What I'm Reading Link-Up: January 2014

Welcome to my first What I'm Reading Link-up! Here's how it will work:

• I"ll post my monthly reading list on the first Tuesday of the month. (With the exception of this one!)
• I'll also let you know what books I loved from the previous month.
• You can link a blog post of your reading list using the link-up feature, or you can just leave a comment with the books you're reading if you don't have a blog.
• If you link-up your blog post, please acknowledge this link-up within your post. :) You can use the image included in this post.
• I will leave the link-up/giveaway open for the rest of the month.
• In the following month's link-up, I'll announce the WINNER of the book giveaway. The winner will get to pick a book from ANY of my reading lists - including Books I Loved in 2013.

My goal is to make this an excellent resource of book suggestions for you that will enrich your life! And, selfishly, I highly enjoy reading everyone's recommendations. :)

My January 2014 Reading List:
1. One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer
This is actually one that I accidentally left off my 2013 list and I don't know HOW I did that. It is so, so good. This is about the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land and how only one in a million of them actually made it there. (Joshua and Caleb were two of two million.) She challenged me to move beyond what a standard "Christian" does and into life abundant like Joshua had. I love Priscilla Shirer and highly recommend this! 

One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land By Priscilla Shirer

2. Platform by Michael Hyatt
If you are a blogger, sales person, have an online shop, or want your business to have a presence online then you MUST read this. I haven't read anything more helpful and practical about building a platform online. The author knows his stuff because he's been so successful building his own platform, and he also used to be the CEO of Thomas Nelson publishing. The book is broken up into short chapters with almost all of them having a list of ways you can build your platform in a specific area. LOVED it and will be referring back to it often. You can go to Michael Hyatt's blog to get a glimpse of how helpful he is!

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World By Michael Hyatt

3. Love Does by Bob Goff
I got this for Christmas from my bro-in-law (thanks, Joseph!) and have been reading it ever since. So far, so good! This book has generated a lot of buzz, and I knew I had to read it due to the stories about Bob Goff in Donald Miller's book that I referred to in my 2013 list. This guy is downright inspiring. It's basically a collection of stories from his life telling about the crazy awesome things he has done. Some of the stories I'm like how in the world?? but they're so unique and detailed that I know he can't be making this stuff up, haha. I love how he relates each story to Jesus and His crazy love for us. It's a fun and inspiring read for sure.

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World By Bob Goff

4. The Jesus-Hearted Woman: 10 Leadership Qualities for Enduring and Endearing Influence by Jodi Detrick
This is a book I got at the Influence Conference that I've been enjoying recently. I'm not going through it quickly as I'm taking the time to answer her questions after each chapter. So far I've loved how she talks about having "graceful confidence" -- meaning being bold in leadership for the Lord through His power, but in a humble way that gives glory to Him. I like how she has pointed how some ideas that are new to me since I've read quite a bit on this topic.

The Jesus-Hearted Woman: 10 Leadership Qualities for Enduring and Endearing Influence By Jodi Detrick

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

A fiction book! Can it be?! Haha. I've had this on my nightstand for months now and just started reading it. I actually have the edited version that is borrowed from my sister-in-law (sorry I've had it so long, Anna!). By edited I mean most of the foul language is marked out with a pen by my mother-in-law. :) Haha! I loved the movie and knew I had to read the book. So far I keep wishing that I had read it before seeing the movie (which is what I ALWAYS try to do) because I keep picturing the characters in the movie and remembering what happens. But I'm still really liking it. I'm only a few chapters in and tears have welled up in my eyes approximately five times. 


I'm going to try to finish those before I add any more onto the list. And I need to read the books I already have in my possession, so that's what I'm doing. :) Go ahead and link-up if you want to or leave your reading list for the month in the comments!
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post, but all opinions (as always) are my own.  Also, I do not support everything each author mentioned says or writes. The only book that is completely all truth is the Bible!