psychology4introverts's reviews
195 reviews

How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose by Tim Tamashiro

inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book is the long version to Tim Tamashiro‘s Skillshare class on how to find your ikigai and i enjoyed every minute. Especially the audio book version is well worth it because it’s narrated by the author and he is an entertainer among many things. I can’t think of a more worth while endeavour for any human being to find their ikigai and in this book Tim shows you how you can do it, with practical tips and sources rooted in positive psychology. It’s probably the most life enriching book I’ve read all my life, and I’m above 50! I wish i would have read it when i was eighteen!!!

Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Loved the second book too, especially Daine‘s connection to animals and the wolves and how she comes into her power in this book. I also admire her peaceful but fierce personality and the way she sees people for who they really are and doesn’t judge. TP‘s writing is just wonderful and so cozy and it’s ok to know it ends well, the showdown is still exciting. 

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I love the beginning of Daine‘s story!  Reading a Tamora Pierce book is like coming home into the world of your imagination, it’s always a fairy tale that grips you from the start and makes you feel warm and enthralled to the end. She a master weaver of tales that touch on the most important themes in life and you become one with the main character, the pull is not so much the action but your dire need to know what happens to her next.

Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga... by B.K.S. Iyengar
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.

Keep reading it on and off, its more for looking up info on specific asanas

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A wonderful conclusion to a special and wonderfully written light academia series. The scholar and introverted Cambridge professor as the heroine who solves the greatest challenges with her researcher talents, books and studies about folk tales is such a wonderful cozy read. While the second book was maybe the weakest, the third is just as great as the first - but in a different way as it is much more action packed and the stakes are higher. I did not enjoy the audio book version, the female speaker of the Emily really over-did the English accent and made her sound whiney, spoiled and weak, when the character is anything but! The hardcover covers in the Art-Deco style are gorgeous though, so I went for those, because I know I'll want to re-read this series which has become one of my favourite academia series.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Did not finish book. Stopped at 86%.

The enemies to lovers story line is concluded in the second third, but from the half way point it’s all about loss, war, suffering and death in war and hardships of war. Too depressing to continue. And the magic is minimal and object-based with no explanation, the pantheon on which the whole conflict is based is one dimensional.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Second audio book listening

Buddhism: Beginner's Guide to Understanding & Practicing Buddhism to Become Stress and Anxiety Free by Michael Williams

inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Great intro book, it covers all the basics, and would be better as a book, not as audio book, so one can look up and revisit all the helpful lists.

Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston

adventurous challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Still good writing, still great character description but otherwise quite disappointing. The academia setting is gone, the story and the main characters are fully plot-driven in a dumb, reactive way, especially Amari seems to have learned nothing from their previous adventures and acts like a puppet right up to the last minute. Really the villain should get all the credit and win the day, he had deserved it so much more. It was painful to watch Amari make one bad decision after the other, if she had two more brain cells or stopped to consider things a bit more carefully, the book would have ended after the chapters. Also the reason the ending was anti-climatic, sad and very disappointing. Book one is the only worth re-reading, mostly for the magical academia setting.

Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Again great writing despite the current tense format that takes some getting used to. It’s a great read and I love the magical academia setting. The ending was a bit disappointing, her stubbornness started to shift from endearing to boneheaded. All in all a great second book, I hope her character development won’t get stunted by that stubbornness in book three.