BlogHer Book Club: Daring Greatly Review and Giveaway

Admittedly, I am not a big fan of non-fiction books. I wouldn’t usually seek out a self-help kind of book for myself to read. However, I am so grateful that I read Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown, Ph.D. It came at exactly the right moment in my life and has taught me so much about myself.

Dr. Brown is a researcher of vulnerability, courage, shame, and worthiness at the University of Houston, TX. However, the book is written in such a light and unintimidating way that it can truly be understood by anyone. Brown doesn’t teach the reader lessons in form of lectures, but rather takes the reader on a journey she herself has undertaken.

In essence, the book shows us how accepting and embracing our own vulnerability rather than viewing it as weakness is the true way to achieving greater goals. Shame, fear, etc. cause us to underestimate our worth and hinders creativity and innovation. Brown doesn’t offer these realizations as universal truths, but rather shows the reader how the information can be applied to better one’s own life. In fact, Brown mentions her personal therapy sessions frequently throughout the book, which demonstrates her own imperfections as well as the fact that even with great theoretical knowledge, our lives are still less than perfect.

Not only are readers introduced to concepts that can improve their own sense of worth, they are also given guidelines on how to apply these ideas in the most important areas of their lives, including the workforce and parenting.

As someone who never views herself as good enough, these words were important and healing to read. It took me quite a while to get through the book, as I had to pause every so often to ponder the ideas that were being presented to me. I hope that I can be more fearless in the future and let myself be more vulnerable. I really do want to dare greatly. You will want to, too. Just read the book!

My favorite quote: “What’s worth doing even if I fail?” p.42 Daring Greatly. Especially when it comes to creativity, people risk being vulnerable. But aren’t those risks worth taking? I now believe they are.

If you would like to win a copy of this book, please visit my Facebook page, become a fan and leave me a comment telling me what you think of when you hear the word ‘vulnerability’.

Please check out the BlogHer Book Club pages for a great discussion of this book.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: Trust Your Eyes Review and Giveaway

I was really excited to be reviewing Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay. The premise of this thriller sounded like it was right up my alley- a man with schizophrenia sees what he believes to be a murder online and his brother starts to investigate for him. Definitely not a story I had read before.

This book will have you hooked in no time! It’s the kind of novel that makes you turn on the TV to distract the kids so you can keep reading for just a bit longer. The characters are likeable and appealing; the story is addicting, always leaving you hungry for more information. There are several twists and turns- some of the book’s mysteries aren’t solved until the very last page. It is exciting and thrilling, with lots of murders along the way to keep things moving for the crime lovers amongst us.

I finished Trust Your Eyes in two days. Despite all mysteries being solved by the end of the book, I still couldn’t get it out of my head. The role the Internet plays in this novel has had me thinking about our Big Brother society in which we have all become so transparent.

Trust Your Eyes is a compelling read. Despite already knowing the story, I would read it again. I highly recommend checking it out!

If you would like to win a copy of the book, please visit my Facebook page, become a fan and leave me a comment about why you like thrillers. Submissions close at noon EST on 09/14/2012.

Please check out the BlogHer Book Club pages for a great discussion of this novel.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The Chaperone

(We are still in the midst of moving and have no Internet at home, so I am publishing this courtesy of a fast food restaurant’s free wifi…)

BlogHer kindly chose me to review another book for their book club. This time, it was The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. The reviews I read praised the book tremendously and the synopsis sounded interesting, so I had high hopes for this novel.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t like it very much. From the very first pages on I couldn’t get past the language the author used. Having read many books from the 1920s, which The Chaperone is supposed to take place in, I felt as though the author was writing in a much too modern way. Moriarty attempted to make it more authentic by constantly referencing historic details or items that were widely used during this era, but it always gave me the impression of being staged.

The story was relatively engaging and interesting. However, since I hadn’t heard of the actress Louise Brooks before reading this book, all the non-fictional details had no importance to me. Louise could easily have been replaced by a fictional character without making a difference to me as the reader.

