The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F-ck by Mark Manson – Book Review

I wasn't sure what The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson was going to be like when I started it but I was curious what 'the hype' was all about. So I figured 'why not?'

I bought both The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and the second book Everything Is F*cked. Though I was planning to read the latter in 2021, that never happened. So hopefully I'll be reading and reviewing it this year – 2022. (I'm just giving myself a timeline.)

"There is a simple realization from which all personal improvement and growth emerges. This is the realization that we, individually, are responsible for everything in our lives, no matter the external circumstances."

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a book about life and experiences. While it's not for everyone, there's lots of storytelling and ideas that serve as food for thought. 

Here are my main takeaways and notes from the book: 

1)    Mark Manson is a great storyteller. No he's not a novelist but he can keep you captivated with a story for a few pages till he gets to the point he wants you to see.

2)    There are many worthwhile thoughts and quotes in there. (You'll see many of them here and the rest are on my Instagram page.)

3)    There's lots of food for thought. Particularly this next quote/section:

"Take a moment and think about something that's really bugging you. Now ask yourself why it bugs you. Chances are the answer will involve a failure of some sort. Then take that failure and ask why it seems "true" to you. What if that failure wasn't really a failure? What if you've been looking at it the wrong way?"

If you're wondering about how much profanity is in the book, well the title should be a strong indicator. Personally, I thought Manson overused the 'f' word. I mean there were parts where you could just move on without using it, but he just added it.

Though The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck involves good storytelling there were many stories where Manson speaks about ex-girlfriends that I thought were boring.

And since the book focuses on experiences, here's an interesting thought/comment/quote about experiences:

"Values underlie everything we are and do. If what we value is unhelpful, if what we consider success/failure is poorly chosen, when everything based on those values – thoughts, the emotions, the day to day feelings – will all be out of whack. Everything we think and feel about a situation ultimately comes back to how valuable we perceive it to be."

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a light read. It's a break from suspense and fantasy novels (that I like to read) and the heavy informative self-help and non-fiction books (that I come across).

But if you really want to summarize the book, then this is it: (excuse the profanity)

The 3 subtleties of not giving a f*ck:

Subtlety #1: Not giving a f*ck does not mean being indifferent, it means being comfortable with being different.

Subtlety #2: To not give a f*ck about adversity, you must first give a f*ck about something more important than adversity.

Subtlety #3: Whether you realize it or not, you are always choosing to what to give a f*ck about.

And if you're looking for some confusing wisdom, read this one. Think about it and you'll realize it makes a lot of sense:

 

Overall rating for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson: 3 stars. Hopefully, I'll get to his second book over the summer.

Keep up with me on Instagram to see the remaining quotes that I liked in the book.

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord by Emmanuella Hristova – Book Review

Book: The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord

Author: Emmanuella Hristova

No. of pages: 50

Publication date: April 2018

Synopsis:

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder is a short collection of poems that explores a tumultuous year of love, heartbreak and unimaginable loss. It documents the birth and death of a relationship, and the death of my sister. Each poem is an emotional time-stamp that plunges the reader into the depths of my feelings as they burgeon and wane. The book reads like a diary and chronicles the boundaries of the things that we all feel: passion, heartache, and pain that gives way to hope. 

Book Review by Nadaness In Motion

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord is a raw and emotional poetry collection by Emmanuella Hristova.

At first I was at a loss with the arrangement and titling of the poems. But I realized that they're done in a historic kind of arrangement with some days having more than one poem written. Many pieces don't have titles just dates.

A note to remind oneself when reading poetry collections, especially those in free verse, not everyone breaks lines the same way. I disliked many of the line breaks in The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord but that could just be me and others might prefer them that way.

The poem titled "September 29th" is one of the beautiful ones I enjoyed in the first half, though I disliked the repetition of 'and' and some of the line breaks.

"Upon Success" is a short piece that every person everywhere in the world can relate to. It's short and I'll quote it; I didn't like the line-breaks here either.

"America is a weird place where/we leave the/people we love to/pursue little green pieces of/paper and ink to/fill empty slots on/our resumes."

