This book goes in-depth about the energy centers of the body and how the breath can move and create energy, soothing and refreshing the body. There are instructions for different types of breathing rhythms, and different postures for sitting or lying down as you meditate and breathe. I love how many details and explanations there are about different aspects of the breathe and lungs.

There are breathing exercises to try, with clear instructions and a list of benefits. There are exercises for an energizing breath, or for a calming breath. Some of my favorites are included like Alternate Nostril Breathing, Buzzing Bee Breath, and Ocean (Ujayi) Breath. There are breathing techniques for mental clarity, stress relief, and for better sleep through calming and cooling breathing.

The breathing exercises are divided into sections for beginners, intermediate, and advanced, with slight variations on the basic breathing techniques to deepen your breathing and your meditation practice.

There is a section with sequences of meditation and a mixture of breathing techniques that work together to detox the body, calm the mind, and release all anxiety. These begin with a "warm-up" breathing technique that is simple and easy just to get you focused and relaxed. Then the sequence will move on to a deeper breath, and finish by releasing all breathing techniques and just noticing your natural breathing.

I really love that this book encourages the reader to listen to their own body, pay attention to how the body reacts to each breathing technique. All techniques will not be appropriate for everyone, and some may fatigue your lungs if you practice them too long. Each breathing technique comes with a suggested time limit, so that the reader can be safe and healthy as they practice.

There is some excellent information in this book, as well as compassionate guidance for meditation and breathing.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Spark is a teddy bear, sworn to protect her owner from the monsters that attack in the night. But when a truly powerful monster threatens the children of the house, it will take a special league of bears to fight off the monster.

This book was darker and scarier than I expected. The monster is really freaky, with scales, insect claws, pincers, horns, spider legs, and the head of a human. The monster wears a creepy medallion around its neck with a human head on it that comes to life. Even with all the gross descriptions of this monster, I can't quite picture it in my head. It's like half-human, half scorpion. Ugh.

At the beginning of the book, the monster has already kidnapped children. Much of the book is about the adults and children going in search parties to look for the missing kids, and putting up Missing Child posters around the town. It's heart-wrenching to see them grieving and anxious, barely sleeping and barely eating and fighting among themselves because the tension is so high. This is not a happy book.

I liked the writing style, but had problems with the way this story was organized. The pacing is awkward. There are a LOT of flashbacks and memories. And there are plot holes all over the place.

There are a lot of plot explanations, where a character explains to another character how something works, but we the reader are never told HOW that character got that information. They just magically know what is happening and explain it out of thin air. How could they possibly know that? Very frustrating.

The plot is full of convenient happenstances. Spark spends the entire book being so super careful that no humans could possibly see her moving around the house, and then at the end, Spark decides to just run past a group of humans and hope they don't notice. They see something blurry go past, but aren't sure what it was. Really? And they don't see her because...?? Because she ran so fast? How very convenient that suddenly humans are stupid and don't have eyes, even though Spark spent the entire book lumbering around like a slow clumsy teddy bear with no hint that she was secretly faster than the human eye.

There are multiple instances like this where the plot does not make sense, or contradicts previously established facts. I lost count of the times that something impossible happened which did not fit with the magic system that had been established, or that might have fit in this world but it was not explained how it fit. A lot of the story doesn't make sense.

There is very little resolution at the end. The immediate threat is resolved when the teddy bears succeed in scaring off the monster, and the missing children are found. But the monster isn't defeated. The monster is still around, and the bears are just waiting for the next attack. The monster also has an extensive backstory about how it was cursed, and it was hinted that the bears could find a way to lift the curse and save the monster and maybe make him good, but that storyline was never explored any further. I wonder if this will end up being a series, and the monster's story will be resolved later on.

I liked the characters, but I didn't really connect with them. All the elements of a good character were there for each of them, backstory, depth, personality, special interests, and relationships with the other characters. Then each character just sat there, moving through the story like robots. There was very little development or meaningful growth.

I think that a child reading this book would probably not notice the many plot holes or stale characters. There is enough of a good story and good characters there to keep your interest in the book. However, a child young enough to not notice the problems in the story, would also be young enough to get scared by the dark elements in the story.
The kidnapping feels much too real and frightening, and the descriptions of the monster are truly disgusting. I found it disturbing. A child young enough to be interested in a book about teddy bears would certainly find it terrifying.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book has a short paragraph to read each day with positive affirmations, tools for navigating difficult emotions, and ways to cultivate an attitude of healing and kindness towards yourself.

I'm not sure how I like this book. Some of the ideas are really good, about forgiving yourself, allowing yourself to be imperfect, letting go of bitterness or doubt, and embracing wonderful affirmations and positive thoughts.
But then some weird stuff about "mystical awareness" will creep in. The author seems to think that we will magically gain wisdom from within ourselves if we just listen to our subconscious mind and heart. It's an odd philosophy, and doesn't seem realistic.

