughts were racing so much I was writing.  I need to figure out how to wind down, so when I got in the bed, I went to sleep.  So I did what I do best, I started to research and look on Pinterest and YouTube to see what others have done.  And while it was hard to find nighttime routines (there is an abundance of morning routines and a ton of kid nighttime routines), I was able to narrow down what I want to try at night that might be able to help me.

Testing It Out

I plan to spend the month of November trying out all of the different routines that I found during my research. Habits that I am hoping will allow me to wind down and get into bed at a reasonable time.  I read in The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma that the ideal amount of sleep is 7 1/2 hours. With Chris having a recent change of schedule, we decided to push our wake up time to 5 AM, which means the best time for me to go to sleep would be about 9:30 PM. So when I was picking out routines that seemed interesting to me, I needed to make sure that I could do them in between when I usually cook dinner around 4 PM or 5 PM and 9:30 PM.  I still needed to eat dinner and spend time with my husband, all within 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 hours.  Let’s hope this is as easy as it sounds.  Here are the routines that interest me:

Quick Clean Up

Although my husband usually takes care of putting the dishes in the dishwasher, I still tend to clean and shut down the kitchen at night.  Doing a quick clean up of the other rooms that we’ve used throughout the day always makes me feel better but isn’t something I do enough.  Getting this done will hopefully prevent me from laying in bed, wishing I would have cleaned up a bit.

Stretching/Yoga/Walking

I started walking around my neighborhood in September, but last month I came up with more excuses, and I stopped.  One reason was, every time I came back from walking, I wanted to sleep for hours.  I don’t know where all those endorphins are that I should be feeling, but they were nowhere to be found.  But I figured a good way to flip this side effect into a positive would be to do it in the evenings.  On days where I don’t feel like walking, I could always stretch or do a yoga routine.

Relaxing Baths and Showers

Normally, fall and winter are when I switch to taking showers at night.  And as much as I love my bathtub and baths, I don’t take them enough.  Add in some essential oils, Epsom salt, dim the lights, light some candles, and turn on the music. I did this the other day for the first time in forever, and it was amazing.  I was more relaxed than I have been in a really long time.

Warm Drink

In addition to my bath, I also made me a warm drink.  I tried some Vanilla Chia tea but used milk instead of water, and it was so good.  I’ve also read that golden milk helps with sleep and inflammation so I would like to try it.  A few nights a week, I normally make some tea that is geared towards relaxing or sleeping.  They don’t always put me right to sleep, but they help relax me and act as a signal that it is time to wind down.

Skin Care Routine, Moisturize My Body, and Oral Hygiene

I want to add face masks and scrubs to my current routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.  I’ve also been wanting to find a body cream to use instead of regular lotion for after my showers and baths.  And keeping up the habit of brushing my teeth and flossing after I finish eating and before bed.

Gratitude, Journal, and Plan The Next Day

I tend to write in my journal all day long, but I would love to be able to take the time to reflect on what I am grateful for at the end of the day.  I could journal about my day or things on my mind and spend a few minutes planning out what I want my tomorrow to look like.  I’m hoping this will help get some things off my mind so I can be at peace at night.

Reading/No Technology

I am horrible about being on my phone in bed.  For hours.  I try and stay off of social media, although I don’t always succeed at that.  But honestly, I am most of the time reading or researching something that pops into my head.  I want to make our bedroom a no technology zone (or at the very least not use the technology in the bed).  My husband was sweet enough to buy me a new reading light last month, so I can still read my physical books.

Let’s Do This

I’ll be spending more time this month researching these routines and finding what works best for me.  Is there a particular essential oil I like best in my baths?  Is tea better for me than warm milk? I believe it is always important to find what works for you so while certain routines may work for others, it is all about tailoring them to fit my needs best.  Follow me on Instagram or Facebook to keep up with what this will look like daily for me.  Do you have nighttime routines that help you get to sleep?  Share them in the comments below.  I hope you join me this month in setting nighttime routines!

 

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Rhenáe's Recap

Rhenáe’s Recap: 9/1/19 – 9/30/19

New & Notable

Last time on Rhenáe’s Recap, I talked about how I took a mini-break to spend time with God.  I decided to start unplugging entirely on the weekends.  I was able to get a project 18 months in the making done around the house.  I spent some time with some friends I haven’t seen in over six months.  I supported a friend’s book tour and spent time in a bookstore.  More on those in Recently Acquired and Finished.  I’ve also been paying attention to my social media habits during the week.  I’m starting to feel a tad bit distracted and addicted, so I have been trying to unplug more during the week.  I still have to determine how to balance this with posting for my blog.  What’s been a big help is Screen Time on my phone.  I currently have my downtime set from 10 pm to 7 am and all day Saturday and Sunday.  I’ll be honest and say that I do sometimes ignore the limits, but I try and only do 15 minutes at a time.  So far, it has helped me put my phone down more and be physically present in my home.

