The Girl on the Train

Book eight of 2015 is The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

This is also the fourth book I have completed this week so it is a bit of an overload but a pleasant one.

As someone who often avoids fiction about women who are struggling with their divorces, I took the chance with this book. A friend gave it to me to read and I refused the book with fear that it would trigger my own failings in this area. It did and it didn't. That would be because I'm mostly OK these days. The past does not break me.

It has been a while since I've read popular fiction executed so well. The journey of Rachel from crazy, drunken pathetic divorcee to... well, to who she finally is in the end is sad, tragic and touching. Not sure if I was ever happy for anyone in this book but because Hawkins writes so well, that was OK.

This is a mystery so I won't go ruining it for anyone.  I will say that I understand more about the main character and the voice of the woman who this whole murder mystery is about, than I care to admit. Where there is pain, we will seek to numb it but facing it is what makes us stronger.

For me, love is not always easy sailing but it isn't endless pain. The only exception to that is parents and children.

Four ex-men-in-your-life out of five.

Should I read this? Yes. It is a light an easy read because it is well written. The story keeps you engaged and it is deserving of its best seller status.
What did I learn? Love makes people look perfect when in fact, they are just people. Life makes people look messy when in fact, they are just people.

The Practicing Mind

Book seven of 2015 is The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner.

I picked this book up because it is a short one and has such a good rating on all the different reading sites. Plus self improvement is my life's journey.

There is a lot about mindfulness in this book that I already know but Sterner has extended this by giving me new tools to use in trigger situations.

The best thing I got from this book is the Four S technical - Simple, Short, Small and Slow.

For me the Slow part is one I have always loved and have to refocus on. I often remind people that rushing around makes you do things over and over and isn't as efficient as it seems. It is satisfying the anxiety, the ego. The thing is, I have remember this.

I've recommended this book to three people within 12 hours of finishing reading it. It is a good quick read for those of us set on self improvement.

Five slow breaths out of five.

Should I read this? Yes, if you are already in to mindfulness or want some tips on how to start.
What did I learn? Slow down.