Three Books to Get Your Butt in Gear

In need of motivation, boss guidance or just a play-by-play on starting your own business? Yeah, we all could use a little butt kicking from time to time. These three books have been helping me navigate my creative journey. If you've been following my Instagram posts lately, you'll know I am in the process of rebranding and relaunching. So it's been amazing to have these resources to turn to and figure out some of the more difficult concepts. Navigating life, business and self love is never easy, but these three women are making it easier for me.

Attention all female creatives, hustlers, and bosses, here are the three books you need to read to get your butt in gear:

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
Titty twisters and milenial boxes of chocolates,  anyone? Rachel is actually hilarious. She proves good girls can hustle and shares actionable skills on just how to get yourself up after being bumped down by the expectation of others.  This book isn't just for the woman looking to launch her own business either! Rachel discusses family life, how not to downplay your achievements,  and ways to rid yourself of excuses to take on your empire. Drive, hustle and the desire to work as hard as you can to chase down a goal... that's her love language. And I'm loving it.

WorkParty: How to Create & Cultivate the Career of Your Dreams
I've talked about this book a while back. It's still one of my favourites! It's basically a how-to guide on creating and cultivating the career of your dreams. Jaclyn dealt with major moves for her career, like literally moving across the country, and then major letdowns.  She bounced back, created a massive online platform for female entrepreneurs and is definitely still on the rise. I love the real anecdotes Jaclyn shares and her interviews with some of the most powerful ladies out there today. I have since become addicted to not only her podcast of the same name but also the website and her social channels for a good daily dose of motivation.

Little Black Book
Do yourself a favor and get this toolkit for the working woman. It's a short, quick read but provides actual steps on how to grow your own business. Are you looking to freelance? What about trying to register a company? It's backed with amazing resouces to get you started! I'm really looking forward to her next book, it's all on how we need to speak openly about money! If you want a taste of Otegha, check out womenwho.co the online community for creative women that she built.

Do you have any books you are loving right now? Let me know!

S H O P  T H E  P O S T

H&M denim, Honey blouse (available here), head scarf via Amazon, Blue Lemon Paris bag

Summer Suspense Showdown

There is something about summertime reading that is so nostalgic for me. I feel like it takes me back to my childhood- staying up into the early hours of the morning reading the latest Harry Potter, or packing a few books for the trip to the beach. Either way, the summertime is always a prime time for new releases and I feel like this summer is all about the suspense and thrillers! I just finished Gone Without a Trace, and The Child. Both take place in England, both follow the intricate lives of complicated women and both are physiological thrillers. Let's get down to it...

Gone Without a Trace by Mary Toujussen
Hannah comes home one evening to find all traces of her boyfriend, Matt, gone. Every last image, possession and means of contact are missing. Like he never existed. Hannah becomes obsessed with finding Matt and the book takes you on a crazy journey to discover what exactly happened. There are moments of deceit, betrayal and downright absurdities but I kept reading. And I read it in 2 days, which is a bit of a surprise for me! Although I didn't love Hannah's character (drama, drama, drama), something told me the ending would be worth it. After hearing all the praise for the book I was expecting a few more twists and turns. I loved the fact that it factored in real life elements, for example, the presence of social media, but towards the end, I sort of had the conclusion predicted. Overall? A decent page-turner that had me hooked for a bit. I say a bit because overall I wasn't too enthralled by the ending. I forgot about it a few days later.

The Child by Fiona Barton
The story follows three (or four I guess?) women who are all interconnected by a crime that took place decades earlier. After a workman discovers a baby's remains on a job site, journalist Kate Waters makes it her mission to uncover the crime. Angela hears the news story and figures it's her baby that disappeared in the maternity ward in the 70's, Emma develops a strange case of anxiety and fear from the news story, and Jude, Emma's mom, is thrown into the mix as a self-absorbed absent mother. More lies, confusion and all surround the crime. It took me a bit longer to really get into the story and to, in turn, finish the novel. What I did like was that the chapters are short, it makes it flow nicely (and makes me feel less committed to reading it), and that each chapter follows a different women. I liked having an inside look into each character's thoughts and lives. By the third quatre of the book, I didn't want to put it down.

