Recent Reading

Recently, while on my week long camping vacation, I spent a lot of time reading. I snapped a picture of the pile of books I had plowed through. The only two I'm still working on are Pinfluence (awesome book!!) and People Are Idiots (another awesome one!).

Check them out on Amazon... of course, I provide a bit of commentary about each book (you're free to skip that part if you want).

Campfire Cuisine - I bought this book last time I went camping a couple years ago. And in my rush to pack for this most recent vacation, I took the time to dig through all my cookbooks to find this again. As I mentioned in my last blog post, the Pouchy Peach Chicken was inspired by a recipe in this book.

Pinfluence -- Beth Hayden speaks from experience about Pinterest (@BethHayden) - she also has a blog. How to use Pinterest to market your business. I'm on Pinterest and I'm addicted. Come find me there @PamTremble

My typical morning view each 

day with a book, cup of coffee,
peace and nature.

Jillian Hart -- an author I've recently discovered by purchasing a few of her books at Goodwill. She writes inspirational romances that are lovely and refreshing. I read "His County Girl" from The Granger Ranch series and the latest book from the Buttons and Bobbins series called "Snowflake Bride" (then of course I had to start from the beginning of that series and bought Gingham Bride for my Nook the other day).

Creative, Inc. - Now that I'm out on my own with my design services and I'm expanding into other types of freelance and passive income opportunities... I wanted to brush up on my business skills. This book is a great resource for someone who is striking out on their own.

The Business of Design - This is also a great resource. It's more jam-packed with detailed information and a bit of a tougher read than Creative, Inc. But the information here is valuable and worth the time it takes to get through it. I had already started this book before vacation, so I was about halfway through by the time I picked it up again.


People are Idiots and I can Prove It -- Yes folks, he created that title on purpose to get your attention. It worked for me! This is actually a VERY good book. In fact, one of the best self improvement books I've read in a long time. It has several workbook-type sections where you write down things in your life you want to stop being an idiot about.

Magazines - I took a variety of magazines with me and got through a few including a recent issue of Photoshop, Betters Homes and Garden and Wired.

Russell+Hazel Notebook -- Don't you just love the lime green color of my new Russell+Hazel mini notebook? I bought it when I was in Chicago a couple months ago and I really love it. I've got tabs on the inside to divide the difference sections of my life (design, blogging, work, goals, etc.). I've also got mini page protectors for various reference materials. I used it when I was working my way through People Are Idiots.

B&N Nook -- Yes, I still use my Nook! Remember when I got it a couple years ago? Even though I recently bought a new Sony Tablet S and I use it for ebook reading, I still love my Nook and use it often. For those of you who have/know about e-ink, you understand why it's the best option for reading outdoors (like at the beach!).