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Your Aging Brain: 10 Brain Rules for Aging Well
Book
How come I can never find my keys? Why don't I sleep as well? Why do my friends keep repeating the...
Cinematic Cold War: The American and Soviet Struggle for Hearts and Minds
Denise J. Youngblood and Tony Shaw
Book
The Cold War was as much a battle of ideas as a series of military and diplomatic confrontations,...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Perfection in Love in Books
Feb 24, 2021
Have you ever just read a book and it felt … right? <i>The Perfection In Love</i> by Ronke Abidoye hit all the right notes for me. It was sweet, sarcastic, and REAL. Did I mention that it is her debut novel? I cannot even begin to imagine how God is going to use her as a writer!
Oyin and Henry’s story is one unmarried people can smile about and married people will remember with abashed fondness. It is a story about choosing to love every day, remembering that you both want each other to be happy, and that Two are better than One so we need to work together. Ronke Abidoye took this situation one step further and added in the stress of visiting family, old friends, and multicultural relationships. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of Oyin and Henry’s weaknesses they were frank and realistic in their insecurities and while I have never been in a multicultural relationship, I thought that Ronke Abidoye explained the situation very well and brought it down to parents needing to learn love and acceptance; and in Henry’s case learning to give up his insecurities. Because in the end we are all Sons and Daughters of the Most High.
I also enjoyed the continual turning to pray for answers by Henry and Oyin, it established an early reliance on faith and God to see things through. The pace and tension were done well and kept me unable to put the book down. A truly wonderful story. Plus, I loved the attention to detail through out the book from the tiny hearts to the <i>Yoruba</i> translated words, they were a unique addition that I wish more authors would do. I sincerely enjoyed this story and loved the unique perspective that Ronke Abidoye took. I definitely recommend reading this book if you like Victoria Bylin, or Beth Troy. 5 out of 5 stars.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
** Visit my IG for more indepth photos of the book! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIdM_omA3UL/">TravelersWife4Life</a>;
Oyin and Henry’s story is one unmarried people can smile about and married people will remember with abashed fondness. It is a story about choosing to love every day, remembering that you both want each other to be happy, and that Two are better than One so we need to work together. Ronke Abidoye took this situation one step further and added in the stress of visiting family, old friends, and multicultural relationships. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of Oyin and Henry’s weaknesses they were frank and realistic in their insecurities and while I have never been in a multicultural relationship, I thought that Ronke Abidoye explained the situation very well and brought it down to parents needing to learn love and acceptance; and in Henry’s case learning to give up his insecurities. Because in the end we are all Sons and Daughters of the Most High.
I also enjoyed the continual turning to pray for answers by Henry and Oyin, it established an early reliance on faith and God to see things through. The pace and tension were done well and kept me unable to put the book down. A truly wonderful story. Plus, I loved the attention to detail through out the book from the tiny hearts to the <i>Yoruba</i> translated words, they were a unique addition that I wish more authors would do. I sincerely enjoyed this story and loved the unique perspective that Ronke Abidoye took. I definitely recommend reading this book if you like Victoria Bylin, or Beth Troy. 5 out of 5 stars.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
** Visit my IG for more indepth photos of the book! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIdM_omA3UL/">TravelersWife4Life</a>;
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Transformist of the Heart and Soul in Books
Jan 6, 2021
Wonderful Self-help poetry journa
Transformist of the Heart and Soul by Melinda George is a self help journal mixed with a poetry book.
Follow one woman, possibly yourself through a discovery of self-love. Find acceptance and move on from damaging relationships with the aid of twelve heartfelt poems from someone who appears to have felt the same pain.
Once you feel ready the journal side of the book asks readers to write their thoughts in the form of poetry and to create daily mantras. For those wanting more you can create a 24 day gratitude list and write love letters to yourself. For the final aspect of the journal readers (or should I say writers) can glue or tape in images or since the squares are black use a white colored pencil to draw in ideas.
