Courtney

This book was like my former marriage in that...

I had such hope and realistic expectations going into this! I was excited to get started, but I grew tired of the whole thing very early on. Boy, did It drag. The Marriage Pact was such a fascinating concept, but the story went nowhere. Halfway through, I wondered if it was even possible for it to get better. I invested myself fully - not wanting to give up - but, in the end, I'm glad that it's finally over with and I'm thankful that I'll never have to endure it again. Next!

(Shout out to me ex if he gets a hold of this review: I'm just going for the joke here. 🙄)

Fun fact: With three changes this quote can be tailored to The Marriage Pact:

“I wish I could come up with an easy formula for inserting surprise back into a marriage.* That simple change could be the salvation for so many marriages** I've seen. The Marriage Defibrillator, I'd call it. A good, shell shock to revive the system.”replace “a marriage” with “this book” replace “marriages” with “books”
*** replace “Marriage” with “Book”

I had great hopes for “The Beauty of Discomfort” as I am a self-improvement junkie and this book was released at a time when I was undergoing a great change in my life. I expected to find some solace, direction or connection in Amanda Lang's latest and was sure that I was going love it, but that wasn't the case.

Perhaps it's because I have read a plethora of books on the topics of fear and anxiety and on opposite topics - love and mindfulness - that this book made me yawn. I didn't learn anything new and the individual examples (akin to reading case studies) of change and discomfort in each chapter seemed to drag on. There were a few that kept my attention (I'm a big uber and NBA fan so I wasn't tempted to skim read those) but overall I wouldn't have actually finished this book if I didn't receive it as an advanced reader copy from HarperCollins Canada (thanks folks!); I was committed to giving an honest review.

Now, this book might have a bigger impact on someone who is exploring the topic of discomfort and navigating change for the first time but, with all the weighty examples, the “how to's” for dealing with discomfort get lost in the mix. It's interesting enough if a person isn't looking to dig deep into themselves, but instead just wants a general overview of what they can do when they feel stuck in life. A self-help book would certainly be more conducive to achieving lasting successful change.

Wow. I really didn't want to spend $21 Canadian on this book - there aren't many words in it plus I have a great understanding about/practice mindfulness and meditation - but it was definitely money well spent.

Simple. Beautiful. True. This book sums up the power of cultivating mindfuliness in one's life. One doesn't need to read a hefty “how to” book on meditation when everything you need to know is right here. Each word is perfectly chosen; less is more in this case.

This book brought me an even deeper sense of peace and I look forward to sharing it with those who cross my path.

Not only does the spine of this book look amazing on my bookshelf but it's filled with both funny and helpful suggestions for dealing with an office asshole. I mean, there's nothing I haven't thought of or tried (okay, I haven't baked anything or done all of the pranks), but it was a validating and uplifting read. I'm sure it will actually help some people—especially those who don't want to read a heavy self-help or business novel.

“101 Ways to Work With an Asshole” would also make a great little gift for someone who is struggling with an asshole or few at work. I just adored it.

A friend passed this book on to me and I was all: “Yay! A free book!” I agreed with 3/4s of what Guy had to say and disagreed with the other 1/4, or at least his harsh judgements wrapped in “honesty” (he's kind of an a-hole). I like that Realistic Relationships pushes a person to think outside the traditional ways of life - the ways that society tells us what need to be and do in order to be successful.

To sum up this entire book in one sentence:

Be an individual and never get married. Lol

I was so very excited to read this book—a higher consciousness love story? Yes, please. However, I soon felt less excited and more annoyed. Everything was “too much” for me. I can appreciate Jeff Brown's honesty but the relentless word play (and I am a major fan of word play) coupled with the extreme thoughts, feelings, and sexual encounters of the characters had me eye rolling at times. It's definitely a different sort of read, so it has my attention all the way through. I guess that's a win.

Every now and again a book crosses my path that shouts, “If THIS was published, you can get a book published!” Sylvia Browne's “Spiritual Connections” was such a book. I can't really put into words how I felt about this read. I'm a pretty intuitive person myself and I don't know too much about this author (besides the fact that she is well known, a psychic, and has been deceased for years now), but something felt off the entire time I was ingesting her thoughts. Her words just seemed like a bunch of gobbledygook, and it felt like she was writing in a diary for parts of it. And by that, I mean, I didn't much care about some of her personal stories as they seemed irrelevant. I feel like I gained nothing from reading this book besides a sore butt as I read it on the floor in front of a warm fire place.

I was not interested in John Edward whatsoever and his image on the cover (I just dislike when people put themselves on the cover of a book) really made me want to put the book back on the library shelf... but something inside of me said, “Just give it a shot.” And I'm glad I did.

Straightforward. Ethical. Intelligent. John Edward gets rave reviews from this girl. He seems like a pretty normal and relatable guy who has simply honed his extraordinary abilities overtime. Like he says, he's the least woo-woo psychic you'll come across, and that was extremely refreshing for me. I'd recommend this book to everyone looking to expand their intuitive side and connect more with the universe on a whole.

I have never watched Theresa Caputo's show nor have I ever heard her speak in any capacity. I know what she looks like based on the front and back covers of this book. (Fact: I'm put off by authors who put their faces on the cover.) Although she seems like a pretty good person, her book didn't do much for me. Still, I can see how other people would enjoy and benefit from her words and connection with Spirit.

Well, I finally chose to stop reading on page 123. Rare is it that I don't finish a book—especially one like this. I feel as if I know and understand the messages and teachings; everything just feels incredibly redundant and I don't want to continue to slug my way through it.

Maybe I'm just not ready for it. Who knows? Perhaps I will come back to it one day. Perhaps I won't. I'm happy to know that other people have been moved in great ways through Paul's channeling.

I like to think I'm a nice mix of skepticism and open mindedness... I'm rather psychic myself; I've had many mystical experiences that I cannot deny but that would sound crazy to most people. I just don't know about what Sylvia had to say in this book. Some things rang true but I'm not sold on her detailed vision—which is okay as I don't need concrete answers to live a wholehearted life on earth.