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Books to Read While Social Distancing. Part 1

April 13, 2020 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

As we try to make sense with our new normal, it’s very important that we keep our day to day activities as consistent as it used to be as possible. Establishing some sort of normalcy in our lives during these times is really challenging but it’s good for our sanity. Also, taking advantage of the extra time most of us now have will help to make us feel productive.

While I do like to binge-watch shows on TV (yes, I did watch Tiger King and Crash Landing On You :-)) and run to the tune of Dua Lipa’s “Let’s Get Physical” (how ironic is this song given our current situation?), I’m also a big fan of reading. Although it’s hard to read a book nowadays because a lot of us are worried, reading can actually provide a momentary distraction and a sense of focus. It’s going to be hard at first especially when thoughts are racing inside your head, but it’ll get easier as soon as you get into the habit.

So, without further ado, check out this first part of the books I recommend to read while social distancing.

You Are A Badass Everyday by Jen Sincero – If you’re a fan of Jen Sincero and her original badass book, you will most probably like this one. I actually liked this book a lot and even more so than the first book. This was a quick read and Jen had put some very interesting self-affirmative advice that a lot of you will mostly like.

Paris, New York, and London in Bloom by Georgianna Lane – If you don’t feel like reading, you can just sit and browse through the beautiful pages of Georgianna Lane’s coffee table books. I absolutely adore these “in Bloom” books and these are perfect for Spring. Also, Georgianna is an amazing photographer with such Pinteresting work.

All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols – Such a great powerful book of poems by Morgan Harper Nichols whom I discovered through Instagram. This handy hardcover with a beautiful floral illustration is full of poetic healing words that are transformational and inspirational. Morgan’s words will touch your heart and this is the kind of book we need nowadays.

Pillow Thoughts I & II by Courtney Peppernell – I don’t think I’ve ever read a poetry book as interesting as Courtney Peppernell’s. Ever since the release of her first Pillow Thoughts book, I’ve become a fan and I really like how her words rhymed and the overall emotion conveyed on every page of her books. If you haven’t read one of her poetry books yet, well, her books have sections for whatever your heart is going through or whatever it desires.

Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder by Claudia Kalb – Here’s a Psychology book that reads like a very entertaining novel. What do Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe have in common? How did Charles Darwin manage to finish his “On the Origin of Species” despite having a psychosomatic disorder? And why was Andy Warhol a hoarder? This is a book about the minds of some of the greatest personalities in our history and why they became the way they were. Interesting right?

Have you read any of these books before?

Stay tuned for the second batch of books I’m going to recommend soon.

Take care everyone.

SHOP THESE BOOKS BELOW

You Are a Badass Book/Audiobook Review

April 26, 2019 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

“If you want to live a life you’ve never lived, you have to do things you’ve never done before” – Jen Sincero, success coach, author of You Are a Badass.

I don’t remember exactly where I heard about this book. It must have been recommended to me, or that I must have read somewhere that a lot of bloggers have read it, raved about it, or got inspired by it. I also seem to remember seeing a pile of it at Urban Outfitters looking like it’s the must-read of the moment. Regardless of how I’ve come to know about the book sassily entitled as You Are a Badass, I knew it got me curious and I had to read it at some point in time. Since I love listening to audiobooks while doing my daily activities, I decided to listen to this book via Audible. If you’ve read my previous book reviews, you’d know that I’m not a big fan of self-help books, not because I don’t need help, lol, it’s just that I’m quite picky about them. I gave this book a chance because it seems to be just everywhere, and it looks really interesting.

The Audible version of this book is read by the author herself, Ms. Jen Sincero. I liked the way she narrated the book. It was fast-paced and her tone of voice was very engaging. The book or audiobook itself is really all about improving oneself or life and on how to be awesome. As blissful and at times shallow that word may be, the author emphasizes for us to recognize that it’s very important to feel good about ourselves. Immediately you could tell that this book is all about self-positivity and self-affirmation, though I must admit that learning to be awesome can be quite a lot especially in today’s day and age.

