Non-fiction

A Beautiful Morning: How a Morning Ritual Can Feed Your Soul and Transform Your Life

October 9, 2018October 15, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: A Beautiful Morning: How a Morning Ritual Can Feed Your Soul and Transform Your Life

Author: Ashley Ellington Brown

Page Count: 210

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: February 27, 2018 by Leo Press

Format: eBook

Review: Mornings have always been tough for me. I have trouble waking up, and before I had a baby, I was notorious for hitting snooze several times before finally getting up. Now that I am an early riser (baby’s choice, not mine), I am trying to have a more positive outlook on starting the morning.

This book certainly gave me food for thought, but I found the interview portion (which makes up the majority of the book) to be a bit redundant. Many of the women have similar backgrounds (life coaches, artists, yoga instructors, etc.), so it was difficult for me to relate to them. I think the inclusion of people who lead lifestyles similar to my own would have made this book far more relatable to me.

The most useful information, in my opinion, was found in the final chapters of the book. These chapters summarized common themes shared by the interviewed women, and provided a list of suggested activities and exercises that can help you craft an enjoyable morning routine. I especially liked that the author recommends that you start small, changing only one little thing at a time, until you have a routine that relaxes you and puts you in a positive mindset for the rest of the day. I will be putting these ideas into practice as I create my own morning ritual.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Killers of the Flower Moon

October 5, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by [Grann, David]

Title: Killers on the Flower Moon

Author: David Grann

Page Count: N/A

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: April 2017, Doubleday

Format: eReader

Review: I loved this book, I kept recommending it to everyone. David Grann has a very unique way of writing, and it flows so well. The history itself is compelling and tragic at the same time, and Grann does a great job at highlighting the injustice Native Americans faced at the hands of both the government and the general public.

Grann detailed the history of the Osages and how they came to be the richest people in the world, as well as the history of the FBI, excellently. It was very interesting to read about how the FBI started investigating murders- something we associate with them so much today thanks to TV shows like Bones.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Native American history or their treatment in the early parts of the 1900s.

Reader: Kymberly

Rating:

Non-fiction

The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life

October 4, 2018October 9, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

39810030

Title: The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life

Author: Joshua Becker

Page Count: 240

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: December 18, 2018 by Waterbrook Press

Format: eBook

Review: Minimalism is all the rage right now. Whether it be your wardrobe or your home, there are many people who will espouse the principles of a more simplistic lifestyle. There is a lot of information and research that can attest to the benefits of minimalism (it’s cost-efficient, time-saving, environmentally friendly, etc.), but what I really liked about this book is that it thoroughly addresses the after of decluttering your life. Other books I have read on this topic take a similar approach to Becker and outline methods to declutter and minimize your possessions room-by-room so that you can focus your time and money on less tangible pursuits such as building a healthier, happier life; however, few address how to realistically maintain this change. Things have a way of accumulating, despite best intentions, and Becker outlines ways you can continue to live minimally well after the initial purge.

Overall, I found this book very easy to understand and very applicable to minimizing an average household. There were many personal testimonies and anecdotes interjected throughout the book, but I personally did not find them to be very useful and skipped through most of them. Others may find these enjoyable to read, but I personally do not need to be convinced that adopting this sort of lifestyle would be to my benefit.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Memoir · Non-fiction · True Crime

In the Name of the Children

September 20, 2018October 11, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Title: In the Name of the Children

Author: Jeffrey Rinek and Marilee Strong

Page Count: Unavailable

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: 17 July 2018, BenBella Books

Format: eBook

Review: While it deals with a very difficult subject matter, this book is extremely well written. Rinek and Strong are natural story tellers, making you feel like you’re sitting down with them and just talking and listening to Rinek’s tales of the FBI.

I would give this 5 stars, but the topic gives me pause. It doesn’t feel right, considering it’s about kidnapped children. However, it’s so, so well written. I can’t stress that enough. Rinek expertly describes the processes he went through and the people he dealt with. He shows a lot of respect for his fellow law enforcement officers, stating that many of them became friends over the years, which makes sense; not many people go through what they go through and that forms bonds.

This book is clearly not for everyone, however, if you think you can handle it, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Reader: Kymberly

Rating:

Non-fiction

Essential Oils For Mindfulness and Meditation: Relax, Replenish, Rejuvenate

September 16, 2018October 9, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Essential Oils for Mindfulness and Meditation: Relax, Replenish, and Rejuvenate

Title: Essential Oils for Mindfulness and Meditation: Relax, Replenish, Rejuvenate

Author: Heather Dawn Godfrey

Page Count: 160

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: November 6, 2018 by Healing Arts Press

Format: eBook

Review: This book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a user-friendly guide to essential oils and how they can be incorporated into mindfulness and meditative practice. Instead it is a highly theoretical book that read very much like a college thesis. There was a lot of scholarly jargon, quotes from various studies, and charts discussing the purpose and application of various essential oils. Thrown in were also chapters giving an overview of mindfulness, meditation, healthy eating, and other self-care practices. It had some information I found helpful, but overall I did not find it very interesting and I admittedly skipped through a lot of it. This is not by any means a light read, and I would not recommend it to people who are unfamiliar with essential oils and their therapeutic properties.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Historical · Non-fiction

The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

September 9, 2018October 11, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Title: The Assassination of Robert. F. Kennedy

Author: Tim Tate and Brad Johnson

Page Count: 352

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: June 2018, Thistle Publishing

Format: eReader

Review: This was a very fascinating read. Tim Tate and Brad Johnson clearly put so much time and research into it and while it sometimes gets a little bogged down with the details, it is always clear that they are so passionate about this topic. Their explanation of the events that took place on the night of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy is very plausible- I would say I completely believe it, but I want to read more about it before being absolutely sure. I try not to form my opinions on just one book/article and their arguments are clearly formed and back by facts and data, it’s just that in this day and age we need to be careful of what we believe straight off the bat. I will definitely read more about this in the future.

The one main downside to the book is that it really leads the reader into what they want them to think, rather than letting the facts fend for themselves. This was clear from the onset, with the blurb on the cover stating what they believed and planned on showing, so it wasn’t a big betrayal or anything like that, it just would have been nice to arrive at the end conclusion by myself instead of having my hand held.

Reader: Kymberly

Rating: 3.5

Historical · Non-fiction

Manhunt

August 28, 2018August 29, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer

Author: James L. Swanson

Page Count: 442

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: January 2007, Piatkus Books

Format: Paperback

Review: This book was thoroughly researched and extraordinarily put together. Swanson was able to detail the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to the minute, putting the reader in the heart of the terror. Even though I knew what happened, and that Lincoln obviously died, my heart still pounded in my chest reading the lead up to that pivotal moment in American history.

Before I read this book, I thought I knew a good amount about the assassination. As soon as I started reading I knew I was wrong. I had a bit of knowledge about the other attempts during that night after watching a short documentary on it, but the level of detail, as mentioned before, was so astounding that I realized how much I didn’t know. Thankfully, Swanson filled in the gaps and now when I talk about it with friends (grad students have weird conversations, just… accept this), I get oddly passionate about it. Which is sad, but I’m with like-minded people who don’t judge me (too much).

Bottom line: it’s an easy read, one that flows like a novel, makes the facts easy to digest, and captures the reader from the first page. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Reader: Kymberly

Rating: