Shift Into a Higher Gear: Better Your Best and Live Life to the Fullest by Delatorro McNeal

November 19, 2021 By 1 Comment


Shift Into a Higher Gear: Better Your Best and Live Life to the Fullest by Delatorro McNeal
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Kick fear-based living to the curb and discover exactly how to manifest the life of your dreams!

Is there another level of life that you want to live? Are there goals you’ve been struggling to achieve? It’s time to stop settling for excuses and start achieving excellence!

With nearly two decades of experience working with high achievers globally, peak performance expert Delatorro McNeal II is passionate about teaching people how to live life full throttle. As a motorcycle enthusiast, McNeal uses powerful biking metaphors to vividly illustrate how to reject the monotony of living on cruise control. Packed with interactive exercises, compelling questions, and thought-provoking analogies, this book teaches you the methodology and the psychology to bring the best out of yourself! Each of the twelve chapters starts with the word Shift and invites you to make a simple but profound change that will accelerate your results and expand the horizons of your possibilities. You’ll discover how to

• Lean into the curves of life and business
• Sever your dependency on the “kickstands of life”
• Put your weight into the changes you desire most
• Steer the flow of your emotional states
• Shift your core relationships to invite the right posse to your biker club
• Drive defensively to avoid the potholes that stop most people from succeeding

From the introduction all the way through to the conclusion, this book is a transformational seminar on paper. Join Delatorro McNeal as he takes you on the personal development journey of a lifetime.

I don’t even know where to start so I’ll start by saying this is a book you will definitely want to not only read but study and keep handy. And to think this was a book that I picked at random with the preconceived notions that I wouldn’t enjoy it… Boy was I wrong. While reading I texted two friends to share the book’s title and told them that the author’s writing style and message are so inspiring and I also posted a comment on Facebook. I read the book in one sitting and was so thankful for no interruptions.

This book will be a staple for anyone…for business, finances, personal, relationships…just life in general. This is an amazing book that shares great pointers and thought provoking questions that will stick with you well after you finish reading.

I love the motorcycle riding to life concept. I’ve ridden motorcycles before but never would have compared riding a motorcycle in any way similar to having life goals and accomplishing them. I love the layout of the book, along with the thought provoking questions. The author didn’t just write for reading pleasure he wrote so that the readers can receive the message as well as making sure readers take action. I related his writing style to what I imagine it feels like being present at one of his conferences.

Each chapter starts off with a catchy sentence and then is followed by in depth details. The questions, examples and quotes made me pause and meditate on how I can put into action giving 1% more each day, and not just living life but experiencing it. I enjoyed every chapter! I can’t even pick a favorite because I took away a lot from the entire book. I like that he wasn’t wordy, his message is to the point and that he gives practical guidance and various learning exercises that opened my mind to reflect as a consequence I can see myself on the right track to reach my fullest. I love the conclusion at the end of the book and how it gives a snippet of the information included in each chapter. I’m sure I’ll be using this for a quick reference for now on.

I am thankful for the fresh pair of 3-D lenses. A collection of words that help me to live life actively, with intention and purposeful. There is so much I took from this book that I can implement into my life furthermore shifting into a higher gear. To name a few nuggets: no matter what I want it will require my best effort, to also recognize that small changes are just as potent as huge changes and each morning I’ll be asking myself “Will I be better today than I was yesterday?”.

I can’t recommend this book enough!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Psychology of Music by Susan Hallam

November 5, 2021 By 1 Comment


The Psychology of Music by Susan Hallam
Publisher: Routledge
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

How does music affect our moods?

What is the best way to develop musical skills?

How does the definition of music vary between cultures?

The Psychology of Music explores the important impact music has on our everyday lives, and its influence on society, groups and individual people. It demonstrates how music can benefit our intellectual functioning, and health and well-being, and examines musical ability as both a gift and something that can be developed through learning and practice.

Music can enhance our understanding of humanity and modern life and The Psychology of Music shows us the significance of music, and the power it can have over our behaviour.

Do you like music and psychology? This book addresses both. The subjects are intertwined in an informative way. Going through these pages, readers will learn about things like mood and music, musical skills (Is talent natural or developed?), perfect pitch versus relative pitch, music defined in different parts of the world (What constitutes music?), how does music affect learning in other fields, and much more.

