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"How to Do the Inner Work" by Susanne Madsen out of 5
Kindle Unlimited Audiobook Paperback If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know how this first paragraph starts: every book I read and review starts off with the full being of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. In comparison to fiction, my non-fiction reviews are very thin on the ground so far but this book is another one to add to the very small pile. I've always been interested in working on improving the inner me so I hope this book will take me gently by the hand as I take the next shakey step. Let's get going shall we? Oooh! The first part of the book before chapter 1 is really talking to me and understanding where I am and what's bugging me... I'm trying to remain cautiously hopeful that this is the start of the first step to self-improvement... will it be that key that fits the lock? I'm 12% of the way through this awesome book and I think it's time for me to pop my last pills of the day and head off to bed. It's been a couple of days since I picked it up so let's see if it reminds me of what I've already read lol The alternative nostril breathing was hard to get the hang of, but it's the first time I've tried it so I'm not gonna give up on it too soon! I've literally just opened the door to talking to my emotions and they are all rushing to be first through the door. All the emotions I've suppressed now have permission to be seen, felt, heard, seen and supported... I just wish that it was one at a time is all lol OK, so overwhelming sadness is first through the door and it's asking to be heard, supported and loved in all it's naked glory. It wants me to stop gulping back the tears and let them flow freely whenever and wherever I need to, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do... if you see me sat on the pavement in floods of tears, I'm connecting with my sadness and expressing it as it wants me to, like I should have done over the last four and a half decades. Now it's telling me that it needs the comfort of chocolate so I'm gonna crack open the last milkshake and keep reading. Aaaand it's finished and I'm bawling my eyes out, but it's what my sadness needs so that's OK. I'm gonna put this review up online then dive deep into my supply of hot chocolate for as long as my sadness needs it or I start getting toothache from all the sugar.
"The Midlife Edit" by Gail McNeill out of 5
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know how I start the review, right? I always start by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full trolley-load of stars and that I always keep my fingers crossed that they are all still firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about knocking off stars but that I always give my reasons for doing so within the review, they don't just vanish into thin air. At over 400 pages long, this book is one of the longest I've read in a while... will the author be able to keep me with her throughout or will she lose me to boredom early on? Let's open the book and get reading shall we? Geez Louise! She's spent the first 2% of the book saying the same thing over and over again with different words, so unfortunately the first star is coming off for repeated repitition and the second star is already wobbling through boredom... will I get to 25% with more than 3 stars? I really hope so, but based on past experiences it unfortunately unlikely. Oh dear. Not a good sign that I've already skipped forward through boredom... we're already down to 3 stars at 5% and my will to continue reading is sat in the corner shaking its head at me. I've skipped ahead again, this time to chapter 4 and 28%... I've already knocked a star off for boredom so the third star is safe, but my high hopes for this book are currently being ripped to shreds unfortunately. The author is, for the third chapter on the trot, talking about menopause... it's starting to feel like this author had great ideas spinning around in her head at a gazillion miles an hour but when you repeat yourself so often you quickly start to lose points from this reader. If chapter 5 talks about the menopause too then that's gonna be the third star lost unfortunately. I'm up to chapter 7 at 53% and any last remaining hope I had of a comforting/reassuring/relaxing/helpful read has well and truly set sail. I don't think I've read more than 3 consecutive pages at a time without giving up and skipping forward. I'm giving this book until the end of chapter 7 to significantly improve or I'm knocking another star off and giving up. I'm finally up to chapter 8 and while it didn't talk about being menopausal, it did go on and on and on and on about eating sensibly and got some things out and out wrong, for example some of the things the author said about veganism are true for vegetarians but not for vegans (I've been vegetarian for over 3 decades and *semi* vegan since 1999 but using her definitions I've been vegan since childhood) so if she got something so well-known wrong, what else has she been spouting that's wrong too? I'm taking off the third star and officially giving up at 63%
"15 Effective Habits: your habit is your life" by Narendra Bajpai
Kindle Unlimited
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know how I start them - by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full whack of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but that I always give my reasons for doing so within the review, they don't just vanish. Judging purely by the cover I'm wondering if this is more of a child/young adult type of book than an adult one... I guess I'll find out when I start reading! Oooh boy... the second sentence in the whole book immediately tells me that this is a Christian book and I don't want religion rammed down my throat throughout it, so the first star is already significantly wobbly... any more talk about God and/or Christianity and off it drops. The second page sees the author calling me lazy so the first star drops off completely after only two pages. On page 3 the author has mentioned the scriptures (ie religion) so the second star drops and we are down to 3 stars after 3 pages... things aren't looking good unfortunately. Half way down page 3 and I'm being told that I don't see anyone better than me which is total hog-wash, so the third star is coming off for making badly wrong assumptions about the reader without any proof at all. According to this author, in 3 pages I'm lazy and think I'm better than everyone else which I find highly offensive considering he's never even heard my name before! And now I'm being told that I want to "put [the person I disagree with] to death" which is even more offensive than being called lazy and apparently thinking that I'm better than everyone else! After only 4 pages I can't take any more stars off so I'm stopping reading right now and giving this book a single star review, purely because I can't leave no or negative star reviews.
