On My Nightstand May 4, 2024

We’re enjoying a rainy weekend here. We do have a few outdoor events we need to suffer through, but I’m really looking forward to some cozy reading time. I also want to catch up on my planning for summer reading, and do some organizing of my shelves.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

I just sit where I’m put, composed
of stone and wishful thinking:
That the deity that kills for pleasure will also
heal,
That in the midst of your nightmare,
the final one, a kind lion will pick your soul
up gently
by the nape of the neck,
And caress you into darkness and paradise.
— All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Clue In The Diary by Carolyn Keene - Some of us on Litsy have been re-reading these.

On Paper - Funny Story by Emily Henry - It’s not summer until Emily Henry publishes a new book!

On Audio- Happiness Falls by Angie Kim - I’m enjoying this so far, but heaven help us if the ending is unresolved I will go scorched earth!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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On My Nightstand April 28, 2024

I made it through the two weeks of constant activities and work. To celebrate I spent most of yesterday just puttering in my kitchen. I picked a bunch of fresh herbs from my garden, and listened to audiobooks, and daydreamed while I made a bunch of sauces for days when we’re busy again. The audiobook I was listening to was Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger by Lisa Donovan. It was a great choice for matching my book to my activity.

Last night we watched the Netflix version of Rebecca (based on the book by Daphne Du Maurier.) After just finishing the book on Friday I was disappointed. They took out all of the creepiness and added romance instead. Nothing wrong with romance, but it wasn’t the point of Rebecca.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week

If nuns ran the world, things would get done. No questions asked.
— If Nuns Ruled The World by Jo Piazza

What I’m Reading This Week

On Kindle - The Second by Carol Anderson - This book club book is giving me a lot to think about.

On Paper - Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani - This is a re-read for me, and it’s good timing that I’m reading it right after Demon Copperhead. They’re not related at all, but Big Cherry Holler takes place maybe ten years prior to Copperhead in the same area of the country.

On Audio- Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott Shapiro - Another book for work. It does sound interesting.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

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Walking Wednesday January 24, 2024

Even though we had snow TWICE last week there are small signs of spring starting to appear. It’s the good part about living in Virginia. Even when it’s so cold the outside hurts your face the second you step outside spring is never far away.

I’ve been plowing through the audiobooks this month. Right now I’m listening to We’ve Got You Covered. I try to listen to a book that will help me at work each month and this is my January pick. So far it’s interesting.

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Show Us Your Books August 2022

It used to be that I would read a lot more when I was traveling, but now I read a lot less. My kids are older, and we’re out a lot later. I’m loving spending time with them as tweens and teens, but my reading definitely takes a hit on travel heavy months.Still, what I did read last month was really, really good. So, I traveled a lot, my kids are still talking to me, and I spent some time with good quality books. So what if my counts aren’t as high this year?

5 Stars

American Made by Farah Stockman - This was an incredible book. The author followed three people from a closed factory in Indiana made famous when President Trump tweeted about it. The book which covered the former president‘s administration really looked at the issues faced by factory workers in a way you won‘t see on the news no matter what channel you watch. Highly recommend.

Four Stars

Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi - I could not stop reading this mystery set in France until I found out what happened and then my mind exploded.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo - This was a good, slow read to get lost in. The ending was devastating.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper - This was an excellent book about growing up in Liberia, and later leaving as a refugee in the 1980‘s. I highly recommend the audiobook read by the author.

When A Crocodile Eats The Sun by Peter Godwin - This was a very emotional memoir written by a journalist in the US who was also trying to care for his aging parents in Zimbabwe. It was a story that was both un-relatable and completely relatable all at the same time.

The Burning Blue by Kevin Cook - A comprehensive but sad book about the Challenger disaster. You just want to yell into the book and tell them not to get on that shuttle.

The Great Stewardess Rebellion by Nell McShane Wulfhart - A well researched book about the fight for flight attendants to be seen as professionals and not just a pretty face. With everything going on in the US right now it was a good reminder of how women used to be treated and how hard they had to fight.

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Show Us Your Books April 2021

Unread books…

Unread books…

April was a prolific reading month for me, but I ended up with a lot of dark titles. I’m hoping for lighter reads in May. Here are my stats:


Beginning TBR: 852 Ending TBR: 839
20 books read in total, 8 audio 12 print
#AuthorAMonth2021 1 book
#ReadingAsia2021 3 countries: Nepal, Israel, Palestine
#FoodAndLit Isreal 1 book read, much pita bread eating
#BookspinBingo 1 real bingo, 2 if you count bails
#ChunksterChallenge 65% done with Les Miserables

(Hashtags are from Litsy.)

