Books, Books, Wonderful Books!

Books, Books, Wonderful Books!

I will never forget that line from the fourth grade play I was in when I played Betty the Bookworm. It wasn’t my line. That line belonged to the Bookworm, played by Danny Liftman or something.  How did his name even pop into my head! My fourth grade teacher saw fit to give me the lead in the play even though I was so painfully shy I never said anything in class. She was right, however, and I thank Miss Louise to this day. But I digress….

It has been a while since I did a book recommendation post. I have read quite a few books since then, and do you know what? I don’t remember a thing about any of them although I enjoyed many of them.  And I rate them all on Goodreads…so I will research that site for help here….

• It Is Done!: The Final Step To Instant Manifestations by Richard Dotts:  Yes, I am still interested in manifestation, although my interest has waned, since I have probably manifested things, but my big one has yet to come to fruition, and that is the reason I started investigating manifestation in the first place. Dotts was recommended by one of the You Tubers I sometimes watch who is waaaay more sensible and down to earth — and likely honest — than most. He is actually depressing by his opinion that most of the gurus are lying and overpromising. In any case it is a good, simple explanation of manifestation.  I gave it four  out of five stars. ****
• Why Did I Just Eat That? by Lisa Ellis:  Nonfiction book that once again uncovers the emotional causes of overeating and food addiction. I gave it five stars — so if you are into that kind of thing….*****
• The Paris Showroom by Juliet Blackwell: Great novel about the Levitan Department Store in Paris, which was used as a secret concentration camp with better conditions for those connected to the arts. And that part is actually true. That store was used in that way. Recommended.****
• Never Closer by Margot Shepherd: A story told in the present and during World War II. A mother reads her daughter’s diary of her life in the war. Exceptional characters and highly recommended. *****
• Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff: This is a story about a woman who is separated from her husband by the war in Paris. Another story about the Levitan department store, a secret, “kinder” “concentration camp.” *****
• Banned Money Secrets by Richard Dotts: Another sort-of-manifestation book about how to achieve abundance. *****
• Only In New York by Melissa Hill: This one is a little more of a light romance about a publicist from LA who gets the chance to live in a New York penthouse for a while. She has some interesting neighbors! ****
• The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale: Published in 1956, this is one of the books that began the personal development industry in books. Meh ***
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn: I believe I have read Kate Quinn before and really liked her books. Not so much this one. It is about a young woman who takes refuge from a life as a foster child in a library, and she discovers a secret door that leads to some strange literary fantasies. **
• Mastering the Manifestation Paradox by Richard Dotts: Yup another of his books. They were highly recommend by a guru I respect, sort of.   Might be okay as an intro to manifestation. Meh ***
• Woman Down by Colleen Hoover: I love Hoover and I loved this book. Thriller about a writer who finds her muse —  and fiction and reality get confused.  *****
• From Cradle to Grave by Rhys Bowen: A mystery about a women, her nanny, and a crime. So-So. ***
• YouTube Influencer by who knows?? I often become interested in something for a while and want to find out about it. If you want to get involved in making YouTube videos, it is a good enough book. I decided that I really don’t. ****
• Course Creation Simplified by Jimmy Naraine: Another of my fleeting interests. I may do this one as part of my business. It is a good book.****
• Silva Mind Control By Jose Silva: I always wanted to learn about this famous program birthed in the 1960s. I didn’t really like the book very much. Not sure if a course on it would be better. ***
• My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney: A thriller about a man, a house and two women. It started off good, but I didn’t like the way it was all tied up at the end.  You might like it though. Maybe I missed something. ***
• Law of Attraction by Michael Losier: The Law of Attraction is the manifestation rage that came out of the book The Secret. There are a few different names for manifestation, but they are basically the same. I have done most of my study in the Law of Assumption. This one is just ok. ***
• The Intruder by Freida McFadden: I really like this author. This spooky one is about a woman alone in a cabin in the woods and a young girl lurking outside and looking in the window. A decent read ****
• Awaken the Real You (all right; don’t judge me by my reading!) by Clark Peacock. Good manifestation book. ****
• Self-Mastery Through Conscious Auto Suggestion by Emile Coue: Another author by the same guru who recommended Richard Dotts. I guess I was a little disappointed, as I gave it only three stars. ***
• Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane: A couple of sparring journalists and a fake romance make for a lukewarm story. Nothing special. ***
• Audition by Katie Kitamura: This author, unknown to me, sent me a message on BlueSky (social media platform) asking about my books. We exchanged a few messages, and I told her I would read one of her novels. Turns out she is pretty well known and an excellent writer. I really liked this book about a woman, her husband, a younger man, and their relationships as friends, rivals, and muses. I wanted to write back to tell her I loved her writing, but she closed her account. I guess I could reach her at her website. Recommended****
• Creative Visualization by Gawain Shakti: I read this “self-help” book decades ago as did my songwriting partner — and we both remember it as being important to us. It is a great book: manifestation without the woo-woo. ****
• Something Lost, Something Gained by Hillary Rodham Clinton: I bought this book when I went to see Hillary on her book tour about a year and a half ago. I put it aside and then picked it up a few weeks ago. For some reason my glasses are not cooperating with print books unless they are large type, so I got the ebook from the library. I didn’t get too far (sometimes I just cannot read anything serious), and the book was due so it was ripped off my Kindle. I did enjoy what I read, and I love Hillary, so I am giving it five stars even though I never finished it….yet. *****
• Letting Go by David Hawkins: I did not finish this book. I think I was just tired of being enlightened! Most people did like the book. I didn’t even rate it. 
• Coral Cottage by Jan Moran: Loved it! It is the first in the series, and I am now reading the second one. I don’t normally like books with a lot of description, but this description is pretty and light. I think it is probably a ladies’ book. I recommend it if you want a beach read. **** and a half.
• Coral Cafe by Jan Moran: This is the second in the series, and I am currently reading it. Just as good.