2018 Book #24 – Hatshepsut by in60Learning

Posted in Book reviews, Non-fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: Hatshepsut: The Pharaoh-Queen of Egypt
Author: in60Learning
Date finished: 3/30/18
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: February 4, 2018
Pages in book: 52
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Author/Publisher
NOTE: I received this book for free from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Smarter in sixty minutes.
Get smarter in just 60 minutes with in60Learning. Concise and elegantly written non-fiction books and audiobooks help you learn the core subject matter in 20% of the time that it takes to read a typical book. Life is short, so explore a multitude of fascinating historical, biographical, scientific, political, and financial topics in only an hour each.
When Pharaoh Thutmose II died, he left an heir far too young to rule Egypt. His widow Hatshepsut stepped up to take his place. For at least the next 20 years, Hatshepsut ruled as Pharaoh King of Egypt in an era of prosperous growth and peace. When she died, her nephew Thutmose III attempted to smear her good name and wipe her memory from history. However, despite his efforts, his aunt Hatshepsut holds the title of most famous native Egyptian woman to ever rule as pharaoh; she also retains a legacy as one of the most successful female leaders in early history.

My rating: 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

When I was contacted with the opportunity to review this book I was really intrigued. I have always found history somewhat interesting but whenever I really start trying to get through any kind of text on history I can’t stay focused long enough to get through the information. So the concept of a short but sweet historical text sounded like just what I needed to get in a little learning! And this book definitely delivered, it was only about an hour to an hour and a half of reading (I get interrupted a lot) and presented the facts in a format that was really straight forward and easy to understand. The text was really approachable and the chapters were brief, which made it easier to get through the reading. While non-fiction still isn’t necessarily my favorite thing to read, this book was really a great in between for me where I was able to learn a little about historical events. I would really recommend trying these books for a little brief learning adventure.

For anyone interested in signing up with the author’s site to receive updates on promos and new releases; contribute to ideas for their coming work; and be notified of their blogger partners’ work, use the sign up form here.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

10Mar2018

2018 Book #20 – Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman

Posted in Book reviews, Non-fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Author: Amy Kaufman
Date finished: 3/9/18
Genre: Non-fiction, popular culture
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Pages in book: 320
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: NetGalley
NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

The first definitive, unauthorized, behind-the-scenes cultural history of the Bachelor franchise, America’s favorite guilty pleasure.

For fifteen years and thirty-five seasons, the Bachelor franchise has been a mainstay in American TV viewers’ lives. Since it premiered in 2002, the show’s popularity and relevance has only grown–more than eight million viewers tuned in to see the conclusion of the most recent season of The Bachelor.

The iconic reality television show’s reach and influence into the cultural zeitgeist is undeniable. Bestselling writers and famous actors live tweet about it. Die-hard fans–dubbed “Bachelor Nation”–come together every week during each season to participate in fantasy leagues and viewing parties.

Bachelor Nation is the first behind-the-scenes, unauthorized look into the reality television phenomenon. Los Angeles Times journalist Amy Kaufman is a proud member of Bachelor Nation and has a long history with the franchise–ABC even banned her from attending show events after her coverage of the program got a little too real for its liking. She has interviewed dozens of producers, contestants, and celebrity fans to give readers never-before-told details of the show’s inner workings: what it’s like to be trapped in the mansion “bubble”; dark, juicy tales of producer manipulation; and revelations about the alcohol-fueled debauchery that occurs long before the fantasy suite.

Kaufman also explores what our fascination means, culturally: what the show says about the way we view so-called ideal suitors, our subconscious yearning for fairy-tale romance, and how this enduring television show has shaped society’s feelings about love, marriage, and feminism by appealing to a marriage plot that’s as old as Jane Austen.

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

So I ended up requesting this book because of the subject matter. I’ve honestly never watched the Bachelor show or any of the other shows in the franchise but I’ve always kind of had an interest in the show. I recently watched a show on Facebook, RelationShipped, that is a similar premise to The Bachelor shows and I loved the RelationShipped show, so when I saw this book available I figured, what the heck I’ll give it a try. I was impressed by the amount of work and research that went into this book, it was a behind the scenes look into how the Bachelor works and gets produced but it also looks at the show from a psychological aspect. This book really sparked an interest for me and made me want to start watching the show (I bought and am watching Season 13 now). Hearing about how fake everything was actually made me want to see the show more, because while the people and their feelings are very real, what the audience is seeing isn’t always exactly what happened and that makes it feel more fictional to me.

