“The real problem is that people are living lives that are incongruent with their authentic selves either because they’re following in their family’s footsteps instead of carving their own path, or they’re doing what worked for them ten years ago but simply doesn’t anymore, they’ve closed themselves off to what life has to offer because of fear or any number of other reasons. Every situation is unique.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: great advice, practical tips, examples, plenty of exercises, and the best and worst versions of ourselves.

The first book from Coach Mike, well-known life coach, personal development coach, addiction specialist, and soon-to-be Dr. Phil Show regular; an inspiring, invigorating program to help you examine where your life is now. Determine once and for all who you want to be and where you want to go, and live authentically and happily forever.

“There is a pervasive belief in society that people can’t change, not really. That is absolutely 100% untrue. If people couldn’t change, I’d still be penniless and addicted to drugs. If people couldn’t change, everyone would basically be doomed. I’ve seen people overcome all odds. People change. They did. You can.”

Life coach Mike Bayer, a gentle giant with an easy but focused manner, has helped all kinds of clients, from pop artists to athletes to top level business executives to families in refugee camps, to ordinary people like you and me. With care, subtlety, and a series of important, but tough questions, he inspires and directs people to transform their lives by empowering them to break free of destructive patterns. As a mental health specialist, a personal development coach, and an all-around crisis agent, Coach Mike has seen the damage we can do to ourselves. He understands our struggles intimately, because he’s faced—and overcome—his own.

Now, as a member of Dr. Phil McGraw’s core team and a show regular, Coach Mike will be bringing his knowledge and experience to millions across America. As a teaching tool for the 2019 season, this book will empower Dr. Phil’s guests, and in turn viewers, to confront their fears, acknowledge what is holding them back, and break through to live a passionate and authentic life to the fullest.

Coach Mike has quietly become one of the biggest names in mental health in the country—a behind-the-scenes superstar quietly making our lives and world better. His unparalleled passion for helping people, and a desire to make mental health care as mainstream as going to the gym is what brought him to the attention of Dr. Phil. With this book, Coach Mike’s simple yet powerful tools are ready for the mainstream, so that everyone can live the authentic life they truly desire and deserve. His brand of coaching teaches you manage your life from the inside out. His belief is once given the tools you can definitely learn to “Star In Your Own Life.” This book is a “how to” action oriented guide to becoming your own Life Coach!

Hands down, one of the best non-fiction/self-development books I have ever read! I loved plenty of things about this book, but what I liked the most was how practical it was and the intention behind it. 

Did you know Coach Mike turned his life around from being a drug addict to being extremely successful? From everything I’ve heard from him, he seems like a very down-to-earth person, and he has a very well-defined intention of helping others change their lives. And this book shows exactly that! It helps you by showing you how you can turn your life around, with kindness and compassion.

The concept of this book is fairly simple to understand. We all have a best self (our best version) and anti-selfs (our worst versions, there can be more than one). These versions guide our everyday thoughts and actions, so we need to understand who is in charge in critical times! If one of our anti-selves is operating, we should shift to what our best self would be doing instead. That way, we can navigate life being our best version! Ok, I know it sounds a little complicated, but Coach Mike explains everything in the book in an easier way, I promise!

What distinguishes this book from other self-help books is how it is a very practical book. There are a lot of exercises that you need to complete as you read each chapter – so you have no option but to reflect on all areas of your life. The exercises are “easy”, but my advice to you is that you really commit to doing them. You need to be intentional and honest with yourself if you’re looking for real change. Don’t worry if it seems complicated to keep up with, Coach Mike kept the humor and lightness throughout the book, so it was very easy to read and keep up with his train of thought. 

It is an amazing book and, unfortunately, it is very underrated. It’s a great way of looking at all areas of your life and getting some inspiration to start making changes. 

I highly recommend this one, it’s the perfect book to read if you want to make changes in your life.

“I may not have had money, breeding, power, or influence, but pride was free, and it was one of the few things I did possess in abundance.” – 2/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: rollerskates, part-time jobs, traumatizing experiences, new cars, college assignments, swans and riddles.

Xavier
This is not a love story.
I hate you not for who you are, but what you represent.
I’m the whispers in the darkness you can’t quite hear.
I’m the unease that can’t be explained, but won’t go away.
I’m your worst nightmare come to life.
I’m the filthy rich guy who’s coming for revenge.
Everything you’ve ever had.
Everything you hold dear.
I won’t stop until I break you.

Rocky
You were once my savior.
Now you’re my bully.
I’m the girl from the wrong side of the wrong side of the tracks.
No match for your money, your might, or your wrath.
But I’m not going down without a fight.
When I go, I’ll take you with me.
Because we’re more alike than you want to admit.
And more connected than you know.
This is not a love story.