This book is enlightening and entertaining. Some of its contents will seem to offer intrinsic knowledge, but some will offer surprises.

This is a great way to see music in a different light but also to see humanity in one as well. Music is a strong presence in life, so this book will give something valuable to readers.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Divorce Bucket List by Jennifer Harris

October 29, 2021 By 4 Comments


Divorce Bucket List by Jennifer Harris
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Divorce Bucket List is a practical and heartfelt guide that effortlessly blends meaningful exercises and reflections with author Jennifer’s personal experiences through the trials and challenges of divorce. Written as a way to empower others to rebuild their lives as they work through the trauma of a divorce, this illuminating guide explores Jennifer’s harrowing journey through divorce, revealing her creation of her Divorce Bucket List – and how it helped her emerge into a happier, healthier, and more emotionally fulfilling chapter of her life.

Perfect for anyone who feels lost, alone, or broken as they struggle through divorce, Divorce Bucket List will help you rediscover yourself and your values, overcome your fear of the future, and learn to love again. With a blend of real-life anecdotes, reflections, and exercises to encourage you to apply a Divorce Bucket List to your unique situation, Jennifer’s story will inspire you to move past your divorce and make the most of this exciting new time in your life.

This book was very timely for me — my husband asked for a divorce a month or so prior to me requesting to review.  I’m so glad I picked it up!  It’s not super long, but it’s honest and interesting and I love all the journaling suggestions. Honestly, I wish there had been more.   I went out and bought a brand new notebook just to work through this… I did all the different exercises and some of them actually sparked other journaling which was really helpful and cathartic.

The author goes through her own experiences, with honesty and doesn’t pull punches.  She tells about the ups and downs as she worked through getting past her divorce.  Some of it didn’t apply to me (I’d been married so long, our children were grown, for example, and she discusses things like having to learn to be away from her children when they were with their dad), but overall it was a solid book to give ideas for building back a life.  And that’s something I think anyone going through a divorce, particularly when they weren’t the one who wanted it, could use.

It’s not a miracle worker… I’m still devastated and broken, honestly, because that doesn’t end in a few months. But it gave me tools to use to help work through the feelings I have and to find the “me” I lost.  It helped me realize there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that the end of a marriage isn’t the end of a life.  There’s more and it can be really good.

So if you need help after divorce to find an even keel, Divorce Bucket List might help you.  I think it’s worth giving it a try!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

101 Self-Development Statements and Questions by Kenneth Liddane

October 21, 2021 By Leave a Comment


101 Self-Development Statements and Questions by Kenneth Liddane
Publisher: A Helping Mind
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Are you struggling to find answers regarding your own thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours?

These 101 Self-Development Statements and Questions are intended to provide
you with the opportunity to explore and identify your unconscious self.

Broken down into 21 categories, you are sure to find answers that no one else can provide.

After all, the answers are always within!

It’s never too early or too late for self-improvement.

I appreciated how open-ended these statements and questions were. It was clear to me that the author did everything he could to avoid making any assumptions about his readers that would hinder them from exploring the ideas he introduced to them. Because of this, I would feel completely comfortable recommending this book to people from all walks of life and from a wide variety of ages and perspectives. While it seemed to be written primarily for adults, I could see how younger readers could get just as much out of it if they were interested in self-development.

In a review of a previous book by Mr. Liddane, I mentioned the need for another round of editing for that work. I’m pleased to say that I saw a big improvement in his writing between then and now. While I did notice some punctuation errors here that I wish had been caught before publication, it was really nice to see how he’s grown in this area. I hope that I will be able to give his next submission a five star rating as I enjoyed everything else about it.

One of my favorite things about reading this author’s thoughts had to do with how well-rounded they were. He asked his audience to probe every angle of his topics, from taking note of their own faults to making lists of ways they could improve their relationships with others. This was something that expected readers to be highly self-aware while also providing opportunities to improve that skill for anyone who thought they could be better at it.