I liked this book a lot, the only reason it didn’t get a higher score for me was just because I really prefer fiction (personally). The book overall was really interesting and fairly well paced, but the lack of a “plot” always leaves me feeling a little disappointed. Overall though this was a good book and was super informative, I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like The Bachelor TV series.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

21Aug2016

2016 Book #75 – I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

Posted in 2016, ARC August 2016, Book reviews, Book Riot Read Harder Reading Challenge 2016, Non-fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places
Author: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Date finished: 8/15/16
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: July 12, 2016
Pages in book: 324
Stand alone or series: It’s similar to 6 other books they’ve published I think but its not like a connected series
Where I got the book from: The Reading Room NOTE:I received this book for free from The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Lisa and Francesca are back with another collection of warm and witty stories that will strike a chord with every woman. This six book series is among the best reviewed humor books published today and has been compared to the late greats, Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron. Delia Ephron said of the fifth book in the series, Have a Nice Guilt Trip, “Lisa and Francesca, mother and daughter, bring you the laughter of their lives once again and better than ever. You will identify with these tales of guilt and fall in love with them and fierce (grand) Mother Mary.” This seventh volume will not disappoint as it hits the humorous and poignant note that fans have come to expect from the beloved mother-daughter duo.

My rating: 2.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book will count towards my ARC August 2016 Reading Challenge. Also, this book will count towards my Book Riot 2016 Read Harder reading challenge, marking off the “read a collection of essays” square since this book is made up of a number of non-fiction essays. The essays were written alternating between Lisa and Francesca. The essays were about their lives and their experiences. This is not the first book they’ve written in this style, I think that they mentioned this is around the 6th book in this similar style. While some of the stories were interesting, this isn’t something I would have normally chosen to read for myself. I’ve always had trouble with collections of poems or essays, I grow frustrated with the lack of plot/focus. There were some good points made in the book and a few topics I became engaged with, but each story was only about 2-6 pages. It was interesting to see in some cases how their stories interacted with each other but the compilation of so many short essays made it more difficult for me to stay engaged, There wasn’t really an overall “story line” which made it more difficult for me to read. And in many cases whoever was writing at the time would go off on a preamble completely unrelated to the story they were trying to present, which made it even harder to concentrate.

The bottom line: This just wasn’t really a style of book that I enjoy. I think that it would make a good beach read since it is a collection of shorter stories/essays and is therefore easy to put down and pick up again.

Link to author website: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

1Aug2016

2016 Book #71 – The Patient’s Resource and Almanac of Primary Care Medicine by Agnes Oblas

Posted in 2016, Book Riot Read Harder Reading Challenge 2016, Non-fiction, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: The Patient’s Resource and Almanac of Primary Care Medicine
Author: Agnes Oblas
Date finished: 7/31/16
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: New Paths to Healthcare, LLC
Publication Date: October 24, 2014
Pages in book: 156
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Author/publisher NOTE: I received this book for free from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

The Patient’s Resource and Almanac of Primary Care Medicine includes essays on medical topics of interest to the lay reader; common diseases or conditions are presented with illustrations, and easy to understand graphs or charts. Resources are also identified for more in depth information.The Patient’s Resource and Almanac of Primary Care Medicine serves as a basic reference and guide to 30 common medical- and health-related topics. Readers will find these topics to be pertinent, helpful, and reader-friendly. The essays are presented with resources, fun facts, and timelines, etc., to make the reading even more enjoyable. Some of the essays also include a section called “The Savvy Healthcare Consumer,” which highlights points about that essay’s topic which the reader should be aware of as it relates to a visit to a healthcare provider. You will find these essays free of medical jargon (or with definitions included) yet scientifically and medically sound. My purpose is to educate and clarify some complex medical issues while at the same time allowing the reader to enjoy the experience!

My rating: 3.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. Also, this book will count towards my Book Riot 2016 Read Harder reading challenge, marking off the “read a nonfiction book about science” since this book contained a lot of medical and other scientific information. This was a nonfiction book and is a short resource that discusses a number of common medical issues like heart disease, headaches, and fever as well as more complicated issues like the functions of different organs of the body and the functions of certain medications. There was also a lot of historical information included in each section on the background of the ailment or medicine and how over the years the medical information on the subject progressed. While this wasn’t something I normally would have chosen on my own for recreational reading, it had some useful information and I think it would make a good household resource.

