"Warrior Goddes Training" by Heatherash Amara

I had the pleasure of attending a Warrior Goddess boot camp in Seattle just a few weeks ago.  There, I purchased autographed copies of Heatherash's books.  The book and seminar have a lot of the same threads / topics covered.  The concept of women being warrior goddesses isn't some weird pagan thing.  We all know women did not create the heavens and the earth--the word is just used for inspiration.  To be a warrior goddess is to channel both power and femininity.  For millennium, women have been putting others first at the expense of their own well being.  For ages, women have been hating themselves and mentally repeating self-loathing stories about themselves.  Heatherash encourages women to let go of all thoughts, beliefs, patterns, actions, and stories that do not serve us.  Women are not destined to become what their parents said they will be, what their schoolmates called them, or even what they think they are supposed to be.  Women are destined to become the best versions of themselves, embodying love, speaking truth, living and wisdom, and not acquiescing their destiny to make others happy.  Shine on sisters!

"Bella Figura" by Kamin Mohammadi

This book immediately caught my attention with the title and cover.  As an Italian woman, I wanted to read about another woman's Italian journey.  Looking at the author's last name, I initially thought this was an Italian woman who married a middle eastern man and got his last name.  However, I soon realized Kamin was indeed Iranian of her own birthright and moved from Iran to London to Italy.  As a fashion magazine editor who was overweight, depressed, and getting over a breakup, Kamin needed a change.  When the opportunity to live in Italy for a year came up, she jumped on it.  What follows is a 12-chapter, 12-month journey of Kamin discovering herself.  She learns how to cherish life, enjoy the little moments, walk the city, eat healthy, and find love.  After only a few short months in Italy, Kamin loses weight.  Her fad diets of London did nothing to her waistline, whereas carb and gelato in Italy melted the pounds off!  To add to the fun, each chapter ends with an Italian recipe or two.  I love the whole concept of Bella Figura, of showing up the best one can be all the time.  This means wearing your best dress to the market, setting a place at the dinner table by yourself, and smiling at strangers.  Making friends in a genuine fashion is what Kamin did, and I am proud of her for that.  In terms of romance, while not graphic, there are references to adult intimacies that make this book not suitable for children.

"Candy Apple Blessings" by Maddie Frost

This full-color wood hardcover children's book is an utter delight.  It is all about the season of fall and all the fun that comes along with that.  Adorable animals play in leaves, eat candy apples, ride hay rides, go on the school bus, play at the fair, and so much more.  The story is very simple, and there is emphasis on sounds (leaves go CRUNCH, bus goes VROOM, and so on).  I love how the animals are all cozy in their little outfits.  Mice wear scarves, dogs wear hats, and cats wear bests.  Ducks drive buses and bears hand out candy apples.  It is all so silly and all so cute.  At the end, there is mention of God as the provider of all of fall's blessings.

"Air Rage - Crisis in the Skies" by Anonymous and Andrew R. Thomas

When I got my Masters in Airplane Safety Systems, one of my projects was on the topic of air rage.  I've finally finished the book to write a review!  Air rage is a phenomenon where those onboard aircraft become enraged to the point of violence, belligerence, and oftentimes disrupting the flight crew.  Air rage can involve murder, extreme injury, plane crashes, and hijacking.  This is not to be confused with air terrorism.  Air terrorism is often premeditated and for political reasons.  On the other hand, air rage is often in the spur of the moment and for other reasons.  Reasons people go into air rage are oftentimes due to alcohol / drugs, mental illness, disgruntled emotions over the air travel experience, deportation, and inter-passenger conflict.  The stories in this book range from downright comical to horrendous.  The authors recommend increasing penalties for air rage and writing into law more strict guidelines for what constitutes air rage.

"Better Together" by Jonathan Sposato

Did you know that companies with female CEOs have higher profit margins than companies with male CEOs?  Did you know that women account for 80% of spending power in households?  I certainly didn't.  Facts like these and more are in the book "Better Together", which is all about how working with women leads to "Extraordinary products and profits".  Aside from these ideals of success, the book puts a lot of effort into discussing the problems of gender bias and gender inequality.  Topics range from sexual harassment to unfair treatment to being passed by for promotions and more.  Sposato is an advocate for women and his personal story really shines light into why he is all for that.  The beginning of the book is all about the author's mother and how her experience shaped the way Sposato views women, which I think is beautiful.  This book is a quick read and gets to the point.  The pictures inside are black and white, and guest writers have their photo and biography highlighted.

"Get the Guy" by Matthew Hussey

Matthew Hussey is a world renowned relationship expert.  How he got that title without being married is beyond me, but I digress.  There is a lot of advice for women in this book, some of which makes sense and some of which is a bit out there.  Firstly, I 100% agree that women need to find value in themselves before they seek out a relationship.  They must be confident and coming from a place of abundance, not depressed and coming from a place of desperation.  Secondly, Matt emphasizes the point of women getting out and meeting men.  Women are not going to have their future husbands just knock on their door--they need to get out and meet people.  While I don't think women should pursue men, I see nothing wrong with making friends and expanding one's social circle.  When it comes to commitment, Matt talks about how some guys are just not relationship material and how women need to acknowledge that when they signs appear instead of trying to change a man.  The book also has a section on physical intimacy where Matt says a man needs to be validated by a woman, knowing he can make her feel beautiful and happy.  While I don't advocate for sex outside of marriage, I do think there are other ways to evoke the same emotions in men.  A woman dating a guy can make him feel special by acknowledging his efforts in courtship and complimenting him on how he makes her happy.  Overall, this book was interesting and had some unique advice, but I would say it is more anecdotal and less scientific.

"God's Blessings Day by Day" by Thomas Nelson

This devotional for kids is very special.  Set to span a full year, there are devotions for Monday thru Friday and the weekend.  Each devotion is one page.  The top lists a Bible verse, the middle explains what the verse means with real life examples, and then there is a prayer at the end.  Also, every other page has an adorable illustration of some sort of animal, flower, etc.  This hardcover full-cover book is set to last years.  I'd say that children of all ages will enjoy it.  I am an adult, and I loved reading these devotions before bed at night.  This book is Christian, so there are many references to Jesus, as well as New Testament quotations.

"The Trip That Changed My Life" A Worldwide Collaboration

One of my colleagues is an avid travel.  He goes all around the world and blogs about it.  He started a project where he collected travel stories from friends all over the globe.  Each only a few pages, the stories tell tales of young and old, men and women, rich and poor, all discovering a part of themselves while on travel.  What I liked was how the money I used to buy this book went directly to a children's charity.  The tales in this book are family-friendly for the most part, except for the story at the very end, which is not suited for children.  Given so many different writing styles from different people, some short stories read better than others.  Overall, I was given the impression that travel is healthy for the soul and that I should go book me a trip!

"The Wright Brothers" by David Mccullough

• Fascinated by flight, I decided to read up on the inventors of airplanes themselves, the Wright brothers.  Convinced that airplanes were made and embraced in America, I was very surprised to learn how the brothers were initially rejected by America and thus took their invention to France.  It was in Europe that their fame grew and that they were eventually taken seriously by the rest of the world, America included.  To think that so genius of men could have simply given up but chose not to is remarkable.  The life lesson for readers is astounding.  If someone doesn't come to your party, invite someone else.  If someone dumps you, go on another date with someone else.  If your boss doesn't promote your career, go work for someone else.  Strive to be your best and never ever give up.  Also interesting was that the brothers were in their 30/40s when they started inventing aviation.  One is never too old to start something new in life.  That they neither went to college nor married is also fascinating.  While this book is more biographical than entertaining, there are funny aspects of history interspersed.  My personal favorites are the times the brothers threw sticks at photographers who took their picture without their permission, as well as the time one of the brothers flipped their hat backwards and said to those around him before getting in his airplane, "Gentlemen, I am gong to fly."  To all the parents out there and to those with access to small children, never underestimate the value of toys.  The Wright brothers were first fascinated by flight when they played with a toy air machine.  I could go on and on but I encourage readers to read this book for themselves.  Also included in this hardcover nonfiction book are glossy black and white photos of the Wright brothers' historical moments.

"The God Machine" by James R. Chiles

This book covers an extensive history of the helicopter.  From famous engineers to lesser known visionaries, Chiles goes in detail about technological advancements that made the helicopter what it is today.  There are also descriptions of how helicopters are used from police to rescue to news and more.  Funny anecdotal stories are also included for hijackers and movie scenes and high speed chases.  Rotor dynamics are explained with pictures of lift and drag and torque.  The notion that helicopters changed history is hinted at when presidents used helicopters to get votes and when soldiers used helicopters to win wars.  This non-fiction book is very well researched but honestly a bit dry.  It was difficult to read as it was very dense.

"Psalms for Prayer" by She Reads Truth

This book is all about the psalms of the Bible.  It is not a copy and paste of all the psalms, though, as only select ones are printed herein.  For the selected psalms, they are selected based on a theme.  Themes include praise, confession, adoration, personal struggles, and more.  For more emotions and themes, there is a chart in the book where readers can look up a psalm on nearly any topic of their life.  With the workbook-like nature of this book, there is space for readers to comment on the psalms, answer prompts, and journal their thoughts.  Since the She Reads Truth organization is Christian, there are some references to Jesus and the New Testament included.  The overall style of the book is very white, clear, and crisp.  The few photo images inside are very basic, which is meant to give a meditative / contemplative feeling.

"Dinner for Dinos" by Ben Whitehouse

This cute full-color wooden paged book is adorable.  It is all about dinosaurs having a barbecue dinner.  The dinosaurs or "dinos" go grocery shopping together, cook together, set the table together, dine together, and finally go to sleep together.  There is a section of the story where one dinosaur does not want to eat vegetables.  This dino eats vegetables after another dino says how strong they make one become.  That was adorable.  There is diversity as the dinos are in all different shapes, sizes, and colors.  There are boy dinos and girl dinos.  One dino even has glasses.  This is a great book to get kids excited about mealtime and cooperation with friends.

"The Complete Guide to Dream Interpretation" by Marsha Trimble Dunstan

At first I was a bit skeptical about this book.  I mean, a guide on dream interpretation with input from the Bible?  Come on!  But the more I read about the author's logic and her own personal dream stories, the more convinced I became.  The author has had dreams that have come true and has correctly interpreted friends' dreams.  There are so many dreams in the Bible, and Dunstan does a good job of summarizing those.  This book has a Christian lens, so it makes mention of Jesus and various quotes from the New Testament, in addition to quotes from the Old Testament.  What I really liked was how Dunstan differentiated between dreams.  Some dreams are just from our own bodies (spicy food makes nightmares) while some dreams are from God (spiritual messages after prayer).  This book isn't just talking and stories, as good as that is.  There is a huge chunk devoted to what I call a dream glossary.  For any place, image, color, number, action, animal, etc, there is a short description of what that could mean.  The author is very clear when she says her dream interpretation guide is just a guide.  It is not set in stone as everyone's dreams are different.

"Go to Sleep Sheep" by Thomas Nelson and Illustrated by Sydney Hanson

Beautifully illustrated and cleverly written, this children's book is excellent for bedtime.  The mama sheep is telling her baby sheep that it is time to go to bed.  Meanwhile, the baby sheep come up with all sorts of excuses for why they should stay up.  They are hungry, they are thirsty, they want to play, and so on.  Other barn animals are illustrated in the background, making for a cute addition.  This book is hardcover where each page is wood and stiff.  I like how unique each sheep was.  One had glasses, one had a bow, one had a scarf.  Just as sheep are unique, so are kids.  This cute little book has fun rhymes and is recommended for children.  Go to sleep, sheep!