Yeah, I didn’t like this at all. There was nothing about this book that made any sense, and unfortunately, it wasn’t a pleasant reading experience. I’m probably going to give you a few spoilers here, so keep that in mind. You have been warned!

The romance was… non-existent? I had so many issues with this book! For starters, the book consisted mostly of smut. To clarify, I love smutty books, but I wish there was some sort of romantic relationship developed between the characters here – or even an actual plot. They never actually spent time together or shared any sort of affection other than the usual sexual encounters, but by the end of the book they are telling each other how much they love each other. What? That made no sense. There was zero chemistry between them, so that didn’t help as well.

I liked Rocky as a character and how badass she was throughout the book, but the way she forgot everything that happened to her by the end was… out of character, to say the least. Is she seriously forgetting how much she was terrorized? He literally pushed her to (what she thought was) her death! And she forgives him in a matter of seconds? I really didn’t like the change of heart and character because it didn’t match her personality.

I kind of saw the drug “business” coming, but I was still curious to know what the basis for the revenge was. Imagine my face when I found out the reason. THAT was the reason for traumatizing a person who has nothing to do with the business? And for what, what was the goal?

I wished the assignment they had to do together was part of the ending since it was a big part of the plot and what brought them together – but it wasn’t, it was completely forgotten. Also, what about the car situation? She now has a new car to her name… Again, nothing makes sense.

How can people say the writing was great? I’m genuinely confused about that. I thought about it for a while, but I don’t think I’ll be picking up the rest of the books.

“I think we regular people may have forgotten a basic truth—we don’t really have the right to judge anyone else.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: deceit, bunny purses, swimming pools, blood tests, devious plans, pain, science fairs, homework, pushy teachers, depression, and incredible monologues.

Her pupils killed her daughter.
Now, she will have her revenge.

After calling off her engagement in wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation.

But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a maniacal plot for revenge.

Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you’ll never see coming, Confessions explores the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger. You’ll never look at a classroom the same way again.

Wow, what was that?! I’m so impressed with this thriller.

I found out about this book a few months ago and I immediately added it to my TBR list because it sounded incredible. But since I couldn’t get it out of my head and my curiosity was killing me, I started reading it shortly after adding it – I swear I could feel my other TBR books judging me from a distance. And boy oh boy, what a book this is!

So if you don’t know what this is about, it’s about a middle school teacher getting revenge for her daughter who was murdered by her students. Sounds like a crazy plot, right?! Oh, it gets worse, wait until you find out how she planned on doing that! Better yet, the book starts with her telling the entire class what happened and who was responsible… and what she did to get her revenge. It was SO twisted… but I couldn’t blame her, to be honest.

The writing was really interesting, and I believe I have never read something like this before. As I mentioned before, the book’s narrative starts with a monologue from the teacher telling what happened to the students and who was responsible, but it’s written as narrative prose without direct dialogue. It’s very bizarre, but I loved it! She is talking to her students and registering her reactions and responses, but not in a direct dialogue. Very cool! Also, you get different POVs from different characters and different writing formats throughout the book to tell the story of what happened. So essentially, confessions from different characters and POVs.

I’m in awe of this book. The fact that it was super shocking and devious made this book very different from other thrillers in my eyes. I seriously couldn’t put it down, and when I did it was because I had to! Can’t recommend this enough!

“Most of the time now, if I see someone I know, the face comes together pretty fast. But not always. If it’s been a while since I’ve seen that person. Or if I’m tired or preoccupied. I’ve walked up to Joe in Maria’s grocery store more than once and put my arms around him—only to realize I’ve just freaked out a total stranger. It happens. But I find the antidote to that is just keeping a sense of humor. And staying humble. And laughing a lot. And doubling down on smiling. We’re all just muddling through, after all. We’re all just doing the best we can. We’re all struggling with our struggles. Nobody has the answers. And everybody, deep down, is a little bit lost.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: portraits, bowling jackets, face blindness, nerdy glasses, cute dogs, evil stepsisters, and a lot of distorted faces.

Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

This was such a fun and unique book!

After reading “The Bodyguard”, I was immediately interested in reading more from this author, so I picked up this story – I didn’t think I would like this as much as I did, but here we are!

What I liked the most about this book was how unique and original it was. Who would even remember to make a love story with a main character who acquired temporary face blindness… and has to look at faces for a living? That was genius and led to many funny and heartwarming events.

I think it was pretty easy to predict the situations in the book, but I’m sure that was exactly the point: to know before the main character did and enjoy the ride by seeing her trying to navigate this new condition!I’m interested to read more from the author, Katherine Center. I first read “The Bodyguard” and loved it, and now I fell in love with this book! I’m going to keep an eye out for new releases from this author! I highly recommend either one of them.