There are some really strange ideas in this book about "cosmic energy".
For example, this entry for May 31st....
"Rest in the realization that your indivisible presence is the miraculous embodiment of soulful intelligence, and let the mystery be. As long as you believe your spiritual presence is elsewhere, you will feel split into fragments that appear to be irreconcilable."

I like the normal, common-sense ideas about finding emotional healing, but the mystical cosmic stuff just sounds idiotic.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book begins with an analysis of why people might have trouble falling asleep, and explains different sleep disorders. Then the author uses cognitive behavioral therapy to gently guide the reader into a better sleep pattern that will leave you feeling refreshed and energetic.

There are several sleep assessment quizzes you can take to determine some of the causes and details of your sleep issues. This really helps to pinpoint personal habits you might have that are hindering your sleep, or specific anxieties that are keeping you awake at night.

At the end of each section there are some journal prompts and room to write your thoughts about your sleep journey. There is also a sleep log that you can fill out to keep track of your sleep patterns.

The ideas for bedtime routines are wonderful! They include meditation, journaling, mindfulness, muscle relaxation, and even lavender and chamomile tea. There are so many great ways to relieve stress and anxiety, so that you can sleep better. One that really resonated with me is stimulus control, where you limit screen time before bed, cut down on caffeine and heavy foods, and make your bedroom quiet and comfortable. Setting up a bedtime routine and keeping to that schedule can make a world of difference in the quality and length of your sleep!

I really love the entire chapter about dealing with anxiety. It gives practical tools for redirecting your thoughts into a more productive and calm path. I also found the tips about what to do when you wake up in the middle of the night to be very helpful!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This activity book has 12 beautiful designs, and hundreds of stickers in little mosaic shapes! It's so easy to put the stickers into place, and the finished product looks wonderful. It's very relaxing and helped me to get creative. You really feel a sense of accomplishment when you finish!

The stickers are sturdy and easy to remove from the sticker sheet. The colors are vibrant and it's simple to follow the instructions to find the right placement for each sticker. I really loved that the pages are perforated, so that you can tear out the sticker sheet or the design or both. That way you don't have to keep flipping back and forth in the book.

I love the clever designs and beautiful colors! This is perfect for anytime you have some anxiety and need a calm activity.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Andre is a young hothead during the French Revolution who hates the aristocrats in his village. He joins a gang of ruffians to storm the estate of the Duc de Marigny and loot their riches. Because of a law that says an aristocrat can be saved from the guillotine if they marry a revolutionary citizen, Andre forces young Aurore de Marigny into marriage. She is horrified by this, but agrees to the marriage to save her father's life as well as her own.

I had so many problems with the direction of this plot, but I loved the writing style. I was also very disappointed that the Scarlet Pimpernel himself is not in this book at all. He barely gets two sentences in the entire book.

Andre as a character is described in delicious detail. We see his fury against the aristocrats who have everything, while his poor mother slaves away doing odd jobs of washing and sewing to make a few pennies. Andre is constantly described as having this unquenchable rage and hatred of the aristocrats, but especially of the de Marigny family in his village. As a teenager he gets into some minor trouble, and he is publicly punished, receiving a whipping in the town center where the aristocrats come to watch the public spectacle. He is humiliated and his rage increases.

He becomes more devious and depraved. As a teenager, he catches girls in side streets and steals a kiss from them. I think that is meant to sound romantic, but it sounds absolutely nightmarish to me. He is meant to be a lovable rogue, but I hated him so much. I've never been one to like the brooding bad boys, and this guy is the worst.

However, I will say that his character is extremely well-written. He is complex and emotional and a powerful character. The force of his personality dominates the entire book.

There are two early scenes where he meets Aurore de Marigny by chance, and both times he is struck by her beauty, but scowls at her to the point where she is frightened by the murderous look in his eye. Later on after their marriage, they have several tense scenes where they argue, and each time Andre goes out of his way to humiliate and emotionally torment Aurore. He is verbally abusive and threatens her several times.

The scene on the cover is when he offers her a sword to commit suicide, mocking her, knowing that as a good Catholic, she will not commit suicide, but will choose to suffer in an abusive marriage rather than take the easy way out.

The first 75% of the book establishes Andre as a really horrible person. He has a couple of good points. He loves his mother and is loyal to her, but ignores her sensible advice and gets into trouble anyway.

My whole problem with this book is the Stockholm Syndrome romance and the shoddy redemption arc that Andre supposedly goes through. It's never explained why Aurore finally falls in love with the husband who basically kidnapped her and has tormented her, and it's never explained how Andre came to have a change of heart and turn away from his evil deeds. He never exhibits any remorse for forcing her into a marriage she didn't want.

