Don’t be a Stranger: How to Make Connections in the Book Blogging Community [ReBlog] [GuestPost]

A HUGE shoutout to Eleanor @ notsomoderngirl for asking me to guest post! I enjoyed thinking and writing about this topic and I hope you will find my thoughts helpful!

Not-So-Modern Girl

This is a guest post written by Carol from the Reading Ladies blog. Find out more about her at the end of the post!

One of the first blogging lessons to be learned was also my greatest challenge: I needed a Community; I desired to make connections and find my people. I knew for certain that no one can blog in isolation, but the solution intimidated me.

I’m an introvert. I’m a reader, not a talker. I love cancelled plans so that I can stay home and read. I’m never lonely because I always have a book. These self-descriptors don’t set me up for making online connections. I also had fears: what if I attract creepers or someone makes a mean or negative comment?

How Did I Move From Frozen to Connected?

To be successful as a book blogger, I knew I had to extend myself, take chances, and…

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The Ride of a Lifetime: A Review

March 20, 2020

The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger

Welcome Guest Reviewer: Abby

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Hello from Seattle, Washington! My name is Abby, and I’m a cousin of Carol’s! Actually, my dad is Carol’s cousin, so I guess that makes us 1^st cousins once removed. I posted on Instagram that I had just finished a book when Carol asked me to do a bit of a review for her blog.

I wish I could say I’m an avid reader, I’m not, but I’m trying to do better. My goal for 2020 is simple: to read one book a month. Thankfully, my husband heard that goal prior to January and stocked me up at Christmas with some of the books that were on my wish list!

I tend to gravitate to biographies, leadership books and inspirational reads with an occasional fiction thrown in the mix. As a life-long Disney fanatic and Disneyland Park enthusiast it’s no surprise that The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger was at the top of my “to read” list for 2020.

The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger (cover)

Background Image Source: Brian McGowan on Unsplash

Genre/Categories: Nonfiction, Organizational Leadership, Business Biography

Summary:

In The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger weaves his philosophical bits and pieces of wisdom by telling the stories of how he began at ABC Network and made his way up the food chain to become the CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2005.

Abby’s Thoughts:

Iger’s story, The Ride of a Lifetime, is meaningful for us Disney fanatics – in my opinion – he will go down in history as the CEO that saved our beloved Disney brand after Michael Eisner’s leadership lacked that Disney magic. Eisner lead Disney as a corporation instead of the magical creative universe that it is, and that lead to movies that completely flopped, and the launch of Disney California Adventure, which was also a bit of a miss.

Eisner also landed himself in some hot water with the board of directors becoming enemies with Roy Disney and other board members that had been running Disney for quite some time. The Ride of a Lifetime highlights why some fans became disenchanted with Disney and why park attendance, design, and movies surged under Iger’s leadership.

Upon his appointment to the CEO Chair, Iger’s top three priorities were:

To increase the amount of high-quality branded content created
To advance technology both in the ability to create more compelling products and to deliver those products to consumers
To grow globally

The Ride of a Lifetime then walks us through Iger’s acquisition strategies, and how he befriends Steve Jobs who, at the time, owned Pixar Animation Studios. Iger’s dream was for Pixar to rejuvenate Disney Animation Studios. Disney needed the creative jolt that Pixar brought and after the acquisition, you saw a huge jump in quality of product from Disney Animation.

Also of note is the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, the Star Wars Universe and Lucas Film and last, but not least, 21^st Century Fox.

These acquisitions are probably the largest ear marks of Iger’s career, but the rejuvenation of Disney California Adventure, Hong Kong Disney, and the opening of Shanghai Disney will be notable as well since it brought that much-needed magic back to the parks!

Recommended: Overall, I think The Ride of a Lifetime is a solid read. If you like reading about leaders and what they do to make their world go around, it’s worthwhile to pick it up. As a Disney fanatic I digested the facts as quickly as I could, and couldn’t put it down, but everyone might not be as hungry for this information as I am.

Robert Iger’s 10 Leadership nuggets are quoted in this Forbes review in December of 2019. I think you’ll find the quotes thoughtful and they definitely highlight the take-a ways from Iger’s book.

Thanks for the review, Abby!

The Ride of a Lifetime Information Here

Meet the Author, Robert Iger

Photo Source: Wikipedia

Robert Iger is chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company and he previously served as president and CEO beginning in October 2005 and president and COO from 2000 to 2005. Iger began his career at ABC in 1974, and as chairman of the ABC Group, he oversaw the broadcast television network and station group, cable television properties, and guided the merger between Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company. Iger officially joined the Disney senior management team in 1996 as chairman of the Disney-owned ABC Group and in 1999 was given the additional responsibility of president, Walt Disney International. In that role, Iger expanded Disney’s presence outside of the United States, establishing the blueprint for the company’s international growth today.