I felt that the piece titled "October 5th" was more prose than poetry but I loved the imagery.  "October 9th" is brimming with stunning imagery, dark, and just wow!

"I hesitate when you kiss me because I/ am afraid you will taste the disaster/brewing underneath my skin. Or maybe/my kisses taste hot, like a dangerous/sun storm raging on the broiling/surface of our most familiar star."  - that's just a sample of "October 9th" which is a long and gorgeous poem.

Another important note about The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord is that there are many pieces handling sexual and physical abuse. The poems are powerful. Like these lines from "October 17th":

"Letting my lips touch yours/was a contract I signed/without reading the fine print: participant subject to hasty sexual advances/ without warning."

I couldn't get the poem "November 14th," it was odd with a dry tone and felt more like a series of commandments. "November 16th" reads like a broken down prose piece but is full of strong imagery.

Other 5-star pieces in Hristova's The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord include: "October 18th," "October 19th," "Upon Saying Thank You," "Upon Inspiration," "November 17th," "December 15th," and "Upon Celebrating International Women's Day."

"You came, conquered,/stole my heart and/left me with a Moleskin full of/pensive poems documenting unrequited love/exposed on cream, lined pages." - "Upon Inspiration"

I must admit that the second half of the book was much better than the first half. The poems were longer and deeper after the 50% mark. That said, "Upon Diluting Myself" and "Upon Being a Woman" are the most powerful pieces in the entire collection. 10 stars each of these.

"Upon Diluting Myself" is long but super powerful. It's also explicit, painful, eye-opening, and emancipating, all at the same time. Similarly, "Upon Being a Woman" is the most painful piece in The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord. It does have a lot of Spanish words, which I couldn't understand. The poem is probably the longest in the collection but speaks for a lot of women suffering from sexual abuse.

"Upon inheritance" is a sad and painful piece that nearly made me cry.

Last but certainly not least, The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord ends with "Here's to the Woman," Hristova's perfect conclusion to her emotionally raw poetry collection that I believe is dedicated to all women out there.

This collection was hard for me to judge, but my overall rating is: 4 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord from its author Emmanuella Hristova in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Emmanuella Hristova was born in Oakland, California and grew up in the Bay Area. She is the third daughter to Bulgarian parents who immigrated to California shortly before she was born. She began drawing at the ripe age of four, and studied the fine arts for five years in high school. In 2015, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley.

She began writing poetry at age twenty-four when she was in graduate school. She earned her Master's in Education from the same alma mater in 2017. Emmanuella spent two years as an English teacher in Richmond, California. During that time, she self-published her first poetry collection: The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder. Currently, she is writing her first novel.

Connect with indie author Emmanuella Hristova via her website, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram

Set Me Free by London Setterby - Book review

Set Me Free by London Setterby

Publication date: 8 July 2016

Genres: Gothic, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Miranda Lewis is desperate to get away from her controlling ex–so desperate she leaves him in the middle of the night. She ends up on a remote island off the Maine coast, where she befriends a bubbly shopkeeper, Claire, and becomes fascinated with Claire’s son, big, brooding Owen Larsen, a woodworker who keeps to himself. Even the friendliest locals here are secretive–and Owen is at the center of their secrets.

Still, Miranda loves the salt air, the craggy coastline, and, most of all, the work of the island’s beloved local painter, Suzanna White. Miranda wants to stay–to claim a life of her own, to paint again. But the longer she stays, the more her fascination with Owen increases. Why is there a painting of his stern, handsome face in the art gallery by the beach? And why is everyone so afraid of him?

Book Review by Nadaness In Motion

“If you’re not an English major, what are you?” Owen asked.

“I’m…” Before Rhys, I was a bartender and a painter. But since then? “I’m nothing.” Absolutely nothing.

Set Me Free by London Setterby is an interesting emotional read. The story opens with main character, Miranda, named after Shakespeare’s Miranda in The Tempest, running away from her abusive and domineering boyfriend Rhys. She has no idea where she’s going except that she needs to get as far away from him as possible.

