Okay, I am late to the game on this series! It was so entertaining to read a book set in the 1980s (written in the 1980s, too). So much has changed inOkay, I am late to the game on this series! It was so entertaining to read a book set in the 1980s (written in the 1980s, too). So much has changed in technology and social situations. Nonetheless, this was a fun book to read, and I'm excited to read the rest of the series....more
Okay, I am late to the game on this series! It was so entertaining to read a book set in the 1980s (written in the 1980s, too). So much has changed inOkay, I am late to the game on this series! It was so entertaining to read a book set in the 1980s (written in the 1980s, too). So much has changed in technology and social situations. Nonetheless, this was a fun book to read, and I'm excited to read the rest of the series....more
I listened to the Audible version, which was like a series of talks she gave at a conference. I'm not sure if this is the same content as the book? BuI listened to the Audible version, which was like a series of talks she gave at a conference. I'm not sure if this is the same content as the book? But I really enjoyed it, and I learned so much. I look forward to listening to it again to gleen more information....more
I've always known I had issues with food, but I had no idea my issues ran so deeply. This book was a huge eye opener forThis book broke me. Seriously.
I've always known I had issues with food, but I had no idea my issues ran so deeply. This book was a huge eye opener for me. After reading it, I realized I had to seek help from a professional therapist--someone to go through the book with me chapter by chapter to discuss what issues were triggered for me and how I could resolve them. So I researched therapists who specialize in disordered eating, and I met with four to try to find a good fit for me. Interestingly enough, all four therapists told me that I do not have disordered eating and I do not need a therapist who specializes in that. They all told me I have unresolved trauma and I need a therapist who specializes in PTSD and trauma work. Huh. Imagine that. So now I'm meeting weekly with a therapist who assures me that once I've dealt with the trauma from my past and once I learn new coping mechanisms, the food issues will be resolved. I'm dreading having to face all that old junk, but I am excited to heal my broken bits. Wish me luck. ......more
So well written! I had a hard time putting it down to go to sleep. The only downside of this book is it pushed my limits on sexual predation, but thanSo well written! I had a hard time putting it down to go to sleep. The only downside of this book is it pushed my limits on sexual predation, but thankfully it did not go too far or into explicit detail. I look forward to reading more from this author....more
So funny. I had multiple laugh-out-loud moments. I love this series. I just wish she'd choose a guy and stop flip flopping.So funny. I had multiple laugh-out-loud moments. I love this series. I just wish she'd choose a guy and stop flip flopping....more
Oh. Boy. This was a challenging book to read, but so worth the effort and time! I highly recommend it.
Trigger warning: this book goes into explicit deOh. Boy. This was a challenging book to read, but so worth the effort and time! I highly recommend it.
Trigger warning: this book goes into explicit detail when relating examples of trauma. I tried to skim some of those examples, because I didn't want to internalize it all, and sometimes I had to set the book down for a while after reading the heartbreaking details of other people's trauma.
This book explains so much valuable information. Now that I've finished reading, I will go back and review the highlights, bookmarks, and notes I made throughout it. I'll journal about those points and discuss them with my therapist.
While I dread the idea of working through my own trauma, I am excited at the idea of healing my broken bits. This book has left me feeling hopeful for a brighter tomorrow....more
Serena Kaylor's debut, Long Story Short, offers up a terrific summertime adventure for all of us who are nervous to step outside oThis was a fun read!
Serena Kaylor's debut, Long Story Short, offers up a terrific summertime adventure for all of us who are nervous to step outside our comfort zones.
Yes, this story is promoted as a rom-com, but it's not only that. It's a fun adventure about a socially awkward girl trying to learn more about people and the world around her while discovering more about who she truly is and what she likes in life.
And yes, it is funny. There were several laugh-out-loud moments for me. For example: "I imagined that like most skills, there would be a learning curve to kissing, and I could anticipate poor performance until given the opportunity to receive some instruction."
While overall, I loved the book, there were a few hard to believe moments: when her finger "slipped" and she accidentally applied to Oxford; when her parents, who are therapists, discussed clients by name and issue (huge violation of HIPPA laws and gives therapists a bad rep), and when the physical touching aspect of her new-found relationship happened too fast. But none of these criticisms overshadowed my enjoyment of the book.
If you're looking for a fun, light, summer read, pick up a copy of Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor.
Some of my Favorite Lines:
"I nodded , always a beat behind as the conversation moved forward before I could organize my thoughts enough to contribute."
“It’s easy not to care what other people think of you, when you obviously don’t care either.”
[I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]...more
Oh. Boy. I loved reading this book. I devoured every chapter, page, paragraph, sentence, and word.