101 Self-Development Statements and Questions was a helpful and thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Rock Me on the Water: 1974-The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics by Ronald Brownstein

October 8, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Rock Me on the Water: 1974-The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics by Ronald Brownstein
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Los Angeles in 1974 exerted more influence over popular culture than any other city in America. Los Angeles that year, in fact, dominated popular culture more than it ever had before, or would again. Working in film, recording, and television studios around Sunset Boulevard, living in Brentwood and Beverly Hills or amid the flickering lights of the Hollywood Hills, a cluster of transformative talents produced an explosion in popular culture which reflected the demographic, social, and cultural realities of a changing America. At a time when Richard Nixon won two presidential elections with a message of backlash against the social changes unleashed by the sixties, popular culture was ahead of politics in predicting what America would become. The early 1970s in Los Angeles was the time and the place where conservatives definitively lost the battle to control popular culture.

Rock Me on the Water traces the confluence of movies, music, television, and politics in Los Angeles month by month through that transformative, magical year. Ronald Brownstein reveals how 1974 represented a confrontation between a massive younger generation intent on change, and a political order rooted in the status quo. Today, we are again witnessing a generational cultural divide. Brownstein shows how the voices resistant to change may win the political battle for a time, but they cannot hold back the future.

Looking for a feast for the eyes that revolves around the year 1974? Then look no further.

This book is a bit of a mishmash concerning the things that happened in 1974. It’s heavy on pop culture and politics. The writing is easy and this is a quick read. Check it out if you’re interested in music, film and television from that year.

I have to admit there are times when the author gets a bit heavy on politics. There is a certain flair revolving around the election of Jerry Brown. That said, it’s not bad. Just a lot of information. The book is made up of chapters labeled as each month of 1974. There are touches on music – namely the west coast sound, Jackson Brown, Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles – television – All in the Family and MASH – plus films, including the work of Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and the emergence of women writers and producers. It’s a lot more balanced than I initially thought it might be and was an interesting read.

Conservativism shows up as well as the change in the world from more of a young person mentality to a ‘family hour’ one where pop culture was encouraged to consider the family hour when creating content. I do like how the author contrasted the movements and showed both the minuses and the pluses to both.

If you’re looking for a long-form overview of the year, how the year and happenings within influenced the future and want to read about the music, films, politics and television of that time, then this is the one for you.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour by Kam Knight

October 6, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour by Kam Knight
Publisher: MindLily.com
Genre: Contemporary, Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

This has become the go to book for students, teachers, educators, professionals, and home-school parents & children to rapidly improve their reading.

It offers simple tips to not only accelerate reading speed, but also comprehension and memory.

Unlike other books that merely teach you to skim & scan, this book taps into your brain and eyes’ amazing power to naturally read more words in a shorter time.

Very impressive read. I am sure it took a lot of effort on the author’s part because the book is well organized and broken into sections in a certain order that allows for organized learning. There are five sections and each section has three chapters that provide numerous tips and insight to help improve reading speed, comprehension and memory. The various techniques make sense and will require effort on the readers part. Readers will have to be hands on with the training techniques and definitely have to put the advice into practice. I appreciate the tips and will definitely work on adding the methods when I am reading. As the author stated “speed reading is about increasing habits that speed you up while decreasing habits that slow you down.”

The author not only gives tips but he makes sure the reader understands and absorbs what’s been written, as well as being able to recall what’s been learned. He gives a deeper dive into the art of reading. A lot of useful information on previewing before the reader starts reading, methods to use for different reading materials, space reading and using visual range in addition to various eye exercises. He offer advice on what questions readers should ask while reading so that they can get the bigger meaning or purpose of what is being read. Again a lot of information that never crossed my mind and will surely make me a better reader and also be able to comprehend what I’ve read. The author explains each technique by defining it, explaining it along with illustrations and practice drills that the reader can perform.

Reading faster and retaining more information deeply affects many aspects of life so why not give the useful concepts a try. I am sure you will find several useful tips that will help you with your quality of reading. I highly recommend this book!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

101 Ways to be Less Stressed: Simple Self-care Strategies to Boost Your Mood, and Mental Health by Dr. Caroline Leaf

September 24, 2021 By 1 Comment


101 Ways to be Less Stressed: Simple Self-care Strategies to Boost Your Mood, and Mental Health by Dr. Caroline Leaf
Publisher: Baker Books
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Although many of us prioritize our physical health through exercise and healthy eating, we often forget to spend time boosting our mind, mood, and mental health. Yet the mind is the source of all our thoughts, words, and actions; when our thinking is unhealthy, our lives will be unhealthy–even if we go to the gym seven times a week and eat kale every day.

