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Key Coaching Models: The 70+ Models Every Manager, Executive and Coach Needs to Know
Book
KEY COACHING MODELS IS AN ESSENTIAL DIRECTORY OF 72 TOOLS FOR MANAGERS TO USE TO UNLOCK PERFORMANCE...
Video Production Handbook
Jim Owens and Gerald Millerson
Book
Techniques matter! Great ideas don't automatically translate into great programs. It's not enough...
Manabeshima Island Japan: One Island, Two Months, One Minicar, Sixty Crabs, Eighty Bites and Fifty Shots of Shochu
Book
More than just a Japan travel guide, Manabeshima Island Japan paints a colorful and entertaining...
Hudson Valley Ruins: Forgotten Landmarks of an American Landscape
Thomas Rinaldi and Robert J. Yasinsac
Book
Countless books have been published on the historical sites of the Hudson River Valley. But these...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Love, Hate, and Other Filters in Books
Apr 15, 2021
A lovely teen read that delves into deep topics
This is the twelfth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Maya Aziz feels like she lives two lives. In one, she's the dutiful daughter to her Indian Muslim parents: attending college near home, marrying a suitable Muslim boy, and becoming a lawyer. In the other, she goes to school in New York City to become a filmmaker and falls in love with whomever she wants--maybe even Phil, the boy she's loved forever. And in Maya's real world, horrible things happen, often hate crime motivated, that can turn her world upside down.
This is such a beautiful book, and I completely fell in love with Maya and her voice. As the child of the only Indian Muslim family in her small suburban Chicago town, she's always felt different. She dreams of making films, not conforming the way her parents desire. But she also wants to please them. And she's scared, as she deals with all the terrible bigotry and Islamophobia that her family faces.
Ahmed writes so lyrically, weaving her story about Maya finding her way in the world, while still painting a stark and timely picture of racism. It's a bit of a love story, yes, but also one of discovering yourself and finding strength in yourself and the people around you. Maya and Phil's relationship is sweet, and it's so easy to root for her on all levels.
I found this to be a profound read. In many ways, it's simply about a teenager trying to stand up for herself, but it also speaks deeply about Islamophobia. It's often sad, but it's quite hopeful too. I found myself tearing up a bit while reading. Definitely worth a read. 4.5 stars.
Maya Aziz feels like she lives two lives. In one, she's the dutiful daughter to her Indian Muslim parents: attending college near home, marrying a suitable Muslim boy, and becoming a lawyer. In the other, she goes to school in New York City to become a filmmaker and falls in love with whomever she wants--maybe even Phil, the boy she's loved forever. And in Maya's real world, horrible things happen, often hate crime motivated, that can turn her world upside down.
This is such a beautiful book, and I completely fell in love with Maya and her voice. As the child of the only Indian Muslim family in her small suburban Chicago town, she's always felt different. She dreams of making films, not conforming the way her parents desire. But she also wants to please them. And she's scared, as she deals with all the terrible bigotry and Islamophobia that her family faces.
Ahmed writes so lyrically, weaving her story about Maya finding her way in the world, while still painting a stark and timely picture of racism. It's a bit of a love story, yes, but also one of discovering yourself and finding strength in yourself and the people around you. Maya and Phil's relationship is sweet, and it's so easy to root for her on all levels.
I found this to be a profound read. In many ways, it's simply about a teenager trying to stand up for herself, but it also speaks deeply about Islamophobia. It's often sad, but it's quite hopeful too. I found myself tearing up a bit while reading. Definitely worth a read. 4.5 stars.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated We Were Liars in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Read the original review: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/10/book-review-we-were-liars/
I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. Even part-way through, I wasn't sure. But as the end drew nearer, I began to fall in love with the heartbreak and tragedy within the pages.
It tells the story of the Liars: Cadence, Gat, Johnny and Mirren. Mirren, Gat, Johnny and Cadence.
The Beautiful Sinclair Family spend their summers on Beechwood Island every year. But the aunties are fighting over Granny Tipper's possessions after she passes away, and the family is being torn apart. The Liars want their idyll back; they'll do anything to fix the family.
This is a love story, and it is a tragedy. Cadence begins to remember the horrific events of summer fifteen, when she was involved in a terrible accident. Her memory comes back in pieces, and she has to fit the pieces together like a jigsaw. When the final picture is complete, I was so shocked - it made too much sense, yet no sense at all.
The writing style is simple and to the point, but also full of wonderful metaphors. There are extracts of a fairytale variation every now and then, which I personally think was a very nice touch. It's rather unique in the way it's written, but in a good way. It has several phrases that are repeated throughout the story, or developed upon, which works nicely in this book.
Also, there are a few visual aids for the story; a may of the island and a family tree of the Sinclair family. While that could be seen as childish, I appreciate the diagrams as they help to keep track of the characters, though I did get a little lost and confused at times still.
Overall, I think We Were Liars deserves 4 stars out of 5. It's different, unexpected, and full of emotion. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really grew on me as I read.
BookMarked
I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. Even part-way through, I wasn't sure. But as the end drew nearer, I began to fall in love with the heartbreak and tragedy within the pages.
It tells the story of the Liars: Cadence, Gat, Johnny and Mirren. Mirren, Gat, Johnny and Cadence.
The Beautiful Sinclair Family spend their summers on Beechwood Island every year. But the aunties are fighting over Granny Tipper's possessions after she passes away, and the family is being torn apart. The Liars want their idyll back; they'll do anything to fix the family.
This is a love story, and it is a tragedy. Cadence begins to remember the horrific events of summer fifteen, when she was involved in a terrible accident. Her memory comes back in pieces, and she has to fit the pieces together like a jigsaw. When the final picture is complete, I was so shocked - it made too much sense, yet no sense at all.
The writing style is simple and to the point, but also full of wonderful metaphors. There are extracts of a fairytale variation every now and then, which I personally think was a very nice touch. It's rather unique in the way it's written, but in a good way. It has several phrases that are repeated throughout the story, or developed upon, which works nicely in this book.
Also, there are a few visual aids for the story; a may of the island and a family tree of the Sinclair family. While that could be seen as childish, I appreciate the diagrams as they help to keep track of the characters, though I did get a little lost and confused at times still.
Overall, I think We Were Liars deserves 4 stars out of 5. It's different, unexpected, and full of emotion. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really grew on me as I read.
BookMarked
My Way West: Real Kids Traveling the Oregon and California Trails
9.0
Rate It
Book
For kids who want to learn about what life was like on the Oregon and California Trails between...
Picture Books Children HIstory American History Oregon Trails Califorina Trails
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated The Bond (The Secret Tales #1) in Books
Jun 20, 2023
absolutely LOVED the slow burn/fade to back/very little smexy times!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Historical romance has always been a bit hit and miss for me, I tend to get annoyed with all the rules and regs of the time, but, strangely, that's what I liked about this one!
Because Rosie (to only Rhys and NO ONE else!) kind of flaunts the rules. She pushes the boundaries and smashes down the expectations for ladies of her time.
Given her secret, and how she dealt with that in the past, it's understandable she doesn't want anyone to push her into anything, certainly not a marriage to Penworth, the odious man. Rose's male parental unit (I refuse to call him her father!) is a nasty piece of work, but he does get his comeuppence!
I loved that Rose and Rhys have history, from when they were children. I loved that we get some of that history in flashbacks. It helps you paint the picture of how Rose and Rhys came to be.
And I absolutely LOVED the slow burn/fade to back/very little smexy times that this book has. Hardly surprising given Rose's past, but I loved that Rhys loved Rosie enough to WAIT for her, to come to him, when she wanted more from him.
Quite a lot of angst in this book, for Rose as well as Rhys. I liked that Rhys was able to articulate his feelings for Rose, since men of that time were not expected to be able to do that.
