“Everyone dies. What difference does it make if a few bad apples get pushed along a little sooner than God intended?” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: airport bars, killing plans, construction work, epipens, deep wells, predators, evidence, nut allergies, perfect murders, cheating, secrets and a lot of plot twists.

‘Hello there.’

I looked at the pale, freckled hand on the back of the empty bar seat next to me in the business class lounge of Heathrow airport, then up into the stranger’s face.

‘Do I know you?’

Delayed in London, Ted Severson meets a woman at the airport bar. Over cocktails they tell each other rather more than they should, and a dark plan is hatched – but are either of them being serious, could they actually go through with it and, if they did, what would be their chances of getting away with it?

Back in Boston, Ted’s wife Miranda is busy site managing the construction of their dream home, a beautiful house out on the Maine coastline. But what secrets is she carrying and to what lengths might she go to protect the vision she has of her deserved future?

A sublimely plotted novel of trust and betrayal, The Kind Worth Killing will keep you gripped and guessing late into the night.

This book was an absolute rollercoaster… a really fun one!

I have a very positive view of this book. The story was addictive and unpredictable, and I couldn’t put the book down! It was very difficult to know what would happen next because there were a lot of surprising twists and turns. I saw some of them coming, but I wasn’t expecting most of them.

Now let’s talk about the characters! One thing I found interesting is that I really liked the main character, Lily. Usually I don’t like bad characters that are psychos, but I loved Lily! I don’t know why in the world I would root for her, but I did. Other than Lily and Ted, the other characters were not as likable, but I still liked their role in the book.

I also liked that there were different points of view throughout the book. I personally think the author made a good decision to have more than one point of view because it added another layer of unpredictability. Some characters obviously saw the same situations differently, and it added a lot to the mystery!

And that ending? Oh my God… the ending was the absolute cherry on top! I ended the book absolutely mind-blown!

This was a very pleasant surprise! I really liked how no one could be trusted and how unpredictable the story was. I highly recommend this book to thriller and plot twist lovers!

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: systems, small changes, behaviors, a new identity, the two minute rule and, of course, atomic habits.

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:
*  make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
*  overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
*  design your environment to make success easier;
*  get back on track when you fall off course;
…and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits–whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

This book is absolutely phenomenal! I thought it was hard to find a better habit book after reading “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, but I was wrong. While Duhigg’s book is focused on the science behind habits, Clear’s book focuses on the practical aspect of habit changing. If you are looking for a book to create new habits or to stop old habits, this is the book for you! There are a few reasons why I love this book:

1. This is a very practical book. The author gives easy and clear instructions for the reader to follow. He also explains what’s behind each tip.
2. The fresh perspective on habits. Some of the things said in this book may seem like common sense at first, but I think Clear’s new perspective on the subject is what makes the book so special.
3. How simple and easy to follow this book is. It’s not a dense, complex or hard book to keep up with. Everything is very well structured and the language used is accessible to readers of all ages.
4. The recaps. I really like how the author keeps coming back to the previously mentioned tips after each chapter. It’s a great way to consolidate what is learned.

I learned a lot from this amazing book and I already use some of its teachings in my daily life. I strongly believe you’ll take something from this book if you give it a chance. I just know I’m going to pick this up from time to time! Highly recommend it for progress in the long-term.

“If you would take the time to listen to them,” Baba repeats calmly, “then you would hear their stories. Their lives would add to yours, and stay with you forever.” – 4.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: chicken legs, baby lambs, wood cracks, beautiful dresses, powdered milk, human bones, friends, the afterlife and beautiful illustrations.

All 12-year-old Marinka wants is a friend. A real friend. Not like her house with chicken legs. Sure, the house can play games like tag and hide-and-seek, but Marinka longs for a human companion. Someone she can talk to and share secrets with.

But that’s tough when your grandmother is a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead into the afterlife. It’s even harder when you live in a house that wanders all over the world . . . carrying you with it. Even worse, Marinka is being trained to be a Yaga. That means no school, no parties–and no playmates that stick around for more than a day.

So when Marinka stumbles across the chance to make a real friend, she breaks all the rules . . . with devastating consequences. Her beloved grandmother mysteriously disappears, and it’s up to Marinka to find her–even if it means making a dangerous journey to the afterlife.

With a mix of whimsy, humor, and adventure, this debut novel will wrap itself around your heart and never let go.

I became a fan of middle grade books a few years ago, and I especially became a big fan of Sophie Anderson’s books after reading “The Castle of Tangled Magic”. Sophie Anderson’s books may appeal to you because of how beautiful the covers are, but you will fall in love with her stories and you will come back for more!

This book blew me away with how amazing it was. Not only was the story beautiful and full of magic, but it was very well written with a solid story with great meaning. Not only that but you also get a lot of references to Russian culture in this particular book! So I learned a few new words!

As always the illustrations that work alongside the story are amazing and capture beautifully the essence of the story. The book wouldn’t be the same without them and I’m glad she worked with this amazing artist to bring the story to life!