As I mentioned earlier, the reviews have been great for this novel. I feel almost like a snob because I let the language of the book get in the way of my liking it. Therefore, I have decided to let you be the judge and am giving away a copy of the book. Please leave me a comment on my Facebook page (you’ll have to like it, too) and I will randomly select a winner on 08/08/2012.

Please also check out the BlogHer discussions surrounding The Chaperone- you will find that most readers did not agree with me…

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: My Artist's Way Toolkit

I was given the opportunity to test a wonderful online tool called My Artist’s Way Toolkit. At first I was a little hesitant because the word ‘artist’ evoked images of painters, sculptors, etc. for me. I quickly learned that this website was designed for all people who are interested in becoming more creative, be it for their writing, photography, music, or any other activity that requires us to use our imagination.

My Artist’s Way Toolkit is meant to be used in conjunction with Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. However, never having read the book myself, I believe that this website can still be an amazing resource for anyone interested in broadening their creative perspective.

The website’s design is very simple and straightforward. On the left hand side, the user is offered a quote by the author. Underneath the quote are two notes which can be clicked on: The first carries a written Creative Affirmation by Julia Cameron; the second brings up a Creative Soundbite, which is a recording of the author reading an excerpt from one of her many books. These short quotes by the author are wonderful to reflect on.

On the right side of the page, the user finds a large notebook with several tabs along the side. The top tag is ‘My Contract’, which brings up an agreement each artist is meant to sign. In this contract, the user is asked to commit to The Artist’s Way. Ms. Cameron finds this commitment crucial in order to keep artists grounded and focused on their creative progress.

The second tab contains ‘Artist’s Dates’, which are weekly recommended excursions to aide the user in his/her process. They are meant to be a booster for the user’s imagination, a platform for an artist’s “play of ideas”.  The third holds ‘Artist’s Exercises’, which are weekly reflective implementations that guide the user in putting their ‘way’ into action. Both of these tabs allow the user to write directly on each page in journal form. The writings can be saved and photos can be added, if desired.

The fourth tab is labeled ‘Creative Pages’ and contains blank journal pages that can be used for anything the artist chooses. The fifth and final tab is ‘Creative Notes’, in which the artist can collect any tidbits that come up throughout the day on the equivalent of personalized virtual sticky notes. The advantage of using these two tabs is that the user can collect all thoughts in one place without having to fear of the notes getting lost or jumbled.

This tool has already helped me reflect on my own creativity and made me step out of my comfort zone, e.g. when I had to go out on my Artist’s Date. It is a wonderful place to collect ideas and thoughts, while offering the opportunity to find other likeminded people (there is a ‘Community’ tab at the top of the page) If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can also download the free app and are able to access the tool while on the go.

Come join the discussion on BlogHer!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The Book of Jonas

When BlogHer offered me the opportunity to take part in a book review program, I jumped right at it without even reading what the book in question was about. Stephen Dau’s The Book of Jonas arrived in the mail and I read the synopsis on the cover- the story takes place during an American war in an unspecified Middle Eastern country. To be honest, this was not my subject matter of choice, as my husband is in the Army and has had to experience war first hand. However, after reading the first few pages, I was drawn into the story and knew that this was going to be an incredibly good tale.

In Dau’s debut novel, he tells the story of three people mostly from a third person perspective. There is little dialogue. Each story is connected to the others and they are carefully intertwined. The book focuses mainly on the life of Younis- or Jonas- an orphan from a war torn country who has lost everything during an American raid on his village, is rescued and taken to the US to start a new life. We also learn about Christopher through diary entries and find out that he is the US soldier who rescues Jonas. Rose is Christopher’s mother, the third main character in the book, and we are shown what her life is like with a son who is MIA.

The chapters are relatively short and the language is easy to read because of its pleasant flow. It is a very engaging book, difficult to put down. Throughout the story, there are elements of a mystery that is only completely revealed at the end.

It is the best book I have read in a long time. Although the subject matter is difficult, it is definitely worth reading and shows the reader three different sides to the same story. Since Younis’ country of origin is not specified, it is a book that universally conveys the tragedies and consequences of war.

Come and join the BlogHer discussion of this wonderful novel here.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.