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orcamagicka's reviews
194 reviews
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab
4.25
Insightful and reflective. Helped me to better understand how to implement boundaries with myself and others, while also recognizing ways I have or may have crossed other people’s boundaries.
The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
2.5
It was a fine read to keep me in a better headspace, but some parts come across as toxic positivity and tone deaf to privilege. The main points aren’t anything particularly monumental that I haven’t already come across in therapy, YouTube videos, or other books.
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay
4.5
My one criticism is that this book is very much from a cishetero lense and fails to consider the diverse perspectives of queer identities and relationships (especially asexuals, aromantics, and queer-platonic relationships). The way heterosexual relationships were discussed personally gave me the "ick" but that may be due to my own perceptions as a queer person who leans very heavily on the ace/aro spectrum. To be fair this book was published in 2013, so readers should also consult other perspective besides this book (especially from more modern sources pertaining to Gen Z).
Besides that, this was a very insightful book and I feel every young person should read it.
Besides that, this was a very insightful book and I feel every young person should read it.
Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life by Vivian Tu
4.75
An excellent beginner-friendly financial literacy book. I’m usually skeptical of these sorts of books, but I’ve followed Viv on Instagram for a while and learned a lot just from her videos. Her background as being a poor child of Chinese immigrants also gave her more credibility and relatability compared to the “born rich” financial gurus I often see online. She also acknowledges how systemic issues (classism, racism, misogyny, queerphobia, etc) create financial hardships. This means it’s even more important that people from marginalized communities become financially literate.
I learned SO MUCH from this book. Financial anxiety is something I’ve long dealt with on top of never receiving proper guidance when it comes to money. This is an amazing book for:
- young people
- those with financial anxiety
- people who grew up low income + or in families with unhealthy financial habits
- anyone unfamiliar with or not entirely sure how investing, savings, taxes, banks, credit cards, or debt works
- anyone wanting to just better handle their current finances
What would have been the cherry on top for me is a section pertaining to insurance plans (medical, dental, vision, rental, homeowners, etc). Insurance was mentioned a few times in various chapters but I would have liked a deeper dive.
I learned SO MUCH from this book. Financial anxiety is something I’ve long dealt with on top of never receiving proper guidance when it comes to money. This is an amazing book for:
- young people
- those with financial anxiety
- people who grew up low income + or in families with unhealthy financial habits
- anyone unfamiliar with or not entirely sure how investing, savings, taxes, banks, credit cards, or debt works
- anyone wanting to just better handle their current finances
What would have been the cherry on top for me is a section pertaining to insurance plans (medical, dental, vision, rental, homeowners, etc). Insurance was mentioned a few times in various chapters but I would have liked a deeper dive.
What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo
5.0
Teared up, cried, and had fully body reactions at multiple parts of this book, both the good and the bad. I didn't expect to connect so deeply and to see so many parts of myself and members of my family reflected on page.
I've never been diagnosed with CPTSD, however after reading this memoir I'm leaving my mind open to the possibility of seeking such diagnosis. While the author and I had different "genres" of generational trauma, I absolutely resonated with her thoughts processes and behaviors as a result of her CPTSD. It got to the point I started rapidly writing down quotes in my journal as I listened to the audiobook. I plan on referencing her writings in future therapy sessions, and incorporating methods of her healing journey into mine.
Man I wish I could have a therapist like Dr. Han lol.
I've never been diagnosed with CPTSD, however after reading this memoir I'm leaving my mind open to the possibility of seeking such diagnosis. While the author and I had different "genres" of generational trauma, I absolutely resonated with her thoughts processes and behaviors as a result of her CPTSD. It got to the point I started rapidly writing down quotes in my journal as I listened to the audiobook. I plan on referencing her writings in future therapy sessions, and incorporating methods of her healing journey into mine.
Man I wish I could have a therapist like Dr. Han lol.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
3.0
I think the main guy and the evil sentient computer should of kissed.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
4.5
Watched the movie as a kid when it first came out and tried to read the book, but was much too young to be fully engaged. Read Moby Dick last year and loved it, and figured it was time to read the true story that inspired it all. Now I eagerly want to rewatch the movie haha. I remember telling a friend that Moby Dick would be very hard if not impossible to adapt into a film, since most of the story and it's themes takes place in Ishmael's thoughts as he ruminates about religion, philosophy, history, humanity, and other topics. Yet it turns out the film adaptation of the true story of In The Heart of the Sea is probably the closest you could get to capturing the depth of the fictional story of Moby Dick.
Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: Honor Your Emotions, Nurture Your Self, and Live with Confidence by Lindsay C. Gibson
2.0
Some chapters had a few nuggets of useful info, but a lot of the book just felt very over generalized. The overall tone of the book seemed to sway back and forth between toxic positivity and then vilifying other people. The book even contradicts itself. There’s an entire section of the book attempting to categorize different “types” of emotionally immature people into rigid, broad stroke boxes, while then later on saying that we *shouldn’t* categorize people. Often the term “depression” thrown around outside the context of the clinical diagnosis, causing the messaging of some sections to become muddled.
Thriving with Social Anxiety: Daily Strategies for Overcoming Anxiety and Building Self-Confidence by Hattie C. Cooper
3.0
Mainly consisted of stuff I already knew but had some activities I might start implementing.
The discussions in this book are a decent starting point and might be good for people with “normal” social anxiety. However they might not be very applicable to people with social anxiety due to trauma (such as abuse), or for people of marginalized backgrounds who experience social anxiety due to systemic issues (such as the fear of violence or discrimination). The brief section that discussed a general fear of going into a public restroom made me audibly laugh as a transgender person.
The discussions in this book are a decent starting point and might be good for people with “normal” social anxiety. However they might not be very applicable to people with social anxiety due to trauma (such as abuse), or for people of marginalized backgrounds who experience social anxiety due to systemic issues (such as the fear of violence or discrimination). The brief section that discussed a general fear of going into a public restroom made me audibly laugh as a transgender person.