“One should not make a pet out of a wild beast.” – 4.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: damsels, amber eyes, hawks, baby lynxes, falcons, gems, dreams, lost memories, dry meat, secrets, dragons, sweet maids, red hair and glass eyes.

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.

This book. Wow, what a masterpiece. By far one of my favorite books I’ve read this year!

You would think “what could possibly go wrong with what looks like your typical happy-ending fairy tale?”. Well, in this case, everything goes wrong. “Damsel” is a very dark and twisted novel, with no hint of humor in it.

The book tells the story of a damsel who was rescued by a prince, after he defeated the dragon. She doesn’t remember anything before her rescue, so she trusts the prince and returns home with him to be his bride. The only problem is… she doesn’t want to be his bride. So of course, things get very ugly, very fast. She is controlled, abused, humiliated and she has to follow his orders even if she doesn’t want to. She keeps trying to remember her past and she soon finds out that there are a lot of things the prince hid from her…

The synopsis caught my attention, so I knew I had to pick this up… and I’m really glad I did. I was hooked to the story from the start and I was intrigued to know how it would all end. My favorite thing about it is how the entire book is a giant metaphor! The way the prince tries to tame her, discipline her and make something of her that she isn’t was heartbreaking. The only thing I’m going to say about that, is that this is a true feminist book.

I really liked the characters in this! For the first time ever, I found a book character that I really disliked. I hated Emory with every fiber of my being, and that was very refreshing! I really liked how unlikeable he was. His friend was also trash.

The ONLY thing that I wasn’t a fan of (and what stopped me from giving 5 stars to this book) was the way Emory defeated the dragon (the third weapon situation). I just can’t wrap my head around it and it still doesn’t make sense to me. But I decided to see it also as a metaphor. Still, I was really satisfied with the ending! Kudos to the author.

The book made me feel angry and sad and heartbroken for Ama, but it was completely worth the read. I wouldn’t recommend this to a younger audience/kids because of the heavier topics, such as sexual assault and abuse. But it’s an incredible book for an older audience!

“Some days it’s fine. Others it nearly breaks me. The emptiness of the horizon, and the hunger in my body, and how will we ever survive this if we can’t survive each other? “We’re gonna make it. Tell me we’re gonna make it.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: quarantine, black bears, blind eyes, a fresh orange, the Tox, gun shooting, snow, limited food supplies, blonde braids, forbidden kisses, face masks, the woods, a cure and wild girls.

It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

I had very high expectations for this book. The cover is absolutely beautiful and I was so drawn to the synopsis… but it was a flop to me. To be fair, I was really into the beginning and I loved how wild the girls were, but the rest of the story didn’t meet my expectations. I personally didn’t like the course the book took, and the explanation the author gave for their sickness felt off and rushed. And that ending…? That ruined it for me.

I would not classify this a horror novel, but it has some creepy and eerie elements in it. That was definitely my favorite part of the book: the atmosphere. Still, I would like it better if the story was focused solely on the school and woods. Also, I really liked that the story was not focused on romance! That was a breath of fresh air.

The story itself had so much potential to become a really cool book. I’m so sad, I really wanted to love this!

“Every successful person is someone who has failed, but never considered himself a failure.” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attitude can make or break you and the people you lead.

Good attitudes on a team do not guarantee its success, but bad attitudes guarantee its ruin. So says New York Times best-selling author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell in this highly practical primer, Attitude 101. Anyone who has tried to lead people with bad attitudes knows the frustration it can bring.

With this concise and reader-friendly guidebook, you can master attitude issues. Learn to:

Recognize how individuals’ attitudes impact their performance
Pinpoint problem feelings, behaviors, and thinking in yourself and others
Identify six common attitude problems that undermine teamwork
Discover the secret to changing a bad attitude
Create new definititons of failure and success that will improve performance
Adopt the attitude that helps a leader keep going to the next level
Attitude is contagious!

You want to make sure your team is catching the right one!

This small book is perfect for a dose of motivation! It focuses on why we should have a good attitude in order to be successful. Maintaining a good attitude is essential to every area of our lives, and that’s exactly what this book is trying to teach.

The book is packed with great, organized advice. The author gives a lot of examples when a point is being made, so that helped a lot with visualizing what he was trying to say. I would say this is a great book for people who are getting started on the self-development world. For me, it was a good opportunity to remind myself of a few concepts on this subject and check on my overall attitude.

It’s a great book to pick if you want to read something inspirational. It is very easy to read and you’ll get through it quickly! I recommend the audiobook version because the narration is great and it is only about 2 hours long.