"Kindle Unlimited: Why Most of You Should Not Use It" by L. Briggs
Kindle Unlimited
It'll be interesting to read what this author has to say about Kindle Unlimited, considering that's how they've published this booklet! Personally I love my Kindle Unlimited subscription because it has shown me authors and books that I wouldn't have given a second glance to without it. I even added two more books to my TBR pile this morning to continue a series that I discovered on Kindle Unlimited so it's worth every penny for me. Let's get going with this rapid read shall we? Well, I agree with what has been said so far, but the book was obviously written for the American market as opposed to a worldwide audience. I agree with point number 1 in the list that is 69% of the way through though, there is a huge amount of rubbish out there but I've also been able to find true gems that have quickly become favourite series for me and I never would have known of their existence if it hadn't been for Kindle Unlimited. I've just read the conclusion and can see the authors reasoning but I'm one of the ones who loves their Kindle Unlimited subscription and I've got the patience to wade through the less than good books to find true gems like the two separate series of books that I've quickly grown to love. Basically, if you want a best-seller that fully deserves to win awards then yeah, Kindle Unlimited may not be the best choice for you, but if you want to experiment with new genres or new authors or new series or you're just a bookworm then definitely sign up for Kindle Unlimited!
"The Art Of Sayin No With Grace And Confidence" by Cole Sheridan
Kindle Unlimited
Paperback
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that I start them all off by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full truck-load of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but that I always give my reasons for doing so - they don't just vanish into thin air. There are only 31 pages in this book so I'll hopefully have it read and this review up in plenty of time for me to head to bed. Let me just say that those simple two letters making up a very powerful word has been astronomically difficult for me my whole life for very personal reasons and I've always wanted to be able to say "no" and stand by that utterance. I've been a doormat my entire life and I don't know how to be anything else... will this book help to change my life for the better? The author has used two famous social media brands, so, like with the vast majority of books I read, the first star is wobbly at 8% of the way through. Well, I got to 58% without losing any stars, but social media brands have been mentioned again, so in fairness to other books I've read, the first star is dropping off unfortunately. A good book that spoke to me in so many different ways - I'll never remember the phrases the author has given me, but I'm determined to reduce my "yes, but..." responses from now on and increase my "I'm not able to" and refuse to apologise for every no too, which'll be the hardest bit of all lol.
"King George VI: The Spare Who Saved Britain" by 1-Hour Royals
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that I start them off by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full 5 stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but that I always give my reasons for taking them off, they don't just vanish into thin air. I love short books because I don't have to rely on my neurological disability letting me remember what happened half way through chapter 1 at the start of chapter 2 - yep, my memory really *is* that bad. Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we? JMO of course, but it sounds like maybe a member of our current royal family is following in "David's" footsteps and getting similar treatment to him too! Wowsers! What an awesome King he turned out to be... a true king with a capital K who genuinely seemed to care about the people he ruled... an equal rather than above and better than them!
