You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
hannahleelovestoread's Reviews (635)
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book is a beautiful collection of phrases and sayings from the sacred texts of eleven major religions and spiritual traditions. It would at first appear to offer a wide variety of thoughts and ideas, but author Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar makes an apt observation when he writes in the prologue that he “would always feel the same magical supernatural authoritative voice speaking to me from all of [the major sacred texts].” I, too, found that many phrases included in this collection — even those written in vastly different places and time periods — communicated the same basic message. As a practicing Christian and student of the Bible, I was already very familiar with the Abrahamic religions. Furthermore, as a college history minor, I learned about the basic tenets of Buddhism; Confucianism; Hinduism; Jainism; Taoism; and Zoroastrianism in my university days. It was Bahai and Sikhism about which Awalgaonkar’s curated excerpts taught me the most. Like those of my own religion of Christianity, Bahai’s sacred writings reflect upon the omnipotence of God and the sentiment that man will return to dust, i.e. that humanity is mortal. Also like the Christian Bible, Sikh texts celebrate God’s merciful nature, advocate for universal kindness, and deride arrogance. Overall, this is an excellent book. I recommend it to anyone who is curious about religions other than his or her own and how the different major belief systems of the world connect to one another.
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Grief
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
This book is aptly titled, because it most certainly held my interest from start to finish. The chapters are centered on broad categories such as laws, wellness, and art, and there are more specified sections within them. One of my favorite parts of the book, for example, was the “Languages Lores” section of the chapter titled “Literal Lexicon Lingua.” As an avid reader and college English major, I was excited to find facts there about the Tower of Babel, Morse Code, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and more of my favorite linguistic topics. I had two major disappointments with this book, however. For one, the grammar and punctuation needs extensive work; I noticed at least one mistake on nearly every page. Second, many of the historical facts lack context. For example, the book tells readers that Joan of Arc was nineteen years old when she led the French army to victory. This is not strictly true; Joan was nineteen when she was executed by English authorities, so she was years younger in her brief heyday. Overall, though, this is a fun and thought-provoking read.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
This book is ideal for those caught between adolescence and adulthood. A sort of cheat sheet for surviving and thriving in life’s most important circumstances, its chapters focuses on numerous broad categories: communication skills; time management; personal health and wellness; and the like. Each chapter hones in on its subject in great detail, informing readers on the basics of the topic and empowering them to excel in applying related skills to their everyday lives. In my opinion, the definitive chapter of the book is the fifth, titled “Developing Social Skills.” In it, Davis defines crucial words and terms such as “networking” and “social etiquette” and gives examples of the latter, such as chivalry, small talk, and conformity. Furthermore, as someone who has struggled with social skills myself, I applaud Davis for challenging her readers to reframe their negative and anxious thoughts. Overall, this is a crucial read for the teenager seeking success in life.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Misogyny
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Murder
This unexpectedly left the Plus catalog on Audible, and it honestly wasn’t holding my interest enough for me to pay for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Murder, Abandonment
informative
fast-paced
By cracking open The Healing Herbal Teas Beginners’ Guide by Astrid Brown, readers sign up for nothing less than a crash course in the title subject. Brown sets the stage by bringing to light the importance of her subject, highlighting the use of herbal teas in ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, and Celtic civilizations. The artful and meditative Chinese ceremony of Gongfu Cha, for example, was a very early use of herbal tea as a nonverbal social and cultural tool. Tea made its mark on the trade conducted along the Silk Road made (in)famous largely by explorer and teller of tall tales Marco Polo, as well. As someone who struggles with chronic health issues, however, I most enjoyed learning about the seemingly endless healing properties of different types of herbal teas. The antispasmodic properties of peppermint tea can soothe the symptoms of digestive disorders, the sedative effects of chamomile tea can produce restful night’s sleep, and a cup of elderberry tea can boost the immune system. My only minor complaint about the book is that, at certain points, the text was wordy and redundant. This, however, did not greatly reduce the book’s value as an educational resource.