The poems are touching and probably relatable for a large number of people, as sad as that is. I also enjoyed how compact the book is, it is small enough to fin in a purse, backpack, or suitcase without taking up too much room. This book is more of a journal than an actual book. Only twelve poems are found in the 79 page book. The back of the book dose say it is a self-empowerment journal inspired by poem, but I wish there were more poems in it. It also would have been nice if the journal had some more specific writing prompts in it.
This book is directed mostly towards women. Specifically it seems to focus on someone leaving or recovering from a bad relationship. Readers should be prepared to or have a need to expose their hear and soul at least to themselves, which can be a painful process. I rate this book 3 out of 4. Over all the book/journal is very nice. I just with it had more poems and better/more specific writing prompts. The size of the book is nice for people on the go so they can write whenever they feel the inspiration.
Transformist of the Heart and Soul | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers USA
Follow one woman, possibly yourself through a discovery of self-love. Find acceptance and move on from damaging relationships with the aid of twelve heartfelt poems from someone who appears to have felt the same pain.
Once you feel ready the journal side of the book asks readers to write their thoughts in the form of poetry and to create daily mantras. For those wanting more you can create a 24 day gratitude list and write love letters to yourself. For the final aspect of the journal readers (or should I say writers) can glue or tape in images or since the squares are black use a white colored pencil to draw in ideas.
The poems are touching and probably relatable for a large number of people, as sad as that is. I also enjoyed how compact the book is, it is small enough to fin in a purse, backpack, or suitcase without taking up too much room. This book is more of a journal than an actual book. Only twelve poems are found in the 79 page book. The back of the book dose say it is a self-empowerment journal inspired by poem, but I wish there were more poems in it. It also would have been nice if the journal had some more specific writing prompts in it.
This book is directed mostly towards women. Specifically it seems to focus on someone leaving or recovering from a bad relationship. Readers should be prepared to or have a need to expose their hear and soul at least to themselves, which can be a painful process. I rate this book 3 out of 4. Over all the book/journal is very nice. I just with it had more poems and better/more specific writing prompts. The size of the book is nice for people on the go so they can write whenever they feel the inspiration.
Transformist of the Heart and Soul | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers USA
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Gotta Get Theroux This in Books
Apr 25, 2021
52 of 250
Book
Gotta get Theroux This
By Louis Theroux
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
In 1994 fledgling journalist Louis Theroux was given a one-off gig on Michael Moore’s TV Nation, presenting a segment on apocalyptic religious sects. Gawky, socially awkward and totally unqualified, his first reaction to this exciting opportunity was panic. But he’d always been drawn to off-beat characters, so maybe his enthusiasm would carry the day. Or, you know, maybe it wouldn’t . . .
In Gotta Get Theroux This, Louis takes the reader on a joyous journey from his anxiety-prone childhood to his unexpectedly successful career. Nervously accepting the BBC’s offer of his own series, he went on to create an award-winning documentary style that has seen him immersed in the weird worlds of paranoid US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, get under the skin of celebrities like Max Clifford and Chris Eubank and tackle gang culture in San Quentin prison, all the time wondering whether the same qualities that make him good at documentaries might also make him bad at life.
As Louis woos his beautiful wife Nancy and learns how to be a father, he also dares to take on the powerful Church of Scientology. Just as challenging is the revelation that one of his old subjects, Jimmy Savile, was a secret sexual predator, prompting him to question our understanding of how evil takes place. Filled with wry observation and self-deprecating humour, this is Louis at his most insightful and honest best.
I’m a huge fan of Louis Theroux I love his documentaries so when he released this book I was so looking forward to reading it. It did not disappoint as you read you read with his voice in your head! His life and adventures are just so fascinating I laughed and also felt a little sad in places! He’s open and candid about his work and relationships. I love hearing how he got his true love and it’s like every marriage with its twists and turns. I learnt so much about him. Well worth the read!!
