I have taken up a new hobby of leisurely reading.  My reading style is typically books that have a purpose or help further a goal. I like “fun” or fictional books, but only when I am relaxing in a beach chair with the sand between my toes. I think this is due to the fact that I love all things that are fast paced; therefore I love movies that help you escape reality for 2 hours with a fast paced love story or dramatic plot. I love fictional books for the same “escape from reality” type of content; however it just takes too long to read when I typically only have 30-45 minutes at a time to flip through the pages. For this reason, I love goal-oriented books.

With the upcoming nuptials, Conner and I have both been reading some “goal-oriented” relationship books. One book was gifted by Conner’s boss and was entitled ‘The 10 Best Decisions a Couple Can Make’. This book takes a Christian-oriented approach to strengthening relationships and marriages. It addressed everything from communication to love languages. The book is originally intended as a group bible study, however Conner and I read it on our own and compared notes. One of the take-away’s was the need to communicate actual information. For me, if you say you will be ready at 6:30, be ready at 6:30. Time is not meant to be estimated, make it a statement and stick to your word. (Please forgive the OCD and Project Management attitude that my life takes on). This is just one example of the lessons and advice given in this goal-oriented relationship book. I would highly suggest it to anyone who is married, or soon-to-be married .

Another book I have been reading is “I Do, Now What” by Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Can anyone guess why I would want to read a book by these two people? Hint: TV.

If you guessed E! News, The Apprentice, or the Giuliana and Bill show, then  you are correct! This book is written in an interview format where both Giuliana and Bill interject their words of wisdom on love and marriage. They have a unique view point since their relationship is built on coordinating love when on completely different sides of the United States. Once again, a theme of communication is a huge lesson. Learning about each other’s quirks and trigger points for anger is important when making decisions that affect your spouse. I am currently only 3/4 of the way through this book, and then Conner will get to read it. I will admit, this book is more focused on the actual relationship of marriage (should have guessed by the title), but it is still a look into what works and doesn’t work for one couple. The book is also interesting because it takes the situations presented in the show Giuliana and Bill, and provides more background information for the complete journey of their relationship.

Those are just a few of the ones we have read. I am sure there will be more to come and I will share them all here. Thanks for following along with us on this journey!