[REVIEW] From Frazzled to Focused

From Frazzled to Focused

by 

Rivka Caroline

This book was not what I expected.

Of course, that could be because I failed to read the under-title: "The Ultimate Guide for Moms Who Want to Reclaim Their Time, Their Sanity and Their Lives". Had I read that carefully, I would never have requested to read this at NetGalley. What can I say? I'm frazzled! ;-þ

Perhaps, but the main reason why I didn't enjoy this book was that I just can't relate to people talking about children and designer handbags.... But for the intended audience I'm sure this book can really be a useful tool in becoming more organized and focused.

I must say that I did find the parts that were not about traditional family life with traditional gender roles quite useful. I'll try to apply some of the advice into my own, frazzled life. :)

The galley (for Kindle) I read had some really annoying typographical errors which made it difficult for me to focus on the text.

[REVIEW] The Liars' Gospel

The Liars' Gospel

by 

Naomi Alderman

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Well, what can I say? I've been a sucker for stories about religious figures for most of my life, and really looked forward to reading this. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down - I read it in less than 24 hours.

It's the story of Yehoshuah (Jesus), retold through four people who met him: Maryam (Mary), Iehuda (Judas), Caiphas and Bar-Avo (Barabbas). While it may not ring entirely true to biblical literalists, from a historical standpoint it does make a lot of sense and is largely based on historical sources.

Naomi Alderman writes in a "no excuse" kind of way - brutal and realistic (the opening scene is terrific proof of that), with lots of detail that brings the story to life. There is one thing about her writing that takes away from the experience for me, though -  the use of "cock" and various forms of "fuck" - it feels as if the word is only there for shock value, to disgust the reader. I simply found it to be out of place in a text where the rest of the language was so...beautiful. Even descriptions of things such as offerings were beautifully worded, so why use the word "fuck"? I may be a prude (ahem), but I just didn't feel as if that word belonged in there. 

Apart from that, though, it was a good story which I recommend to those who enjoy a good, action-packed book taken from history.

4 bookshelves out of 5

Goodbye winter - spring springs forward, bearing books (and book reviews)!

This about time flying that I wrote in a previous entry? Still true. But now spring is here, and at least I'm back to reading every day. As you've probably noticed, I've posted a bunch of reviews today. I hope you find lots of interesting books among those I've reviewed, as well as those I plan on reviewing in the future.

At the moment I'm reading this book:



Goodbye Vietnam, previously published under the title Brothers in Arms, is William Broyles's story of his return to Vietnam to make sense of the war he fought there years before. I'll get back to you with a review once I've finished it (I'm about halfway through at the moment).

Do you have any book recommendations? Feel free to share in comments!

[REVIEW] Don't juggle bees! And other useless advice for silly children by Gerald Hawksley

I found this book to be short, cute and funny. A good read for "silly children" - and "silly adults," too. Gerald Hawksley's language (particularly the rhymes) is brilliant, as are the drawings. I really recommend this one.

Rating: 4 bookshelves out of 5.

[REVIEW] Stop Depression, Start Living Now: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Mindfulness Meditation by Darlene Watson

I think this book would have benefited from being longer. It merely scratched the surface on the subject of how mindful meditation can benefit people with depression, and left me feeling a bit cheated.

For future editions of this book, I would like to see more examples of mindful meditation.

3 bookshelves out of 5.

[REVIEW] Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley

I was unable to read the book - hence the lack of a rating. It was unreadable due to the small print I could not increase on my Android app, and refused to open in my Kindle for PC. It looks like a cute book, though, and I would really like to read it some day.

[REVIEW] Happiness Awaits You! by Carol Costa et al

This is one of those books that ended up changing my life.

While I think it would benefit from some more proof-reading and editing, and that the title can be misleading to some (I was quite underwhelmed for a while since it was not at all what I expected), I don’t really "mind" the sections dealing with beliefs that differ from my own. 

Many different beliefs are represented in the book, which, to me, adds to its credibility. Some stories are better than others, but those better stories made me overlook those that were not quite as good. Stories about people being “healed from disability through prayer” have a tendency to put me off reading, but I’m glad I kept going to the end. I'm already looking forward to rereading this - it's a keeper!

Rating: 4.5 bookshelves out of 5.

[REVIEW] Polly's Wild Dance by Sydnee Elliot

I downloaded this Kindle book when it was free. Here's the book's description on Amazon:


After twenty-five years of dealing blackjack in Las Vegas, Polly Brilliant throws the cards in the air, sells everything she owns and makes a beeline to the Greek island of Kythira to paint, write, and forget about men. Or so she thinks.

Instead of escaping from life’s complications, Polly is met with uninvited apparitions of ex-lovers and husbands who propel her back in time to re-examine their madcap relationships. Are these specters seeking reevaluation or retirement?

Polly’s Wild Dance is the story of a middle-aged Jewish woman’s adventures in rebellion, self-discovery, and ultimately, reinvention.


Sounds interesting enough for a free read, right? Well, as I was reading, I found this book to be funny in that painful way. You know, where things are so absurd and funny in its sadness that you want to laugh, but feel bad about it?

I had a hard time putting it down, eager to know what would happen next. I kept forgetting it was fiction. When I remembered, I sighed with relief and laughed at the bizarre episodes in the life of Polly Brilliant.

This book has also been released under the pseudonym Ellen Karatzaferi.

Rating: 4 bookshelves out of 5.