Given the bit at the end, I expect that one of Rose's sister's will be next and I look forward to reading it,
I wrote 4 stars at the top of the page, but I can't find a single thing wrong with it, so. .
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Historical romance has always been a bit hit and miss for me, I tend to get annoyed with all the rules and regs of the time, but, strangely, that's what I liked about this one!
Because Rosie (to only Rhys and NO ONE else!) kind of flaunts the rules. She pushes the boundaries and smashes down the expectations for ladies of her time.
Given her secret, and how she dealt with that in the past, it's understandable she doesn't want anyone to push her into anything, certainly not a marriage to Penworth, the odious man. Rose's male parental unit (I refuse to call him her father!) is a nasty piece of work, but he does get his comeuppence!
I loved that Rose and Rhys have history, from when they were children. I loved that we get some of that history in flashbacks. It helps you paint the picture of how Rose and Rhys came to be.
And I absolutely LOVED the slow burn/fade to back/very little smexy times that this book has. Hardly surprising given Rose's past, but I loved that Rhys loved Rosie enough to WAIT for her, to come to him, when she wanted more from him.
Quite a lot of angst in this book, for Rose as well as Rhys. I liked that Rhys was able to articulate his feelings for Rose, since men of that time were not expected to be able to do that.
Given the bit at the end, I expect that one of Rose's sister's will be next and I look forward to reading it,
I wrote 4 stars at the top of the page, but I can't find a single thing wrong with it, so. .
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Three Hours in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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<b><i>Three hours is 180 minutes or 10,800 seconds.
It is a morning’s lessons, a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, a snowy trek through the woods.
It’s an eternity waiting for news. Or a countdown to something terrible.
It is 180 minutes to discover who you will die for and what men will kill for.</i></b>
I am glad I got the chance to be part of the blog tour for Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton. I was reading this book while I was on a plane, travelling to Macedonia, and it was a great adventure all the way through. In all honesty, I enjoyed it a lot, but it didn’t make my favourites list.
A school is under a siege and the headmaster has been shot. The story is being told from the point of view of everyone involved – the students, the teachers, the worried parents, the investigators, even the bad guys… Different people are hiding in different places in the school, all hoping this is just a dream.
During the book, we follow a few story lines:
*Hannah, the teenage girl who is in love for the first time, trying to help the wounded headmaster.
*Rafi and his younger brother Basi, Syrian refugees, still suffering from PTSD.
*The parents that are gathered together, desperate for news that their children are safe.
*The police psychologist and investigators, who are trying to identify the gunmen.
*The students hiding in the school theatre, who rely on a Shakespeare play to calm themselves.
As the chapters go through, the time passes and we get a better glimpse of the whole picture, and the story behind the whole attack of the school. It is very nicely written and amazingly put together.
The ending was unpredictable.
I loved the ending. Even though I had a lot of guesses, and I desperately tried to convince myself that the person responsible couldn’t possibly be the guilty one, the book proved me wrong in the most unpredictable way possible. The book’s ending is the ending you have been waiting for in a thriller for a very long time, and I was quite pleased for a few days after reading it.
Throughout the book, you will get hundreds of small clues that you won’t even notice, and in the end it will all make sense. I may have to read this book again, just to enjoy all those little hidden clues throughout the way and cherish them for the amazing clues they were. Also, to simply mock my inability to spot them as well.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://i1.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Book-Review-Banner-32.png?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i>Three hours is 180 minutes or 10,800 seconds.
It is a morning’s lessons, a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, a snowy trek through the woods.
It’s an eternity waiting for news. Or a countdown to something terrible.
It is 180 minutes to discover who you will die for and what men will kill for.</i></b>
I am glad I got the chance to be part of the blog tour for Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton. I was reading this book while I was on a plane, travelling to Macedonia, and it was a great adventure all the way through. In all honesty, I enjoyed it a lot, but it didn’t make my favourites list.
A school is under a siege and the headmaster has been shot. The story is being told from the point of view of everyone involved – the students, the teachers, the worried parents, the investigators, even the bad guys… Different people are hiding in different places in the school, all hoping this is just a dream.