QOTD!

Are you a Disney fanatic like Abby?

Do you enjoy books about interesting and innovative leaders?

ICYMI

Spring 2020 TBR

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

Let’s Get Social!

Thank you for visiting and reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along (see subscribe or follow option), promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.

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***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

© ReadingLadies.com

Guest Post: My Top Reads of 2019

December 16, 2019

What book hooked you on reading?

Do you remember WHO hooked you on reading?

Image Source: Canva

Today, I’m thrilled to bring you a guest post written by Jake Kneeland, blogging at It’s Just Jake: A site dedicated to shared experiences, conversations, laughter, growth, and day to day events in our lives.

You will discover that Jake is an engaging, reflective writer, but more important to me, he’s family! Jake is my cousin’s son and I’m thrilled to welcome him into the blogging community. Although this post is book related, Jake blogs about his life journey, his goals, and his dreams. Books are a part of his journey and he has the sweetest “hooked on reading” story to share with you today! Many of you will be able to relate!

You can find Jake at his blog, on Twitter @jakneeland, and on The Little Things Podcast.

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

The Top 6 Books You Need To Read Yesterday

Originally posted on It’s Just Jake on December 12, 2019

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World Stroke Day 2019: “My Eight Year Old Daughter Saved My Life”

October 29, 2019

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links

World Stroke Day

I’m delighted to bring you this guest post in recognition of World Stroke Day.
Please meet my bookstagram friend @kdbwrites.

Guest Post: Kimberly Davis Basso

“My Eight Year Old Daughter Saved My Life: Stroke Awareness”
By Kimberly Davis Basso
Author of I’m a Little Brain Dead

I was forty-four years old, home alone with my young children, and I had a stroke. If that doesn’t give you pause, let me share this, I had no risk factors. None. Nothing in my health at the time, my family history, or even my genetics indicated any risk at all. So here’s the truth of it – if you have a brain it can break. Which is why I’ve asked Reading Ladies to let me share a bit about my story to help spread awareness. I’ve written a book about my absurd experience called I’m a Little Brain Dead (affiliate link), but today I want to share info from “Very Serious Appendix A” and “Very Serious Appendix B” because I assume you like your brain and want to be able to help it if it needs you. I sincerely hope you never, ever use this information – think of it like a fire drill, you prepare and then hope it’s all a waste of time and never gets put into action. Same thing here.

First, let me say that time is critical. I received life-changing care because I was in an ambulance within minutes of my symptoms appearing. My stroke treatments were time sensitive – meaning the clock was literally running on the window of opportunity for care. Get yourself into professional hands at the slightest suspicion of a stroke… still here? OK, we’ll move on.

Since you aren’t currently having a stroke, it’s a good idea to learn possible symptoms. The National Stroke Association has put together an easy to remember acronym – B.E. F.A.S.T. with each letter a different possible symptom. B-Balance, E–EyeSight, F–Face, A-Arm, S-Speech, and T–Time to Call. Here’s a great graphic from them to help you and the www.NationalStrokeAssociation.org has up to date info:

For stroke, or any emergency, let me ask you – do your children know how to call 9-1-1? Have you ever practiced (without dialing of course)? My daughter saved my life because she role-played how to call 9-1-1 with her Girl Scout troop. She had this practice one month before my stroke. So she was able to stay calm, cool and collected and help me when I needed her. Not her job, but she got it done. So how do you practice?

There are links (below) to videos on my website for you to look at, but consider these basics:

Does your child know how to use your cell phone (most of us don’t have land lines)?
Role-play 9-1-1 calls with your kids – the adult is the dispatcher, the child makes the call. The “dispatcher” asks them questions – what happened? Where do you live? And most importantly, don’t hang up the phone. Use a generic situation like Suzy fell out of the tree, so there’s no potential fear for your child (I do not recommend using ‘just in case mommy’s brain stops working’ as an example).
Is your medical information available in case you are unconscious? There’s a free form on my site you can download, which is a one-page family medical form. Keep it on the fridge (emergency personnel check there for elderly patients) and make sure your kids know where it is. We keep ours on the inside of the hall closet, down low where my son can reach it, simply because I don’t like having my medical history displayed. Which is odd given I wrote a book about it!
Is your child old enough to do this? My daughter was in second grade, around
7 or 8 years old. Her younger brother has heard this information from a much earlier age of course, because we review it with his sister. But consider how old your child is and if it’s not time, put it in your future plans.

