Book Review: Mastering You From The Inside Out by Skip Cummins

The good thing about Mastering You From the Inside Out:  Survive and thrive personally and professionally by Skip Cummins, is that it covers of the gamut of what a book can. It's part autobiography and part self-help book. There's even insight into how to operate in the business world successfully, and there is also advice about your sex life.

If you are thinking about venturing into the business world, I would suggest this book because I think it could have some really helpful advice.

This book has lots of homework type quizzes that you can do, if you choose, all of which are intended to help give you better insight into your personality, habits, etc.

One of the major points of the book is to learn from the author's mistakes ahead of time, so that you won't end up saying, "I wish I knew then what I know now!" in the future.

*booked was gifted

Book Review: The Anaheim Beauties Valencia Queen

When I first read the synopsis of The Anaheim Beauties Valencia Queen and found out that it was based in Anaheim, California, I knew I wanted to read it. When I first moved to California,  the Buena Park/Cypress/Anaheim area is where I ended up.
I found the area to be beautiful, filled with sunlight and flowers, so that's why I was very surprised to learn about the actual history that involved a Klan takeover of the city of Anaheim in the 1920's.

This is a history of Southern California that I had no idea existed, and I'm sure a lot of other readers did not, as well.
I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the area, and I hope to visit again some day; and this time when I do I'll be looking at everything with a new perspective.

I found this book to be very interesting and eye opening. It deals with many issues, those of which we are still dealing with today, though perhaps not as extreme. The book deals with characters that are not necessarily the good guys and bad guys, but those that are shades of gray. I found this to be a great book that could potentially help people to try to see things from various sides of various issues, because ultimately what we want is to come together and have more tolerance and acceptance of those around us.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author, D.J. Phinney, will produce in the future.

*Book was gifted for review

Book Review: Trekachaw by B.R. Flores

What first drew me to this book, Trekachaw, was actually reading the author's biography. You can read the biography here and I think you'll also find it very inspiring and encouraging.

I'm not usually a fan of science fiction, so I was pleased to see that this book begins with life here on planet Earth before taking us on an adventure to a far away galaxy. The more I read this book, the more I grew attached to some of the very many different characters within. At first, it was a little hard
 to remember all of the names for the characters and different races/species of the inhabitants. There's actually a glossary in the back of the book to help you tell the different alien species apart, and the a glossary includes the names of the different characters and which alien races they belong to, so that definitely helps a lot. For the science fiction fan, this book is a rather epic novel, at over 380 pages. Actually, I think this is one of the longest books I've read in many years. I would say this is not light reading, and definitely a little more involved, making this something great to read over a few weekends and the winter; it's a great book for cozying up with on a cold night. It's is also a great gift for your science fiction lover, for the upcoming holiday season. I just want to mention that this book does have a lot of action violence, and some scenes of sexual assault included, so you are a forewarned. 

*post includes gifted item

Everyone In L.A. Is An A**hole Book Review

When I saw the title of this book, I knew I just had to read it!  As someone that lived and worked in L.A. for years, I thought the title alone was too funny!

The book is about an author that is getting back into the dating scene after getting a divorce from her husband.  All of the trials and adventures of dating in Los Angeles are highlighted.

I'm thankful that I was already married when I moved to Los Angeles, so I didn't have to deal with the whole dating scene as a single person. 

So many topics related to dating in the social media age are covered!  Like selfies, the amount of followers one has, and bios!

As you should probably be able to tell from the title, this book is not for those that are easily offended. Vegans, redheads, and hippies beware, just to name a few!

This book will be an especially fun read for those that have actually lived in Southern California, but it should also interest those that are just getting back into the dating scene after a divorce, and those that are interested to see if all those stereotypes about people in L.A. are true.

Everyone In L.A. Is An A**hole is available online at Amazon!

*post includes gifted item

The Book of Spells by John J. Miller, MD

For today's post, I am reviewing another book.  This one is The Book of Spells, by John J. Miller, MD.  The Book of Spells is a young adult fantasy, but is something I think will appeal to older adults as well, especially if they are fans of the fantasy/magic genre.  At 197 pages, The Book of Spells is short, but not exactly "light" reading.  

There are definitely lots of story lines and characters to keep track of.   When at first I thought I figured out who the main protagonist was,  the story switched to another character, and so on.  I actually found it rather interesting this way.  I also found it amazing how so much was packed into just 197 short pages!  I should have been able to read this book a lot sooner than the week or so it took me, but that was simply because I was very busy.

 
I found the story ended rather abruptly, but I think that is perhaps because this will hopefully be the first in a series. 

If you are a fan of fantasy in the vein of King Arthur and Merlin, I think you will enjoy this book.
This is a good choice for a book to take on your next vacation!

 *post includes gifted item

Book Review: BUILD Framework®: A Heart-Based System for Personal and Professional Growth

This book is just what I needed to read at this time!  I am feeling motivated even more this year to take my online business as a blogger to another level, and I have been interested in reading books about business to see if there is anything I can absorb that will help me in my quest.  The first thing that struck me about BUILD Framework®: A Heart-Based System for Personal and Professional Growth by John Peitzman is just how short it is!  The book is only 112 pages long, making it a very easy read, even for time-pressed bosses and business owners.  This is the kind of book I believe is meant to be read over and over again.  A periodic refresher doesn't hurt when it comes to books meant to enlighten, motivate, and encourage. 

This book is a great read for anyone feeling in a rut with their business, or personal life.  The book includes more than just helpful advice; it includes building blocks you need to get started on your own journey of creating a cohesive team in your workplace, or at home.  I would say the book is definitely geared more to those in the corporate world and those in leadership positions, but that doesn't mean it isn't helpful to everyone in all occupations and walks of like.

The author, John Peitzman, is a Certified High Performance Coach™, one of only 200 in the world.

Thanks to the steps of the BUILD Framework®, I now know just what I need and want to focus on in both my professional and personal life.

*I was sent this book complimentary for review

Book Review: Sparks in Love by Susan Sparks

Sparks in Love : A Survivor's Story is one woman's account of living with domestic abuse.  The book itself is pretty short (under 200 pages), making this a very easy read, as far as time, if not the potential triggers for those that have also lived through, or are still living in an abusive relationship.   I think books like these are great for people, especially young women that may just be starting to date.  There are potential warning signs that we can learn to look out for.  It's not going to guarantee we will not find ourselves in an unhealthy relationship, but education on the matter certainly can't hurt.

If just one person can be saved from going through what the author went through, I'm sure she would be very happy.  Spreading awareness is such an inportant thing for many causes, especially domestic violence!

There are some interesting and disturbing statistics in this book that everyone should be knowlegable of.

The author also runs the web site theSoda-Pop.com.   There are lots of interesting posts there, along with resources for those in an abusive relationship.

Sparks in Love: A Survivor's Story is available on Amazon in paperback, and for Kindle.