It is not enough just to be good.  You must be good for something.  You must contribute good to the world.  The world must be a better place for your presence.  And the good that is in you must spread to others.  

In her new book, Standing Up in a Sit-down World, Merrilee Boyack talks about specific ways we can all follow the prophet's counsel to do good in the world.  Boyack, a popular speaker at events like BYU Education Week and Time Out For Women, is also an attorney, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an author, a life coach, and a busy community activist.  She knows exactly what it's like to feel overwhelmed, but she also knows how good it feels to spend time making a difference in the lives of others.  To that end, she suggests easy ways all of us can contribute to the welfare of our friends, families, communities and the world at large.

While Boyack's message is nothing new—especially to members of the church who learn to serve others from the moment they toddle into Nursery (if not before)—she did say a few things that struck a chord with me.  First, she talks about the difference between offering to help and actually doing it.  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty good at the former, not so great at the latter.  Boyack, though, insists that "[doing good] requires action" (75).  She suggests opening your eyes and ears to the needs of the people around you, listening when the Spirit prompts you to help, then having the courage to follow through.  A lesson I definitely need to learn.  Second, she assures us that, since all of us are unique and have different talents, we can serve in the ways that are most comfortable and satisfying to us.  Third, she reminds us to be bold.  Stand up for your values, for your rights, for your beliefs.  Even the smallest of voices can make a difference.

It's obvious from all the examples she shares in the book that Boyack not only believes what she's preaching, but also practices it every day.  Her enthusiasm is definitely catching.  While Standing Up in a Sit-down World might not offer anything really profound or original, it does serve as a great reminder of the power of serving others.  At only 106 pages (including an appendix, list of references and an index), it's a quick, motivating read that will inspire all who read it to not just be good, but to "be good for something."

While we're on the topic, I wanted to share this gorgeous rendition of "Have I Done Any Good?" by Alex Boyé and Carmen Rasmusen Herbert.  It's ... stunning.



(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  G

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Standing Up in a Sit-down World from the generous folks at Deseret Book.  Thank you!

One of my favorite parts of the wonderful annual event that is Book Blogger Appreciation Week has always been the blogger interview swap.  It's just fun to get to know the people behind the blogs I read, you know?  I've never participated in the swap before, but I thought it would be fun to join in this year.  Plus, I love that the focus of BBAW is no longer on awards—now, it really is just about celebrating the amazing book blogging community and I wanted to show my support for BBAW's re-focused mission.

I'm so glad I participated because I got to "meet" Stacey, an awesome reviewer who blogs from her home in London, England.  Not only does she post reviews on her blog, Pretty Books, but she also showcases photos of books and other fun things in her life on tumblr.  Through exploring her blog, I discovered that we share many of the same favorite books/authors.  Now that her blog is bookmarked on my Reader, I can check it often.  Yay!

Stacey asked me lots of thoughtful questions.  Mine for her weren't nearly as interesting, but she indulged me anyway:

Stacey:  For someone who runs a blog, I'm actually quite a private person online! I think it's because I've been using the internet for about 11-12 years — since I was 11 — and I'm wary about what personal information I put online. But I'm a 23-year old-living in London (although I was born in what Londoners would call the countryside!) and I have lived here most of my life. I'm currently working in book publishing as a sales and marketing assistant, yet I'm one of the unusual bunch who didn't study English at university, but Sociology. I am deathly afraid of ladybirds (or should I say, ladybugs) but a huge fan of Taylor Swift.  
Stacey:  When I first joined Tumblr, I really didn't know what it was for, but then I came across wonderful food blogs with photos of amazing desserts, all things chocolate, and then eventually I started following book blogs. It just looked like so much fun and so very 'me'. So one night, I created prettybooks and posted a few photos of my favourite 'pretty' books and bookshelves. I never thought that that over 2 ½ years later I'd still be running it. I actually do not take the majority of photographs on my blog - they're submitted by followers, reblogged, or are wonderful bookish things I find on the internet. I take photos with my iPhone — I don't own a camera — but they're either photos for the blog or random photos I send to my friends, like of what I'm eating (yes, I'm one of those people!).
Stacey:  For fellow dystopia fans, I'd suggest Pure by Julianna Baggott, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, and Divergent by Veronica Roth. For fans of The Book Thief I HAVE to suggest Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - it's one of the most memorable books I've ever read. The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock is also a recent favourite and is set during the German occupation of Guernsey. I think A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is also still a lot less known than Chaos Walking and it shouldn't be because it's such a beautiful book. Sister by Rosamund Lupton is one of those 'crime for people who don't like crime'-type books and I think Picoult fans will really enjoy it! Also her second novel, Afterwards. 
Stacey:  I'm lucky enough to live close to the Olympic stadium (and I got to watch the hockey!) and I absolutely love that the opening ceremony was so British, and so perfect, and I'm glad everyone around the world has enjoyed London 2012 too!

Gold: I hope this isn't too political but I'm constantly appreciate of the National Health Service (NHS). Good health isn't a privilege, it's a right!

Silver: I love how we love to complain about everything in Britain (the weather in particular!), but when anyone else steps in we become incredibly protective and patriotic. 

Bronze: I love how in every situation, queuing is held as the one social norms and must never be broken (or we'll start tutting). It's a quirky habit we can't seem to shake. 

I also didn't mention this because it's rather typical, but I love how we truly celebrate books, reading, and literacy, so much that it was featured in the two opening ceremonies. We started World Book Night (where 1 million books are given away) and we have Harry Potter, Charles Dickens and Roald Dahl postage stamps! 
Stacey:  Ah, there's so many! Coffee, fresh bread, bacon frying, fresh autumn air. I also love the smell of candles burning on a birthday cake. 
Stacey:  I'd really just love a cosy personal library with bookshelves on three walls, and maybe a big comfy chair or cosy nook. I love for it to have a secret door so no one else would know it was there! I'd be happy surrounded by all my favourite books. 

Isn't Stacey great?  I had a good time getting to know her a little bit and I hope you will, too.  You'll love her reviews—they're thoughtful and smart—as well as her beautiful book stack photos.  Pretty Books is an excellent blog, one I'll definitely be keeping my eye on :)

If you want to see her interview with me, click here.