Favorite of The Month

Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward - The content of this book was heartbreaking and hard to read, but that doesn‘t stop it from being a masterpiece. Wow. I will hold this family in my heart for a long time.


Memorable Memoirs

Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson - Interesting insight into what it takes to become a master chef.

After The Wind by Lou Kasischke - There have been so many books about the 1996 Everest disaster, but I‘ll never get tired of them. This one is a worthwhile addition to my collection.

The Honey Bus by Meredith May - I have mixed feelings about this one. The writing was beautiful, and the parts about bees were fascinating. However the parts about her childhood were frustrating and hard to read. Also I felt like she totally absolved her father. It was the times I guess.

Non-Fiction That Left My Brain Spinning (In A Good Way)

A World Without Email by Cal Newport - A World Without Email is a catchy title, but I feel like the real take away here is to figure out what‘s sucking up your time. If that‘s email then you should figure out a way to make it less painful. If you‘re good at your job you can get away with doing what it takes to control your time. Poor Cal Newport. I feel like some of this will already be dated in a post Covid workplace.

The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan - A history of Israel and Palestine from the 1940‘s on with vignettes of the lives of Bashir and Dalia throughout. This book gave me a lot to think about.

Shakespeare In A Divided America by James Shapiro - This book explored Shakespeare as a canary in a coal mine for American politics. I loved it as an audiobook, and plan on buying a paper copy so I can underline.

Fabulous Fiction

She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore - This book was sad and depressing so I can‘t say I liked it, but it was so well written it is a pick. I have so much to think about after reading this book, and I will definitely be reading more about the history of Liberia. I ended this book with a similar feeling to the one I had when I read Salvage The Bones even though the subject matter was much different.

Murder At Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd - This was a fun retelling of Mansfield Park as a murder mystery. It worked since the characters in Mansfield Park weren‘t particularly likable. Shepherd could do what she wanted without ruining the memories of any beloved characters.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - A really good book that tells some of the stories from the Book of Genesis from a woman‘s perspective. I’m probably the last one on Earth to read this, but I’m including it anyway.

Life According to Steph

This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.

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Show Us Your Books November 2020

The sun coming through stormy skies

The sun coming through stormy skies

November 2020, it really seemed like we would never get here! We made it!

I read a ton in October, mostly thanks to a Halloween reading challenge on Litsy. In retrospect it probably wasn’t the best for my mental health to read five Stephen King books in the weeks before the election!

Best of the Month

Self care - a good book and ice cream

Self care - a good book and ice cream

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - This was a great book, and so, so clever. It starts in Ghana in the 1700s where two half sisters end up on very different paths- one is kidnapped and sold into slavery and one lives the pampered life of a slave catcher’s wife. From there each chapter skips a generation and we see how the two halves of the family live- one in America and one in Ghana. This will probably be on my best of 2020 list.

It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged

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Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding - After reading P&P last month it was time to read a few adaptations. I was obsessed with Bridget Jones in my 20’s and really enjoyed re-visiting with her. This was my first time reading it on audio, and I enjoyed it in that format. If you need something to make you laugh this month Bridget is a good choice!

Pride and Prejudice Graphic Novel by Ian Edington - I’ve become a big fan of graphic novels based on the classics in the last few years and this was no exception. Mr. Darcy just looked so…proud.

Most Mysterious

I spent a lot of October with The West Wing running in the background.

I spent a lot of October with The West Wing running in the background.

The Best American Mystery Stories 2017 - I grabbed this when I was wandering around the library one day, and liked it more than I thought I would. I’m not usually a short story person, but lately they’ve been perfect for when I can’t concentrate. This was a good collection, and I'm going to pick up another volume next time I go to the library.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - I’m averaging about a book a month by Krueger since I started early this summer. Ordinary Grace was a stand alone, but I enjoyed it just as much as his Cork O’Connor mysteries. The book takes place in the early 1960’s but is told 40 years later from the point of view of a pre-teen boy. Great book!

The Likeness by Tana French - The second book in the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. It went on a bit long for my tastes, but the mental gymnastics the undercover cop main character underwent kept me mostly entertained. I’m not in a huge rush to get to the next book, but probably will at some point this year.