The ONLY reason why I’m not giving this 5 stars is because I can’t get over the heartbreak the book gave me – if you read the book, you probably know what I’m talking about. I completely understand why the story goes through that path, but it really hurt me as a reader to go through all that – and yes, I cried!

This is probably my favorite middle grade book of all time and I highly recommend it if you like a good story with depth and meaning behind it. I can’t stress this enough: if you like middle grade books, you need this in your life!

“The best book I have ever read about financial freedom.” – 6/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: rat races, investments, real estate, assets, the school system, two dads and wonderful advice.

In Rich Dad Poor Dad, the #1 Personal Finance book of all time, Robert Kiyosaki shares the story of his two dad: his real father, whom he calls his ‘poor dad,’ and the father of his best friend, the man who became his mentor and his ‘rich dad.’ One man was well educated and an employee all his life, the other’s education was “street smarts” over traditional classroom education and he took the path of entrepreneurship…a road that led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. Robert’s poor dad struggled financially all his life, and these two dads—these very different points of view of money, investing, and employment—shaped Robert’s thinking about money.

Robert has challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people, around the world, think about money and investing and he has become a global advocate for financial education and the path to financial freedom. Rich Dad Poor Dad (and the Rich Dad series it spawned) has sold over 36 million copies in English and translated editions around the world.

Rich Dad Poor Dad will…
• explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich
• challenge the belief that your house is an asset
• show parents why they can’t rely on the school system to teach their kids
about money
• define, once and for all, an asset and a liability
• explain the difference between good debt and bad debt
• teach you to see the world of money from different perspectives
• discuss the shift in mindset that can put you on the road to financial freedom

This is without a doubt the best book I have ever read about financial freedom.

I read this book about a month ago and my life has changed since then. I know I’m writing this review a little late, but I think the timing is perfect because now I can share with you what has changed since I finished the book. 

This book had a huge impact on my life and I will forever be grateful to Mr. Robert for sharing his knowledge with this book. My perspective on money issues has forever changed and I’m now on the right path to achieve financial freedom. There were so many things said in this book that made me reflect on my life and my own beliefs about money. To create a different reality, we need to think differently and get out of our comfort zone. And that’s exactly what I have been doing this last month! My reality already changed drastically and I’m even more motivated to keep going.

I don’t know what else to say other than: you need this book in your life. No matter how much money you have (or don’t have), this is definitely worth picking up. There’s no way you’ll stay indifferent to your financial situation after reading this book.

“Everyone procrastinates. The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on.” – 3/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: tasks, success, simple methods, time blocks and… big frogs.

The legendary Eat That Frog! (more than 450,000 copies sold and translated into 23 languages) provides the 21 most effective methods for conquering procrastination and accomplishing more. This new edition is revised and updated throughout, and includes brand new information on how to keep technology from dominating our time.

Even though I’m better at it now, I still have a natural tendency to procrastinate. It’s something I have been working on these last few years, and sometimes it can be a struggle. I’ve heard about this book a few years ago and I decided to pick it up recently to see if I could take something – anything – from it.

To be honest, this book is tricky to rate. I personally didn’t love it or hate it, but I still believe you can find useful tips to use in your daily life.

Even though I understand some of the points made by the author, I still don’t fully agree with everything said in the book. For example, one of the biggest arguments is that you should eat your “biggest frogs” as soon as you can, first thing in the morning. I agree this is a great practice and I understand the positive impact this sort of behavior has if it becomes a habit. However, this is a one-size-fits-all mentality. According to the author, you won’t stop procrastinating if you don’t do it like that. The book says you shouldn’t start with a smaller task especially if it’s not an important thing, always start with the frogs first. I personally don’t fully agree with this because it’s not a flexible mindset. I agree that you should start big tasks as soon as possible, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be put in second place sometimes. Sometimes starting with a single smaller task makes me feel confident and motivated to tackle the big ones, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. It depends on the day and the tasks. This is just an example!

Not only does the book feel inflexible and restrictive at times, but I also found it very repetitive. The same concepts are repeated over and over again, and I thought it was unnecessary.

I also didn’t like how the book is so focused only on office work. I think most of the tips could be applied to more environments, so it didn’t make sense to me why it felt restricted only to office workers – keep in mind I work at an office.

I wouldn’t say this is a life-changing book, but you can still find some good tips here if you struggle with procrastination and organization.

“But maybe that’s what we all are—halfway-broken people searching for things that will smooth our jagged edges.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: fake ex-boyfriends, radio hosts, tweets, guidelines, grief, korean food, pasta al dente, misogyny, cute dogs, podcast episodes, beanie babies, a Master’s degree, the FCC and a lot of “pretending”.

Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s sparkling romantic comedy debut.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

This book was EXACTLY what I needed to get over my romance reading slump! From an enemies-to-lovers trope lover, let me tell you: this is an amazing romance!

I LOVED all the characters. Shay was a relatable main lead and Dominic is book-boyfriend material, so… needless to say I immediately liked them both. I will say the only reason why I took the 0.5 star from the rating was because I found Shay a little childish at times and I wish the grief aspect had a smaller role in the story. Other than that, I was very happy with the characters (main and secondary) and their backstories and struggles.

