• Book Reviews,  mental health

    Checking In: book review

    Title: Checking In

    Author: Michelle Williams

    Publisher: Thomas Nelson

    Publish date: 5/25/21

    Pages: 240

    Genre: Depression/Anxiety Help, Celebrity Biography

    Synopsis

    “I need help.”

    Acclaimed musical artist Michelle Williams shares the intimate, never-before-told story of how, even in the midst of enormous fame and success, she battled depression, leading her to find her true calling as an advocate for mental health–especially her own.

    As a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the top female R&B groups of all time, Michelle Williams felt blessed. After the group disbanded, she continued to create bestselling albums, appear on television shows, and star in theater productions. Though she had always struggled with low moods, in 2018 her depression deepened, and when she found herself planning her own funeral, she checked herself into a treatment facility. There she found the help she needed to live out the incredible story God was writing for her life.

    In her first book, Michelle courageously shares the hidden secrets that nearly ended her life; the importance of her faith, family, and friends; and the lessons she learned about prioritizing her mental health. She is on a quest to increase mental health awareness and urges others to understand the importance of “checking in” with themselves, God, and others. Her candid, often humorous, and incredibly brave book will inspire readers who desire hope for their own difficult times.

    Review

    This book is an honest and refreshing look at depression. I have personally battled depression for many years and anytime I can read something and fell less alone, it’s a good read for me.

    To be upfront, I’m working my way through this book and I’m not finished with it yet. It’s that kind of book – it demands your attention, thoughts, and an honest look at your own life.

    I love the idea of checking in with yourself – a foreign concept to me. I’m not good at self-assessing my own feelings and struggle with prioritizing my mental health.

    That previous sentence – it caught up with me in a big way in the past year but I’m getting better everyday at setting boundaries and paying attention to my physical health and my mental health.

    Michelle also writes about checking in with others – something similar to what I wrote about last week. Many of us have lost touch with each other.

    This book is one I would recommend to anyone that struggles with trauma, depression, and/or anxiety. The author tells her own story beautifully and provides a feeling of hope to the reader.

    Want your own copy of Checking In?

    Enter my giveaway on Instagram or Facebook! 

    Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

    Purchase Links

    Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

    Connect with Michelle

    Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

     

  • Audiobooks,  Book Reviews,  Recommendations

    Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: review & feature

    Author: Louie Giglio

    Publisher: Thomas Nelson

    Date Available: May 11, 2021

    Genre: Christian Growth

    Pages: 224

    Summary

    Louie Giglio helps you find encouragement, hope, and strength in the midst of any valley as you reject the enemy voices of fear, rage, lust, insecurity, anxiety, despair, temptation, or defeat.

    Scripture is clear: the Enemy is a liar who will stop at nothing to tempt you into poor decisions and self-defeating mindsets, making you feel afraid, angry, anxious, or defeated. It is all too easy for Satan to weasel his way into a seat at the table intended for only you and your King. But you can fight back.

    Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table outlines the ways to overcome those lies so you can find peace and security in any challenging circumstance or situation. With the same bold, exciting approach to Scripture as employed in Goliath Must Fall and his other previous works, pastor Louie Giglio examines Psalm 23 in fresh ways, highlighting verse 5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

    You can find freedom from insecurity, temptation, and defeat—if you allow Jesus, the Shepherd, to lead the battle for your mind and heart. This spiritual warfare book for those who are leery of spiritual warfare books will resonate with Louie’s core Passion tribe as well as with Christians of all ages who want to live a triumphant life in God.

    Review

    I am an extremely anxious person. I also battle depression and want to be upfront that this book is not a substitute for professional mental healthcare.

    With that being said, this book is very valuable for fighting those invasive thoughts of shame, loneliness, comparison with others, etc – basically not allowing those harmful & negative thoughts to live rent free in your head.