“One day I’d like to find the story of my past, and I hope it’s something more magical than being unwanted and abandoned as a baby. I hope it’s a tale filled with wonder, that explains who I am and why I’m different, why I hear the trees whispering secrets, and why I always feel the forest, pulling me in.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: maps, magical stories, claw pendants, real friendships, notes, houses with chicken legs, quests, talking animals, war dances, bear caves, curses, enchanted trees, true friendships and… bear legs.

Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, 12-year-old Yanka has always felt out of place in her small village. When she wakes up to find that her legs have become bear legs, she sets off into the forest to discover who she is, on a journey that takes her from icy rivers to smouldering mountains, with an ever-growing group of misfits alongside her… Interwoven with traditional stories of bears, princesses and dragons, Yanka’s journey is a gorgeously lyrical adventure from the best-selling author of The House With Chicken Legs.

This was such a cute story! It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Sophie Anderson’s books and whenever a new book comes out, I’m always looking forward to diving into them!

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, but my favorite was definitely the characters. I loved the main character Yanka and her trusty companion, the weasel Mousetrap.! They made the perfect duo and I was rooting for them the entire time. To be honest I liked all the characters – a special mention to Sasha, the Yaga and Elena.

The writing is beautiful and immersive. This story is based in Russian folklore, just like the other books from the same author. I always learn one thing or two by reading these stories! The only thing that I didn’t like that much is that I found it a little too slow-paced for my taste. Somewhere after she left for the forest, the story slowed down and my interest decreased a little.

One thing that surprised me was the crossover with “The House With Chicken Legs” book. I didn’t know there was a crossover, so I’m just glad I picked up the books in the right order! For this reason, if you’re considering picking this up I would highly advise you to pick up “The House With Chicken Legs” first!

It’s an amazing story for every age. It’s not only a story for children, but a story for young adults and adults as well. It’s full of magic and I’m sure your imagination will run free!

The illustrations are beautiful as always. Judging by the art style, I’m assuming the same illustrator is still working with Sophie Anderson! They make a great team to create these amazing stories. I just love how well the story is told with the beautiful pictures… It’s a match made in heaven!I really liked this book, but my favorite from this author is still “The House With Chicken Legs”. If you want to pick a book from her, that would be my recommendation!

“As I stood there surrounded by three people who had the ability to do just that-crack my chest open to all the disappointment and difficulty and grief-I knew I still wanted it. The risk of the bad stuff was so worth the good stuff. People who would be there for you when you messed up and behaved like a little jerk? They were the good stuff.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: waterpark rides, kimchi, instamodels, spontaneous plane rides, food trucks, arrow signs, food competitions, Carrie the musical, pranks, first love, single dads, improbable friendships, Korean-brazilian culture, pasteis, the KoBra, summer jobs, LA and starry nights.

From the author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a laugh-out-loud story of love, new friendships, and one unique food truck.

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind?

With Maurene Goo’s signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.

Another book where the book cover spoke to my soul… the cover is beautiful!
Now, the review of the book itself: this book was adorable! I really liked how Clara’s dad runs a food truck and (surprise surprise) it made me very hungry… constantly. All the food descriptions made me crave everything!
Clara’s relationship with Rose was very interesting to watch as well. They started as mortal enemies, and ended as best friends. They made great friends when they got to know each other better, which was nice.
I also thought the romance was very cute! The love interest was very nerdy and respectful. Just thought it was insta-love, but it was still cute.
I felt like Clara grew a lot this summer, it was nice to watch her develop and become more mature. And I really liked her personality in general, very different from the regular lead girl. She’s incredibly funny and sarcastic and weird, and I love it!
It’s a great book for a light summer read! It’s funny and sweet, perfect if you just want to grab something easy and fast to read.

“The easiest way to steal something, is for it to be given willingly.” – 4.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: pumpkins, magical hats, loyal maids, dreams, tight corsets, bakeries, riddles, black velvet gloves, red dresses, hedgehogs and flamingos, too much pepper, a three-pointed hat, jabberwocks, madness, disappearing cats, white roses, three little girls in a well, lemon tarts, tricks, rose macarons, golden eyes, black curls, jolly kings, black ravens, cut out heads and a heartless queen.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

In her first stand-alone teen novel, the New York Times-bestselling author dazzles us with a prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

I think my heart is officially shattered. Or maybe it’s just gone now. Which is kind of appropriate given the title.