Book
Gotta get Theroux This
By Louis Theroux
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
In 1994 fledgling journalist Louis Theroux was given a one-off gig on Michael Moore’s TV Nation, presenting a segment on apocalyptic religious sects. Gawky, socially awkward and totally unqualified, his first reaction to this exciting opportunity was panic. But he’d always been drawn to off-beat characters, so maybe his enthusiasm would carry the day. Or, you know, maybe it wouldn’t . . .
In Gotta Get Theroux This, Louis takes the reader on a joyous journey from his anxiety-prone childhood to his unexpectedly successful career. Nervously accepting the BBC’s offer of his own series, he went on to create an award-winning documentary style that has seen him immersed in the weird worlds of paranoid US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, get under the skin of celebrities like Max Clifford and Chris Eubank and tackle gang culture in San Quentin prison, all the time wondering whether the same qualities that make him good at documentaries might also make him bad at life.
As Louis woos his beautiful wife Nancy and learns how to be a father, he also dares to take on the powerful Church of Scientology. Just as challenging is the revelation that one of his old subjects, Jimmy Savile, was a secret sexual predator, prompting him to question our understanding of how evil takes place. Filled with wry observation and self-deprecating humour, this is Louis at his most insightful and honest best.
I’m a huge fan of Louis Theroux I love his documentaries so when he released this book I was so looking forward to reading it. It did not disappoint as you read you read with his voice in your head! His life and adventures are just so fascinating I laughed and also felt a little sad in places! He’s open and candid about his work and relationships. I love hearing how he got his true love and it’s like every marriage with its twists and turns. I learnt so much about him. Well worth the read!!
ClareR (5864 KP) rated The Talk of Pram Town in Books
Jun 10, 2021
The Talk of Pram Town was a bit of a walk down memory lane for me, as someone who was born in the early 1970’s: playing out with my friends, arranging to meet by speaking face to face with them, no mobile phones. I can remember watching Charles and Diana’s wedding, whilst holding commemorative coins bought by my Nan and commemorative mugs that would never be drunk out of (I still have mine somewhere!). But that’s where the similarities in my life, compared to that of 11 year old Sadie and her mum Connie, end.
Sadie and Connie live in Leeds, and don’t appear to have any other family. Connie wants to hit the big time as a singer, but instead sings at local working men’s clubs, and works at the local supermarket. Sadie certainly lives the first 11 years of her life in a much different way to many other people. This house in Leeds seems to be the most stable and ‘normal’ way of life that she has had so far.
So when Sadie is forced to go and live with the grandparents she has never met, her introduction to Essex suburbia is quite a shock to her system!
I loved this book. It has a real sense of time and place, making me feel so nostalgic for my childhood. I really enjoyed Sadie's grandparents: Jean, her grandmother, especially. It’s clear from the beginning that she has her own secrets, secrets that have embittered her over the years. I felt that the slow reveal of her younger life, and how she deals with Sadie as well as her feelings for Connie and Bernard, were fascinating.
But Sadie really is the most wonderful part of this novel. The way that she approaches her new life with such stoicism, her intelligence and curiosity of the new world that she has to grow to at least like, really made me want to read more.
I can’t wait to see what Joanna Nadin writes next - I’ve loved both this and her last novel (The Queen of Bloody Everything), both of which look at mother-daughter relationships.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this - it’s a joy to read.
Sadie and Connie live in Leeds, and don’t appear to have any other family. Connie wants to hit the big time as a singer, but instead sings at local working men’s clubs, and works at the local supermarket. Sadie certainly lives the first 11 years of her life in a much different way to many other people. This house in Leeds seems to be the most stable and ‘normal’ way of life that she has had so far.
So when Sadie is forced to go and live with the grandparents she has never met, her introduction to Essex suburbia is quite a shock to her system!