    I chose to receive the audiobook and it was a welcome respite from the stress & strife that have seemed to have consumed our world. And an added bonus, the audiobook was narrated by the author – something I really enjoy when done well.

    Having Louie Giglio in my ears for several hours was an immersive experience and the biggest thing I took away from this book was freedom from fear. That is something I have never believed to have existed – especially for me.

    But after listening to this book I felt more hopeful, a bit more bold, and encouraged.

    I enjoyed the use of the framework of Psalm 23 and while this is a Christian book, it’s applicable and practical for anyone who struggles whith the daily stressors of life.

    This book was both timely and practical and I highly recommend the audiobook. It’s an experience to hear an author read their own words and Giglio does it well.

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for the gifted copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

    Purchase Links

    Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

    Connect with Louie

    Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

  • Book Reviews,  Writing

    Book Review: Boss Up!

    Title: Boss Up!

    Author: Lindsay Teague Moreno

    Publisher: Thomas Nelson

    Pages: 233

    Genre: Entrepreneurship/Business

    Release Date: 8/6/2019

    Synopsis

    Boss Up! will help you put your business on the map and the ideas you’ve previously only dreamed about into the marketplace. It will help you overcome your fears and guilt to find a fulfillment that changes you and your families for the better. And it will help you break free of the hard and boring and allow you to have fun along the way.

    In Boss Up! Lindsay helps you gain the confidence to know that having ambition doesn’t make you a bad mother or wife. That it’s okay to have a desire for something more than endless sippy cups, clean-ups, Band-Aids, and groundings. That no matter your education or experience, you can tap into your passions and create businesses that give you increased flexibility, fulfillment, and financial security.

    And Lindsay doesn’t just do this through commiserating but, instead, through giving you the tools for change. Using the lessons she learned on her own path to success, Lindsay shares real, solid business principles with ten distinct success philosophies that you will encounter on the journey to entrepreneurship, such as:

    • Think Long Term
    • Be Unapologetically Yourself
    • Use the Unsales Tactic
    • Understand Your Why
    • and many more

    Stay-at-home mom turned multimillion-dollar-producing business owner Lindsay Teague Moreno doesn’t just have a passion for entrepreneurship. She has a deep passion for helping women of all walks of life gain the confidence and skills to tap into their ambition and achieve success in their own business endeavors.

    Boss Up Ain’t Your Momma’s Business Book

    Review

    We live in a gig economy. It’s not unusual for someone to have a side-hustle in addition to their day job.

    I have one myself as a mom and a freelance writer. I work with many entrepreneurs – some successful and some that simply flounder.

    I was excited about the opportunity to read and review this book, primarily because I wanted to see how the author approached entrepreneurship. Because if you’re like me, you’ve run into more than one friend from high school who sends you a friend request and then wants to tell you about an amazing “opportunity”.

    That approach is tired, it often financially harms people who buy inventory, and many are built upon lies of success. So when this book began with the author starting with an MLM, I was almost out.

    But I stuck around and I’m glad I did.

    This book is part workbook and takes people through a blueprint for discovering their strengths, their desires, and what they are passionate about – those are the things the business is then built upon.

    I can get on board with that.

    She also gets into the difference between a freelancer and an entrepreneur and I appreciated that because it’s a common source of confusion. There is planning involved for both paths but they are different.

    This book is also practical. It discusses identifying your target market, standing out amongst the competition, and discovering what sets you apart and how to leverage these positions. It also speaks to how to set up a business – something I am continually amazed by when working with business owners who operate out of their personal checking accounts.

    Boss Up! closes with the creation of goals that you won’t quit on – something vital to the long term success of a business. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched entrepreneurs wander from opportunity to opportunity because they haven’t been provided with a practical roadmap like this book.

    If you are a business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, or an individual trying to find your place in your target market – then this book is for you.

