jimmyjams's reviews
186 reviews

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Joe Dispenza

inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.0

My mom recommended this book to me. I think the overall message is good although I think it has some issues. I don't personally question some of the things presented:

• We know the placebo effect is real -- it's why we have placebo-controlled studies. We also know it can be very powerful. Why not try to harness that? 
• I think it's also pretty clear that psychosomatic conditions are real. 
• We also know the brain can be conditioned to associate certain stimuli with certain experiences.
• We know that things like meditation can change the structure of our brains.
• Given the above, it's logical that our attitudes and beliefs can affect our reality.

The author presents a lot of ideas in this book as if they're facts, and he doesn't present any evidence aside from anecdotes, most of which are anonymized. It seems like he expects the reader to just accept them at face value. I would like to hear from some people who were actually "cured" by one of his workshops. Anecdotes, while a weak form of scientific evidence, are still evidence. When people's names are changed though, how can we be assured these stories aren't all fabricated?

I'm not sure I would call the exercises described as meditation, at least in the traditional sense. They seem like more of a mixture of guided meditation and hypnosis. I have a decent amount of experience with meditation, so I plan on trying it. If I somehow cure my health issues, I'll update my review.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

A Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today by Julia Ross

informative medium-paced

2.5

The information about amino acids is interesting, but I don’t think the nutritional advice is very good, and I don’t think the author is really qualified to give this type of advice. A lot of her advice involves eating a lot of animal products, which have been very clearly shown to be unhealthy. 

Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson

3.0

This books felt kind of pointless. It felt like he was rambling about things that are mostly common sense. I didn’t come away with any new insights in reading it. 

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Towers of Midnight by Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0