I loved this book. It has a real sense of time and place, making me feel so nostalgic for my childhood. I really enjoyed Sadie's grandparents: Jean, her grandmother, especially. It’s clear from the beginning that she has her own secrets, secrets that have embittered her over the years. I felt that the slow reveal of her younger life, and how she deals with Sadie as well as her feelings for Connie and Bernard, were fascinating.
But Sadie really is the most wonderful part of this novel. The way that she approaches her new life with such stoicism, her intelligence and curiosity of the new world that she has to grow to at least like, really made me want to read more.
I can’t wait to see what Joanna Nadin writes next - I’ve loved both this and her last novel (The Queen of Bloody Everything), both of which look at mother-daughter relationships.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this - it’s a joy to read.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Killing Choice in Books
Jul 1, 2021
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, sharing the thoughts of a very wide variety of characters. The detectives Finn and Paulsen are the ones tasked to solve murders that happened in a very strange circumstances. This crime story is very strongly driven by it’s characters. There are a lot of thoughts shared not only by police, but by the victims’ family as well. The characters are very different and all of them troubled, none of the character is happy in this book. 😀 Every character analise different topic and different feelings, and it does become a little overwhelming sometimes. I really enjoyed the diversity and inclusion of the characters in this book, I like wider representation of people.
As I mentioned before, this novel is more character driven than the plot, that is why, I think the investigation part was quite thin in this book. The surprising discoveries just kind of appear, missing the juicy surprises while investigating. I think all the thinking parts made this book seem quite slow, but on the other hand it allowed the reader to get to know the characters better. I liked that this book has different storylines, and it was interesting to see how all the stories get connected at the end. The topics discussed in this book were all possible aspects of grief, family relationships, drug dealing, guilt, council estate life, mental health issues, revenge, and many more.
The writing style of this book is enjoyable and easy to read. The setting of this book keeps changing, depending on the character, and I really enjoyed that. When the book has many perspectives, I find it difficult to know who is who, especially when their names and surnames are being used without one another. Personally, I prefer either names or surnames, otherwise I am wondering who that person is. 😀 The chapters are pretty short and the pages just flew by for me. I liked the ending of this novel, it rounded up the story very nicely.
So, to conclude, it is a very thought provoking crime story, filled with complex and deeply troubled characters as well as a layered plot. It is a slow burner, that allows the reader to delve deeply into the character’s world.
As I mentioned before, this novel is more character driven than the plot, that is why, I think the investigation part was quite thin in this book. The surprising discoveries just kind of appear, missing the juicy surprises while investigating. I think all the thinking parts made this book seem quite slow, but on the other hand it allowed the reader to get to know the characters better. I liked that this book has different storylines, and it was interesting to see how all the stories get connected at the end. The topics discussed in this book were all possible aspects of grief, family relationships, drug dealing, guilt, council estate life, mental health issues, revenge, and many more.
The writing style of this book is enjoyable and easy to read. The setting of this book keeps changing, depending on the character, and I really enjoyed that. When the book has many perspectives, I find it difficult to know who is who, especially when their names and surnames are being used without one another. Personally, I prefer either names or surnames, otherwise I am wondering who that person is. 😀 The chapters are pretty short and the pages just flew by for me. I liked the ending of this novel, it rounded up the story very nicely.
So, to conclude, it is a very thought provoking crime story, filled with complex and deeply troubled characters as well as a layered plot. It is a slow burner, that allows the reader to delve deeply into the character’s world.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Silent Patient in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This complex story is told from two different perspectives, a story which was written down by Alicia, and another one, told by Theo, about his life. I really liked the characters in this book, they are very intriguing, some of them very charismatic, but at the same time very believable. I really liked Alicia’s story and her disturbed personality, but at the same time, I found her quite naive and sometimes annoying. Theo really surprised me, he is too messed up in his head to be a decent psychotherapist. His personality and thoughts were quite scary sometimes, but I absolutely loved the investigation he has done, to find out more about Alicia.