It is so important that we focus on mental self-care and reducing daily stress, since mental toughness and resilience will get us through difficult times and help us achieve success in every area of our lives. Using the incredible power of our minds, we can persist and grow in response to life’s challenges.

Let bestselling author and neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf help you change your life by changing your mind with 101 simple ways to reduce stress. With simple strategies for mental self-care, we can change the way we think and how we live our lives.

A communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist has brought us a quick and easy discussion on how we can painlessly make our lives easier. Dr. Caroline Leaf describes many things that can help. Each tip is described in its own short chapter. Those bite-sized bits alone simplify things.

Physical health is important, yes, but we must not forget mental/emotional health. It seems like a daunting thing to practice, but luckily, an expert solves this issue. The fact that Dr. Leaf provides over a hundred ways to do this is nice because there is bound to be something that will appeal to everyone here.

Some of the tips are preventive, and some are in-the-moment ideas that will lesson stress and improve one’s day. It is easy to rethink how we do things when they come with such small demands. The book moves quickly and is worth listening to. Why not get some creative and easy ways to make your life better?

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

The Old Man and the Penguin – A True Story of True Friendship by Julie Abery

September 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Old Man and the Penguin – A True Story of True Friendship by Julie Abery
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Told in rhyming verse, this is the touching true story of an oil-soaked penguin, the man who rescues him and an unlikely friendship.João hears “a sorry screech” as he walks along the shore near his home. It’s from a penguin, whose feathers are soaked in oil.Too tired to swim, too weak to stand, he’s barely moving on the sand. João must save this little guy. Without his help, he’ll surely die.João takes the penguin home. He cleans him, feeds him and nurses him slowly back to health — and the pair develop a special bond. When the penguin is fully recovered, João knows it’s time to return him to the wild where he belongs. But the penguin has other ideas …Told in rhyming verse, this heartwarming picture book tells the true story of João Pereira de Souza of Brazil, who cared for a Magellanic penguin that had been caught in an oil spill. When João tried to release him back to the wild, the penguin returned to João’s home and stayed for months. The penguin, named Dindim by João, did eventually leave, but he now returns to visit his friend for five months of every year. A charming read-aloud showcasing a tender relationship between an animal and human, this book also promotes environmental awareness and stewardship, and explains how human activities often threaten wildlife. Author Julie Abery includes information about João and the penguin, how wildlife is affected by oil spills every year, and what to do if you find wildlife in distress. The lively art by award-winning Pierre Pratt brings a touching sweetness and emotional depth to the story. There are character education lessons here on empathy, kindness and caring.

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The friendship between João and Dindim brought a tear to my eye. Normally, I’m a little cautious about stories about wild animals who are captured or tamed by humans, but the narrator made it very clear that this wasn’t exactly what was happening here. João was always incredibly respectful of the fact that Dindim wasn’t a pet and could leave at any time. It was delightful to see the relationship that blossomed between them as the penguin recovered and became strong enough to return to his usual migration patterns.

I would have liked to see more details included in this picture book. For example, what did João’s family and community think of the penguin who lived among them while recovering from his ordeal with the oil spill? There were other moments in the plot that I also thought could have been explained better even though I deeply enjoyed what was shared and am still telling everyone I know who cares about penguins or wildlife rescue in general to check it out.

With that being said, I loved the way this tale shared its messages about compassion and the importance of helping others whenever possible. It trusted its audience to pick up on these themes ourselves which meant that the plot was free to unfold without any unnecessary explanations of what was happening. Writing it this way also meant that the storyline could appeal to a wide range of readers. A small child’s understanding of it might not be identical to how an adult would react to the same information, but there was something meaningful here for children and grown-ups alike.

The Old Man and the Penguin was a heartwarming read for environmentalists and animal-lovers of all ages.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Finding Happiness In The Dark by Kenneth Liddane

September 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Finding Happiness In The Dark by Kenneth Liddane
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Have you ever said
“I WILL BE HAPPY IF…”?

Did you ever achieve that? And if so, what happened next? Are you living happily ever after, or did you set new goals and update your “I will be happy if…” statement?