The bottom line: This wasn’t something I would normally pick out for myself but I must say it was full of useful information. This is a great resource to keep on hand for referencing concerning ailments like headaches and fever and even thyroid-ism and cancer.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

22Apr2016

2016 Book #37 – I Know What I’m Doing — and Other Lies I Tell Myself by Jen Kirkman

Posted in 2016, Book reviews, Non-fiction, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2016 checklist, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: I Know What I’m Doing — And Other Lies I Tell Myself
Author: Jen Kirkman
Date finished: 4/22/16
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Pages in book: 240
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Edelweiss NOTE: I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

New York Times bestselling author and stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman delivers a hilarious, candid memoir about marriage, divorce, sex, turning forty, and still not quite having life figured out.
Jen Kirkman wants to be the voice in your head that says, Hey, you’re okay. Even if you sometimes think you aren’t! And especially if other people try to tell you you’re not.
In I Know What I’m Doing—and Other Lies I Tell Myself, Jen offers up all the gory details of a life permanently in progress. She reassures you that it’s okay to not have life completely figured out, even when you reach middle age (and find your first gray pubic hair!). She talks about making unusual or unpopular life decisions (such as cultivating a “friend with benefits” or not going home for the holidays) because you don’t necessarily want for yourself what everyone else seems to think you should. It’s about renting when everyone says you should own, dating around when everyone thinks you should settle down, and traveling alone when everyone pities you for going to Paris without a man.
From marriage to divorce and sex to mental health, I Know What I’m Doing—and Other Lies I Tell Myself is about embracing the fact that life is a bit of a sh*t show and it’s definitely more than okay to stay true to yourself.

My rating: 2.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. Also, this book will count towards my “PopSugar 2016 Checklist” reading challenge, marking off the “a book written by a comedian” since this book was in fact written by a stand-up comedian. This book is about Jen Kirkman’s experience with marriage, divorce, and what comes after. It is an honest look at what she thinks of the institution of marriage and about her life. Since she is a comedian, as you can expect there is a slightly sarcastic and humorous voice as our narrator. Many times I found myself laughing out loud while reading this book.
So I would like to preface the rest of what I’m going to write by saying that I don’t think I am the target audience for this book. At all. This book talks a lot about how awful marriage is and while that wasn’t the only point that this book was trying to make or the only thing discussed, it really turned me off to some large parts of the book. While I get that marriage isn’t for everyone, the author talked a lot about how when she was contemplating divorce she got tired of married people telling her that marriage is hard and that she should try to work harder at it. Obviously I don’t know her exact situation and no one outside of your marriage can really decide for you whether its something that is right for you, her married friends were telling the truth. Marriage is hard. It isn’t all rainbows and being madly in love all day every day for your whole life. Marriage is a lot of work. I mean think about it, you have to spend 50 years of your life attached to one person. During that 50 years countless other people are going to come in and out of your life, changing who you are as a person. Even ignoring that, people usually change over time, so during 50 years you could change who you are as a person entirely. Sometimes you change too much and your marriage doesn’t work out but otherwise you have to work at it. You have to work to find time for each other and continue to make each other feel special and just a whole lot of other crap that takes a lot of work emotionally. So suffice it to say I didn’t agree with a lot of the things the author discussed in the book. And trust me, I am not dependent on my husband in any way shape or form, I am very independent. And I am not with him because “society” thinks I need to be married or because I want someone to cook for. I am with my husband because we have fun together (some times) and because I like what he brings to our relationship. He interests me as a person, and he has since the moment I met him.
Wow that was quite the rant. Anyways, the author also discusses that marriage is awful and married people can’t understand why she doesn’t want to get married and that people with kids only care about their kids. So if hearing about any one of those things appeals to you then I would read this book. Other than that you might find it a tad frustrating, but still funny as well.