I liked how the title Set Me Free, not only involved the protagonist Miranda but also Owen. The whole town of Falls Island needs to be set free from a tragedy that happened seven years before.

Everyone has a secret in the novel; Miranda’s is the fact that her ex was abusive and that she ran away from him. She is constantly terrified that he would find her – and for good reason – which constantly keeps her on edge, thinking that any sound might be him. He, too, is relentless in his search.

“Anything that made me think of Rhys – Scott grabbing my arm, a hand raised in the darkness – terrified me, until my bones shook and my lungs felt crushed.”

I particularly liked how Setterby portrayed Miranda, the abuse victim’s emotions throughout the novel. Even when Miranda stands up for herself, she begins to have a change of heart about her actions. This happens several times in the novel.

“I should have been proud of myself. But instead fear and adrenaline gave way to numb shock. Over? Truly over? How would I live without him? How long could I sleep in my car and live off leftover French fries?”

As soon as Miranda sets foot on Falls Island, she discovers artwork by a painter called Suzanne White, whom she learns died seven years before. She later learns that Suzanne was believed to have been murdered by her boyfriend.

Miranda is enamoured by Suzanne’s work and later by the woman herself when she sees a self-portrait of her. As she begins to get to know Owen, she starts to compare herself to Suzanne, who as “Beloved of All” in the town.

I loved Miranda’s attempts to solve the mystery behind Suzanne’s death and the bit of amateur sleuthing involved. The way she made the discovery at the end and exposed the hidden killer was brilliant; it was very creative on Setterby’s part.

 “I knew enough about grief to know that it never truly went away, even after seven years. Sometimes it was just a stone you carried around with you, hardly remembering it was there, and other times it hit you with its full shrieking malevolent force – always at the strangest moments, like when you were driving or at the bank.”

One of the fun things about the dark tale of Set Me Free was the references to literature. Miranda’s father is professor who teaches the works of Shakespeare, hence her name, while Owen’s mother, Claire, names her dogs after famous British writers and poets.

I also liked Setterby’s hints as the possible paranormal aspect of the novel, leaving the reading wondering whether things happen for a reason or there is some other force at work guiding the characters and events.

“The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I couldn’t help imagining the island plucking Owen and I from our beds and setting us down on the granite hilltop – chess pieces on a board only the island could see.”

Although I did not feel the gothic aspect much, which for me felt like a lot of mist. I also felt that sometimes I was unsure if the weather was cold or warm in the novel, like the grass being icy but Miranda is wearing just a dress and jacket. Felt odd.

Still I liked the novel, which had a lot of romantic and mushy lines and quotes, another aspect that the author is lauded for.

“Owen was already temptation personified, no matter what skeletons he had in his closet.”

There is major character development for both Owen and Miranda, along with the whole town, which has become used to believing things that aren’t true but because they are the norm or what everyone is doing. The development part for me is important and Setterby has done a splendid job for the two main characters.

“Being brave once was not enough, or even a dozen times; I had to keep being brave, no matter how hard it was.”

Add the book to your Goodreads’ to-be-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29973030-set-me-free

Keep up with the tour schedule here.

Purchase Set Me Free via Amazon and iBooks.

Giveaway

As part of the tour, there is a Giveaway open to US & Canada for 2 signed copies of Set Me Free. Enter here.

Note: I received a free copy of Set Me Free by London Setterby via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour for the book.

About the Author:

Hello! I’m London, a writer, lawyer, and life-long New Englander. I write all flavors of romance, from surreal fantasy romances to raw gritty contemporaries. I also write across the gender and sexuality spectrums. Everything I write is a little bit funny, a little bit sad, and probably kind of strange.

You might know me from Wattpad–my Wattpad Featured Read, Set Me Free, a Gothic romance, will be released as an ebook and in print in summer 2016.

My gritty erotic romance, Breathe, is currently being serialized on Radish, a free app. It will be released in ebook/print as well sometime after Set Me Free.