And Five From The King

A bit too close to current events

A bit too close to current events

The Dead Zone by Stephen King - What would you do if you knew the new popular politician who sold himself as “just a regular guy” was actually a psychopath who would kill us all? I read this as a teenager, and re-read it in October because I started thinking it was eerily close to current events. Thank goodness we live in America and not a Stephen King book so we can take care of these issues with elections.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King - King’s sequel to The Shining, and another re-read for me. Both times I’ve read this I’ve been bored by the beginning and then get about a third of the way in and can’t stop. Read The Shining first.

The Institute by Stephen King - A decent modern King book. Kids with psychic abilities are kidnapped and kept in a secret facility supposedly for the good of the world.

11/22/63 by Stephen King - Another re-read and probably my favorite Stephen King book. In this one a man goes back in time to stop the assassination of JFK. It’s a great story and what King has to say in the afterward about his motivation for this book is almost just as great. It’s a chunkster, but worth the time.

If It Bleeds by Stephen King - A book of four short stories, the best best one featuring Holly Gibney from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. Worth reading, but I’m glad I got it from the library instead of buying it.

One More

Speaking Truth To Power by Anita Hill - This was completely different from everything else I read in October, but I wanted to give it a mention. This is such an important book, and I really think everyone should read it. It really shows how sexual harassment can change the course of a woman’s life through no fault of her own, and how men need to do a better job of listening (looking at you Joe Biden. I think you’ve learned your lesson but giving you the hairy eyeball just in case.)

Life According to Steph

Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit

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Walking Wednesday "Spring Break" Edition

Audiowalking is one of my favorite things to do. Now more than ever I need my walks to stay sane. Last week was “Spring Break” for us, but obviously all walks were local. Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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During Times of Crisis FDR Also Worked From Home

My daughter thought she could fool me into thinking she was working on her math

My daughter thought she could fool me into thinking she was working on her math

I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing how this crisis has brought out the best in some leaders and the absolute worst in some others. I was talking about it with a friend who has the complete opposite political views as me, and other than agreeing that Woodrow Wilson was no good the conversation didn’t get very far. So as usual I turned to a book.

The first page of this book is a layout of FDR’s second floor family quarters in the White House during WWII. Every room on that floor was filled with staff and friends, and right next to his bedroom FDR had a study where he could work from home. Since I’ve been struggling with telecommuting with a full family in the house, I wondered if I could pick up a few tips from FDR.

FDR Stuck To A Schedule

Every morning at 8 am Roosevelt started his day with breakfast in bed- oj, eggs, coffee, and toast. While he ate he prepped for the day by reading the papers. He then reviewed his schedule with his advisors.

FDR Knew What Worked For Him

FDR had a method that drove some of his generals crazy. He liked to solve problems through conflict. He called everyone by their first names from his butler to Winston Churchill. There was often confusion around FDR, but he knew what worked for him and he went with it.

Even When He Was Working Far Away From His Allies FDR Kept In Touch

Have you heard the phrase “Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation.”? Roosevelt couldn’t travel as much as he would have liked due to his disabilities. Instead he relied upon his wife’s observations and regular communications with his contemporaries. He told Winston Churchill “I shall at times welcome it if you will keep me in touch personally with everything you want me to know about. You can always send me sealed letters through your pouch or my pouch.”

FDR Took Breaks

A big struggle for me is feeling like the work day never ends since my home office is also my dining room table. After about a week I realized working every minute I wasn’t helping the kids with school or cooking our meals wasn’t going to last. FDR kept a cocktail hour every day when talk of politics and war was banned. It was a time to rest and recharge. I don’t have the stamina to drink like FDR in the middle of the day, but a quiet hour with tea and a book helps me out a lot.

You Might Also Like:

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Show Us Your Books January 2020

Winter sports have started which means a lot of my reading takes place at the ice rink now.

Winter sports have started which means a lot of my reading takes place at the ice rink now.

It never fails. As soon as I hit publish on my list of favorites from 2019 I read 3 amazing books. Don’t get me wrong, too many amazing books is a good problem to have, but I feel bad for my books. I hope they know they are all my favorites in their own way.