The bottom line: I just couldn’t really get into this book. It was definitely funny, there were some parts that made me laugh out loud. But I’m a married woman who is looking to have children so I think I just wasn’t in the target audience for this book that makes fun of married woman who have/want to have children for 200 pages. Was a funny read but I would probably only recommend it to people who are divorced or who have no interest in getting married or who have no interest in having children.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

1Mar2016

2016 Book #16 – El Nino: The WILD side of the weather cycle by Bill Limmer

Posted in 2016, Book reviews, Book Riot Read Harder Reading Challenge 2016, Non-fiction, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: El Nino: The WILD side of the weather cycle: What we know, what we don’t, and why you should care!
Author: Bill Limmer
Date finished: 3/1/16
Genre: Non-fiction, weather
Publisher: Wild Weather Publishing
Publication Date: August 31, 2015
Pages in book: 88
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Author/publisher NOTE: I received this book for free from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

El Niño is here and it’s rocking our world! This El Niño has already set records. Look out for a wet, wild, and stormy winter. This El Niño is special and like famous ones before it, has the potential to bring massive flooding, roof crushing snowstorms, debilitating ice storms, and powerful, destructive tornadoes to the U.S. and the World. Meteorologist, Bill Limmer chronicled the history of these events and their catastrophic effects in his new eBook. What disasters will this El Niño season bring? How can you protect your family? The 2015-16 winter/spring season could be a ROUGH one. Everyone needs to know and prepare for the worst. This is the eBook for the proactive and for all of those who think it can never happen to them! Filled with valuable information and helpful links, this eBook will help you and your family get prepared for the stormy, destructive, unsettling winter season heading your way. Bill says, “All the signs have aligned. It’s time to sound the trumpet.”

My rating: 3.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book will count towards my Book Riot 2016 Read Harder reading challenge, marking off the “Read a book under 100 pages” box since this book was only 88 pages. This is a non-fiction book about the upcoming potential El Nino weather season and the effect it may have on the U.S. (based on past experiences). I thought this book was well done in the fact that there was a bunch of scientific and statistical information included in the book, but it wasn’t so much that an ordinary person couldn’t read it. I personally know absolutely nothing about weather or weather patterns but this book was explained in such a way that it was easy for a “regular” person to understand it but had enough information that I think someone who has more expertise on weather would also find it interesting. That being said I’m going to do my best to give a summary of the book without getting anything wrong (fingers crossed).
The El Nino weather season is due to changing ocean temperatures (overly simplified explanation, if it is technically accurate) which causes extreme weather conditions such as tornadoes, flooding, extreme snow storms and rain storms, etc. The US is currently in an El Nino weather system and there are a number of examples from the book on storms that happened in Oct 2015 that are substantiating the fact that this El Nino is going to be stronger than ever. There are a number of examples of past El Nino seasons in this book including the many storms and side effects, as a guideline of what we can expect in the coming months. There are also some tips included in this book for anyone looking to prepare for any upcoming large storms.
Overall I thought this book was interesting, though it isn’t something I normally would have read on my own. The only reason I did not score it higher was because it wasn’t really a topic that I have a lot of interest in. I think this is a great book for any one is interested in learning more about weather, especially since it seems like this will have a significant impact on people’s lives in the upcoming year.

The bottom line: I thought the subject matter of this book was interesting and definitely was explained well enough that an ordinary citizen would be able to understand the changes in the weather patterns. Also had great tips for preparing for upcoming storms!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

25Nov2015

2015 Book #118 – The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Warner

Posted in Book reviews, Memoir, Non-fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: The Sound of Gravel
Author: Ruth Wariner
Date finished: 11/23/15
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Pages in book: 336
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: BookBrowse NOTE: I received this book for free from BookBrowse in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

RUTH WARINER was the thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turn a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house
without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can only ascend to Heaven by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible. After Ruth’s father―the man who had been the founding prophet of the colony―is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant.
In need of government assistance and supplemental income, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the United States, where Ruth’s mother collects welfare and her stepfather works a variety of odd jobs. Ruth comes to love the time she spends in the States, realizing that perhaps the community into which she was born is not the right one for her. As she begins to doubt her family’s beliefs and question her mother’s choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself.
Recounted from the innocent and hopeful perspective of a child, The Sound of Gravel is the remarkable memoir of one girl’s fight for peace and love. This is an intimate, gripping tale of triumph, courage, and resilience.

My rating: 4.05 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Ruth, a young girl growing up in a polygamist Mormon community in Mexico near the US border. Ruth and her siblings are all technically American citizens, so even though they live in Mexico, their mother (Kathy) still collects welfare and food stamps from the US. This book is about Ruth’s childhood and also about her family. Ruth bares all in this book and readers should be warned, there are descriptions of multiple unfortunate deaths/funerals and also child abuse. After seeing a few episodes of that show Sister Wives on TLC I will admit I have a weird interest in hearing stories of people who have lived or grew up in the polygamist lifestyle. The idea of it is just so foreign to me that I can’t understand how a marriage can be shared between more than two people, the logistics of it and how it can survive the tests of time. So when I saw this book available on BookBrowse I was immediately interested.

