Hello and welcome to another post of mine relating to Blogging for Fun Fridays. This weeks topic is recommendation of five books we have read and enjoyed.
I'm an avid reader, not as prolific as I was, since moving to Australia I am no longer a commuter, so therefore I have to make time to sit down, feet up, good book in hand and read. I don't actually have any favourite books perse, I have lots. I read from a range of authors; Diana Gabaldon, Richard North Patterson, Bryce Courtenay, Clive Clusser, John Grisham to name only a few fiction writers. I also read a range of books related to business; Michael Dlouhy and Napoleon Hill.
My first favourite author is Diana Gabaldon and her "Outlander" seris she called them; Cross Stitch, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes - this series if you are into saga's tells the story of Jamie Fraser, a Scottish Highlander, and his time-traveling wife, Claire Randall. Claire is from this century, she is a doctor and she travels through time through a circle of rocks, first time was by chance / accident and arrives in Scotland in the Eighteenth Century. The whole seris follows her journey, meeting Jamie and subsequently their lives through the centuries - I just loved it.
Bryce Courtenay, Matthew Flinders Cat is also an excellent read - Billy O'Shannessy, once a prominent barrister, became an alcoholic, lost his family, businees and life. He now lives on the street where he sleeps on a bench outside the State Library. Above him on the window sill rests a bronze statue of Matthew Flinders' cat, Trim. Ryan is a ten-year-old, a near street kid heading for all the usual trouble. The two meet and form an unlikely friendship. Appealing to the boy's imagination by telling him the story of the how Trim traveled around Australia in a boat and the adventures, trials and tribulations of this. Over several months the two begin the mutual process of establishing a friendship and helping each other in their separate predictiments of life. Matthew Flinders' Cat is a modern-day story of a city in Australia, it follows Billy, Ryan and Trim through their journey of life back then - one of Bryce Courtenay's best, in my opinion.
Richard North Patterson, has written lots of books, again series that I enjoy; No Safe Place is the first following Kerry Kilcannon, followed by Protect and Defend, the last being Balance of Power. These books are political thrillers raising questions about abortion politics, the gun culture in America, and the degree to which the press should expose the private lives of political leaders. They follow the life of Kerry Kilcannon, his family, Lara Costello who becomes his wife and of course her family.
James Patterson has wonderful series of books that follows Detective Alex Cross. James always sets the Detective up with great crimes to solve. You meet his family, friends all mixed in with solving the next greatest crime wave to hit American Streets. Jack & Jill; a child killer is stalking the inner city of Washington, D.C., his latest victim Shanelle Green, an adorable first grader from Sojourner Truth School. This killing is especially unsettling to Detective Alex Cross as Sojourner Truth is the school his son Damon attends, just four blocks from his home.
The same day that Shanelle was beaten to death, Senator Daniel Fitzpatrick was found handcuffed to a bed and shot execution style. The only clue the police have to go on is a bizarre rhyme, signed "Jack and Jill," promising more high-profile executions.
The reason I like series of books is because I like to get lost in my books, I like following their lives, it's a bit like some of the TV series; ER, Grey's, Desparate Housewives, Boston Legal. The stories they right each week, sometimes a weak, bizarre, totally off the wall - I watch them mainly to see what's happening in everyones lives this week!
A couple of books I now read, non-fiction actually relate to my business; Success in 10 Steps, Michael Dlouhy. I read this book in a day, its why I entered the world of network marketing. A down to earth, real guy telling us the truth and of how it is in reality in the network marketing business. He opens your eyes to the heavy hitters, the scammers and the scams - there is no sugar coating its just the facts. A great honest book on how to be successful in network marketing and own your life.
The second book I read for my business is Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill. As part of reading this book, I belong to a mastermind group, whereby we just read one chapter per week and then anaylise it. To take on Napoleons philisophy and live your dreams this really is the only way to do it. We all share ideas, everyone has a different take on each chapter, some of us a similar and some polls apart, that's what so cool about it. This group is called a Mental Cleanse, whereby we clear the chatter from our minds, so we can see clearly, take action, become our dream not dream it.
So...Recommendations is Network Marketing in Disguise. Well for myself I've just recommended five books and series of books that I read and enjoyed, some of you may have read them and liked them, some of you may now look to reading them. That's networking.
We do this also in our everyday lives. Someone comments on your new hair style and they ask "where did you get it done" you recommend your hairdresser because they are reasonably priced, they do as you ask, you're always happy with the results.
You purchased a new pair of shoes - "oh what fantastic new shoes, where did you get those'? You went to the latest movie, butcher etc etc etc.
Back in New Zealand, because we had dreadful weather, I was a commuter, umbrellas in our windy weather wasn't an option. I wanted/needed a coat that was long, actually water proof, not heavy. I found the perfect item; a red Driza-Bone (Australian brand waterproof clothing) summer weight raincoat. I should've asked for commission for the amount of people I recommended to the shop where I purchased this. Before long there were a variety of us wearing this coat, a couple same colour as mine (grrr...) standing on the train platform of a rainy winters day, not straining with umbrellas, not wet from the knees down. Perfect!
Becoming a network marketer is the same, we now just recommend the products we sell or are companies that we are affiliated with on line instead, whether they be in the health industry, blogging, marketing the list goes on and on.
Success for all our Recommendations
Julie McClelland