In this book, I address the fact that the search for happiness is flawed! Happiness is unique to each individual, it is ever-changing and conditional.

By searching for happiness, I am actually just reminding myself that I am not happy now! After all, why would I search for happiness if I am already happy?

I can tell myself that I am fine, but that doesn’t change how I actually feel, and how I actually feel directly impacts how I perceive the world around me, which affects how I think and behave.

So why do I endure this darkness while I try and persuade myself and others that everything is OK?

Finding Happiness In The Dark directly links our thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours with the same core instincts and drives as every living thing on this planet.

With this insight, you can see how unhelpful thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours develop as we try to navigate through life’s challenges both internally and externally.

By considering the knowledge, skills and possible supports highlighted in this book, you will see that you no longer need to avoid, suppress or endure any part of your true self.

All aspects of your natural self are valuable, and by learning to realise your full potential, you can utilise all of the resources that are at your disposal, and become better able to face any challenge and life experience that comes your way.

Let Finding Happiness In The Dark help you emerge from the darkness,
so happiness has nowhere to hide!

What are you waiting for?

What would you be willing to do to become a happier person?

My favorite sections were the ones that discussed why it might not be the best idea to make chasing happiness a goal in and of itself. They were filled with examples of how fleeting this emotion can be and how strongly our perceptions of it can be influenced by any number of factors, from the mood one woke up with that day to the opinions of those around them. This wasn’t to say that happiness doesn’t provide useful information at times, only that the author felt there were more accurate and meaningful ways to keep track of how one is doing and what, if anything, they wish to improve upon.

This book would have benefited from another round of editing because of how wordy and repetitive the writing in it could be at times. It could have been edited down tightly to novella length or kept the same size if it had included more details about the mental exercises and psychological terms the author was discussing. I would have been pleased with either option, but my attention did wander while reading certain passages that over-explained the same points more than once even though I was quite interested in the premise in general.

The questions left at the end of each chapter for readers to quietly ponder were helpful. I appreciated how open-ended they were. Not only did their lack of assumptions about how a reader might answer them make them easy to answer, they also revealed parts of me to myself that I’d never really spent much time exploring before. It was rewarding to have the opportunity to get to know myself a little better there.

Finding Happiness In The Dark was a thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Dear Librarian by Lydia M. Sigwarth

September 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Dear Librarian by Lydia M. Sigwarth
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When Lydia was five years old, she and her family had to leave their home. They hopped from Grandma’s house to Aunt Linda’s house to Cousin Alice’s house, but no place was permanent. Then one day, everything changed. Lydia’s mom took her to a new place ― not a house, but a big building with stone columns, and tall, tall steps. The library.

In the library, Lydia found her special spot across from the sunny window, at a round desk. For behind that desk was her new friend, the librarian. Together, Lydia and the librarian discovered a world beyond their walls, one that sparkled with spectacular joy.

Paired with warm art by newcomer Romina Galotta and a foreword by Ira Glass, Dear Librarian is a “thank you” to anyone who has offered a child love and support during a difficult time.

Homelessness comes in many forms, including ones that involve children and young families.

I appreciated this picture book’s gentle but honest approach to the topic of homelessness. It explained everything clearly while remaining sensitive to the questions young children might have about why some people don’t have a home to call their own. This was something I’d eagerly read to the little ones in my life in order to explain this topic to them.

Public libraries serve so many important roles in a community, from providing free educational resources to giving everyone a chance to find something entertaining to do over the weekend. I hadn’t spent much time thinking about how libraries can help people or families who need a safe, quiet place to go and forget their troubles for a while, though! There is something so valuable about giving everyone the chance to do just that, and I loved seeing how Lydia and her family used their local library while her parents worked to make their lives better.

The ending was beautifully written. After learning about the difficulties Lydia and her family experienced when she was a little girl, I was eager to find out more about her life. My curiosity was satisfied in the most wonderful way. It was almost as if I’d gotten the chance to meet her in real life and ask her a few questions about what it was like to be homeless at five years old. That’s how detailed and memorable those scenes were!

Dear Librarian was a joyful and heartwarming read. Anyone who loves their local library or would like to read about one woman’s true story of overcoming adversity should pick this tale up!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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