Tag Archives: Books

Book review: The Wellness Score by J. Letorney

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The author, J. Letorney, is a friend of mine. I didn’t know he was a writer and when I saw he self-published a book, I was excited for him and inspired to get my own projects going. Truthfully, I don’t read much fiction but I had to buy this book to support a friend. What I got, was a whole lot more. It’s a great book; it is well-written and it has a plot that keeps you guessing. What is the noise? What is this character all about? There are reviews on Amazon using words like ‘addictive’, ‘creepy’ and ‘unsettling’ – all in a good way. One comment I agreed with the most was, “this book keeps you guessing.” Let’s face it – that is what sells books and keeps readers engaged and wanting more!

I believe fiction is more difficult to write than non-fiction so I am totally impressed. As I started reading, I was drawn into the plot easily. But, it’s also a thinking book. It’s kind of high-tech, so you have to follow along. The main character, Westwood, moves into a 55+ community without doing much research, which is out of character for her. So, it’s a cautionary tale, as well. How many times do we not follow our gut instinct and take a leap of faith? You won’t move again without doing your due diligence, once you read this book. I know it’s fiction but I have that conspiracy theorist in me, so I believe this could happen and I am sure other readers do also.

This is the type of book that you can read by the pool or on a rainy day and you can’t put it down. You can buy it HERE! It is sold exclusively on Amazon and I see a sequel in the works. Additionally, I loved the questions at the end for reading groups. It is a perfect book to discuss in a book club or in a class. I particularly liked the question about compliance. “What would your compliance score be?” My score would be zero for compliance and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I question everything and from every angle. One example was a bomb scare in the Boston building I was working at in the 90s. We were told to ‘shelter in place’. I made an executive decision. I grabbed my purse and bolted down the 8 flights of stairs. Later, I was reprimanded. If a bomb had exploded, I would be alive, so I was okay with being non-compliant. If you have a book group, get this book and discuss it. If you don’t, get it anyway. Time well spent! And when you are 55+ (or even younger), time matters! The clock is ticking, people. The clock is ticking! Let me know if you read this book and send me your thoughts. Until next time….

Book review: Maybe You Should Give Up

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I swore I was not going to take on the task of another book review until I had completed my own manuscript and made a valiant effort to get it published. I have become a professional procrastinator when it comes to my own affairs. So when I received an email from Byron Morrison, I became distracted and intrigued. I consider that the mark of a curious person and a procrastinator. The title, Maybe You Should Give Up caught my attention and Byron’s last name is similar to mine. So I replied. We emailed, I looked at his website and I thought, What do I have to lose?

The title of the book is Maybe You Should Give Up and the subtitle is 7 ways to get out of your own way and take control of your life. I need to get back in control of my life and my time and 7 ways to do it seemed quite manageable to me. 50 ways would be way too much. Even 10 might be too many but 7 is a good number. But this isn’t about numerology, although I would love to go there. This is about getting stuff done. The 7 ways are essentially identifying the 7 “mental rocks” we are being weighed down by and removing them to get going again. The book stated, “Stop carrying boulders. Give up on them. Leave them behind.” Sounds simple but can you do it? I wasn’t sure I could. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I could read the whole book and write a review, let alone learn anything from it. HOWEVER, I decided to read and immediately take action from Byron’s advice. And you know what? It worked! I don’t want to divulge the secret things on my to-do list that I finally pulled the proverbial trigger on but I started acting instead of allowing fear and self-criticism to stop me. In essence, I gave up on trying to be perfect which the book recommends. I had drafts of emails waiting to be sent out until they were perfect. I perused them and hit the send button. I will never be able to be rejected if they are sitting in the drafts folder. Truthfully, I already received a couple of rejections but they felt better than not acting at all.

The book is well-written, easy to read and peppered with anecdotes from Morrison’s life experience and his work as a life coach. I highly recommend this book and you can pre-order your copy here.

I have been promised an autographed copy. I can’t wait!

Book review: ‘How to raise great kids’

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I am blessed to receive so many emails from readers, companies and generally cool people.  So many, in fact, that I simply don’t have time to review all of the products and requests that come through the pipeline.  Not the Alaska pipeline.  But the blog pipeline. Back on Thanksgiving Day 2016, I got a really nice email from Jim Gromer. And yes, you read that correctly.  It was Thanksgiving Day 2016 and I am just getting to this review.  I am embarrassed to admit this delay but I wanted to do this one and it took me far longer than it should have.  However, I am trying to raise great kids and I guess that is where the majority of my time goes.  To parenting and work, laundry, etc.  Well, you know the drill (total pun intended with the Alaska reference!)  We are all multitasking, right?

Anyway, my point is, sometimes, in a few sentences or so, you can tell someone is a kindred spirit; that you really have to take a longer look at this inquiry. That, if this person had been in your high school or was your neighbor, you would be friends.  I am like that.  I am intuitive about people.  At least, most of the time.

So let me tell you about the book ‘How to Raise Great Kids’ and how you can get it.  You can click that link ahead of time or you can wait and I can tell you what I like about it.  This book has tips for learning, games and general all around fun with your children.  What I loved about the concept was the onus was put on the children to be great…..raise great kids.  I like that.  Then some of the pressure is off…..it becomes a partnership and both parents and children are responsible for their greatness.  And the children are expected to be respectful, have fun, gain self-confidence and more.  Now, I know you are thinking, ‘I know everything about parenting….what could I learn?‘ Trust me, you don’t know everything.  None of us do.  And the minute we realize that, we become better parents instantly.

There is nothing better than a great book....well, a great book signed by the author!

There is nothing better than a great book….well, a great book signed by the author!

This book is filled with tips for communication, hygiene, safety, instilling faith and confidence in little ones and the list goes on.  The chapters are short and filled with great suggestions.  If you are parenting or know a parent or are invited to a baby shower, this is a gem of a book.  Here’s the link: How to Raise Great Kids…..don’t be like me and wait.  Enjoy!  Parent away!  And the author’s advice and my advice:  cherish every minute of it….yes, parenting can be really fun!  It sounds like an oxymoron but it is not!

Oh, and here’s my favorite line – “Life is messy but when you cherish the golden moments and power through the inevitable tough times, you give your family a fighting chance to leave a positive legacy.”  Sage advice from Jim Gromer!.