THREADS OF YOGA by Pamela Seelig is packed full of Oh. Boy. I loved reading this book. I devoured every chapter, page, paragraph, sentence, and word.
THREADS OF YOGA by Pamela Seelig is packed full of ancient wisdom and presented in a digestible manner for today’s average person. To quote from page two: “Threads of Yoga relies on ancient texts, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, but it isn’t religious or scholarly.”
As with every nonfiction book I read, I started this one by scanning the table of contents, flipping through the pages, and reading the author’s credentials. The table of contents is concise and easy to process. It gives a clear picture of what to expect within the pages of the book. I love that. Flipping through the pages, I noticed there were no pictures or diagrams, but the end of each chapter consistently features practices to explore and consider during your own daily rituals. These contain tips for meditation, physical practice, relaxation, and quotes to contemplate. I look forward to returning to these pages to explore in depth the suggested practices. Regarding the author’s credentials, at first I was concerned, wondering what a former Wall Street career woman could sincerely offer on this topic of yoga, especially when she writes in the introduction: “the present-day perception of yoga is often of a purely physical practice with its associated clothing and accessories.” That rubbed me a bit wrong, thinking that is a mindset for the rich and affluent but not your average yoga practitioner. Who knows? Maybe I’m wrong. But the fact of the matter is that regardless of Seelig’s background and former career on Wall Street, she has put in the time (many years) studying and researching “ancient yogic wisdom.” She is a talented writer, and her knowledge is evident on every page.
This is definitely a book I will read again, and again, utilizing it as a resource manual, a daily meditative guide, and reminder to check myself. Where am I on my path? I’m I heading intentionally in the direction I want? Am I being kind to myself? Do I need to realign and balance myself?
My only criticism of the book is I wish it had pictures and diagrams. I am not an expert at yoga, and so pictures of poses would have been helpful. Likewise, pictures of the mudras would make it easier to practice them. While I am familiar with chakras, diagrams would help drive home the relevance of the content.
There are so many valuable nuggets within this book, I suggest buying your own personal copy and mark it up as you read – mark it with Post-it flags, highlighters, and penciled-in notes. Then read it again.
If you have friends you practice yoga (on any level) this book would make a perfect Christmas present.
[I received a copy of this book from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]
Christmas is just around the corner, and this book would make an excellent gift for anyone and everyone on your list! The photos are amazing, the descChristmas is just around the corner, and this book would make an excellent gift for anyone and everyone on your list! The photos are amazing, the descriptions and narratives are intriguing, and the history is fascinating.
My only complaint is the book seems to favor some states over others. I would have loved to see a more balanced representation of the entire nation. According to www.nationalparks.org "The National Park System encompasses 423 national park sites in the United States. They span across more than 84 million acres, with parks in each state and extending into the territories, including parks in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam." This reinforces my criticism that while California garners coverage of six National Parks, Idaho is not featured at all in the book. But that is my only complaint. Otherwise, it's a terrific book, deserving space on everyone's shelves.
The editors have also included throughout the book interesting nuggets of information about the various locations, including "Not to be Missed" features, "Words to the Wise" advice, and "Nearby Attractions."
I highly recommend this book as another addition to your personal library.
[I received a copy from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]...more
If you're looking to plot your next trip or if you're needing a gift for the adventure seekers in your life - this is the book for you!
GREAT AMERICAN If you're looking to plot your next trip or if you're needing a gift for the adventure seekers in your life - this is the book for you!
GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS - SCENIC DRIVES offers up amazing photos and fascinating narratives from a variety of photographers and travel writers.
At first, I enjoyed scanning through the entire book, looking for destinations and scenic drives I was familiar with. Then, I started back at the beginning of the book and enjoyed reading the descriptions for each of the trips in the book. Much of the writing is colorful and engaging, but there are a few passages that are dryer and a bit boring to read. One of my favorite passages, written by Cathy and Gordon Illg, describes part of Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado: "At the edge of the timberline, the road passes through a grove of bristlecone pines. They are the oldest living things in the state. One of the patriarchs of the grove sprouted as the Roman Empire was falling into decline, and their gnarled branches seem to wave goodbye as you leave the trees behind" (page 24).
In addition to the first-hand accounts of the drives, the editors have also included interesting nuggets of information about the various drives, and they've sprinkled terrific quotes throughout the book, such as, "Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue -- John Muir" (page 55).
Whether you enjoy taking road trips or not, I highly recommend this book. It makes a great guide for adventurers, a great coffee table book, and a great book for waiting rooms at doctor's offices.