While growing up, Ruth and her family move around a lot over the years. At one point her mother leaves her step-father (after an incident with him buying a shower head for wife #1 with Ruth’s mother’s money) and they go to the US to live with Kathy’s parents for awhile. They don’t ever end up in one place for very long, though they are forced to live in El Paso, TX for about 2 years when DCF gets involved after the kids are left alone for almost a week (the oldest child at that time was 12 and the youngest was 1 or 2 if I remember correctly). I thought Ruth did just such a fantastic job describing the different locations where she spent time growing up. The imagery seems so real in the book that the reader feels like they are standing right beside Ruth seeing it with her. The events and timeline in this book are well-laid out and very detailed. I felt like I really got to hear about Ruth’s story and all the details of her childhood growing up.

Overall I really liked this book, it was moving and heart-breaking and a beautiful story about a woman’s traumatic childhood but also about how she overcame that childhood to become the person she is today. At 19 she was taking care of all of her younger siblings, trying to support them while also getting her GED and then going to college. Honestly as heart-breaking as her childhood was, I thought this book was inspirational. To think that someone can live through so much heartbreak and still come out not only surviving but thriving, really it is a feat to be admired. Also at this time of year especially when we are giving thanks for the things in our lives we are most grateful for, this book is a great reminder that I should be grateful for the childhood I had and for the two loving, caring parents that God gave me. I think the story was well written and poignant, and I have so much respect for Ruth not only for what she went through but also for having the courage to share her story with the world.

The bottom line: The story line for someone to say they “enjoyed” this book, but it was inspiring and heart-breaking and extremely moving. I would definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

4Aug2015

2015 Book #80 – On the Way by Robin Lake

Posted in 2015, ARC August, Book reviews, Non-fiction, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: On The Way: A Working Woman’s Field Guide
Author: Robin Lake
Date finished: 8/3/15
Genre: Non-fiction, self-help
Publisher: Global Guides
Publication Date: May 1, 2015
Pages in book: 245
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Author/publisher NOTE: I received this book for free from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

You’ve read Lean In and other inspirational books on women in the workplace. Now how do you turn your goals into reality? Start putting ideas into practice today.
This essential guide offers practical steps on how to build and grow a successful and satisfying career. It is the first tactical handbook for professional women with detailed nuts-and-bolts tips on all aspects of day-to-day working life. The author has created a well-organized reference guide relevant to any woman seeking to enter or navigate the professional world. The book pinpoints best practices by category, peppered with personal anecdotes and observations.
Lake offers modern guidance on topics including choosing a career path, job searching, office behavior, having a family while working, and stress management. The book focuses on smart, realistic strategies for all stages of career whether one is enjoying success or tackling tough times.
On the Way is a key companion resource to complement other popular books on women and business. Keep it in your library to pull out over and over as a starting point for next steps in any working world situation.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will be counting towards my goal for ARC August reading challenge, it is #2 on list from my sign up post. I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. Non-fiction isn’t usually my favorite genre but I agreed to review the book because 1) it did sound interesting and 2) I am a working woman in a traditionally male-dominated field so I thought maybe I could pick up a few tips and tricks along the way. And I definitely learned something from reading this book, there is a plethora of good advice in this book and I am extremely glad that I read it. There were a lot of good points and I know I will be trying to keep them in mind in the months/years to come as I steer my career upwards (hopefully). I especially loved the author’s idea of having a set packing list for different work trips (domestic short trip, foreign long trip, trip with child, etc.) that you can use for multiple occasions. I have started doing something similar to this lately and it is just such a helpful idea and saves so much time when you’re not running around last minute trying to figure out what you forgot to pack.
I didn’t agree with absolutely all of the authors points, mostly I think because of generational differences which is fine. In one part she mentions that you shouldn’t use “pink pens, water bottles, or anything else that would have been at home on the set of the movie Legally Blonde” (ha that’s funny) but I think a pink water bottle on its own would be ok, like one of those Camelbak bottles everyone uses. I don’t think that would be detrimental, though to be honest there’s also nothing wrong with just buying a blue one. I absolutely 100% agree with her many points about forcing yourself to step outside of your comfort zone; it really is one of the best ways to grow professionally. As a woman professional you need to be comfortable doing any task assigned to you, and if you’re a weak public speaker or don’t feel that comfortable doing it, that is going to hold you back from being able to advance in any company. I also really liked her point that not everything is about you. I know as a woman I tend to take things very personally, even in the work place. If I get a lot of review comments I sometimes see that as failing and get very defensive. But without these comments I won’t be able to grow as a professional since in essence they are really a training tool. No matter how much you may think something is personal, its more than likely “Not about you”!
So as you probably could already figure out, I thought this was a helpful, informative, and well-written book. Most non-fiction books I have trouble staying interested but I had no issues on that with this book as there are story examples included throughout and honestly the points and suggestions were just so helpful it wasn’t hard to stay interested. To any women just starting out in the professional world and even women who have been in it for awhile (I have been a working woman for 5 years now) this is definitely a must-read!