The romance was also everything I could ever wish for in a romance. Like I said, this fits in the enemies-to-lovers trope, and it’s packed with angst, bickering and banter! I was also surprised with how steamy it was… it was unexpected but I’m not complaining! I think it was very well written to keep the reader captivated from the beginning.

I also really liked the radio/podcast theme of the book! I read a few podcast books before, but I have to say this particular story was written in a very easygoing, unique way. I liked everything about it.

Highly recommend it if you’re a romance junkie like me. Don’t skip this one, give it a try because it’s worth it!

“How strange that instead of taking his heart, I’m hoping he takes mine.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: ships, loyalty, cold blood, licorice, swords, human hearts, necklaces, freckles, colorful scales, keys, royals, tattooed arms, marriage, sea foam, pistols, siren songs, tridents and crystals.

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

Who would have thought I would turn this into siren/pirate books? I have so much fun reading books like these!

Compared to my favorite siren/pirate book, the “Daughter of the Pirate King“, this has more of a serious/realistic tone to it. The author did a great job setting an atmosphere that makes you travel to another dimension.

Apparently this is a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” but I honestly don’t understand why people would say that. The only thing both stories have in common is that the main character is transformed from a siren to a girl. But other than that, there is not that much in common to make me think of this as a retelling.

Even though I liked it, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance. Both the relationship progression and timing fell flat for me. It was too slow at first and then everything happened all at once!

This is also considered a dark book but I also didn’t think it was that dark. Maybe I would consider the first chapters dark, but it was mostly a very normal fantasy book.

I think it’s very interesting to see a book like this written as a stand-alone! Not very common in this area of fantasy.

I listened to this as an audiobook and I really recommend this format! Also, it’s probably just me, but the male voice reminded me a lot of Cole Sprouse’s voice. Oh, it was just me? Alrighty.

“Faith is not just about what you believe but also to the kind of person you become because of that belief.” – 2.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: faith, workouts, guitar, religion, specialization and generalization.

It’s one of the biggest lies you’ve probably heard your entire life: Mastering one specific skill set is the key to success. That may have been true 20 years ago, but in today’s global economy, being the best at a single thing just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Think about those people who somehow manage to be amazing at everything they do – the multi-millionaire CEO with the bodybuilder physique or the rock star with legions of adoring fans. We all quietly envy them from time to time—how do they manage to be so much better at life?

It’s tempting to believe they’ve achieved greatness because they’re the very best in their field… or think that maybe it’s just dumb luck. But it’s much more than that. They’ve defied traditional perceptions of success by acquiring and applying multiple skills to make themselves valuable to others. They’ve become generalists.

In How to Be Better at Almost Everything, bestselling author, fitness expert, entrepreneur, and professional business coach Pat Flynn shares the secrets to learning (almost) every skill, from marketing to music to martial arts to writing and relationships, teaching how to combine interests to achieve greatness in any field. His direct, “Generalist” approach to self-improvement gives you the tools you need to make your mark on the world and make buckets of money—without losing your soul.

Discover how to:

Learn any skill with only an hour of practice a day through repetition and resistance.
Package all your passions into a single toolkit for success with skill stacking
Turn those passions into paychecks by transforming yourself into a person of interest.

In today’s fast-paced, constantly evolving world, it’s no longer good enough to have a single specialty. To really get ahead you need a diverse portfolio of hidden talents you can pull from your back pocket at a moment’s notice.  How to Be Better at Almost Everything teaches you how to gain a competitive edge in both your professional life and personal life.

This was another case of I-like-the-title-so-let’s-read-it. Do you know the famous quote “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”? This is exactly what’s behind this book and I strongly agree: it is better to be good at a lot of things than the best at a single thing.

I was excited to read this book and it started out on the right foot for me. I was interested to see how the author would develop this topic and his perspective. At the end… it didn’t work out for me.

One of the biggest reasons why I didn’t like this book is that it feels more like a memoir other than a self-development book. It’s very focused on the author, his experiences and interests. This means there is a lot about playing the guitar, working out and faith/religious. It’s not a practical book where there’s tips and/or directions, only a few pointers on why you should do certain things. Also, it gets very repetitive at times.

The humor was a little cringey – and I don’t mean dad joke kind of cringey – and unnecessary at times, but I appreciate the author’s effort to try and make the book more pleasant.

I’m also not sure what I feel about the use of religion here. I personally don’t mind the issue but I can see how this can be a no-go for some readers because it gets a little too preachy.

At the end of the day, did I learn anything from this book? I… don’t know? If I did, it was definitely not in the conventional way. I like to read other people’s lives and experiences, so I guess I took more from this book in a memoir kind of way other than self-development.

Long story short: the main idea was underdeveloped, there was a lot of filler and the good/evil preaching session was probably unnecessary for this particular audience. Not the worst book I have ever had, but it was all over the place and I didn’t take much from it.