We review this information with our kids twice a year; usually, we talk about our family fire drill and earthquake drill (we’re in California) at the same time. Here’s a link to a video where I discuss the family medical form and how we use it in our house: https://kdbassowrites.wixsite.com/kimberlydavisbasso/stroke-awareness (this link will take you to the form as well as the videos on practicing).

I want to thank Reading Ladies for letting me share this information with you – I invite you to explore the info on my website www.KimberlyDavisBasso.com or get in touch with me directly KDBassoWrites@gmail.com. Have a clot free day.

Kimberly Davis Basso is an author, playwright and stroke survivor. Her debut nonfiction book, I’m a Little Brain Dead, has been honored numerous times, including a nomination for INDIES Book of the Year for Humor by Foreword Reviews.

Youtube: Spot a Stroke With Kimberly

Kimberly Davis Basso was born just north of Boston. She has since lived and worked all over the United States, including San Francisco, Miami, and New York. She currently resides in good health in Los Angeles, where she is working on the prequel to I’m a Little Brain Dead. KDB is also a playwright and stage director and enjoys playing in the dirt when she’s not writing.

I’m a Little Brain Dead Information (affiliate link)

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Sharing is Caring

Find me at:
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Goodreads
Pinterest

***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

Guest Post: Many Sparrows Review

August 4, 2017

In the spirit of supporting women authors writing about strong women, the Reading Ladies Book Club focuses on a new release this week by author, Lori Benton. In addition, we have a guest reviewer who has graciously offered to write a guest post. Patti Iverson is a member of Lori Benton’s launch team and a cheerleader and supporter of her many friends’ endeavors.

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

Genre/categories: historical fiction, western, frontier, religious, inspirational

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Meet Guest Reviewer, Patti Iverson:

A lifelong cherished friend, Patti Iverson is a Christian wife and Gramma who lives in a forest resort in Sunriver, Oregon, An entertainer at heart (having performed as a clown and having entertained children as Mrs. Clause), she delights in reading, writing, thrift-stores, and ministering to women and whoever may show up on her doorstep! With a warm and outgoing personality and a caring heart, many of us have been the recipient of her gift of gracious hospitality.

Thank you for guest posting today Patti!

Patti Shares:

The highly anticipated new release from award-winning author, Lori Benton, is almost here! (release date 8/29/2017).

Summary:

Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would…In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare and their four-year-old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail. When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can recover her son…especially when her second child is moments away from being born. Clare will face the greatest fight of her life as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob’s life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do—be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?

Patti Iverson Reflects:

Historical fiction is not my favorite genre, but I stayed up ‘til 2:30 a.m. to finish Lori’s book, Many Sparrows, as yes, it IS that good! She sure knows how to tell a story, keep one guessing about what’s going to happen, how CAN this possibly turn out well, or even for God’s glory? I hate war—never read it or watch it—but her descriptions were gripping. And both sides had the Almighty on their sides! I’m not into history—but golly gee it was interesting back in 1774—at least how she shared their lives. I think there could have been more romance—it was there, alright—but just not enough! I found myself caring about simply EVERYBODY—Indians and white people and those who were both! Lori Benton knows how to turn a phrase and make you want to read her words more than once. Try it—you’ll love it—and Lori Benton will become a favorite author for sure!

Read the first two chapters here!

Many Sparrows Information

About the Author, Lori Benton

Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God’s transforming grace.

Lori’s debut novel, Burning Sky, earned the 2014 Christy Award for First Novel, Historical, and Book of the Year. More information about Lori Benton at http://loribenton.blogspot.com/

QOTD:

Is Many Sparrows on your TBR?

Happy Reading Everyone!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Looking Ahead:

Our regular weekend post will feature The Glass Castle (a memoir) by Jeannette Walls in anticipation of the movie release August 11th if you’d like to “buddy read.” I plan to see the movie Friday before I post the review.

Glass Castle Information

I’m curious if you’ve read The Glass Castle and if you have plans to see the movie.

Let’s Get Social!

Find me at:
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Pinterest

***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

How Did I Move From Frozen to Connected?

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Welcome Guest Reviewer: Abby

Summary:

Abby’s Thoughts:

Thanks for the review, Abby!

Meet the Author, Robert Iger

QOTD!

ICYMI

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

Let’s Get Social!

Share this:

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The Top 6 Books You Need To Read Yesterday

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World Stroke Day

Guest Post: Kimberly Davis Basso

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

Sharing is Caring

Share this:

Like this:

Meet Guest Reviewer, Patti Iverson:

About the Author, Lori Benton

QOTD:

Happy Reading Everyone!

Looking Ahead:

Let’s Get Social!

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