The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

 

Title: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck  Author: Mark Manson  Pages: 5 Hours and 17 minutes (Audible) Genre: Self-Help

 

    Mark gives life advice that I would say no one asked for, but as it is a very popular book I think we asked for it without knowing we wanted it. It's funny and thought provoking all at the same. Sometimes we need someone to be brutally honest with how we are fucking up and advice on how to do so. It can be as simple as doing something, but it is important to remember that even when you are doing nothing you are in fact doing something. 

    This book made me start really thinking about my life and how I want or really need to change some of the things in my life. When things are broken down into simple steps it is easier for our brain to not feel so overwhelmed and to get our shit done. I'm so grateful that I decided to listen to this one. It was definitely needed in my life. I hope Mark transforms your life and thoughts as he did me. 

Unfuck Your Brain

 

Title: Unfuck Your Brain  Author: Faith G. Harper, PHD, LDC-S, ACS   Pages: 196 (Audible)  Genre: Self-Help  

Faith starts by explaining how the brain works and does it very simply so it is easy to understand. She breaks down everything down so you aren't even overstimulated by listening to her as she speaks science. 

I listened to it in one day and some of it hit home for me. I wouldn't even try to say I am the smartest in the room, I have been through things that some days I can be super mature and other days I feel like I'm a 10 year old girl again. I appreciated it that I could read/hear that feeling that way is okay. Feeling like a friend is telling me all this was a good way for me to understand it all. Learning how to deal with it all a day at a time and not feeling like you are losing your mind is a good thing. We don't need to feel this way its just about "unfucking your mind" 

The Diary of a Young Girl

Title: The Diary of a Young Girl  Author: Anne Frank   Pages: 268 Genre: Autobiography 

anne Frank is a typical 13 year old. she gets a diary for one of her birthday presents and is very detailed about the things that happen around her.
the detail anne puts into her diary made me feel like I was a friend and I was there with her. the drama at the annex and the tension of everyone cooped up. by the time the book ends anne is 15 and she has brilliant ideas and thoughts and knows more about herself than most adults do in this day and age. I would consider myself fortunate to be her friend.

Parenting with Love and Logic

Title: Parenting with Love and Logic  Authors: Foster Cline MD and Jim Fay  Pages: 224 Genre: Self-help/Parenting

I was recommended this book by my sister, it is a way to parent your kids and have them be more self reliant. Instead of chastising your child for a bad grade, its about how you can have them shoulder the responsibility since its about their work and how they are paying attention at school. There are two parts to this book; the first part is about general little tidbits and giving an overview of it all. The second part is the "Pearls" where it is a small chapter about a specific problem you maybe having. It covers things like grades, peer pressure, lying, stealing, disrespect among much more. 

This book went up and down with me. I enjoy getting insight from other parents and books about how to best help my kids. See if I can change how I look at something to make their lives better and mine easier, as much as it can be with kids anyhow haha! There is a bit of scripture at the beginning of this for those that want to avoid that or have more of it at home. One of the parts that got me was that the underlying message is more important then what us as parents actually say; as an example you can say that something doesn't matter to you but your tone of voice and your body language could be saying the opposite and it can really effect a child's mindset. There are some of the "Pearls" I will want to try at home to give my kids a tad more freedom and give them more responsibility. There are other things that I didn't agree with and will not be pursuing in my home. To each there own. I suppose this is why there are so many different parenting books out there. Good luck to all you parents and soon to be parents out there that decide to pick up this book! 

In The Mood Again

Title: In The Mood Again  Author: Genie James M.M.SC. and C.W. Randolph Jr. M.D.  Pages: 241  Genre: Self Help

Very Informative information about rebooting your sex life. This is for older generations she is discussing about 30 or older. She breaks down what is going on with your body and why and ways to help you fix this. 

I found this  very hard to follow due to all the doctor jargon. I feel like I read a book meant for the medically knowledge inclined instead of something for basic knowledge. It felt like a textbook for a high schooler that a Jr. High student is trying to comprehend. 