'Pippa Middleton: The Other Middleton Sister' by 1-Hour Royals
If you've read any of my other recent reviews, you'll already know that I start them all off in the same way: by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full stack of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary, but I always give my reasons for doing so, they don't just mysteriously vanish into thin air. I read my first of this series recently and it took 3 hours for me to read without a break instead of the 1 hour that I was expecting and I'm not a slow reader! How long will this book take I wonder? I'm starting it at 3.33pm... let's see what time I finish it. So far so good. There has been mention of the two biggest social media companies, so the first star is decidedly wobbly, but at 57% it's still clinging on for dear life. Well, that was a real eye-opener and it made me feel equally proud of and ashamed of what Pippa went through in the early days - she was ripped to shreds but still expected to smile. I'm proud of how she has handled the new life she was thrown into though... it hasn't been easy for her, but she's a woman in her own right now. I finished the book at 4.44pm so exactly 1 hour and 11 minutes which is more like what I was expecting with the first book that I read in the series.
"AWAKENING I : The Beginning" by Joanne Banyer
Kindle Hardcover
Paperback
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you can probably recite this first paragraph word for word ;-) I'll assume that this is the first review of mine that you've read though and say that each book I read and review starts off with the full load of stars and I'm always hopeful that they will still still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about saying goodbye to stars but I always give my reasons for removing them within the review - they don't just vanish. Let's get on with the reading and reviewing now shall we? The first few pages of this book filled me with utter dread as the author was talking about her jobs and career in science and using scientific words that I haven't got the foggiest clue about. I was pretty much ready to close the book and publish this review saying that it was dull and boring and didn't live up to the authors hype but I forced myself to continue and I'm glad I did because I'm starting to get a feel of where this book is heading and it's in a much-preferred direction, way more spiritual than being some kind of scientific CEO of something or other. This book just gets better and better! I've been hearing music (like is played in a pub) while I'm sat in the living room but disappears as soon as I stand up... I've never put 2 and 2 together but I'm wondering if it's Spirit trying to communicate with me? I haven't heard it at all today, since I started reading the book this morning, which could be another pointer, right? I'm itchy all over my body now... could that be another sign from Spirit?? Oh dear, the most common reason for me dropping a star has just come up with the use of an online video playing website being used a few times so in fairness to other books I've read, a star is coming off at 62%. I'm up to 81% now and I'm still enjoying it... definitely worth a read if you are interested in the afterlife! Just finished reading and I've appreciated every word. It's opened my eyes to what may be happening to me and it's made me want to find out more. Basically, if you are interested in spirituality and especially what happens when we pass away, then you should pop this book into your basket and curl up for an interesting few hours!
"Drops of Reality 3" by Dr M. A. Moss
Kindle Unlimited Paperback
If you've read any of my other, more recent, book reviews, you'll already know that I start them all off in the same way - by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full surgery load of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they'll all be there by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but that I always give my reasons for doing it within the review. Let's get this book opened and start reading shall we? What a way to start the book - no spoilers, don't worry, but your first impression of the accused is totally wrong lol Wowsers! I really wasn't expecting what I read in the first chapter but it was so well written that I think I understand the accused just a little bit more now. Chapter 2 is another goodie and still deserving of every one of those 5 stars. What an end to chapter 2 and it's great that things worked out so well for him! Chapter 3 was short(-ish) and upbeat, leaving me with a smile on my lips and my mood slightly lighter. All I can say about chapter 4 is eeeewwwww!!! lol Chapter 5 was like a warm hug from a good friend that you hadn't seen for years... no spoilers, but chapter 5 would be good to read after a long, stressful day I reckon. The last couple of chapters were the equivalent of the same good friend going "fancy a hot choccie and a catch up? The chocolate cake should be ready soon..." Very much a 5 star book and a must read if you need some light relief and a warm hug around your heart.
"Princess Kate: Inside Her Painful Journey to Becoming Queen" by 1-Hour Royals
Kindle Unlimited
If you've already read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that I always start them off in the same way - by saying that every book I read starts off with the full bucket-load of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they're all still there when I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy in removing stars but that I always give my reason(s) for doing so, they don't just vanish into thin air. Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we? While I didn't learn much that I didn't already know about the princess it was written in such a wonderful way that it was like a warm hug from your best friend. I read it in just over an hour and I feel more at peace now... WTG 1-hour Royals!
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