I knew this book would be in some way tragic since it is the story of how the Queen of Hearts became the way she is. I thought I was mentally prepared for it, but I was wrong, I wasn’t. So many emotions, but most of all, I feel really bad for Catherine (that character development though… yikes!).

I’m so glad I picked the audiobook for this one (even if it was almost 15 hours!). The characters’ accent contributed very positively to the story and all the magical atmosphere was set perfectly. With that said, the book is SO slow-paced! But that didn’t bother me that much to be honest. The story made up for it.

This is an amazing retelling of the Queen of Hearts story, I highly recommend this for Alice in Wonderland lovers!

“Never take anything you haven’t earned, my father used to say. You always end up paying for it one way or another.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: detailed elevators, rules, ouroboros, creepy wallpaper, signed book copies, gargoyles, easy money, park benches, missing flyers, lost cell phones, puppies, suicides, guns, dumbwaiters and reset buttons.

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew’s dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

I can’t remember the last time I read a good thriller, so I decided to pick this up – it looked promising. This is classified as a thriller and a mystery novel, but for me it was more of a mystery trying to be horror.
When the story began, I thought the setup was perfect! The building had a creepy vibe, the gargoyles were eerie, the residents seemed TOO private, the building history was haunting… and then you find out there’s a dumbwaiter in the apartment and now you know for sure you are in for a treat! Well… and I was, just not the way I expected.
I feel like I spent the majority of the book wondering why “nothing” was happening… and still, I wasn’t bored. I remember when I read about the first time Jules felt something in her apartment and the time when the first message appeared in her dumbwaiter, I thought the story was going to be about a haunted apartment/building but it was nothing like that.
With that said, it was still a great story and I was hooked the entire time! But please note that if you are expecting a paranormal book like I was, this is probably not the book for you.

“If we can use our problems and illnesses as opportunities to think about how we can change our lives, we have power.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: meditation, affirmations, positive thoughts, gratitude, teddy bears and the power within us.

In The Power Is Within You, Louise L. Hay expands her philosophies of loving the self through:
– learning to listen and trust the inner voice;
– loving the child within;
– letting our true feelings out;
– the responsibility of parenting;
– releasing our fear about growing older;
– allowing ourselves to receive prosperity;
– expressing our creativity;
– accepting change as a natural part of life;
– creating a world that is ecologically sound where it’s safe to love each other;
– and much more.

She closes the book with a chapter devoted to meditations for personal and planetary healing.

I loved this book so much!

Some books come to us when we need to hear something specific, and this book was exactly that: It came exactly when I needed it most.

When I started this book and I got through the first chapters, I thought this would be a pretty simple self-development book. Just because I’ve already read about the things the author was talking about – such as affirmations, for example.

But as the book progresses, I started to read about things that really spiked my interest and curiosity. One of these topics was on how we create our own diseases with our negative emotions such as frustration and anger. Not only that but she also talked about how the affected organs and side of the body are also not coincidental. This was really interesting to me and I immediately thought “I need to read more about this topic”! I’m hoping her other books talk more about this.

It’s a very positive, feel-good book! Even if you don’t take everything it preaches, I guarantee you’ll still find something here that you can take with you.

Louise seems like an awesome, warm person and I’m very excited to take a look at her other books! Definitely worth it.

“When supporting others, we need to offer the comfort of Kirk and the intellect of Spock.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: baseball bats, diaries, teddy bears, distancing, Star Trek, rituals, the power of words and an inner voice.

An award-winning psychologist reveals the hidden power of our inner voice and shows how to harness it to combat anxiety, improve physical and mental health, and deepen our relationships with others.

Tell a stranger that you talk to yourself, and you’re likely to get written off as eccentric. But the truth is that we all have a voice in our head. When we talk to ourselves, we often hope to tap into our inner coach but find our inner critic instead. When we’re facing a tough task, our inner coach can buoy us up: Focus–you can do this. But, just as often, our inner critic sinks us entirely: I’m going to fail. They’ll all laugh at me. What’s the use?

In Chatter, acclaimed psychologist Ethan Kross explores the silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interweaving groundbreaking behavioral and brain research from his own lab with real-world case studies–from a pitcher who forgets how to pitch, to a Harvard undergrad negotiating her double life as a spy–Kross explains how these conversations shape our lives, work, and relationships. He warns that giving in to negative and disorienting self-talk–what he calls “chatter”–can tank our health, sink our moods, strain our social connections, and cause us to fold under pressure.

