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winecellarlibrary's Reviews (657)
This was a quick read. It also was an easy read, so it felt much shorter than 247 pages. Most of the book is written in first person inner monologue, so we have a personal view inside Lara's deepest thoughts and feelings. We experience both her highs and her lows as she battles depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. If you have experienced depression, anxiety, and/or alcohol abuse, you will likely be able to identify with her. If you have never experienced these issues, you may not understand how she is capable of switching from one feeling to another or why she is so self-conscious.
There was not a definitive timeline in this book. It felt as though the story progressed over a few days, however, at one point, Lara says her issues have spanned "a few weeks" and then a few pages later, she refers to the time as "months." Perhaps this was done to portray how she was losing touch with reality, but as a reader, it was bothersome.
The author effectively portrays the emotions you would expect from someone who was told she would die of cancer, had come to terms with the idea, and then suddenly is cured and doesn't know how to continue living because she hadn't planned to exist beyond the quoted six months. It is very stressful for young adults who do not know their plan in life or the purpose their life serves. At times, her reactions and choices are aggravating, but they are entirely human and realistic.
The implausibility in the conclusion was disappointing, since the majority of people who have these issues could never experience such things. Honestly, people who don't have Lara's issues typically do not have these experiences either. As people with depression and alcoholism may be drawn to this book, the way the author chose to write the conclusion will likely turn off this population.
Overall, it was a decent read. I read an ARC of this title, and there were numerous spelling, grammar, and formatting errors that have hopefully been revised prior to publishing.
I would like to thank Booksprout and the author for providing me with a free Kindle ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There was not a definitive timeline in this book. It felt as though the story progressed over a few days, however, at one point, Lara says her issues have spanned "a few weeks" and then a few pages later, she refers to the time as "months." Perhaps this was done to portray how she was losing touch with reality, but as a reader, it was bothersome.
The author effectively portrays the emotions you would expect from someone who was told she would die of cancer, had come to terms with the idea, and then suddenly is cured and doesn't know how to continue living because she hadn't planned to exist beyond the quoted six months. It is very stressful for young adults who do not know their plan in life or the purpose their life serves. At times, her reactions and choices are aggravating, but they are entirely human and realistic.
The implausibility in the conclusion was disappointing, since the majority of people who have these issues could never experience such things. Honestly, people who don't have Lara's issues typically do not have these experiences either. As people with depression and alcoholism may be drawn to this book, the way the author chose to write the conclusion will likely turn off this population.
Overall, it was a decent read. I read an ARC of this title, and there were numerous spelling, grammar, and formatting errors that have hopefully been revised prior to publishing.
I would like to thank Booksprout and the author for providing me with a free Kindle ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life
Rob Carter III, Kirti Salwe Carter
I stumbled upon this book when it was promoted as Online Book Club's featured Book of the Day. I was immediately interested, since I am the furthest thing from a morning person and I have been wanting to modify my morning habits in order to be more productive throughout the day.
The authors are both doctors, but the book is easy to understand and apply to daily life. It is broken down into three sections: biology of the brain and body, mental processes, and a focus on how the rest of the day can also impact your morning.
The has a theme of the Lizard vs. the Wizard. The so-called "Lizard" brain is the one that responds with "fight or flight." This basic-level functioning also causes us to avoid tasks that we do not want to do, such as waking up early or going for a run when it's hot outside, even if we know we should. The "Wizard" brain is the higher level functioning that humans have, which sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Because we have this higher level functioning, we can control our impulses and modify our behavior, overcoming our "fight or flight" response.
Being someone who enjoys bullet journaling, I found many suggestions in this book that I could put into habit trackers in order to modify my behavior. I personally need something where I can "check the block" in order to create a new habit. I do not do well if something or someone is not holding me accountable, so I keep a lot of checklists and trackers. (The book does not promote bullet journaling, but has tools that can easily be converted into bullet journal format.)
Reading this book, you will not only be inspired to change your morning routine, but you will also understand why it is good for your mind and body to do so. Certain processes in the body have peak function at different hours, and the dual authors provide timelines as reference. These peak hours affect everything from optimal sleep times, eating times, exercise times, and more. There is something for everyone in the pages of this book, even if you are already a morning person!
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Click to read my volunteer review for Online Book Club: Wine Cellar Library's Review of The Morning Mind
Note: Due to Online Book Club's terms and conditions, I cannot share the content of my review, but am able to provide a link. Additionally, they have specific rating criteria, which is why my review for their site is different.
The authors are both doctors, but the book is easy to understand and apply to daily life. It is broken down into three sections: biology of the brain and body, mental processes, and a focus on how the rest of the day can also impact your morning.
The has a theme of the Lizard vs. the Wizard. The so-called "Lizard" brain is the one that responds with "fight or flight." This basic-level functioning also causes us to avoid tasks that we do not want to do, such as waking up early or going for a run when it's hot outside, even if we know we should. The "Wizard" brain is the higher level functioning that humans have, which sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Because we have this higher level functioning, we can control our impulses and modify our behavior, overcoming our "fight or flight" response.
