What’s on your Book List?
We’re now into month 2 of 2017 and it’s time to check in our New Years Resolutions. Did you make a goal to lose weight, get healthy, save money….read more books? If one of your goals is to read more books, then it’s time to take a look at your progress. What’s on your booklist? What have you been reading in 2017? Here’s a look at my progress so far. I would love to know what you are reading so I can consider it for my list as well!
Hobbies on a Budget uses affiliate links. Click here for a full privacy and disclosure policy.

What’s on your Book List?
When I was young, I read all the time. But now that I am an adult with all the responsibilities of life it is harder to find time to read. But I still have a book going at all times even though it takes a bit longer to finish sometimes than it used to.
It’s a very reasonable goal for me to plan to read at least 12 books each year – one book per month. So far I have 3 down and 9 to go in order to meet my goal.

Books Completed 2017
- Flawless Execution
- The Fred Factor
- Swipe
- Sneak (in process)
Flawless Execution
This past month I was challenged to read Flawless Execution for work. The book is not necessarily an easy read, but it is a great book with procedures for developing the best working plan for our daily responsibilities and projects. No matter what occupation we are in, we can take the concepts of briefing and debriefing outlined in this book to help us do our job in a more efficient way.
What works on the squadron level for F-15 pilots will also work for your marketing team, sales force, or research and development group. By analyzing the work environment and attacking its centers of gravity in parallel, you’ll begin to utilize the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief-Win cycle that will rapidly impact your business’s future success. U.S. fighter squadrons have been using this program for nearly fifty years to reduce their mistake rate, cut casualties and equipment losses, and rack up an envious victory record. Now, with Flawless Execution, your business can too.
The Fred Factor
The Fred Factor is an easy motivational book showing us how to be a Fred. Inspired by the author’s experience with his postal carrier named Fred, the book walks you through many examples of how ordinary people are making a difference in their lives.
This weekend we were in a Kohls and we encountered a Fred. The cashier took a very commonplace job and turned it into a great act of service. She took the time to make sure we had used all our discount options, checked to see if we had a loyalty program and double checked to see if we were eligible for any Kohls Cash. She was the perfect example of how we can make a difference in the lives of the people we meet even if our job seems to be a very common, routine task.
In his powerful new book The Fred Factor, motivational speaker Mark Sanborn recounts the true story of Fred, the mail carrier who passionately loves his job and who genuinely cares about the people he serves. Because of that, he is constantly going the extra mile handling the mail – and sometimes watching over the houses – of the people on his route, treating everyone he meets as a friend. Where others might see delivering mail as monotonous drudgery, Fred sees an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those he serves.
Swipe
If you are a fan of dystopian fiction like Divergent, but you want a little lighter style book, then Swipe by Evan Angler may be just the series for you. My middle school daughter discovered this series a few months ago and loved it; so of course, I wanted to check out the series as well. I’m in the middle of book 2, Swipe, and enjoying the character’s discovery of the river.
Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, Swipe follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn’t even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship.
Genesis and Matthew
One of my personal goals this year is to read the Bible through. I am using the Bible app to help me keep on target. I’m now into month 2 and have finished the book of Genesis, Exodus and Matthew.
Interested in checking out the books I have read? Here is a link to find them on Amazon.com. Of course you can also ask for them at your local library.
What are you reading this month? I’d love to hear so I can add it to my book list?