But the good news is that we’re already equipped with the tools we need to make our inner voice work in our favor. These tools are often hidden in plain sight–in the words we use to think about ourselves, the technologies we embrace, the diaries we keep in our drawers, the conversations we have with our loved ones, and the cultures we create in our schools and workplaces.

Brilliantly argued, expertly researched, and filled with compelling stories, Chatter gives us the power to change the most important conversation we have each day: the one we have with ourselves.

This was a very insightful and interesting read. This book is focused on how our inner chatter influences our lives positively or negatively – well, according to what we do consciously and unconsciously. I think the most memorable and useful thing I took from this book is how creating some distance with our thoughts helps putting situations in perspective. I never thought very deeply about this until now, but it makes total sense! I know some people who do this unintentionally and it’s very interesting to see their internal dialogue. I’m definitely applying this to my own life!

I like how he showed a lot of studies made by his team and gave real-life examples from other people – and even himself! – to prove his points.

Another thing I also loved was how the author mentioned how important it is to take walks and look at green (trees, bushes, plants). I already read some books that said the same thing about the power of nature, and I’m very glad he mentioned this as well because I think it’s something we overlook often. 

It’s a very nice book that touches a lot of important topics. It was nice to review some of the concepts and also learn a few new perspectives coming from the stories and studies presented. I recommend the audiobook version for this. It’s a great way of working on yourself while doing a mindless task such as driving or cleaning!

“But diet and exercise are not fifty-fifty partners like macaroni and cheese. Diet is Batman and exercise is Robin. Diet does 95 per cent of the work and deserves all the attention; so, logically, it would be sensible to focus on diet. Exercise is still healthy and important—just not equally important. It has many benefits, but weight loss is not among them. Exercise is like brushing your teeth. It is good for you and should be done every day. Just don’t expect to lose weight.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: human studies, vinegar, processed carbohydrates, fibers, calorie restriction, hormones, easy recipes, sugars, intermittent fasting, sleeping hours and meal planning.

Everything you believe about how to lose weight is wrong. Weight gain and obesity are driven by hormones—in everyone—and only by understanding the effects of insulin and insulin resistance can we achieve lasting weight loss.

In this highly readable and provocative book, Dr. Jason Fung sets out an original, robust theory of obesity that provides startling insights into proper nutrition. In addition to his five basic steps, a set of lifelong habits that will improve your health and control your insulin levels, Dr. Fung explains how to use intermittent fasting to break the cycle of insulin resistance and reach a healthy weight—for good.

I read this book a while ago, but I couldn’t write a review right after finishing the book because I wanted to let the teachings sink in first.
I want to start this review by saying I was a little scared of going into this knowing it’s a medical book. I was afraid of not fully understanding the author’s message because of the (possible) use of medical and technical language. My fear quickly vanished after reading the first part of the book: the author addresses this concern and says he wrote the book in a way that everyone could understand, because this is a book intended for everyone interested in the subject, no matter their background and education. And it was true. I went through this book quickly and I absorbed the information easily.
This was a life changing book for me. I’ve struggled with overeating and being overweight for a few years now, and I’m always looking for new information and new things to read on the subject. This was a very important read for me because I learned a lot and I applied a lot of the teachings to lose weight… and guess what? It worked perfectly! I still have weight to lose until I reach my goal, but I’m happy to say my habits have changed and I’ve lost a lot of weight so far!
Ok, now back to the book: what makes it so amazing? To me it was the fact that the author uses A LOT of human studies to back up every claim. This book is full of references to relevant studies on human behavior. It’s the kind of book that you will definitely take something from, even if you’re an expert in the subject because he covers a lot of areas. Not only does he explain what works and what doesn’t for weight loss, but it uses a lot of proof to back it up. For example, one of the things you’ll read in this book is the fact that calorie restriction does not influence weight loss. Another big thing is that what makes us gain weight is the unbalanced hormone levels. These two simple facts were very surprising to me, but after reading about the science behind it and the studies made on the subjects, I gained a new (and life changing) perspective which is now a huge part of my successful weight loss journey. I’m also very thankful for the author to end the book with a conclusion for what we should do for weight loss.
I cannot explain how important this book was in my life. I’m truly grateful this doctor took the time to explain all the science behind it for us to lead a healthier life. This is an amazing book and an essential read with anyone struggling with losing weight! I already added to my TBR list the other two books from this author: “The Cancer Code” and “The Diabetes Code”. Definitely recommend this one, it’s probably the best book I’ve read in 2022.