Hustle, Habits, and Color-Coded Bookshelves

I’ve been listening to Jon Acuff’s 3 Rules of Hustle this week while perusing his color-coded bookshelves. Not only does this guy have great motivational tips and a great sense of humor, but he also has two copies of Hooked. Can you spot them both in the photo above?

Color-Coded Bookshelves

Since I’ve never read that particular book, I tried to talk Acuff into trading one of his duplicates for a copy of my book, Balance. It’s yellow, too. So it would fit right in with the others.

I guess he can dish out HUSTLE better than he can take it, though. Because I’m still waiting for a response. Ha!

Anyway… the sight of that row of bright yellow books sitting all on one shelf in the Acuffs’ library inspired me. So today I’m sharing a few of my yellow-covered favorites, as well.

How many of the following color-coded books have you read?

Do Over by Jon Acuff

Our family got hooked on Acuff’s writing back when he wrote Stuff Christians Like. (Yet another yellow cover!)

He primarily writes business books now. And very insightful ones, at that. Still, he manages to do so in the same hilarious style that makes all of his books such a delight to read.

This one is packed with practical steps that will help you launch the career you’ve always wanted.

End of Discussion by Mary Katharine Ham & Guy Benson

I read this book at the pool this summer. My sun-loving husband and I usually lounge on opposite sides of the pool. Since I’m prone to burn, I seek out the shadiest spot. He goes for the brightest.

But reading End of Discussion brought a quick end to that segregation. Not the kind of book you can read quietly to yourself, it begs to be shared.

So, every few minutes, I found myself traipsing back over to my husband’s side of the pool, sun or no sun, to read select passages aloud or to tell him about something else that really got me riled. The discussion often drew in our kids, as well. One of them even used this book as a primary source for a term paper she later wrote on freedom of speech.

I didn’t agree with everything the authors wrote regarding family policy. Considering the fact that one of them is gay, this should come as no surprise. But the rest of the book is spot on. I hope it enjoys a broad readership and spawns lots of earnest, open-minded discussion.

Balance:The Art of Minding What Matters Most by Jennifer Flanders

This is my latest book, due to be released the day after Thanksgiving. Hooray!! (There’s still time to earn a terrific freebie package by ordering before November 27).

Balance bespeaks a spirit of calm, not a bundle of nerves. It entails temperance and moderation rather than excess and extremes. Balance is what allows us to attend to daily necessities competently and efficiently, with time left over to enjoy things that round out and enrich our life. Balance: the Art of Minding What Matters Most helps readers think in new ways about what living a balanced life really looks like, and gives them strategies for achieving the stability they so desire.

All New Hints from Heloise by Heloise

Yes, you can find all sorts of great household hints on Pinterest these days. But I love the way Heloise organizes them all in one place for me.

Grouped by subject and cross-referenced with a comprehensive index, this “Household Guide for the ’90’s) is still just as relevant today. Recently updated, it offers hints for doing all sorts of things better and more efficiently.

Heloise tackles much more than household chores, though. She also discusses pet and lawn care, entertainment and travel tips, and much, much more!

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

This book is as inspirational as it is interesting! First, the author explains the science of how habits are formed using layman’s terms. He then offers practical guidelines for transforming old, bad habits into new, better ones.

Thoroughly researched and documented, The Power of Habit is packed with fascinating case studies that will keep you reading, eager to learn more. It’s easy to understand why The Wall Street Journal named it one of the best books of the year.

Bread of Heaven: A Devotional Journal for Culinary Arts by Jennifer Flanders

This is another in the series of devotional journals I published earlier this year. Part diary, part adult coloring book, part keepsake. This volume includes lots of food-themed Bible verses, such as “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” “Give us this day our daily bread,” etc. It’s also packed with word studies, measurement conversions, and pages in the back for recording favorite recipes.

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Speaking of recipes, this has been my go-to cookbook for nearly two decades. I have lots of other specialty cookbooks, but it’s impossible to beat Bittman for basic how-to. This classic was especially helpful to me when our family participated in an organic vegetable co-op and kept getting things in our weekly basket we’d never even heard of before, much less prepared — black radishes, yellow kale, and lots of greens I couldn’t easily identify but learned to like. I also like Bittmans’ newer edition, How to Cook Everything Fast (but that one belongs on the blue shelf).

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

My husband bought Show Your Work and its companion book, Steal Like an Artist, when we were in D.C. earlier this year. They are both concise, quick reads, but pack in tons of inspiration. And motivation.

The author argues that generosity trumps genius. Given all his great suggestions for embracing the communal nature of creativity, I’m convinced he’s right. I loved these books and took extensive notes while reading both of them. Don’t miss either one!

Saxon Math by Saxon Publishers

As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve been using Saxon Math for over twenty years. We believe Saxon is unparalleled for its upper elementary through high school math programs. The material is laid out in a very straightforward manner. It contains lots of mental math tips and practice, and sufficient drills and review to ensure mastery.

With rare exception, Saxon explains new concepts exactly like I’d explain them myself. So this has been a great fit for me as a teacher. I’ve heard some kids complain about the amount of daily homework. But if they understand the material, they can work through the problems quickly. And if they don’t, they obviously need the extra practice.

Drawbacks of Color-Coded Bookshelves

One problem I see with categorizing books by color is that, sometimes, the spine is a different color then the cover (as in Show Your Work above). It’s obviously a yellow book, but the spine is actually black. So on which of my color-coded bookshelves should it go?

I’m going to stick with organizing my books by genre. Cookbooks go in the kitchen, textbooks in the school closet. I don’t mix biographies with fiction. Or self-help with reference works.

I do organize the clothes in my closet according to color–in rainbow order. Ditto for the apps on my iPhone. My husband makes fun of the latter, but seeing all the individual screens of monochromatic icons makes me happy. So I’m sticking with it.

How do you organize your home library? Do you have any color-coded bookshelves at your house? How about the clothes in your closet? Or the apps on your phone?

Do you love to read, like I do? To read my other book reviews (organized by month read, not by color of color), follow this link: Flanders Family Recent Reads Or to peruse the titles my husband and I have written, check out the Books We’ve Authored page.