(Mostly) Non-Political Books for a Political Time

So… it’s 2024. A Presidential election year in my country, the US of A.

Everyone has opinions, everyone has feelings.

I got it. This isn’t really one of those blog posts.

Since I was in high school, I’ve read political memoir/ non-fiction from a purely educational/ informational place.

If you, like me, are interested in “political history” but not really wanting politics, I wanted to share my favorite recommendations that give insight into how the presidential elections and the White House work.

I can’t promise that there’s NO politics in these books (and I don’t know everyone’s preferences) but I can promise that these are MOSTLY as nonpolitical as memoir/non-fiction about the White House can get…

The Residence - Kate Anderson Brower

First Women - Kate Anderson Brower

Game Change - John Heileman & Mark Halperin

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea - Alyssa Mastromonaco

I’ll Take Your Questions Now - Stephanie Grisham

If you like getting book recommendations from a reader/ author like me, subscribe to my newsletter Women With Books !

Best Books to Read Now - Creative #HBIC Edition

I've been wanting to do this edition of Best Books to Read Now for a while now. So voila! Here is my list of the nonfiction books about creativity and writing that I love and, in some cases, refer to again and again.  

****UPDATED in 2019!****

About Creativity...

The Artisan Soul - Erwin Raphael McManus  - comes at creativity from a Christian/ religious persepective

Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert  - I also highly recommend the podcast by the same name. Not a Christian perspective but definitely some #woowoo there.

About being an HBIC...

The Pro Writer Mindset - Jennifer Blanchard - practical advice on goals, writing and business. Loved this.

The Desire Map - Danielle LaPorte -  I recommend this one and/or The Pro Writer Mindset when you need some concrete advice on how to get where you want to get.  The Desire Map is a little more woowoo but there's some great stuff on affirmations and visualization in The Pro Writer Mindset too.

Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme - I highly recommend Becca’s Better Faster Academy courses to every writer I meet (she’s my writing/life coach/guru) but this book is a nice introduction to her methods and madness and empowers you to make the best choices that work for you. (Check out my Women With Books episode interviewing Becca for more information.)

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women - Valerie Young - a good and empowering read about conquering your imposter syndrome

You are a Badass at Making Money - Jen Sincero - really, any of Jen Sincero’s books help you HBIC level up, but this one’s my favorite because cha-ching.

Atomic Habits - James Clear - I’ve decided that most productivity books don’t really apply to most multi-tasking women but this one actually spoke to me and I recommend it all the time.

About Writing and Marketing...

Romancing the Beat - Gwen Hayes - a concise, easy to read guide on how to plot a romance novel

Save the Cat - Blake Snyder  - I'm a disciple of this storytelling method. It doesn't click for everyone but once you see stories through a Save the Cat lens, you'll never go back.

Writing the Cozy Mystery - Nancy J. Cohen - another great, concise and practice guide to writing a popular genre

Your A Game - Damon Suede and Heidi Cullinan - about promotion and marketing and how different personality types can approach it.

Newsletter Ninja - Tammy Labrecque - the ultimate bible on how to build and engage the most powerful marketing tool; a newsletter

And now you really want to know... what in the blazes is an HBIC?

Head

Bitch

In

Charge.

That's right. We're taking back the B-word.

It's what my friends and I started calling ourselves when we stopped and realized that (1) we really knew what we were talking about when it came to our business stuff and (2) we were stronger when we worked together and supported each other.

On a sunny Feburary afternoon, after a beautiful al fresco luncheon, we started dreaming. What if... what if more people could join our group? What if... what if we could teach and learn from each other?  What if... we took over the world?  Thus, HBIC Nation was born.

Founded by six authors (and badass business women), HBIC Nation is a place to learn, share, and grow your creative empire--plus have one heck of a good time while doing it. If you identify as an HBIC, you are welcome. 

So if you're a creative of any type, and you identify as an HBIC, you are welcomed at the party.  Come visit our Instagram, sign up for our newsletter, join our Facebook group, pour a drink and let's get to work together.

P.S. Do you love our unicorn logo?  For launch week, we're offering a discount on logo t-shirts!!!  Check it out HERE.

Best Books to Read Now - August 2016

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

No virgin heroines here!! Wives, widows, and divorcees are the focus this month! Let's get started, shall we?

The Swans of 5th Ave

by Melanie Benjamin

swans

This was my pick for my book club and let me tell you, I was s t r e s s e d about choosing a book that was "literary" enough (even though my book club isn't snooty like that, I still want to impress.). So I selected this novel based on real people and their relationship with a "literary" author, Truman Capote. Maybe I've read too many

Vanity Fair

 issues (see

MEET ME

) but I've had a longstanding fascination with Capote and his glamorous friends; Babe Paley, Slim Keith, Maria Guiness and the rest of his so-called "Swans."

Our group had so much to discuss about this easy, fun, yet thought-provoking read. I highly recommend it - and I'll want to discuss it with you too!

Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress

by Theresa Romain

secrets of a scandalous heiress

I've been enjoying the non-traditional historical romance (is that a thing? You know what I mean) and this is one of them. The hero is mixed race and not a Duke, the heroine is an heiress but not aristocratic and it's set in Bath, not London.  If that's not enough to interest you, the sexual tension in this book is set to 11.

spinal tap

Your Scandalous Ways

by Loretta Chase

your scandalous ways

Julia Kelly

 recommended this book to me by the pool in San Diego.

 A spy.

A courtesan.

Venice.

By Loretta Chase.

Um, one click.

tina amy high five

Again, not your mama's Regency romance. And it was awesome.

First Women

by Kate Andersen Brower

first women

I bet she wanted to call this First Wives Club but that was already taken

first wives

 and so not the same thing.  This book is about modern First LADIES, you know, the women who are married to presidents.  I was expecting tell-all behind the scenes tales and there's some of that, but what's even better are the truly heart warming stories of the First Families, their friendships with each other and the strength of the marriages in the White House.  If you're sick of politics, have turned off cable news and wish you could take a nap until November 10th, I urge you to try this book out because it will make you not want to move to Canada.

trudeau shrug

What else?  Check out this

giveaway

to celebrate our

#ReadWritePlan challenge

  for a chance to win a planner, pens or a book (Read, Write, Plan, get it?)

OH! And new subscribers to my newsletter during August will get an opportunity for a free download of my Sorority Sisters Mystery, RUSHING TO DIE!  

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rushing cover

If you've read anything great recently, I'd love to hear your recommendations below or on

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