This book tells no-nonsense advice about achieving your best potential and living the life you’ve always wanted. Which means, being the “you” you’ve always wanted to be. It gives a lot of words of encouragement on following your dreams by getting things done and not sabotaging yourself. It’s like motivating yourself to act and hit the ground running while also loving and believing in who you are. In other words, this is a book not just for the go-getters but also for those who tend to procrastinate and want some push with practical advice and positive affirmation. Think Sophia Amoruso of Nasty Gal with her Girlboss vibe, and you can already imagine what listening to this book must be like.

While I find this book to be encouraging and motivating at the same time, especially when the author talked about following your dreams and understanding your limitations, as well as accepting the things that cannot be changed, or in how you can react to the things/situations that you can’t control, I feel like there are some parts of the book that I couldn’t understand. The author talked about source energy and the universe, and that just seemed a little too farfetched for me, but it didn’t bother me much. I’d like to think that I am more pragmatic in that sense, but perhaps I just didn’t listen to her explanation enough about these things because I was doing some chores while listening to the book. 🙂

Since this book has a very modern voice/approach, expect to hear or read some swear words from the author, which honestly is not really a big deal for me. As for the condescending/arrogant tone that the author gives off with some of her advice, (mentioned by some readers) well, there is definitely a feisty tone to them, and at times they kinda sounded tough, but there is some humor to them as well. So, I just took the positive vibes/advice that I could get out of this book and decided not to judge on the questionable ones. I definitely think that the author should have delved more on some pointers on how to be awesome, and not just on encouraging and motivating the readers to get up and get going.

Bottom line, I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it because of its tell-it-like-it-is approach to motivation, but I also wish that it should have been more open-minded to every individual’s specific situations and daily struggles. But anyhow, the next time you’re feeling low, or you’re feeling like you’re under the weather and needs an extra push or a shot of motivation, you may want to consider adding this book to your list of pick-me-up items to buy.

This book is currently available in Amazon

The Audible version is available HERE

Lip Gloss is from Cle de Peau
Fragrance is from Viktor & Rolf’s Magic Collection – Sparkling Secret, available HERE and reviewed HERE

Have you read this book before? Did you like it?

Two Poetry Books To Read At Bedtime

October 23, 2018 / OTHER STUFF / 0 comments

Hey There! I’ve been reading some poetry books lately and thought that I would like to share two of my favorites with you guys. I have a thing for reading inspirational poetry books at bedtime since they always seem to put me at ease, and reading at night, in general, is perfectly conducive for sleep. The poetry books that I’m about to review and recommend to you all are not only inspirational, they also speak volumes. Meaning, these two books can put you in different emotional states, be it being sad, happy, lonely, or the kind that puts you in a dreamy mood. I usually read a few pages every night of these before I go to sleep and I love it. The chapters found in these books may cater to what you’re feeling for the moment since each line or each poem speaks from the heart.

I Wrote This For You By Ian S. Thomas (Hardcover: $18.56) – I discovered this book at Costco, and I was really drawn to its catchy front cover, however, I didn’t purchase it from there, I got mine at Amazon after reading all the good reviews. This is a beautiful book of poetry blended with photography. The poems here are dark, sad, and gloomy, yet they’re also full of hope and longing. There are poems about life, death, love, beauty, and pain along with some somber and dreamy photographs to match the whole mood and scene. So if you’re the type that likes photography and poetry, then this is the book for you. There is a paperback version of this book which is also nice and is a lot easier to carry, but it doesn’t seem to contain as many poems as this hardcover version which also makes for a beautiful side table book.

Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell (Paperback: $12.99) – This is an inspirational poetry book for those who are in love, longing to be loved, getting over a love, or even to those who are not in love, LOL. The poems in this lightweight suede-like feel book are just beautifully inspiring that it makes you fall in love for no reason. Some lines are tragic, some are truly heartbreaking, while some are just purely spoken from the heart. There is a poem for all kinds of love here, whether you’re a member of the Broken Hearts Club or are simply looking to be inspired. Now, I can’t wait to read Pillow Thoughts II.

Are you also a poetry fan? Have you read these books before?

The Pillow Thoughts and I Wrote This For You books are currently available in Kindle, Paperback and Hardcover format at Amazon.com

* Satin/Silk sleep mask in this photo is by Mary Green, similar style HERE.

* Byredo Tree House candle is available HERE, reviewed HERE.

* Nars Monoi Body Glow II can be found HERE, reviewed HERE.