The narrative of this book is very layered, complex, and discusses many issues. The characters are sharing their thoughts about the relationships with their family and their spouses, and how that effected their present personalities. The author creatively incorporated his Greek heritage into this story, filled with Greek Gods and other bits and pieces. The story doesn’t stay still for long periods of time, there are plenty of surprising twists and turns throughout this book and it was a real page turner to me. The author discussed a very wide variety of topics, such as a difficult relationship with parents; blind love for their spouses; drugs; mental health issues etc.
The setting of this book feels very mysterious, and I liked that there are multiple locations used in this novel. The writing style is creative, well crafted, but easy and pleasant to read. The chapters are pretty short, and due to suspense, the pages just flew by for me. I really liked the ending of the book, it rounded the story well but there are many unanswered questions, which left me unsettled.
So, to conclude, this is a very amusing story, filled with complex and unique characters, and a plot, soaked in love, grief and betrayal. I strongly recommend to read this story and find out, whether Theo succeeds in his quest to make Alice speak again or not. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did
The narrative of this book is very layered, complex, and discusses many issues. The characters are sharing their thoughts about the relationships with their family and their spouses, and how that effected their present personalities. The author creatively incorporated his Greek heritage into this story, filled with Greek Gods and other bits and pieces. The story doesn’t stay still for long periods of time, there are plenty of surprising twists and turns throughout this book and it was a real page turner to me. The author discussed a very wide variety of topics, such as a difficult relationship with parents; blind love for their spouses; drugs; mental health issues etc.
The setting of this book feels very mysterious, and I liked that there are multiple locations used in this novel. The writing style is creative, well crafted, but easy and pleasant to read. The chapters are pretty short, and due to suspense, the pages just flew by for me. I really liked the ending of the book, it rounded the story well but there are many unanswered questions, which left me unsettled.
So, to conclude, this is a very amusing story, filled with complex and unique characters, and a plot, soaked in love, grief and betrayal. I strongly recommend to read this story and find out, whether Theo succeeds in his quest to make Alice speak again or not. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Art of Hiding in Books
Sep 24, 2020
3.5 stars
The main character in this book was Nina, a mother of two boys and a wife of a wealthy businessman. After her husband’s unexpected death, she finds out, that she was living in a bubble, and her husband left them bankrupt. Kicked out of her beautiful home and with pennies in her pocket, she needs to find out the way to survive.
I really liked Nina as a protagonist in this novel. I really liked her strength and her relationship with her boys. She had huge changes to endure, but I think she handled the situation pretty great. This novel was mostly told from Nina’s perspective, sometimes throwing in other character’s thoughts. My least favourite was Nina’s older son, I do understand he is a teenage boy, but a little bit of understanding and common sense from his part would’ve saved Nina so much stress. :S But again, what do I know about kids.
The narrative of this book was very absorbing to me, I was very intrigued of where the life will take Nina and her boys. There was so much loss, that it was really heartbreaking to see them struggling so much. I really enjoyed the topics which author has discussed, such as family relationships; the differences between being poor and rich, and how it affects people; use of survival skills after they were subdued for a very long time, and many more. Even though the story was engrossing, some parts were pretty repetitive for me, and that made my interest drop until a turn or surprise came along.
This novel is very well written and the language used was very easy and pleasant to read. It has decent chapter length which was divided into smaller parts as well, so the book didn’t drag to me. The ending of this novel rounded this story pretty well and left me satisfied with the outcome. So, to conclude, I enjoyed this story, filled with life-changing events and pretty strong characters. I did admire Nina and her life journey, and I do recommend to give this book a try, it has great life lessons to offer.
The main character in this book was Nina, a mother of two boys and a wife of a wealthy businessman. After her husband’s unexpected death, she finds out, that she was living in a bubble, and her husband left them bankrupt. Kicked out of her beautiful home and with pennies in her pocket, she needs to find out the way to survive.
I really liked Nina as a protagonist in this novel. I really liked her strength and her relationship with her boys. She had huge changes to endure, but I think she handled the situation pretty great. This novel was mostly told from Nina’s perspective, sometimes throwing in other character’s thoughts. My least favourite was Nina’s older son, I do understand he is a teenage boy, but a little bit of understanding and common sense from his part would’ve saved Nina so much stress. :S But again, what do I know about kids.
The narrative of this book was very absorbing to me, I was very intrigued of where the life will take Nina and her boys. There was so much loss, that it was really heartbreaking to see them struggling so much. I really enjoyed the topics which author has discussed, such as family relationships; the differences between being poor and rich, and how it affects people; use of survival skills after they were subdued for a very long time, and many more. Even though the story was engrossing, some parts were pretty repetitive for me, and that made my interest drop until a turn or surprise came along.
This novel is very well written and the language used was very easy and pleasant to read. It has decent chapter length which was divided into smaller parts as well, so the book didn’t drag to me. The ending of this novel rounded this story pretty well and left me satisfied with the outcome. So, to conclude, I enjoyed this story, filled with life-changing events and pretty strong characters. I did admire Nina and her life journey, and I do recommend to give this book a try, it has great life lessons to offer.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Girlfriend in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This whole story was told from three different perspectives, and I think Laura and Cherry shared the spotlight as the main characters, and Daniel was kind of supporting actor. I really enjoyed reading these different perspectives, I like to see what different characters think and how they analyze the situations. One thing was very obvious to me, that no one would be excepted into the “rich circle” with the name like Cherry. It just sounds trashy to me. I really enjoyed the unique personalities, which characters brought to this novel, as well as the complex relationships between each other. If I would have to pick my favourite in this book, I think it would be Daniel, I liked his personality and was feeling pity, that he was stuck in this crossfire.
Even though the narrative was sometimes quite repetitive to me, I enjoyed it. I liked the twists and turns which author incorporated in this novel, they made me more curious about what else the author has up her sleeve. I can easily see authors personal experience in this book. This book felt like some of the movies I saw, I think that’s where author’s knowledge of scripts and film industry comes in, as well as details of the TV serials which Laura was creating. I think that the daughter-in-law – mother-in-law relationship was quite realistic and relatable to some of the readers, I heard plenty of stories about evil mother-in-laws/ daughter-in-law.
I really enjoyed the easy flowing writing style of this novel, as well as great knowledge of London and rich people’s lifestyle. I loved the short chapters of this book, which kept me interested of what will happen next, till the last page. Even though the ending was quite predictable, I think it rounded up the story nicely and left me very satisfied with it. So, to conclude, it is a chilling thriller filled with unique characters and interesting story, which really hooked me, as I really wanted to see how this mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship will evolve. I really enjoyed it and I do recommend to give this book a try.
Even though the narrative was sometimes quite repetitive to me, I enjoyed it. I liked the twists and turns which author incorporated in this novel, they made me more curious about what else the author has up her sleeve. I can easily see authors personal experience in this book. This book felt like some of the movies I saw, I think that’s where author’s knowledge of scripts and film industry comes in, as well as details of the TV serials which Laura was creating. I think that the daughter-in-law – mother-in-law relationship was quite realistic and relatable to some of the readers, I heard plenty of stories about evil mother-in-laws/ daughter-in-law.
I really enjoyed the easy flowing writing style of this novel, as well as great knowledge of London and rich people’s lifestyle. I loved the short chapters of this book, which kept me interested of what will happen next, till the last page. Even though the ending was quite predictable, I think it rounded up the story nicely and left me very satisfied with it. So, to conclude, it is a chilling thriller filled with unique characters and interesting story, which really hooked me, as I really wanted to see how this mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship will evolve. I really enjoyed it and I do recommend to give this book a try.