Should have been on my best of 2019 list

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - This read like a warning to us all, with a glimpse of a silver lining. It’s not too late, but you need to pay attention. I was worried this sequel would be awful, but I liked it quite a bit.
The River by Peter Heller - A lot of the reviews on this book went back and forth on if it should be called a thriller. The tension of people vs. nature plus the constant threat of a hidden adversary thrilled me.
Stoner by John Williams - This book shows up a lot on lists of classics you probably haven’t read. I finally read it for a book club and thought it was wonderful. It sounds boring if I describe it - the story of an undistinguished man’s life, but Williams wrote with such a thoughtful melancholy and I loved it.

Audiobooks that got me through December

Cookies don’t bake themselves, and I needed the help of some good audiobooks.

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - A good story that kept me guessing until the end. However I probably wouldn’t recommend this on audio because the narrator mispronounced all of the Massachusetts names and it drove me nuts.
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem - Another one that kept me guessing. However this one worked especially well on audio. If you tried to read this and couldn’t get into it because of the main characters ticks you might want to try it again.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - Completely bananas. I couldn’t believe this was a true story. If you think you know workplace drama, give this one a try. Woah.

Just as good the second time around

Part of project re-read

A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline - Once again this book ripped out my heart and crumpled it up like an old piece of paper. It’s very similar to Stoner now that I think about it.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I’ve been seeing this book everywhere lately, and I’m so glad it’s getting the love it deserves.

Life According to Steph

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Books To Read When You're Having A Bad Day At Work

A rainbow out my office window last week.

A rainbow out my office window last week.

A popular New Year’s Resolution is to get a new job. Sometimes though you don’t need a new job. You just need to get some perspective on why your current job isn’t so bad. Here are four books to read when you feel like you just can’t take it another day.

The Martian by Andy Weir - Coworkers a pain, and your to-do list got you down? At least your co-workers didn’t leave you on Mars trying to figure out how to survive.


The Travelers by Chris Pavone - Sometimes your boss will ask you to do things that don’t seem to fall within your job description. In The Travelers Will is just trying to write an article about Argentina when he gets recruited to be a spy.


Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - This book is completely bananas. Most people are used to signing non-disclosure agreements, but what about non-disclosure agreements that cover previous non-disclosure agreements, threats against your family, and being followed by private investigators?


Breaking and Entering by Jeremy N. Smith - It’s scary to think about being hacked, and in this book you can see how someone could charm you right into it.

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Writing Prompt: All Things Visible and Invisible

Koly Cat.JPG

Every time I hear the phrase “all things visible and invisible” in church I think about what a great book subject that would wake. In every given situation there’s so much we can see,and so much more we can’t see. On the bus there’s people riding the bus, and then there’s all the microscopic creepy crawlies left behind from the riders. Look at the ocean and you see the waves. Underneath there are all sorts of creatures ready to eat you. In a meeting there’s an agenda, and then there’s all the hidden agendas.

This is the non-fiction book I would love to read, but no one has written yet. If you write it please send me an ARC!

August Show Us Your Books

I spent hours reading The Stand on the beach last month. Life is good. (Still not finished though…)

I spent hours reading The Stand on the beach last month. Life is good. (Still not finished though…)

Summer reading is the best! I read sixteen books this month, and many of them were read on the beach, listened to in the car with my kids, or in my ears when I was taking a nice long twilight walk after dinner. Below are short descriptions of ten of the best.

Favorite

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - This was probably my fifth time reading this, but my first time on audio. It was a really good book to listen to. I got so into it one night when I was walking that when a squirrel ran out in front of me I jumped a mile thinking is was a t-rex or something.

Lived Up To The Hype

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - Even though the love story felt forced to me, I still liked this book a lot. The truth is it would be hard to make me hate a WWII spy novel.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - I had heard rave reviews of this one, so I was feeling the pressure to like this futuristic book about refugees traveling through mysterious doors. A totally weird story that resonates with stories you read in the news.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict -I was fascinated by this novelization of the early life of Hedy Lamarr, the early Hollywood star/torpedo designer/Nazi escapee.

Girl Power

the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace - I always think poetry will be hard to read, and then am surprised when it isn’t. This collection was sitting on my shelf for months, and I found the strong and emotional poems to be just the right thing for carrying in my purse and dipping into when I had a few minutes.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire - Another book I finally got to. I obviously knew the ending, but was very interested to see how Maguire would make it come out.

The Lady and the Panda by Vicki Constantine Croke - The story behind the first giant panda captured for a zoo. Fascinating. I’ll never think the same way when I go.

