I’m always willing to share great finds. Here’s what I like to share with people who ask me for recommendations.

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Fiction Book Recommendations

• Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (Romance)

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Historical Fiction)

• The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett (Mystery)

Non-Fiction - Psychology Book Recommendations

• Boundaries by Henry Cloud (Great for Christians that struggle with setting boundaries)

• Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab (Great for anyone struggling with boundaries)

• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (I may not be her biggest fan but I do like the message here that helps people to stop trying to control what’s outside of their control)

• Adaptive Listening by Nicole Lowenbraun and Meagan Stephens (Fantastic break down and application advice on how to be a better listener)

• The First Rule of Mastery - Stop Worrying About What People Think of You by Michael Gervais (If you struggle with being paranoid of other people’s opinions of you, get this book)

• Atomic Habits by James Clear (Fantastic break down and application of how to build good habits and replace bad ones)

• Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson et. al 3rd Edition (Fantastic break down and application of how to resolve conflict in a positive way)

• Crucial Accountability by Kerry Patterson et. al 2nd Edition (Fantastic break down and application of how to hold other people accountable in a fair way)

• Mindset by Carol Dweck (This is the ultimate book of learning the difference and power of having a growth mindset - especially great if you have kids or teach kids of what to keep in mind to help them have a growth mindset too)

• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Traves Bradberry and Jean Greaves (Fantastic book that explains what emotional intelligence is with guidance of how to increase it - comes with a free assessment so that you can understand where you currently stand in your EQ levels)

• The Credibility Code by Cara Alter (This ultimate book for building credibility with others and improving your public speaking skills - also has great online resources to use in conjunction with the book)

• The 5 Choices - The Path to Extraordinary Productivity by Kory Kogon et. al (The ultimate book for managing your time in more productive ways - this is the information that the Franklin Covey course was based off of)

• Vital Friends by Tom Rath (Excellent book of how to value and view the diversity of your friendships based on Gallup research)

Non-Fiction - Learning and Talent Development Book Recommendations

• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier (Great tool for people leaders and coaches in how to coach other effectively)

• The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman and Paul White (Great tool for leaders to guide them in being intentional about showing appreciation in meaningful ways)

• Wired to Resist by Britt Andreatta (Gives a very clear view of change management and the behaviors to prepare for when implementing change for others)

• Map It - The Hands-On Guide to Strategic Training Design by Cathy Moore (My instructional design bible! The greatest book I’ve read on how to do an effective needs assessment and how to design training scenarios for application practice)

Non-Fiction - Memoir Book Recommendations

• Successful Failure by Kevin Fredericks (Very funny but reflective book in having a growth mindset about your career)

• Matriarch by Tina Knowles (A beautiful reflection of Ms. Tina’s life and family history)

• She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson (A fantastic story of resilience of Quinta going after her career dreams)

• When I Was Your Age by Kenan Thompson (I don’t know what I liked more - the constant moments of nostalgia from being a 90s kid myself or Kenan’s humor but overall great book)

• Marriage Be Hard by Kevin and Melissa Fredericks (Very funny book with a realistic view of the ups and downs of marriage through the lens of two former church kids)

Tea Recommendations

Tea brand that I recommend for beginners newly trying out teas:

Tiesta Tea: This brand to me is a great transition tea brand. There are a lot tea blends that can help a beginner start learning what they prefer in teas for flavors. Some of there blends is intentionally sweetened while others aren’t. Some of my favorites that I like from them is their Blueberry Wild Child,Passion Berry Jolt, Assam Black Tea, and Ceylon Orange Pekoe Black tea. I think a beginner could start with this brand but if they do continue to enjoy teas, then I would recommend other brands for them explore as you see below.

Tea brands that I recommend for more advanced tea lovers:

Rishi Tea:Hands down my favorite brand. I love the quality of the tea leaves from this brand. Even the teas that I’m not a big fan of taste better from this brand due to their quality standards. I recommend them often and they have a sampler for you to try some of their teas here. I can’t even give you specific recommendations because I truly believe that you can’t go wrong with anything you select from them.

Harney and Sons: Another favorite brand of mine. Rishi has them beat but Harney and Sons is a fantastic runner up. They have a lot of quality teas great for people that may not want to spend as much on tea as they do with Rishi. My favorite from them is the Orange Pekoe (Ceylon and India) Black tea. I also really like their Perfect Cup of Tea quiz that can help you explore which tea would be a good fit for you which is fantastic for beginners.

Tea brands that I recommend from black owned tea owners:

Brooklyn Tea:I adore their teas. They have some very interesting blends. One of my favorites is the Well-Kanda tea that they offer. Highly recommend checking them out if you’d like to support a black owned business.

Lee’s Urban Apothecary: I’m not biased just because Keri is a wonderful Memphian that I’ve known since college. She did a great job with her tea lineup. My favorite is the Love, Sex, and Magic tea and her Womb Care tea. Definitely recommend!