Author links:

http://www.londonsetterby.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15061712.London_Setterby

https://twitter.com/LondonSetterby

Nothing Is Strange by Mike Russell - Book Review

Nothing Is Strange by Mike Russell is a collection of 20 short stories, spanning various genres, but all sit under the roof of strangeness. Don't let the title fool you!

Having looked at what several reviewers have said, I'm not alone in thinking of this as an odd book. I do recommend it, however, if as a reader you don't mind being shocked or puzzled and occasionally having to read a few passages to confirm what you've just read. :D

"The Diaries of Sun City" is one of the most enjoyable pieces in the collection. It is about a man, name unknown, in the world of Sun City, where everyone keeps a diary, except him (/her). When the speaker buys a diary, they discover that the pages written at night disappear by morning. The ending is beautiful.

Read the full story "The Diaries of Sun City" via Nadaness In Motion.

"Dunce" is a sad but emotional five-star story. I can't describe it but will only use one of the quotes at the end.

"I think that the tears I am crying now are the same as those. I didn't understand what was going on in the theatre and I didn't understand what was going on when the cone fell on her. I think that maybe we only cry because we don't understand what is going on. Maybe if we understood what is really going on we wouldn't cry at all, ever."

Though mostly strange, many of the stories are fun and some are deep, philosophical even, although the ending of several stories had me puzzled or surprised.

Of course, as is the case with short story collections, some pieces did not appeal to me. However, not all of those I have not mentioned here, I disliked. They are after all 20 short stories.

"The Miracle" is a glum but interesting story. For me, I felt it was a reflection of the state of indifference and coldness that many people are now in, whether regarding general accidents or on a broader scale, war.

"Escape from the Butcher's Shop" was a bit odd for me; however, it tackles the idea of confinement both physically and within a person's mind. It shows how people often confine themselves and are unable to see beyond their own knowledge and/or beliefs.

"Extraordinary Elsie" is just weird. However, it reminded me of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, while taking the waiting part to a whole new level.

"Mask Man" is a five-star story. I simply loved it, although I thought it was a bit scary at some point. It falls under the paranormal genre and was a good read.

Another five-star story is "The Unnameable Made Flesh," which – though in line with all the strangeness of the collection – is powerful and tackled a bit of politics and government oppression. Similarly, was "The Living Crown". I loved that one, which handles both government and self-oppression.

"Stan and Stan" is reminiscent of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey.

Other recommended stories in Nothing Is Strange include: "Barry and the Triplets" and "The Shining Flower".

While I can't say I have understood all of Mike Russell's stories, I can say that I have enjoyed reading many of them.

Nothing Is Strange makes odd, weird and strange lift their caps, and bow in astonishment.

Don't forget! You can read "The Diaries of Sun City" here on the Nadaness In Motion, and "Dunce" on the book's official page. 

Overall rating: 4.5 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of Nothing Is Strange from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

About StrangeBooks/Mike Russell:

www.StrangeBooks.com is a new Indie publisher based in the UK. Their first publication is a collection of 20 mind-expanding short stories titled 'Nothing Is Strange'.

www.StrangeBooks.com believes in the transformative power of the story:

“We wish our readers the highest possible outcome from their reading experience. We believe that stories have the potential to be life-changing. So let us not limit the power of the story; let us read with an expectation of the highest possible outcome and allow every story to work its magic.”

Mike Russell, the author of Nothing Is Strange, adds this:

“For me, creating is discovering and storytelling is bringing into the world dreams that are universal. They come from a deep place; they want to be known and they want to help us. Storytelling is a way of turning the world inside out, which I believe it desperately needs.”

Inspiring, liberating, otherworldly, magical, surreal, bizarre, funny, disturbing, unique… all of these words have been used to describe the stories of Mike Russell so put on your top hat, open your third eye and enjoy… Nothing Is Strange!

Available from amazon here: viewBook.at/nothingisstrange

Twice Upon a Time - Book Review

Book: Twice Upon a Time

Author: Hope Irving

Publication date: 31 October 2015

Genres: Paranormal, New Adult, Romance

Twice Upon a Time by Hope Irving is the first instalment in the Black Angel Book series. It is the story of the witch Deidre, who, being in love with the calligrapher monk Morgann, casts a spell to reunite their souls in the future. However, while Morgann's hosts remember everything, Deidre's do not.