V E R D I C T
Without a Trace was an easier read, but overall The Child was way more engaging and interesting. The Child's storyline was more complex and although I kinda had the ending predicted it had way more exciting developments. If you had to pick one to read I'd go for The Child. It's more of a commitment but once you get into it, it's well worth the read.

Have you planned out your list of hot, new summer reads? What's on the list?

Both books were generously gifted by Penguin Random House Canada.

The Girls VS Beware That Girl

It feels so good to be reading again. I don't know about you, but I'll go through stints where I am a total book worm, then I'll go through phases where I'll leave one untouched for months. We have ourselves a battle of the "girls" right here. My latest reads were the "The Girls" by Emma Cline, then immediately after that I jumped into "Beware that Girl" by Theresa Toten. Both stories are thrillers centered around a group of girls, but in totally different time frames and cities. Since they have both been hot topics in the literary world as of late, I figured it would be fun to break down each book and let you decide which one sparks your interest more. One definitely did for me!

The Girls-- If you liked The Virgin Suicides you'll be quick to jump to read this one. Let me set the stage for you: Northern California, summertime, the 60's. The book follows, Evie, a young girl who is coming of age and ends up getting mixed up with a cult that lives hidden in the hills on a ranch. Evie comes across this group of girls and is completely enamored, and from there the story gets a little crazy. A little bit of drugs, a little bit of seduction and a little bit of violence. It's definitely a thriller, but I found it quite slow to really take off. I was constantly putting it down at first and trying to force myself to get through the first bit. However, it's no doubt that Emma is a great writer, she is very poetic. The book is dark, a little melancholy and it sure has a thrilling end!

Beware That Girl-- Think Gossip Girl meets Gone Girl. Theresa Toten was able to capture my interests a bit more in this one. The story takes place in current time on the Upper East Side, so immediately I was ready to dive in. To put it simple-- we have Kate, a girl with many secrets, looking to do whatever it takes to get into Yale. Whether that means getting close to "the haves" of the school, or working at a Chinese Market 7 days a week, she'll do it. I love that Kate is super smart and that her past unfolds as you get into the story. Things take a wicked turn when a certain someone comes into the picture. The story gets twisted pretty fast and the suspense will have you flipping the pages.

Overall? I found Beware That Girl to be more enthralling, thrilling and enjoyable. Must be my affliction to that NYC beat! It's definitely a lighter read, but I found it to be more suspenseful and fast-paced. Let me know if you'll read either book, or if you have already. Or if you hate that I just posted a book review on here! - lol

Refresh

Where do I even begin… Europe was a complete and utter dream come true. Not only was I with my best friend whom I love, but we got to explore some of the most magical and beautiful places I have ever seen (more on that later!). I know I have been home over a week, but there was/is so much catching up to do! Not to mention sort through the 2000 pictures I took (literally). As crazy happy as I was to get away, I was so happy to return home. Of course I miss the European lifestyle, but coming home really makes you appreciate friends and family even more, and as cliche as it sounds, find the beauty in the simpler things that were once overlooked. It offers a sense of revitalization and refreshes your mind, body and spirit. I feel so much more inspired (probably due to the thousands of year old art and architecture I was witness to), and am ready to begin the next phase of my life.

So, what can we look forward too!? Well, a travel series is most definitely on its way, but I have also officially begun the job hunt. It's scary and exciting all at the same time. In-between all the applications I am taking time to get a little inspiration from two powerful ladies, Sheryl Sandberg and Sophia Amoruso. They both are ridiculously honest and witty, and I recommend anyone in a similar boat to give them a read.  

*Try infusing your water with strawberries, basil and lemon!