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours, Thomas Nelson and W Publishing Group for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

     

     

  • Book Reviews

    The Stills: a book review

    Title: The Stills

    Author: Jess Montgomery

    Date Available: 3/9/20210

    Pages: 352

    Publisher: Minotaur Press

    Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

    Synopsis

    The third in Jess Montgomery’s exquisitely written Kinship series, The Stills is a triumph of storytelling by an extraordinary new talent in crime fiction…

    Ohio, 1927: Moonshining is a way of life in rural Bronwyn County, and even the otherwise upstanding Sheriff Lily Ross has been known to turn a blind eye when it comes to stills in the area. But when thirteen-year-old Jebediah Ranklin almost dies after drinking tainted moonshine, Lily knows that someone has gone too far, and–with the help of organizer and moonshiner Marvena Whitcomb–is determined to find out who.

    But then, Lily’s nemesis, the businessman George Vogel, reappears in town with his new wife, Fiona. Along with them is also her former brother-in-law Luther Ross, now an agent for the newly formed Bureau of Prohibition. To Lily, it seems too much of a coincidence that they should arrive now.

    As fall turns to winter, a blizzard closes in. Lily starts to peel back the layers of deception shrouding the town of Kinship, but soon she discovers that many around her seem to be betraying those they hold dear–and that Fiona too may have an agenda of her own.

    Review

    You had me at prohibition. That time period in our country combined with Sherriff Lily Ross being based on a real person made for a fascinating and tense read.

    The writing and the attention to detail brought to life what is must have been like to live in the time period. The characters were well developed with this being the third book of the series. However, this book could easily be read as a stand-lone… but don’t do that because you’ll be missing out for sure.

    If historical fiction is your thing, this book will captivate you. It sheds light on a time when women often stepped into male dominated roles and excelled at doing so.

    My only complaint about this book was that it was a bit light on the mystery part. A few good twists would have added some depth to the story.

    I hope this isn’t the end of the series but if it is, it ended on a satisfying note. However, if it was to continue, I’d love a storyline dedicated to the moonshiner’s lives and struggle to survive.

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Minotaur Books for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

    Purchase Links

    Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

     

  • Book Reviews

    The Shadow Box: book review

    The Shadow Box

    Author: Luanne Rice

    Publisher: Amazon Publishing

    Date Published: 2/1/21

    Pages: 367

    Genre: Domestic Thriller

    Synopsis

    After artist Claire Beaudry Chase is attacked and left for dead in her home on the Connecticut coast, she doesn’t know who she can trust. But her well-connected husband, Griffin–who is running for governor–is her prime suspect.

    Just before the attack, Claire was preparing for an exhibit of her shadow boxes, one of which clearly accuses Griffin of a violent crime committed twenty-five years ago. If the public were to find out who her husband is, his political career would be over. Claire’s certain her husband and his powerful supporters would kill her to stop the truth from getting out.

    When one of Claire’s acquaintances is murdered, the authorities suspect the homicide is linked to the attack on Claire. As the dual investigations unfold, Claire must decide how much she’s willing to lose to take down her husband and the corrupt group of elites who will do anything to protect Griffin’s interests and their own.

    Review

    This was my second Luanne Rice book. The Shadow Box had a lot of potential with multiple storylines and complex characters. There were several heart-racing moments that kept me engaged most of the time.

    However, the thrilling moments crossed over into contrived and far-fetched a few too many times for me and the plot began to feel like a made for TV movie. I’m not a fan of those so this was a deal breaker for me.

    The writing was fine but the characters were nothing special. I usually love multi-POV plots but this one felt very formulaic. When done well, multiple POV’s can add depth to the plot and characters but here, it felt more like a way to dress us book lacking substance.

    This wasn’t a DNF for me and in the end I found it to be a solid read but nothing to get overly excited or rave about. I loved the first Luanne Rice book that I read and despite feeling pretty neutral about The Shadow Box, this one won’t be my last by her either.

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Amazon Publishing for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

    Purchase Links

    Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

    Connect with Luanne

    Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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