During the book, we follow a few story lines:
*Hannah, the teenage girl who is in love for the first time, trying to help the wounded headmaster.
*Rafi and his younger brother Basi, Syrian refugees, still suffering from PTSD.
*The parents that are gathered together, desperate for news that their children are safe.
*The police psychologist and investigators, who are trying to identify the gunmen.
*The students hiding in the school theatre, who rely on a Shakespeare play to calm themselves.
As the chapters go through, the time passes and we get a better glimpse of the whole picture, and the story behind the whole attack of the school. It is very nicely written and amazingly put together.
The ending was unpredictable.
I loved the ending. Even though I had a lot of guesses, and I desperately tried to convince myself that the person responsible couldn’t possibly be the guilty one, the book proved me wrong in the most unpredictable way possible. The book’s ending is the ending you have been waiting for in a thriller for a very long time, and I was quite pleased for a few days after reading it.
Throughout the book, you will get hundreds of small clues that you won’t even notice, and in the end it will all make sense. I may have to read this book again, just to enjoy all those little hidden clues throughout the way and cherish them for the amazing clues they were. Also, to simply mock my inability to spot them as well.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Creatrix Rising: Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women in Books
Aug 21, 2021
There was something about the synopsis of Creatrix Rising by Stephanie Raffelock that really sucked me in. When I read it, I knew that it was a book I would fall in love with. I wasn't wrong!
Creatrix Rising is full of great anecdotes. Reading them, I really felt like I was getting to know the author. Stephanie Raffelock does not hold back in some of the stories which helps to make her book all the more real. While reading, I felt as if Stephanie stripped herself down to her soul for me to see and bared it all especially while reading about her time as a teenager in Los Angeles. Reading Creatrix Rising made me want to actually meet Stephanie Raffelock because she just seems like such an inspiration and an amazing woman! In fact, reading some of what happened in Stephanie's life sort of paralleled mine.
Stephanie Raffelock does a fantastic job at describing what a "creatrix" is. She writes "Creatrix is a distinctly feminine word that simply means a woman who makes things." Raffelock says the world creatrix should replace crone which has such a negative connotation, and I agree! From there, Raffelock gives us plenty of personal stories about different women she has come across in her life that fit the creatrix characteristics. In each story, I felt like I was getting to know these women. I wanted to know these women. Stephanie Raffelock's writing is so beautiful and descriptive. It's hard not to feel like her stories are yours. In fact, it was difficult to not picture different women in my life that fit the bill of a creatrix. I put this down to Raffelock's wonderful writing. She definitely knows how to get her point across in such a sweet and beautiful way. Raffelock also teaches us that there is no shame in getting older and how we really should embrace aging as it's not a bad thing at all but quite the opposite.
Another thing I really loved about Creatrix Rising is at the end of each chapter, there is a section entitled "For Reflection, Activity, and Journaling." This section summarizes the main point of each chapter and asks a few in depth questions for the reader to ponder on. Be prepared to have a journal next to you because you will want to answer these questions. They will really make you think long and hard and look deeper into yourself and others. It's such a great and relaxing mental exercise. At the end of the book, if you decide to write down your answers to Stephanie Raffelock's questions, you will have your own little mini book either to keep for yourself or to share with others. If you need a little bit of help, Raffelock lists some fantastic resources to help you on your journey. I also feel that these questions would be great for a book group's discussion if this was a book picked for a book group which I would totally recommend that!
If you decide to read Creatrix Rising (which you really should), here's my personal advice. Do NOT skip the epilogue. Stephanie Raffelock says that she wrote this book in 2020 when the Corona Virus had just really taken off. Raffelock's epilogue for Creatrix Rising is all about the Corona Virus, but she uses symbolism painting the Corona Virus as a beautiful woman that takes everyone by surprise. My jaw was on the floor the whole time I was reading the epilogue. Again, Raffelock's talent for writing really did shine through in her epilogue. I would have never thought to compare Corona Virus to a beautiful woman, but reading Stephanie's story, I realized just how right she was.