“What are you working on?” I ask.
“The last page.” He gestures towards the table, where a pencilled sketch is being turned into inked brushstrokes. It’s a drawing of us, in this café, in this moment.
I smile up at him “It’s beautiful. But what comes next?”
“The best part.” And he pulls me back into his arms. “The happily ever after.” – 2/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: drawings, college applications, drivers, TV appearances, and a ton of drama, insecurity, and jealousy.

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

This was such a weird book. I was having a great time reading this trilogy, but this book was very disappointing. If I had to rate the books of the trilogy, I would say the first one (with Anna and Etienne) is my favorite and this one was my least favorite, without a doubt.

I didn’t like the plot and I didn’t care about the characters. Actually, I was excited to read about Josh, and to be honest he was fine and seemed realistic throughout the book… but Isla? Not so much. Isla was OBSESSED with her crush in a very toxic way, and it was too much! Eventually, she finds out he had always liked her back, which seemed very unrealistic to me, to be honest. I kind of hoped there was a message here like “Don’t be obsessed with boys and focus on you”, but it felt like it was being portrayed with a quirky, cute quality. She’s also very jealous and insecure, and it was painful to read – and worse, it was just glossed over like it didn’t matter. I’m okay with some infantility and immaturity while reading YA, but I seriously couldn’t stop cringing while reading this book! Isla is probably the most immature character I have ever read in YA – and that’s saying a lot, knowing I’ve read a LOT of YA books. 

If you like the miscommunication trope, oh boy, this book is for you! It was super annoying because there was a lot of drama… but no actual issue between them. It was very infantile.

With all of that said one thing I did like was the ending. I loved how all the trilogy characters gathered at the end! It was sweet and a great way of wrapping up the series. Also, a really cute thing happened at the very end that involved all of them – I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was probably one of my favorite moments of the book. 

I really wanted to give this book a positive rating, but I honestly couldn’t get over the immaturity and it kind of ruined the book for me. Too bad this is how I concluded the series!

“Just because something isn’t practical doesn’t mean it’s not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: mean sisters, rock bands, fortune-telling, strict parents, colorful wigs, figure skating, babies, a boy next door, Marie Antoinette gowns, and… cherries.

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion… she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit – the more sparkly, more wild – the better. And life is pretty close to perfect for Lola, especially with her hot rocker boyfriend.

That is, until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket return to the neighbourhood and unearth a past of hurt that Lola thought was long buried. So when talented inventor Cricket steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally face up to a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. Could the boy from Lola’s past be the love of her future?

Fall in love with the international bestseller from queen of young adult fiction, Stephanie Perkins.

After finishing “Anna and the French Kiss“, I immediately picked up “Lola and the Boy Next Door” because I was hoping it would be as good as the first book. While it wasn’t, I still think this was a cute read – I just liked the first book better in comparison.

Lola was a fun character and quirky to read! She is very into fashion and designing outfits, and I really enjoyed reading about that. Of course, there were some moments here and there that showed some immaturity from Lola but I had to remind myself they’re still pretty young and this is still a YA novel! I also want to mention Lola’s parents, Andy and Nathan, because I loved them as characters! Even though they are strict with her, they are great parents.

I feel like there’s a more… adult feel to this one. Her boyfriend Max is 22 and she’s only 16 years old, so that was a little creepy to me. Also, he was a jerk to her, always trying to control her and only liking her because she was young.

The romance was cute! I really liked Cricket Bell as a love interest. They liked each other for a very long time, and only now they’re starting to express their feelings for each other. Who doesn’t love a good first love story? Compared to her boyfriend Max, Cricket is very sweet and kind to her.

Since this is a crossover kind of trilogy, Anna and St. Clair from “Anna and the French Kiss” were part of the book! They made a few appearances here and there, so it was cool to see their “happily ever after”.Overall, I had fun reading this. It was a cute story and I enjoyed it for what it was, but so far the first book is still my favorite. I liked the first story better and I found it more entertaining and engaging than the second book. Let’s see how “Isla and the Happily Ever After” goes!

“Seriously, I don’t know any American girl who can resist an English accent.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: movie reviews, new friendships, colorful pastries, boarding schools, English accents, terrifying diagnoses, cinemas in every corner, sweet wine grapes, a fear of heights, and the many steps of the Eiffel Tower.

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she’s less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he’s taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she’s waiting for?

I finally read the epitome of YA Romance: “Anna and the French Kiss”!

I know I’m super late to the “Anna and the French Kiss” party, but I am happy I finally started this series. I’ll admit I had low expectations for this book because I thought this was probably overhyped. Well… I’m thrilled to say I was wrong.

