Happy Thursday! I’m coming at you today with two book reviews for the price of one. Both of these books received lots of buzz the past year and I am glad I checked both of them off my “to be read” list. They are very different, but I got a lot out of each. Also? Two nonfiction books in a row! Who am I?

My Non-Fiction Kick

I’ll start with Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book is my basketball tournament book. I carried it with me to all of the kids’ AAU tournaments this season and read between games. Sometimes we had a break for several hours. Rather than goof off on my phone, I decided to read something I wouldn’t necessarily want to read before bed. I save my bedtime reading for my escape time. Although this work by James Clear is incredible, it’s definitely not gripping “escape” reading.

Atomic Habits is full of information that is common sense (more or less), but the author’s way of breaking things down and giving names to things we likely already do when we’re trying to be more efficient (such as habit stacking) really helps keep me on task throughout the day. It’s especially helpful during this crazy season with all of the end of the school year chaos. I also enjoyed the historical anecdotes Clear shares throughout the book. I cannot think of one single person who would not benefit from reading this book. The habits apply to everything from health to work to personal life.

Here’s what Amazon says:

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:

• make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
• overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
• design your environment to make success easier;
• get back on track when you fall off course;

…and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits–whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

I’ve linked the book here: https://amzn.to/3LzKGIC

Next up: Matthew Perry’s memoir: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it provides an intense description of the struggles an addict faces every day. Not being an addict, this is difficult to comprehend. Unfathomable, actually. I’m grateful for my new understanding.

That being said, Matthew Perry’s story is sad. I am heartbroken for him during much of the book as he shares his abandonment fears and reiterates time and again that he worries he isn’t good enough. Until reading the book, I did not realize the severity of his illness and how close he came to death. If you’ve been around me for any length of time, you know I love Friends. It is one of my all time favorite shows with the best characters and brilliant actors. Bodie and I watch it almost every night. Now, I can’t help but feel sad when I see Chandler Bing doing his thing and knowing that the man portraying him was struggling. So, in a way, I wish I hadn’t read it! But, I also couldn’t put it down. Confusing review, I know.

Amazon’s description:

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.

In an extraordinary story that only he could tell―and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it―Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening―as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.

Decide for yourself here: https://amzn.to/3Lfbht2

I’m ready to dive back into some fiction! Share your summer reads with me.