Audiobooks That Took My Mind Off Walking and Driving

Things A Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone - I found this audiobook to be interesting and relatable. Even kajillionaire Twitter inventors have bad days at work, and I appreciated Stone’s take on them.

The Runaway Jury by John Grisham - vintage Grisham at his best. I hope to get to more of these over the summer.

Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid - The books from The Austen Project aren’t very good on their own, but I do enjoy reading them to see how contemporary authors will spin some of my favorite classics. I bought this when it first came out, and it sat in my audiobooks.com account for years. I’m glad I finally got to it.

Life According to Steph

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June 2017 Quick Lit

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

The weather has been very rainy, but I'm starting to get a few chances to do summery things like read outside by the fire. I haven't even bought our pool pass yet, but I'm looking forward to reading by the water soon.

The Winds of War by Herman Wouk -- I really liked losing myself in this long book about a family on the cusp on World War II. I'll admit to skimming some parts about military history though. Beware if you read this; it ends on a cliff hanger. Don't do it unless you want to commit to the doorstop of a sequel as well.

Margaret from Maine by Joseph Monninger -- I would describe this book as thought provoking. There's so much there about today's veterans and their families, marriage, motherhood, and life.

Lassoing the Sun by Mark Woods -- This was a good travelogue about the National Parks. It's not a I did this and then I did that kind of book. It's a this is what the parks mean to me kind of book.

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan -- This short book was good, but I wish I had read it around Christmas time.

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My favorite fiction from 2016

I read a lot of good books this year, books that had me ignoring my family, missing stops on trains, and hoping that my plane would be delayed just a little bit longer. Here are the stand outs.

End of Watch by Stephen King - This book, the last one in the Bill Hodges trilogy by Stephen King, pushed all my good book buttons. I loved the rsolution, and the call backs to King's earlier books.

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith - It's been a long time since I felt like I was actually in a book, but The Farm took me to Sweden in the snow. This book had a great ending too.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne - Yeah, I know there's a lot wrong with the timelines, depction of the characters, etc. I just loved being back at Hogwarts.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - An amazing audiobook loved by my whole family. Would be great for a family road trip.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein - My favorite read out loud all year. Had us up reading way past bed time. The first book that ever made my son say "Just one more chapter, please???"

Opening Belle by Maureen Sherry - The circumstances of this working mom's day to day were kind of far fetched, but I feel like this is one of the few books that got the details of my experience right.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - I just finished this not too long ago, and loved it. The only thing that made me give it 4 1/2 stars instead of 5 was that it dragged on just a bit too long at the end. Other than that, this is the kind of book that will make you want to curl up and just keep reading.

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng - A powerful story about a part of World War II you don't often hear about.

And some re-reads...

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King - A must read after a crazy trip to Maine - still good, and a trip down memory lane to the years before the Red Sox finally won the World Series.

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder - My favorite of the series. I'm so glad I got to read it again.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume - I read this for a reading challenge, and it still holds up after all these years.

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REVIEW: Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen

If I were the type to make New Year's Resolutions, which I'm not, one of them might be to get better at reacting to feedback. I have a tendency to ignore feedback that might be helpful (performance reviews at work), and to focus too heavily on unhelpful feedback (you are letting a daycare center raise your kids.)

I'm really glad I got around to reading Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen before my next performance review. This book goes in-depth on the types of feedback you may receive, how to use it, and when to set boundaries. There were actionable items on almost every page. I got my copy from the library, but will most likely buy my own to keep so I can highlight on a re-read. While this book focuses on receiving feedback, it also made me more aware of the ways in which I'm giving feedback.

If you're the New Year's Resolution type, may I also suggest:

If you're giving an evaluation at work, or writing your self-review I recommend the following:

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REVIEW: Mistakes I Made At Work

Mistakes can be so isolating. When you make one, it kind of feels like you're the only one to have ever screwed up so badly in all the history of the world. But, of course, you're not. We should all talk about our mistakes more. You go first.

Luckily Mistakes I Made At Work by Jessica Bacal has stepped in to fill the void. This book isn't 100% great. Some of the stories read as if the author is trying to say that her mistake was working with people that just aren't as awesome as her. But there are other stories, like the one by the ER doctor, that really help to reflect on when I'm up at 3 am going over again how I could have forgot to add a decimal point in the Excel sheet I was working on. Or whatever. That's just a totally made up example.

More books that get me through the day at work:

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. I was given a copy of Mistakes I Made At Work as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers program, but all opinions are mine.