Oh, the charms of Paris. I was excited when I found out the setting was in Paris! I was afraid this was going to be a very stereotypical view of Paris, but I liked the details that made this story escape the usual stereotypes – like the mention of the sweet wine grapes and the cinemas on every corner! Of course, you still have the staples, but the mention of different things was a pleasant surprise and made me think the author was actually in Paris and took inspiration from personal experience.

The romance was cute! I liked Anna as a main character and Étienne was a cute and interesting romantic interest. The word that best describes the characters in this would be “adorable”. The only thing that I didn’t like was the fact he had a girlfriend for most of the book. Without giving too many details, there’s a lot of emotional (and even some physical) cheating. I admit this wasn’t my favorite thing, but the rest of the story made up for it.

Surprisingly, there is some depth to the book. I thought this would be a full-on fluff book, but there were a few elements here that I wasn’t expecting. The lighter topics are well-balanced with the heavier topics mentioned –  it’s a fluffy read on the one hand with the cutesy romance while discovering Paris, but on the other side, we have one of the characters dealing with cancer. So not everything was butterflies and roses!

Overall, I was entertained and I was curious to see how the story ended. I heard the other two books are not as good as this one, but I’m still curious and I’ll be continuing the series to find out for myself.

“I never wanted to be the next Bruce Lee. I just wanted to be the first Jackie Chan.” (not from the book) – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: dangerous stunts, amazing movies, being kind, terrible mistakes, and martial arts.

A candid, thrilling memoir from one of the most recognizable, influential, and beloved cinematic personalities in the world.

Everyone knows Jackie Chan. Whether it’s from Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, The Karate Kid, or Kung Fu Panda, Jackie is admired by generations of moviegoers for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and mind-bending stunts. In 2016—after fifty-six years in the industry, over 200 films, and many broken bones—he received an honorary Academy Award for his lifetime achievement in film. But at 64 years-old, Jackie is just getting started.

Now, in Never Grow Up, the global superstar reflects on his early life, including his childhood years at the China Drama Academy (in which he was enrolled at the age of six), his big breaks (and setbacks) in Hong Kong and Hollywood, his numerous brushes with death (both on and off film sets), and his life as a husband and father (which has been, admittedly and regrettably, imperfect).

Jackie has never shied away from his mistakes. Since The Young Master in 1980, Jackie’s films have ended with a bloopers reel in which he stumbles over his lines, misses his mark, or crashes to the ground in a stunt gone south. In Never Grow Up, Jackie applies the same spirit of openness to his life, proving time and time again why he’s beloved the world over: he’s honest, funny, kind, brave beyond reckoning and—after all this time—still young at heart.

This was probably one of the most surprising memoirs I have ever read.

I can’t say I’m a huge Jackie Chan fan since I haven’t seen a lot of his movies – and apparently there are a lot of them -, but I’m a fan of the person he is. I always admired his work ethic and humble background, especially knowing how far he has come.

As I was expecting, he started his martial arts training very young and he did it for about 10 years. He soon started working on films as a stuntman, and he quickly became more and more popular because he was very hard-working and was always pushing his limits! He also talks about how every part of his body was broken at some point – he even goes into detail about every single lesion, which was insane to read about!

Now let me tell what surprised me the most about his story: I always saw him as a humble person, but he admits he wasn’t always like that. He talked a lot about his mistakes and how he mistreated people a lot. I can’t lie, my view of him changed a little! That was very surprising to me, but he was very open about it, which also tells us how much he has changed.

I really liked reading about his story, his passion for creating high-quality movies and always pushing his limits. I still admire him.

“I do love him. I’ve loved him as long as he has loved me. I’ve just spent so much of my life, so much of the last week, pretending it wasn’t true. So that we wouldn’t be hurt. That we wouldn’t suffer at the hands of class and expectations.” – 3/5 stars!

“The Little Mermaid” takes a twisted turn in this thrilling sequel to villainess origin story Sea Witch, as the forces of land and sea clash in an epic battle for freedom, redemption, and true love.

Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?

Told from alternating perspectives, this epic fairy tale retelling is a romantic and heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic, and the cost of redemption.

Meh, it was alright.

Now this was a little closer to the “Little Mermaid” story to be called a retelling in comparison to the first book. In “Sea Witch”, the focus is on the sea witch story, but in this book, it’s a little closer to the story most of us know – but the interesting part is that this book focuses on Runa (a sister) instead of Alia (the little mermaid).

I admit I wasn’t super invested in this book. It just felt a little flat and boring, and I had a hard time feeling captivated to keep reading. Not sure if that’s because I already “know” the original story and I lost interest? I also don’t think this needed to be a duology. 

At the end of the day, this duology was just okay – nothing too captivating. I find it hard to find good mermaid books, and this was another example of that struggle. It’s just not a very memorable book. It wasn’t terrible, but it was great as well… just alright.