Emotional and Sexual Intimacy in Marriage: How to Connect or Reconnect With Your Spouse, Grow Together, and Strengthen Your Marriage

Title: Emotional and Sexual Intimacy in Marriage  Author: Marcus and Ashley Kusi  Pages:  162  Genre: Self Help

~I was asked to review this book~

Marcus and Ashley have made another book about how to strengthen your relationship. There is so much in this book. It talks about the finer details on how to expand and grow as yourself and with your spouse and some tips on how to do so! The fact that Marcus opens up and tell us the readers that he had to learn about "being a man" and that it doesn't mean that guys never cry, quite the opposite. A man that is in-tune with his feelings can typically get the girls easier since we women can connect deeper with them. It is nice to read a book about how to repair or just make your marriage better from people that have been there and its not just from one point of view it is from both of them and I think that makes this valuable! There isn't just great insite in the book there are links to their site www.ourpeacefulfamily.com to help you with steps along the way to help you become the couple you want to be. There are also questions in the book you can answer with your spouse so it isn't just a sit down and read there are questions you can answer and get to know each other and your goals as a couple more thoroughly.
Although it is packed with a ton of information that we know sometimes we forget its the simple day to day things that make our marriage and our relationships in general work. You want to tell your best friend everything so why not do the same with the spouse. Even if they are two separate people.
One of my favorite chapters was the one about spiritual intimacy. I think its one of the things my husband and I struggle with the most and I have never thought that there are ways around not sharing the same beliefs and sharing with your kids. It's about the core learning and feelings not all the extra stuff. One of the things that makes the books from Marcus and Ashley unique is that they add their own personal stories to it as well so its not just "this is how you fix it" they add their own personal touch that they have gone through it and they want others to not have to. Although it is apart of being a couple.

Pure Romance Between the Sheets

Title: Pure Romance Between the Sheets  Author: Patty Brisben  Pages: 229  Genre: self-help

Patty Brisben is a consultant for Pure Romance and has a lot of concern for the woman of today that have no clue about their sexual health and how much it means that we know about ourselves. Whether you know it all or you want to learn it all this is a great book to pick up from your Pure Romance consultant (Like I did mine). It's not just to be more intimate with your partner but yourself as well. Learn about yourself before you try to explore more uncharted territory. 

I enjoyed reading this book and all it had for me to take into my daily life. There is a lot of smart tidbits I am excited to put into my relationship along with to discover more about myself. I am thankful to Patty for taking the time to write this and get it out to the masses!

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT

First Year of Marriage

Title: First Year of Marriage   Author: Marcus and Ashley Kusi  Pages: 134  Genre: Self Help

~Asked to review by author~

The book has a lot of pointers and ways to check where your marriage stands and how to get it to where you want it to be. We all come from different backgrounds but when you get married you need to have a direction to go as a couple and as a new family unit. 

While I read this book I felt like I was sitting in a comfortable room talking to them like you would your friends about the ups and downs about marriage. They even open up about some of the trials they had at the beginning of their marriage and how they overcame them and became a stronger couple and unit for their kids and how they communicated and changed and adapted to each other and grew! I very much enjoyed this book and it is a high recommendation for everyone to read. It isn't something I read and just put on a shelf. It is something I will read again to make sure I am where I want to be in my marriage and life. 

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Title: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff  Author: Richard Carlson PH.D.   Pages:  248   Genre: Self Help

This book has a lot of great points. If you let the person that cuts you off while you are driving and you let it ruin your day. You are letting the small stuff control you. This book gives you suggestions on how to make it so those little things aren't so big anymore. How to appreciate what you have and how to be more positive. 

With all that said, there is a lot of repetition. "think of a person you want to thank today" "write a letter of appreciation to someone that has helped you" The chapters are little but there is a lot of repetition and a lot of what I believe is common sense. 

Communication in Marriage

Title: Communication in Marriage  By: Marcus and Ashley Kusi   Pages: 86  Genre: Self-Help

~Was asked to review book by author~

This book is small and to the point of how to help communicate with your partner to have a happier healthier marriage. It states at the beginning that if you don't communicate you don't have anything. I enjoyed reading this to find more ways I can communicate with my husband more effectively. 

Marcus and Ashley both put their hearts and souls on these pages to help couples all over the world see that all issues can stem from not communicating and I think they did beautifully! I recommend this to everyone to read and put to use in their own marriages or relationships in general :)

The 5 Love Languages

Title: The 5 Love Languages     By: Gary Chapman    Pages: 209   Genre: Self-Help

Not any one marriage is perfect. There are 5 main ways to speak "love" to someone you love. This book lists them and gives you details and examples on how it has changed marriages that started out rough and because they applied the love languages how dramatically it changed for the better!

I enjoyed reading this and getting a perspective that I didn't see before. I did read some reviews that stated some of this is common sense and I agree, but sometimes you forget that people don't feel loved the same way you do. I recommend this to everyone that is going to get married or are married. Even if you don't see any problems in your relationship I would still suggest to read it because you can't go wrong with improving your relationships that mean the most to you right?