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hannahleelovestoread's Reviews (635)
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Out of all the stages of a human being’s life, perhaps the most emotionally charged is adolescence. For most people, the teenage years are a fun and exciting time of self-discovery, but they can also be a period of rash anger, intense loneliness, and poor impulse control. This book carefully examines the causes and effects of these common circumstances and then proceeds to offer practical, effective solutions. I was particularly fascinated by the science-based element of this text; I learned, for example, that the amygdala is the section of the brain responsible for monitoring threats to one’s survival, and I discovered that the “stress hormone” cortisol controls one’s trauma responses. The detailed instructions on how to reframe unhelpful cognitive distortions such as catastrophizing and black-and-white thinking made the book particularly accessible. As the author herself says of her work, it is an invaluable tool to struggling individuals, “providing a way for them to find their way back to themselves and the powerful potential that lies inside them.” I absolutely agree, and I recommend this book to everyone who has ever dealt with overwhelmingly powerful emotions.
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I was looking for a way to glean advice from an expert on mindfulness techniques and the benefits of personal growth when I came across this book. Known as an Inner Mind Architect, author Brad Wegner has made it his life’s work to help others “build a mindset that fosters growth, clarity, and unshakable resilience.” When I saw that the bite-sized chapters of his book were alphabetized by title name, the Virgo in me was hooked. Wegner writes about his basic advice on acceptance, words, and so much in between in a fun and easily digestible format. For example, in the “Responsibility” section, Wegner advises that human beings are responsible for their own words, thoughts, and decisions, but not those of others. He also offers practical advice to those such as perfectionists like myself by, for instance, encouraging us to embrace the 90/10 rule (aim for 90% perfection instead of 100%). I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking profound life advice in an unintimidating format.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
As the title suggests, this book is a master class in personal finance. Prospective readers shouldn’t be fooled, however; its contents aren’t only for teens. As an adult, I gleaned an astonishing amount of knowledge from this volume. Unfortunately, the typical student learns about personal finance very little if at all in school. As such, I found this work incredibly useful. From the first page, the book’s format had my vote of approval; the already brief chapters are divided into even more easily digestible sections in an outline style, and key words and phrases are written in bold font. Author Emma Davis neither assumes readers know any one fact nor ridicules them for their hypothetical ignorance. This text taught me about the intricacies of a credit report and the pros and cons of investment in the stock market; I used it to learn about budgeting apps and short-, medium-, and long-term goals. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone looking to improve his or her knowledge of personal finance.
There was nothing I disliked about this book; it seemed promising. I simply had several other betas, ARCs, etc. I was working on, and Christmas was a while ago.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness
Though this book is inspired by the work of twentieth century Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy, the ideas within it are unique and exciting. Poetry lovers should know that neither Cavafy’s work nor poetry in general is centric to this work. As the book’s subtitle suggests, the poetry within is about our “Life’s Journey,” covering a wide range of topics pertaining to the human condition. Cavafy’s poetry augments these philosophical struggles, making them more relatable to the average person’s struggles. This is practical philosophy at its best. The book could also be classified as a work of self-help, though the author’s writing style is deeper and more beautiful than most books in that genre. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I’m sure that you will, too.
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This book is hardly only a simple manual for the teenage demographic. I have long since seen the last of my teenage years, but after reading this piece, I have a deeper understanding of financial management and a fresh perspective on my place in the local, state, national, and world economies. The text offers sound, fact-based advice; practical statistics; and easily digestible, real-world examples. I feel prepared for numerous financial problems should any of them arise, yet I also feel equipped to take preventative measures before disaster strikes. To avoid becoming one of the 78% of Americans currently living paycheck to paycheck, for example, I will adopt a wealthy mindset; take advantage of the “magical” compound interest; and invest judiciously. I believe my favorite pieces of advice from the author were to practice gratitude and to maintain a steady flow of closely vetted philanthropic projects. I highly recommend this book to anyone not entirely confident in the personal finance sphere.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Janet Elliott’s The Alien Savant tells the simultaneously devastating, heartwarming, and hilarious life story of her brother, Michael. Born deaf and autistic in a time when the disabled were frequently locked away in horrifying institutions, Michael faced misunderstanding and even downright cruelty from others. While reading this book, I became emotional more frequently and on a deeper level than with many novels I’ve perused over the years. I felt Michael’s frustration as he struggled to convey his feelings through his art; I wept as his parents surely did when yet another care center turned him down; my heart swelled with a mixture of anger and pride along with a young Janet as she defended her baby brother from the neighborhood bullies. I recommend this beautifully written book to anyone and everyone. I am thankful to have received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
Minor: Bullying
informative
fast-paced
In this book, author Rob Kosberg begins by discussing how, at one time, the reach of his professional content didn’t match what he recognized as its superior quality. For him, the solution — which eventually became the central tenet of his brand, Bestseller Publishing — was to revamp the entire process by which authors market their new books. As such, in this book, he instructs authors exactly how to follow his advice.
This is an immensely helpful informative piece for any aspiring author. Even though I have no current plans to write a book, as a voracious reader, I was fascinated by what I learned. I was intrigued, for example, by the concept that the mind best retains information in ones and threes and how this is a crucial tool when creating a subtitle. I also was struck by how much consideration goes into the choice of the color of a book’s cover, as every tone conveys a certain mood; pink, for example, is fun and especially attractive to a female audience, while blue emits trustworthiness.
I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I strongly recommend it to anyone with any interest in the publishing industry.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
In this story, Detective Ethan Grant mysteriously receives a letter from his supposedly deceased informant, the appropriately named Lazarus. The eerie note informs Grant of a complex web of crime known as the Order, a thriving and evil entity operating in the underbelly of New York City. Grant enlists rival Evelyn and colleague Reed to help him take the Order down, but is the job too big for them alone? And who can they really trust?
This novella is ideal for fans of mysteries, thrillers, and/or suspense. Fun and fast-paced with a plot that is exciting but easy to follow, it’s the ultimate palate cleanser for anyone looking to take a break from long, heavy reads. Author Henry Bruce has pulled off no great literary feat, but that’s not the purpose of this book; The Final Clue Solving the Mystery is meant to be read for fun, and it is more than successful in that regard. This is apparently going to be a series, and I look forward to the next installment.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Blood, Murder
Minor: Toxic friendship