Trigger warnings for Creatrix Rising include profanity, some drug use, death, some violence, and some politics.
All in all, Creatrix Rising is a beautiful masterpiece of a book that will leave its reader thinking of all the women in their life that they have come across and how these women have affected them. Although this book mentions unlocking the power of midlife women, I really think men would enjoy it just as much as they also think about the women that have touched their lives. I would definitely recommend Creatrix Rising by Stephanie Raffelock to everyone aged 18+ who are after a beautifully written book that will really make them think.
--
(A special thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Stephanie Raffelock for providing me with a hardcover of Creatrix Rising in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Creatrix Rising is full of great anecdotes. Reading them, I really felt like I was getting to know the author. Stephanie Raffelock does not hold back in some of the stories which helps to make her book all the more real. While reading, I felt as if Stephanie stripped herself down to her soul for me to see and bared it all especially while reading about her time as a teenager in Los Angeles. Reading Creatrix Rising made me want to actually meet Stephanie Raffelock because she just seems like such an inspiration and an amazing woman! In fact, reading some of what happened in Stephanie's life sort of paralleled mine.
Stephanie Raffelock does a fantastic job at describing what a "creatrix" is. She writes "Creatrix is a distinctly feminine word that simply means a woman who makes things." Raffelock says the world creatrix should replace crone which has such a negative connotation, and I agree! From there, Raffelock gives us plenty of personal stories about different women she has come across in her life that fit the creatrix characteristics. In each story, I felt like I was getting to know these women. I wanted to know these women. Stephanie Raffelock's writing is so beautiful and descriptive. It's hard not to feel like her stories are yours. In fact, it was difficult to not picture different women in my life that fit the bill of a creatrix. I put this down to Raffelock's wonderful writing. She definitely knows how to get her point across in such a sweet and beautiful way. Raffelock also teaches us that there is no shame in getting older and how we really should embrace aging as it's not a bad thing at all but quite the opposite.
Another thing I really loved about Creatrix Rising is at the end of each chapter, there is a section entitled "For Reflection, Activity, and Journaling." This section summarizes the main point of each chapter and asks a few in depth questions for the reader to ponder on. Be prepared to have a journal next to you because you will want to answer these questions. They will really make you think long and hard and look deeper into yourself and others. It's such a great and relaxing mental exercise. At the end of the book, if you decide to write down your answers to Stephanie Raffelock's questions, you will have your own little mini book either to keep for yourself or to share with others. If you need a little bit of help, Raffelock lists some fantastic resources to help you on your journey. I also feel that these questions would be great for a book group's discussion if this was a book picked for a book group which I would totally recommend that!
If you decide to read Creatrix Rising (which you really should), here's my personal advice. Do NOT skip the epilogue. Stephanie Raffelock says that she wrote this book in 2020 when the Corona Virus had just really taken off. Raffelock's epilogue for Creatrix Rising is all about the Corona Virus, but she uses symbolism painting the Corona Virus as a beautiful woman that takes everyone by surprise. My jaw was on the floor the whole time I was reading the epilogue. Again, Raffelock's talent for writing really did shine through in her epilogue. I would have never thought to compare Corona Virus to a beautiful woman, but reading Stephanie's story, I realized just how right she was.
Trigger warnings for Creatrix Rising include profanity, some drug use, death, some violence, and some politics.
All in all, Creatrix Rising is a beautiful masterpiece of a book that will leave its reader thinking of all the women in their life that they have come across and how these women have affected them. Although this book mentions unlocking the power of midlife women, I really think men would enjoy it just as much as they also think about the women that have touched their lives. I would definitely recommend Creatrix Rising by Stephanie Raffelock to everyone aged 18+ who are after a beautifully written book that will really make them think.
--
(A special thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Stephanie Raffelock for providing me with a hardcover of Creatrix Rising in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)