We later learn that the tale of Deidre and Morgann is believed to be legend, especially amongst calligraphers.

The opening chapter though informative is narrated in a casual manner, not from a once-upon-a-time monk; it wasn't light either. Afterwards, the narration shifts between Rose and the man carrying Morgann's time-travelling soul.

I liked how Hope Irving kept the second narrator's identity a mystery (obviously I'm doing the same).

The idea that Morgann's current form may or may not appeal to Rose or Deidre is interesting and leaves room for possible problems.

"Somehow my soul remembers it all, hers doesn't.
But how will she remember who she was, who we were?
Will seeing me be enough?
Will I need to trigger her memory?
Will she accept me as I am now?"

Twice Upon a Time sets the backdrop for the upcoming books in the series. There is a lot of action, although not much with regards to bringing Deidre's and Morgann's souls back together.

Rose is an ordinary girl, whose heart has been badly broken in previous relationship. Here, she comes to spend the summer with her American side of the family. She deeply seeks to get her mind off the previous relationship and the man who broke her, G.

Rose is also a cutter and I particularly liked how Irving maintained this trait throughout the novel, even when Rose was happy, giving a realistic side to a paranormal story.

"Gifted Deirdre cast the spell that enabled our souls to eventually be reunited. She couldn't bear for us to be apart, and neither could I."

I did not enjoy the too much drinking part of the novel; I felt it was overdone. But that's just me.

Having been in the search for Deirdre's soul for-ever, Morgann or his host seems unable to comprehend that he may have found her, putting him off balance, and making him think irrationally. I liked that. Although, I felt sometimes he was way too irrational (but that's the norm in relationships now, especially when you make assumptions).

Getting viewpoints of the two protagonists allows the reader to guess at events and see beyond what is going on. There were parts when I was biting my nails with worry and others when I was telling off the characters or just going on "No. No. Nooooo!" (So you can probably say it's a bit of an interactive novel.)

"She had faith in me, so I have no choice but to have faith in me, too."

Twice Upon a Time is filled with active, fun, interesting and recurring characters, giving the novel a realistic side. The group barely sleeps; however, they do give Rose a breather, allowing her to get her mind off G. often.

Falling under the romance and new adult genres, the novel includes more than just kissing. In addition, Rose's desires are awakened all of sudden and need to be satiated.

"There is no way to find a logical way to deal with this when logic isn't involved."

There isn't major character development for the two protagonists, however, this is expected considering the tale will continue in other parts and hasn't seen major progress in this book. Although Rose does develop a bit, at least she figures out what she wants and that she can't wait for her crush to grow up or take a decision, Morgann's host seems to require several hard slaps on the face to wake him up.

Although there aren't many profound images in the novel, Twice Upon a Time has many beautiful quotes. I also liked the idea of calligraphy and how it connects the characters together, including Rose and her new crush. The following bit will you give you an idea on what I mean.

"To make it work, I have to focus like I do in calligraphy with the ductus; its' the same mechanism: one step at a time in a specific order. I have to remember to breathe. To ensure the fairytale ends well, I will stand by her side until she trusts me and she's ready for me. At last."

I liked that the ending to Twice Upon a Time was different from what I expected.

Overall rating: 4 stars

Note: I received a free copy of Twice Upon a Time from author Hope Irving in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading the next part(s) in the series, which I've been told are likely to be published in 2016.

Also, check out these extracts/excerpts from the novel, here and here.

Connect with Hope Irving:

Her newsletter: http://goo.gl/zXx2ho

Facebook: https://goo.gl/qPcwkO

Twitter: @HI_author

Pinterest: https://goo.gl/vBCeIKEndFragment    

Goodreads - Book page: https://goo.gl/4HSedH

Goodreads - Author page: https://goo.gl/cqRkhW

Blog: https://goo.gl/s53bEM

Twice Upon A Time playlist on YouTube: 

Jess Under Pressure - A journey to living again - Book review

Book: Jess Under Pressure

Author: E. Graziani

Publisher: Morning Rain Publishing

Date of Publication: 15 June 2015

Genres: Women's Fiction, Self-help

"Just as randomly two human cells come together to create life, it can easily and indiscriminately be snatched away."