 

 

I wrote a post giving an update on my 2019 Word of the Year.  I wanted to provide this update because I already have my 2020 Word of the Year and have started the planning for that.  I know it may seem early as most people pick theirs in January, but I spend time in prayer asking God to send me mine.  Last year, He gave it to me around Rosh Hashana, which is the Jewish new year.  And while I received mine a little earlier this year, it was in the same spirit of me knowing this time of year was coming.  Take a look at the post and be on the lookout for my 2020 post coming soon.

 

 

Reviews

 

Quick Book Reviews From This Year: 1-5

Five mini-reviews at one time! Check out this post to see some pretty amazing books I read from this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan

Letters to the Church is one of my favorite books from this year and changed the way I think about the church body.  My first time reading it came at a time where I was trying to decide on finding a new church home.  I reread it and wrote this review.

 

 

 

 

Other Happenings

 

 

I gave you three new Down the TBR Hole posts for September.  I was able to remove a total of 40 books from my TBR list.  Take a look at those posts and let me know if you think I should have kept any of them.

 

 

What We Are Watching

 

 

A couple of years ago, God impressed on my heart that I needed to change what I was watching on tv.  For the most part, I stopped watching TV altogether.  I feel like recently I have been given the okay to start watching TV again, but I am really conscious about what I allow in. For example, I tried watching the Handmaid’s Tale, and while it was a really good show, I had nightmares for days.  I love crime shows, and any shows that have a mystery to solve.  So I managed to binge-watch all seven seasons of Elementary on Hulu for the past two months.  This show is so good!

 

 

 

Our next show that we are currently binge-watching is Blacklist.  I started watching this show when it first came on T.V., but my dislike for having to wait for the next episode or season made me stop.  The show is currently still running but six seasons are on Netflix.  Fun fact, I use to want to be an FBI agent.  And it was one of the careers that I was preparing for.  I was working on getting my Bachelor’s in Human Services and a Master’s in Public Administration.  Then life happened, and I enjoy watching FBI agents on T.V. instead.

 

 

 

Currently Reading

 

 

Yup, I am still reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss.  I found out there is another one called Tribe of Mentors that I cannot wait to get.  But I won’t buy it until I have finished this one and read The 4-Hour Workweek that I also have.  I really love how this book is set up so I can take the nuggets of information individually.  I decided a couple of nights ago to go ahead and read the whole book instead of taking bits and pieces while reading other books.

 

 

A friend let me borrow Operating in the Courts of Heaven by Robert Henderson, and it was the talk of the town at our church last year.  Although I have read through chapter one, I am going to try and finish Tools of Titans first before I dive into this one.  I feel like it may just be one of those books that needs my full attention.

 

 

Recently Finished

 

The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma

I started reading this book for the second time for September and finished it.  It is one of my favorite books from this year, and I recommend everyone read it. I have started to wake up at 4:30 am and will be continuing to add to my morning routine base on recommendations from the book.

 

Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington

I was able to read one of the books on my Down The TBR Hole list and move it to my Read list on GoodReads. A quick, fun, and quirky read about a girl who spent some time living with her family in a New York library.  This is one of the books I was able to download for free from Audible as apart of their Originals content.

 

Holding Space For Self by Cheya Thousand

Cheya has been in my life personally now for a little over a year, and when I say I am beyond thankful for her friendship, I am not exaggerating.  At a time where I am re-evaluating what it means to be a friend and have friends, she is someone who embodies the word.  She has been pouring wisdom and love into our friendship from day one, and I look to her as a mentor and all-around #BlackExcellance.  As soon as she told me about her book, I knew I would purchase it and was able to attend her book signing this month to get a copy in my hands. She is currently doing a book tour, and I promise you it is worth it to go, pick one up and hang out with her.  Head to CheyaThousand.com to see when she will be in a city near you.

 

We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

I unexpectedly started AND finished this book when I was walking around my neighborhood.  I needed something to listen to and just picked this one from my Audible library.  I did not expect it to be so funny!

 

Recently Acquired

 

I was able to pick up the following at the San Marco Bookstore while I was there earlier this month.  It was an adorable bookshop that I wouldn’t mind going to again.

 

Cinder Girl by Christina Meredith

 

 

 

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

 

Goodreads Challenge Update: 50/52

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Categories
Down The TBR Hole

Down The TBR Hole #81-100…or more like 114

Welcome to Down the TBR Hole #81-100!  What is Down the TBR Hole?  It is where I grab 20 books from my ridiculously long TBR list on Goodreads and decide if I am keeping or removing the books.  Want to catch up?  Click here to go to the last post.  As a reminder, here are the rules:

I am starting with 4,670 books this week on my To Read shelf on Goodreads.  Let’s get started.

