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hannahleelovestoread's Reviews (635)
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
In this book, acclaimed psychologist Ray Doktor bravely tackles the difficult topic of hidden beliefs. He was heavily influenced by Louise Hay’s book “You Can Heal Your Life.” Hidden beliefs are distorted perceptions influenced by the traumatic aspects of one’s personal experience, and they can have dramatic effects on one’s everyday life. There is a typical sequence through which people in the healing process evolve, Doktor explains, and it follows this rough pattern: 1) Acceptance; 2) Initiating Conversations About the Problem; 3) Seeking Support; 4) Retelling Past Stories; and 5) Transforming Hidden Beliefs. The author even helpfully outlined eighteen prevalent character archetypes to assist readers in understanding their own strengths and potential hidden beliefs.
I found this book deeply moving and helpful on a personal level. I admit that some of the more intense sections made me feel so validated that I was brought to tears! I wholeheartedly award it five stars and recommend it to all readers.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Javier is a Mexican-American high school senior. Tough and jaded but an excellent student headed for college, he is deeply concerned for his younger brother, Alex, who is a target for initiation into the local gang Denker Street. Meanwhile, the mysterious and sinister George Jones — whose motto is, “Some people flip homes. I flip zip codes,” — is determined to remake Javier’s neighborhood to his liking, provoking civil unrest and even seemingly natural disasters.
This isn’t a light read or an easy one, but it’s a skillfully written story. I was captivated by so many of the themes featured within it: the brand of resilience unique to children and young people; the fierce sense of duty and protectiveness that first-, second-, and even third-generation male immigrants feel towards their families; educators’ genuine desire to see their students succeed; and more. This is not a book for the faint of heart, but I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a literary gamechanger.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
This book is a master class on how to smoothly and successfully incorporate modern technology into classic leadership practices. The author defines five pillars of leadership for the digital age: clarity of mind, physical vitality, communication excellence, creative problem solving, and ethical integration of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Readers who believe any or all common misconceptions about leaders or leadership are promptly corrected; great leaders, this book asserts, welcome uncertainty, and their skills are practiced and refined over time. I was impressed by this book’s instructions for usage of practical tools for success, such as the Eisenhower matrix and the 4-7-8 breathing method. Admirably, the entire text’s agenda was constructed upon a foundation of compassion for others; there are extensive instructions on how to deepen one’s level of empathy and how to best practice active listening. The book’s advice for avoiding burnout? “Reframe setbacks with self-kindness.” I highly recommend this book to anyone living and working in the modern world.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder
Minor: Misogyny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
This book was one of the most informative and enlightening I’ve read in quite some time. A reader-friendly crash-course on personal finance written by estate planning attorney and best-selling author Pamela Maass Garrett, it is based on the theme of expanding one’s personal wealth via the three central tenets of growth; multiplication; and protection. Growth involves developing a strong “money mindset” and taking control of one’s finances. Multiplication entails learning how to invest. Finally, protection involves taking care of one’s assets and developing a plan for the future. Ignoring any of those three crucial steps, the text asserts, can stall personal financial success. I was interested to learn how these three tenets apply to the five types of wealth: emotional, physical, relational, generational, and time. I am most interested in generational wealth, as my major life decisions are primarily motivated by the safety and well-being of my niece now and in the future. The advice found in this book was incredibly helpful to me and would be to anyone seeking assistance with matters of personal finance. As such, I highly recommend it.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Civility in the workforce is a topic affecting millions of people in America every day, yet it goes almost entirely unaddressed. This book, however, is an exception to that rule. It clearly defines the need for soft skills (also called relational or interpersonal skills), which foster a sense of civility in the workplace that results in increased recruitment, retention, and overall engagement. Perhaps most prominent among the key concepts identified is social IQ, which is, as the author quotes business leader Karl Albrecht, “the ability to read and properly react to social signals….” The components of social intelligence can be summed up in the acronym SPACE: situational awareness, presence, authenticity, clarity, and empathy. While this book was not immediately useful to me as I don’t work in a corporate setting, the insights and theories discussed within were helpful when considering any interpersonal interactions (whether they be true to life or fictional, as my writer’s brain reminds me). As such, I recommend this book to all readers.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Even though BRAVE: Living with a Concussion by Kanika Gupta is a children’s book, no prospective reader should be fooled into thinking it doesn’t pack a punch. Using simple language, playful fonts, and fun illustrations, the author deftly tackles the sobering topic of recovery from a brain tumor within a kid-friendly format. The simplistic wording, however, did not compromise the succinct articulation of the concepts addressed in the book. For example, doing nothing is indeed “difficult and oftentimes necessary” for people with recent concussions. Personally, because I have several chronic and “invisible” illnesses, I am particularly sympathetic to children with concussions when the author describes the injuries this way. As I have done many times, the narrative voice laments the balancing act she must strike between doing too little and making no real progress and doing too much and overexerting herself. As this book posits, however, “Perhaps the greatest lesson is learning to embrace [one’s] imperfections.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
In this uplifting text, author Rotimi Owoade examines the Biblical book of Esther through a simultaneously inspirational and historical lens. Queen Esther: Spiritual Warfare from the Position of Rest suggests that, like the Old Testament heroine of the Jews under the Persian king Xerxes, today’s Christians can most effectively conquer adversity through patience and trust in God’s timing. Small, digestible tips make the concept easy to apply to one’s life; for example, readers are advised to journal and read the Bible daily and to begin each morning by “affirming God’s faithfulness and promises.” The text deftly manages to celebrate a more traditionally feminine style of spiritual leadership without wading into recent controversies on the subject. Ultimately, readers are led to the conclusion that this careful, passive strength culminates in the famous fourteenth verse of the fourth chapter of the Book of Esther: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this fast-paced, suspenseful fantasy, protagonist Volir is a centuries-old elf with a dark and traumatic past. A resident of the world of Auro, he trains with the Knights of the Phoenix — agents for good against forces of darkness such as the evil Prince Drazius. Volir gets in over his head, but he soon learns he is far more powerful than he realized. Along with the protagonist himself, this story is full of richly developed characters, such as trainer Valothas and female knight Leavesa. Drazius is an unexpectedly sinister villain; I would go so far as to say his tactics and dialogue are reminiscent of Aaron in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. To my mind, author Phoenix Rokni made a wise decision with the amount of romance included in the story; while the book decidedly falls into the fantasy genre rather than romantasy, it will simultaneously satisfy those readers craving a love story. Overall, I recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, War
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In Benny Goes to Bed by Himself by Dr. Jonathan Kushnir and Ram Kushnir, Benny is a young lion cub suffering from nightmares. The terrifying dreams not only plague little Benny, but they rob his parents of sleep, as well, as he cries out to them for comfort. At their wits’ end, Benny’s family consults Alfred, an elderly lion renowned for his wisdom. As Benny puts Alfred’s sage advice of naming his fear to the test, subtext informs parents of the book’s young readers of the thought processes and psychological reasoning behind the writing on almost every page. Clearly, thorough research has been conducted and converted into an imaginative and child-friendly format. My only complaint is that the subtext’s inclusion on the same pages as the primary writing could become a little confusing. However, I still highly recommend this book to all parents and guardians, particularly to those of small children suffering from nightmares.