Jess Under Pressure by E. Graziani is a powerful novella of regaining one's life, overcoming obstacles, breaking free and above all learning to live and love once again.

The story is about Jessica Britton, a renowned psychologist, whose book Give More, Do More, Be Better has inspired thousands of women. However, things are not perfect for the doctor, who discovers her husband cheating on her when he and her publicist die in a car crash.

At the beginning of the novel, Jessica tells one of the show hosts: "Life's a very demanding undertaking if you don't know where to turn for support." This phrase is quite ironic considering her upcoming predicament – she hasn't been told of her husband's death and infidelity yet.

Throughout the book, we see Jessica being interviewed by several talk show hosts. At first, she is confident and professional but after the scandal, the renowned doctor breaks down. We also see her struggling with her teenage daughters.

Each chapter of Jess Under Pressure opens with a quote from her book. Ironically, Jess is incapable of following her own advice. But when she suddenly decides to take a long drive away from home, she meets a group of women who help her stand on her own two feet, while also using some of the directions in her book.

Many of the quotes taken from Give More, Do More, Be Better ring true in modern society, and in almost all countries around the world. (These quotes will be in purple)

"Women often feel pressure to present a 'Superwoman' persona because they believe everyone is doing it."

Despite being a well-known psychologist, Jessica lived under an illusion that her life was perfect. I like how the author gave her such strong faults.

"She wanted her life back the way it was – no she wanted her life back the way she believed it was."

Jess Under Pressure comes at a tough time for me and many of the lines in both Jess's book and the novel itself come out strong. I think they will resonate with many women, old or young.

I like the interaction between Jess and her children or at least Jess' attempts to do so. As a reader, I can see how she is trying to cope with several things at the same time. Still, despite being a successful writer and psychologist, she seems incapable of dealing with her own children. Her statements to Kate in particular appear shallow, like she is unaware that her daughter has grown up and that she is treating her as a child, which naturally has caustic effects.

"Sometimes, she wanted to run away screaming, and other times, she felt hollow, tired and spent. The energy was being sucked out of her exponentially as the dichotomy of feelings swirling and churning within her floated like sickening pond scum to the top of her psyche like toxic goo."

Also, one of the things I liked about Jess Under Pressure, was Graziani's description of Jessica's emotions and how she struggles with her husband's death, his cheating and her love for him.

The moment Jess meets Susie and later the rest of the gang, she begins her transformation and development. She admits to Susie: "I should be helping you. I'm trained to help others… but I can't event help myself. Everything I've been saying is a lie."

We also see how Jess thinks she has everything and later how she feels she has nothing. But as the women begin to tell their stories, Jess realises that many of them have been through worse experiences and she begins to be thankful at least that her children are alive and well.

One of the dialogues I truly loved in Jess Under Pressure was this one, where Jess talks to her younger daughter Laura, while she's still at Susie's, and which shows her character development.

"I promised my friends that I would stay a little longer. We just had dinner together, and they left not too long ago."

"You have friends?"

"I made friends here. Everyone needs friends."

"You never needed them before."

"May be I did, and I didn't realise it. But I do now, and I'm happier that I do."

"You sound happier."

"I think I am."

Other quotes from Give More, Do More, Be Better:

"Sometimes we are at the mercy of events beyond our control – the key to knowing ourselves better is how we react to them."

"If we cut out stressing about all the things we are powerless to prevent, we would all live healthier, better, and happier lives."

Note: I received a free copy of Jess Under Pressure from the author in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

E. Graziani resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four daughters. She is a teacher and life-long learner who believes in setting new goals for herself and working hard to achieve them. Her love of history, word artistry, and storytelling help to fuel these goals as do her students who particularly enjoy her classroom read alouds.

Connect with the author via her Website, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Add the book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25743557-jess-under-pressure