Being someone who enjoys bullet journaling, I found many suggestions in this book that I could put into habit trackers in order to modify my behavior. I personally need something where I can "check the block" in order to create a new habit. I do not do well if something or someone is not holding me accountable, so I keep a lot of checklists and trackers. (The book does not promote bullet journaling, but has tools that can easily be converted into bullet journal format.)
Reading this book, you will not only be inspired to change your morning routine, but you will also understand why it is good for your mind and body to do so. Certain processes in the body have peak function at different hours, and the dual authors provide timelines as reference. These peak hours affect everything from optimal sleep times, eating times, exercise times, and more. There is something for everyone in the pages of this book, even if you are already a morning person!
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Click to read my volunteer review for Online Book Club: Wine Cellar Library's Review of The Morning Mind
Note: Due to Online Book Club's terms and conditions, I cannot share the content of my review, but am able to provide a link. Additionally, they have specific rating criteria, which is why my review for their site is different.
First, I would like to thank Boukouture publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free Kindle ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I typically do not like to read a book from the middle of a series if I have not read the first book, but the synopsis sounded intriguing and gave me the impression that I could read it as a stand-alone novel, so I took a chance on it.
When reading this book, you really forget that it is part of a series. It is easily read as a stand-alone novel. However, my biggest complaint with the book is its lack of character building, which perhaps occurred in the first installment in the series. The first book seems to have garnered a lot of positive feedback, so maybe I set myself and my review up for failure by reading this novel on its own.
Initially, the prologue gripped me. I was so excited to read this book because the prologue was full of imagery. I read the short prologue three times over because I wanted to soak in every word.
Unfortunately, that is where the fun stops, my friends.
This book was exceedingly boring. For a mystery, one would expect some intrigue, case development, and police detective work. Honestly, I just felt as though I was watching Detective Inspector Beck Finnegan wait for someone to hand him the killer on a silver platter without lifting a single finger. Not only is Beck completely devoid of character, but he is painfully boring to read about. He doesn't do anything. He doesn't investigate anything. He doesn't really talk to anyone in the book or even the reader. The author sums up his lackluster qualities perfectly when Mikey says to Beck, "You're emotionally stunted, mate, you know that?" and the author narrates, "Beck did not reply, thought: I already know that." (This is an irritatingly incomplete sentence, by the way.)
The excellent writing in the prologue did not carry on throughout the book. Instead, obnoxiously short chapters composed of choppy, short sentences take hold. For instance:
"It was cold now in the room. And with it came a feeling, solid and heavy, pressing down on him. Which was this. The baby was dead. God, he thought. Please. God. Let me be wrong."
By this point, I had lost all hope that the book would redeem itself. I refuse to DNF books, so I carried forward, but I struggled to stay focused and kept getting lost jumping between characters (since there is nothing really unique about anyone). Again, perhaps I could have appreciated this book more if I had read the first novel in the series, but I found this book to be rather disappointing.
I typically do not like to read a book from the middle of a series if I have not read the first book, but the synopsis sounded intriguing and gave me the impression that I could read it as a stand-alone novel, so I took a chance on it.
When reading this book, you really forget that it is part of a series. It is easily read as a stand-alone novel. However, my biggest complaint with the book is its lack of character building, which perhaps occurred in the first installment in the series. The first book seems to have garnered a lot of positive feedback, so maybe I set myself and my review up for failure by reading this novel on its own.
Initially, the prologue gripped me. I was so excited to read this book because the prologue was full of imagery. I read the short prologue three times over because I wanted to soak in every word.
Unfortunately, that is where the fun stops, my friends.
This book was exceedingly boring. For a mystery, one would expect some intrigue, case development, and police detective work. Honestly, I just felt as though I was watching Detective Inspector Beck Finnegan wait for someone to hand him the killer on a silver platter without lifting a single finger. Not only is Beck completely devoid of character, but he is painfully boring to read about. He doesn't do anything. He doesn't investigate anything. He doesn't really talk to anyone in the book or even the reader. The author sums up his lackluster qualities perfectly when Mikey says to Beck, "You're emotionally stunted, mate, you know that?" and the author narrates, "Beck did not reply, thought: I already know that." (This is an irritatingly incomplete sentence, by the way.)
The excellent writing in the prologue did not carry on throughout the book. Instead, obnoxiously short chapters composed of choppy, short sentences take hold. For instance:
"It was cold now in the room. And with it came a feeling, solid and heavy, pressing down on him. Which was this. The baby was dead. God, he thought. Please. God. Let me be wrong."
By this point, I had lost all hope that the book would redeem itself. I refuse to DNF books, so I carried forward, but I struggled to stay focused and kept getting lost jumping between characters (since there is nothing really unique about anyone). Again, perhaps I could have appreciated this book more if I had read the first novel in the series, but I found this book to be rather disappointing.
A Kindle version of this book is available for free today on Amazon. I heard about this book through Online Book Club.
The idea behind this book is sweet. Nene worries about what her mother will do when she starts going to kindergarten, and she invisions her mother at a "Mama's Daycare." Unfortunately, this book was not well-edited and contains errors.
The idea behind this book is sweet. Nene worries about what her mother will do when she starts going to kindergarten, and she invisions her mother at a "Mama's Daycare." Unfortunately, this book was not well-edited and contains errors.