1. The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms by Danielle LaPorte

I’ve only heard of Danielle LaPorte’s book The Desire Map, so I am not sure how this book came on my radar.  But after reading some of her points, she sounds like someone I want to know more about.  And this book is something I want to read about.  I am keeping it.

 

2. The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1) by Robert Ludlum

When I found out that the movies were based on a book, I wanted to read them.  To be honest, I don’t remember reading too many action & adventure books, so this will be a new genre for me.  But I am willing to give it a chance.  I am keeping it.

 

 

3. The Bourne Series (Jason Bourne, #2 – 15) by Robert Ludlum

And here is the rest of the series.  Yes, I have every book on my TBR list. Which isn’t necessary.  I’m going to read the first book and then decide if I want to add the rest to my list.  So for now, I am removing these from my list.

 

4. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

This book was recommended by my best friend.  I thought I had it downloaded on Audible, but I just checked, and I don’t.  Even though I don’t always enjoy my besties taste in books, this one sounded interesting.  I am keeping it.

 

5. A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold 

I think this book interested me because of the question of how could she have not known what was going on with her son.  My first thought was to remove it because I did immediately think about the fact that her family doesn’t deserve the profits from this book.  But I see a note that shows all the author profits are donated to organizations focused on mental health.  So I am keeping it.

 

6. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Although I am not a fan of most historical fiction, I added this book because it has been making its way on multiple recommendation list. I’ve also heard good things about Colson Whitehead.  For now, I am keeping this one.

 

7. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I’ve heard nothing but positive things about this book and the times that we are in now with the senseless killings of our black boys and the overall campaign to stamp out all things Black Excellence, I think it is more important now than ever to know and understand our history to learn how we can move forward and come together and fight against all of this hate.  I am keeping this one.  By the way, Oprah just announced her revamped Book Club and Ta-Nehisi Coates new book, The Water Dancer, is the current pick.  I’m thinking of downloading the audiobook and joining in the decisions.

 

8. A Brief History of Seven Killings by James Marlon 

I think I added this book after watching a documentary on Bob Marley.  And although this is a fictional account, it still sparked my interest.  I am keeping this one.

 

 

9. Lilith’s Brood by Octavia E. Butler

This seems like a fantasy book, and I don’t like fantasy at all.  I am removing this one.

 

 

10. The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

Not sure how this book ended up on my list, but it seems like an interesting read.  With me normally reading a lot of nonfiction and business books, sometimes I allow fiction books to be my break from my reality.  This being a story about multiple generations coming and going from one house and then having to decide the fate of the home will do just that.  I am keeping this one.

 

11. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

Another fiction book I can find myself getting lost in.  In this one, the story of two friends who end up being sisters due to their father’s deception.  I am keeping this one.

 

 

12. Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer

I struggle with prayer, and that is why I wanted to read this book.  I am pretty sure I started it but ended up distracted when I was working.  One day I will finish it, so I am keeping it.

 

13. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

This is an example of me just adding books to my list without paying any attention.  I don’t do witches.  I don’t do witchcraft.  I don’t do curses.  And even before I started really living for Christ, I was the same way.  I just don’t do “magic.”  With that said, I am removing this book and throwing the blood of Jesus it’s way.

 

14. The Bad Cook by Esther Walker

I love to cook so the idea of someone trying out different recipes and not being all that great is funny to me.  Which is how I think the book is meant to be.  I’m keeping this one for the funny stories alone.

 

 

15. The Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I realized that I tend only to read books that are based in the U.S.  I recently have started to read other books that are based in other countries.  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is another author that I have heard great things about so I am keeping this one.

 

16. One Night by Eric Jerome Dickey

I read a good amount of Eric Jerome Dickey books when I was in middle and high school (don’t judge me) and enjoyed them.  I added this book because I wanted to see if he still has the same appeal to me as an adult.  Since I still have that question, I am keeping this one.

 

17. Favor, the Road to Success: How to Receive Special Favor with God and People by Bob Buess

This appears to be an older book (published in 1920), and there have been so many books recently on this topic.  Plus it doesn’t appear to be a classic.  I’m not sure I need to read this one, so I am removing it.

 

18. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae

While I don’t believe I have had the pleasure of watching any of her shows yet, I have had Issa Rae on my radar for a while now.  I am actually starting to love memoirs lately and prefer to listen to them.  This will definitely be one of them.  I am keeping it.

 

 

19. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Again I don’t normally read historical books, but I have heard that this was an amazing book.  I am keeping it.

 

 

20. Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile

I watched the first couple of shows of Queen Sugar before I took a break from watching TV.  But I decided to add the book that inspired the show to my list.  I still plan on reading it, so I am keeping it.

 

Final Count: Removing 17; Keeping 16

TBR Down to 4,653

Have you read any of these books?  Think I made a mistake removing one?  Leave me a comment below and let’s chat.

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