The bottom line: I think this is an absolutely fantastic book for any woman entering into the professional world or currently working there, especially if it is a traditionally male dominated world such as accounting, law, and other professions. Great book with some great tips!!

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

20Jun2015

2015 Book #61 – The Anxiety Toolkit by Alice Boyes

Posted in 2015, Book reviews, Non-fiction, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: The Anxiety Toolkit
Author: Alice Boyes, PhD
Date finished: 6/20/15
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Perigee Books
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Pages in book: 206
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Do you overthink before taking action? Are you prone to making negative predictions? Do you worry about the worst that could happen? Do you take negative feedback very hard? Are you self-critical? Does anything less than perfect performance feel like failure?
If any of these issues resonate with you, you’re probably suffering from some degree of anxiety, and you’re not alone. The good news: while reducing your anxiety level to zero isn’t possible or useful (anxiety can actually be helpful!), you can learn to successfully manage symptoms – such as excessive rumination, hesitation, fear of criticism and paralysing perfection.
In The Anxiety Toolkit, Dr. Alice Boyes translates powerful, evidence-based tools used in therapy clinics into tips and tricks you can employ in everyday life. Whether you have an anxiety disorder, or are just anxiety-prone by nature, you’ll discover how anxiety works, strategies to help you cope with common anxiety ‘stuck’ points and a confidence that – anxious or not – you have all the tools you need to succeed in life and work.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will be counting towards my goal for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist under the “a nonfiction book” check box since this was a nonfiction book (duh). I have struggled with anxiety for pretty much my whole life. It isn’t debilitating for me, just annoying sometimes. Its a family trait on my mom’s side and while I do feel like I have a pretty good handle on it, I feel like there is always room for improvement. So when I saw this book at the library I thought it would be a great book to read to try and get a better handle on my issues. I think that the book was pretty helpful, it presented a bunch of helpful tips for overcoming anxiety. I’m glad I read it!

The bottom line: This is a good book for people with anxiety, it has some great tips for how to deal with anxiety issues.

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

16May2015

2015 Book #44 – The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Posted in 2015, Book reviews, Non-fiction, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Author: Marie Kondo
Date finished: 5/16/15
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Pages in book: 204
Stand alone or series: Stand alone

Blurb from the cover:

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).
With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

My rating: 3 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will be counting towards my goal for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist under the “a book that was originally written in a different language” check box because it was originally written in Japanese and was translated into English by Cathy Hirano. This book presented an interesting approach to decluttering your house, and provides the reader with some helpful instructions to guide them in their efforts to revitalize and organize their home.

What I found interesting is the way Kondo describes talking to inanimate objects, such as your home and your clothes. She states that thanking these objects makes them feel appreciated and that they will last longer. I’m not sure how true that is since I’ve never tried it but I think it is an interesting concept.

Kondo has been studying the art of tidying since she was a young girl and she has devised a method to help her customers shed that excess weight from their houses and discover a less stressful way to live. As an avid fan of tidying myself, I very much enjoyed reading Kondo’s ideas and tips. While I might not necessarily agree with every piece of advice in the book, overall it was a well written book and it has motivated me to work harder to declutter my home. The whole point of the book is that Konda wants to help you turn your home into a haven for yourself, which is something that I strive for continuously.

The bottom line: I would recommend this book if you are interested in decluttering, it has some good tips and directions.

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page