[I received an early copy from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.] ...more
Oh, the premise! What a great plot for a murder mystery/thriller! Vera Kurian's storytelling in NEVER SAW ME COMING had me intrigued from page one.
I'vOh, the premise! What a great plot for a murder mystery/thriller! Vera Kurian's storytelling in NEVER SAW ME COMING had me intrigued from page one.
I've noticed many reviewers on Goodreads have commented that this book reads like it was intended for young adults (YA). To be clear, this book is not for the young adult audience. There are certain rules that apply to books written for a young adult audience, and this book steps outside those rules. This is definitely an adult book. Just because a narrative voice sounds similar to those you may find in young adult books does not make it one.
A few of the things I loved about this book: 1. The first chapter sucked me right into the story. 2. The internal exploration of psychopaths was fascinating. 3. The reunion (no spoilers) of a character and his family at the end actually choked me up with tears! Nice surprise there.
While I loved the premise of this book, there were multiple elements that kept me from giving it a five-star review: 1. I was overwhelmed by the large cast of characters. At first I thought this was a storytelling device to keep the reader guessing about the serial killer, and who knows, maybe it was, but when the killer was revealed, no spoilers here, I was disappointed. Instead of having such a large cast of characters, I wish Kurian would have developed the three main characters more. 2. Personal pet peeves: lots of crude language and unnecessary sex scenes 3. The changes in points-of-view were constant and confusing. 4. The referrals to pop-culture, including social-media hashtags and brand names, were tiring.
My favorite passage from the story:
"Charles was too curious about meeting another psychopath to be annoyed. But Emma didn't fit the bill of what he thought they were supposed to be. He thought psychopaths were supposed to be ... well, like him. Charming and charismatic and able to get what they wanted from people. She seemed more like someone had taken a mouse and dipped it into warm water to make tea."
NEVER SAW ME COMING by Vera Kurian was a fascinating page-turner with an insightful exploration of psychopathy.
[I received an advance copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way influenced my opinion.]...more
BUT there were several things that confused me: 1. The story opened with a female character, when I'd thought the book was about a m I loved this book!
BUT there were several things that confused me: 1. The story opened with a female character, when I'd thought the book was about a male Navy SEAL. So I did a quick switch in my brain, thinking: Okay, cool, multiple main characters. But no. Finn, the SEAL, was the main character, and the majority of the chapters were told from his point-of-view. 2. And there was a lot of head hopping with the story constantly switching to different characters and their perspectives. It was a challenge to keep track of all the characters. 3. The reason a lone SEAL would be sent home on an aircraft carrier instead of flown directly to the states was never justified. A reader needs to buy into that concept, otherwise, it's a story problem that is hard to overlook.
Those were the only reasons I gave the story 4 stars instead of 5. Otherwise, I loved it.
I loved the writing, the character development, the setting, and the mystery. Usually, I'm pretty good at solving the mystery before it's revealed, but not this time. The story was well told and well executed.
This was the first time I've read a novel by these authors, and I look forward to reading more.
Some of my favorite lines from the story:
"But Papa Doc frowned on too much chatter. On his watch, flights tended to be less like sitting around a campfire and more like going to church."
"A carrier flight deck was one gigantic blot-action sniper rifle, three and a half football fields long, only instead of firing steel-tipped 10-gram rounds it shot 25-ton fighter jets, firing and reloading at the rate of one every twenty-five seconds. Finn thought about the jet pilots strapped into their multimillion-dollar machines, being shot off the deck into the dark like bullets."
"When he roamed the Abe's passageways Jackson moved like an Abrams tank that had taken a few semesters of ballet."
[I received an early copy for free from the publisher via NetGalley, which in no way influenced my opinion.]...more
BEST BOOK I've read in ages!!! First story I've read by Rachel Caine, and now I am a huge fan. I look forward to reading more of her books.BEST BOOK I've read in ages!!! First story I've read by Rachel Caine, and now I am a huge fan. I look forward to reading more of her books....more
I was a bit concerned when I started this series, because this first book deals with violence against children - and that's a topic I avoid in books. I was a bit concerned when I started this series, because this first book deals with violence against children - and that's a topic I avoid in books. I wanted to give this new Koontz character a chance, and so I read this first story as fast as possible, digesting as little as possible. The character is interesting, and the other stories in the series are great. The series reminds me of the TV show, Person of Interest. ...more
This was the first book I've read by this author, and I went into it wanting to like it . . . but the constant sexism throughout wore me down. I couldThis was the first book I've read by this author, and I went into it wanting to like it . . . but the constant sexism throughout wore me down. I could quote the lines, but then I'd feel irritated all over again....more
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