The redemption arc is sloppy at best. I didn't find it believable. Andre's friends tell Aurore a story about how he saved some soldiers lives during the war, and how brave and loyal that was.
Hmmm.... not buying it. Everything we hear about his redemption arc is second-hand. Other people tell Aurore about Andre and how "good" he is. We don't really see any significant change in his actual behavior, other than that he stops actively tormenting Aurore and mostly leaves her alone and is polite to her.

The romance happens way too quickly. One minute Aurore hates him and is horrified by his very presence, then she barely tolerates him because he is polite to her, and then suddenly she is madly in love with him.

Most of the first part of the book is spent establishing Aurore's absolute terror of Andre. These feelings of dread and intense fear are described so vividly, in Aurore's thoughts, her physical reactions, and in her dialogue. Everything about the beginning scenes scream that Aurore is disgusted and terrified by Andre, and that made me, the reader, disgusted and terrified with her. It would take a lot to diminish that level of fear and revulsion. And the story does not lead us into anything like a gradual romantic feeling developing. So disappointing.

If the author is going to establish such strong emotions of hatred in Andre and revulsion in Aurore at the beginning, a hasty romance cobbled together from bits of hearsay from other characters is NOT going to erase those first impressions.

The redemption arc is sloppy. The romance is not believable. I was not happy with this book. I was going to give it 2 stars, but ended up making it 3 stars because the writing style really is powerful.

This is my favorite book in the series!

I love etymology and history and how words develop through time! This is such a great look at how certain English words have been borrowed from other languages.

However, I was disappointed that there are only 12 words showcased in this book. And even those are only described very briefly in one paragraph for each word. Each entry informs the reader about the pronunciation, origin, English meaning, and original meaning, and then has a small paragraph with the story of how the word came to be included in English and how its meaning changed. It's good, but left me wanting more.

The illustrations are bright and colorful with interesting designs. The art takes up the entire page, and uses bold lines. The word itself is cleverly incorporated into the art, and I really liked that!

I only wish this book was longer, and featured more words!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

I couldn't finish this book. It's so long-winded, and full of lengthy descriptions of cathedrals, tombs, monuments, city streets, parades, and endless glasses of wine. Ugh. It took me forever to wade through all the verbose descriptions.
I was hoping for more anecdotes and funny stories, but the writing is 90% description. There are a few little stories and anecdotes sprinkled in, and a few funny lines, but not nearly enough to keep me interested.
Mark Twain is much better at writing fiction than non-fiction travel.

When the two Munro sisters, Cora and Alice, are captured by the evil Huron Magua, Natty Bumpo and his Mohican friends, Uncas and Chingachgook, must track them down and free them.

For the most part, I liked the writing style which reflects the time period very well. The writing has a very ornate style, and the dialogue is especially antiquated at times. I love the richness of the language, but wish it was a little more clear sometimes.

The characters are well-written, but I didn't care about them very much. They are not very complex characters. There is so much time spent on the action of the plot, that we barely have any restful moments to really get to know our characters or develop any emotions for them. I would have liked to see more intimate details of their friendships and family relationships. There are a few very powerful scenes where we do get glimpses of their emotional ties, but it wasn't enough to make me love the characters or be invested in their relationships.

The plot moves quickly with lots of details that add to the suspense of each moment. The plot does get repetitive though. They are captured, and then escape, and they get recaptured and are rescued, only to be recaptured again. Each time is different though, with a lot of different elements and terrain and secondary characters. There are some good plot points with deceptive disguises, and wood lore, and native legends. It kept my interest.

I knew there would be a lot of violence in this book, but wow. There was a lot of senseless and horrible violence in this book. And not just the menfolk fighting and scalping and shooting each other. The poor women and children that suffered and died too. Ugh. Really sad.

I found the intricacies of the political relationships of different native tribes to be very confusing, and not at all clearly explained. This is not helped by the fact that everyone and everything is called by at least two or three different names. Sometimes Magua's tribe are called Hurons, sometimes Mingoes. Another tribe are called sometimes the Delawares and sometimes Lenape. Mohicans are also a part of the larger Delaware tribe, so it's hard to know which Delaware character is being referred to when. It wasn't until the end of the book that I finally understood that "Yengeese" means English. Ugh. If this was just clearly explained, maybe it would make more sense.

Every character has several different nicknames, proper names, names in French, Native American nicknames, and on and on. Nathaniel Bumpo is mostly referred to simply as "the scout", but he is also called "La Longue Carabine" and Hawk-Eye. Every character is so hard to keep track of, because you have to memorize their three different names.

Overall, it was an entertaining read, but I didn't love it. It was fine.