Must-Read Book Recommendations from the JEDCO Staff

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with anyone from JEDCO, then you already know we have a vibrant, enthusiastic group of individuals dedicated to enhancing the business climate in Jefferson Parish. But what you may not realize is that we also have a bunch of avid readers in our office! In honor of National Book Lover’s Day, the JEDCO team wanted to share their favorite books, current reads and recommendations with all of you! There is a great mix of fiction and non-fiction works from a wide variety of wonderful authors. We’ve linked our favorite books below, so you can enjoy them too!

Books We Love

“I’m reading The New Localism by Bruce Katz.  I love it because it’s about what we’re trying to do here at JEDCO.  Great book for anyone who thinks they can change their community… because you can!” JENNIFER LAPEYROUSE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCE MANAGER

“I just finished reading a truly wonderful non-fiction book, Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis. Despite its seemingly dry subject matter (only minimal offense meant for Oklahoma City), it’s a hilarious, shocking, entertaining look at the rather chaotic history of Oklahoma City as well as its NBA team—both of which, as it turns out, are really fascinating! I highly recommend for anyone who’s interested in American history, urban planning and how cities are shaped, or for anyone looking for well-written, captivating non-fiction.” ANNALISA KELLY, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES MANAGER

“I keep my 4^th grade copy of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at my bedside.  It is a favorite of mine for the imagery it evokes and its symbolism.” LACEY BORDELON, VICE PRESIDENT & COO

“I just started reading The Death of Common Sense. It suggests better policy making, humanizing the process of getting things done, and basically using common sense in regulating. I recommend Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a MUST READ because it is so relevant right now. I also recommend The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (also by Malcolm Gladwell) because it helped me to view situations and data differently.” JANET GALATI, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES SPECIALIST

“I recommend Breaking Protocol, Forging a Path Beyond Diplomacy by Bob Satawake. My copy is on order but I am looking forward to reading it. It led Amazon book sales for several days when it was released a few weeks ago. I worked for Bob’s husband Wally for many years in the shopping center industry when Wally was head of marketing for GGP (now Brookfield Properties).” KATE WENDEL, ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

“I recommend Peace from Broken Pieces, Win from Within and Boundaries. All books encourage and motivate personal growth regardless of where you started or where you are now.  One in particular (Peace from Broken Pieces) details journeys of the author, who overcame childhood hurdles, addiction and abuse and became successful (as defined by society).  After reaching “success”, she continued to face many challenges and eventually lost 30+ year marriage, adult child and money.  Through much work, she has triumphed and has reach a greater level of personal “success (as defined by society and herself)”. CYNTHIA GROWS, CONTROLLER

“I am currently reading This Mournable Body by Tsiti Dangarembga, a book highlighting the struggles or race, gender , class and age in Zimbabwe and how some very ambitious women overcome and succeed in spite of these obstacles.” PAMELA MANUEL, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

“My most recent read is Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking over your Life. I recommend this because it is an easy, short read, it covers many topics and it opened my eyes to bad habits, self-inflicted stress and that some things you worry about (or some things you cannot control) don’t really matter.” PENNY WEEKS, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

“I have been really into World War II Historical Fiction for the past few months. Soraya M. Lane is an amazing author who highlights the roles women played on the frontlines. I’ve read Wives of War and Hearts of Resistance. I also enjoyed The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey. It’s also WW2 historical fiction that highlights the roles of women. On my “to be read” list is Rising Strong by Brene Brown. This book is non-fiction about how falls and failures can help us transform ourselves and the way we look at life, work, love, parenting, etc.” MARY MARTENS, BUSINESS RETENTION SPECIALIST

“I’m reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. It is a nice reminder that hard work can have big payoffs – especially if you throw passion for your work into the mix. I also recommend Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. It always gets my creative juices flowing when I need something to spark a new marketing project or idea. I LOVE fiction and devour mysteries and adventure novels like candy. A few of my very recent favorites include:  An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and literally anything by Leigh Bardugo. And of course, if you haven’t read the whole Harry Potter series, what are you even waiting for? Author JK Rowling is a magical genius who weaves a coming-of-age tale so vivid, imaginative, and full of important themes  that people of all ages can enjoy and relate to it. I’ve read her famous series nearly a dozen times since I was thirteen. I’m still waiting for my letter from Hogwarts!”  KELSEY SCRAM, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND INNOVATION

“I recently completed A Song of Fire and Ice, the five books written so far that Game of Thrones was based on.  I haven’t watched the series, but with all of the hype surrounding the series finale, I thought I would give it a try.  Since I like to read, I thought I would read the books first.  I ordered the boxed set and at the end of May began reading.  And reading.  And reading…… Here are the lessons I learned: Don’t get attached to the characters, and each book is (considerably) longer than the book before. I really did enjoy the series and look forward to books 6 and 7 (I hope George RR Martin gets on that soon.)  In the meantime, I am waiting for a cold, gray weekend to begin the binge-watching.” LISA CABRERA, LOAN SPECIALIST

We’re excited to share favorite reads from our future generation of avid readers as well. Please enjoy this precious photo of baby Milo Galati snacking on his book recommendation.

What are you reading right now? We’d love to hear your recommendations!