"Love Defined" by Kristen Clark &Bethany Baird

Focused on love and relationships, this book is a must have for any single girl.  It discusses the need for one to be happy alone before they can be happy with someone else.  There is a huge emphasis on finding one's satisfaction in God instead of a man.  Since the authors are Christian, there are a lot of references to Jesus and Christ herein.  Nevertheless, the basic premise that a man can not always make a woman happy is important.  This isn't to say that a woman should marry a man who does not make her happy (that's just a divorce waiting to happen).  Rather, the point is that women must cultivate a sense of sacrificial love and grace for their future husband.  When feelings fade--and they will--the woman should find her fulfillment in God and not place her hope in her husband.  There is a place in the soul that only God can satisfy.  While I do agree sacrificial love is good, I would caution women not to show this until they are married.  By showing unconditional love beforehand, it may make the man get lazy since he has not yet fully won your affections.  On a side note, there is a section in the book about purity and saving oneself for marriage.  While I agree with this from a religious perspective, I wish the authors went into details from a secular perspective.  What I mean is abstinence has more worth beyond religion.  Even men with no religion do not want to marry a woman who has "been around".  For those women who have made mistakes in their life, there is a section on forgiveness and confession before God.  This was a very fun book to read.  Interestingly enough, the two sister authors include one married and one unmarried.  Well, recently, the unmarried on got engaged.  She is 29, 6 years older than her fiance, and was friends with her fiance for 7 years before he asked her out.  From their youtube channel, he seems very smitten with her.  Ladies, don't rush and settle.  Wait for the best, even if that means you wait a long time!

"Girl Defined" by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird

As someone who watches GirlDefined videos and reads the blog post, I was very excited to read this book written by the sisters who created the group.  The entire premise of this book is getting back to God-defined femininity from the Bible.  The book starts out with stories about Marilyn Monroe and models.  Long story short, fame and good looks do not make someone happy.  Until a woman finds her worth and value in God, she will always be striving.  That sort of living leads to eating disorders, compromise, anxiety, depression, and more.  There is a large emphasis on being a wife and mother in this book.  While that's great, what I did not like was the subtle message that women should not focus on their careers.  Why go to college if you are just going to be a stay-at-home mom?  Well, I would venture that is unwise.  Most men do not marry until they have been living / working independently for a few years on their own.  If they have an advanced degree, they may not be ready for a real relationship until their late 20s or even early 30s.  And some men marry older women.  This means women could have a good 10 years to be studying / working on their own.  All that time, the woman could have been living her dream, working her career, and building wealth.  While I do agree that men should be the providers in a family, I acknowledge that not every woman will get married.  If I never marry, should I just live in poverty because I've never invested in a career?  Or what of the woman whose husband dies or gets disabled and there is no more breadwinner?  Having a strong woman who can earn a decent salary is a good thing in my mind.  Not only that, but for successful men, I would think they like a woman with her own career.  Sure, she can always hit pause on her career for a family, but her being successful means she is not just with the guy for what he can provide.  Yes, providing is important (I would never marry a man who didn't) but I'm sure guys like to know that the girl is with him for him and not money since she could afford everything on her own if she needed to.  That aside, I really enjoyed this book.  It read fast and I felt like I was having lunch with a girlfriend, it was that conversational.  Each chapter also has study guides with journal prompts and space to write answers / prayers.  This book is written by Christians, so there are quotes from the New Testament and references to Jesus. 

"The Better Mom" by Ruth Schwenk

Written by a stay-at-home mom, this book is all about the challenges and rewards of motherhood.  There are chapters on mothers feeling adequate, measuring up, and raising successful children.  So many women can feel inferior without a job outside of being a mom.  Then there are those women who struggle to make dinner and laundry on time, take kids to events, and have time alone with the husband.  Since I am a single woman not in the season of motherhood, I could not relate to a lot in the book.  Still, I found the overall message that one is complete in God to be nice.  Don't find your value in being a mom, a businesswoman, a spouse, a chef, or anything else.  Simply find your value in God and the rest will fall into place.  I should note that this book is written from a Christian perspective, so there are lots of references to Jesus and the New Testament in it.  While I'm not a mom, I do think it is important for women to choose who they have children with properly.  So many people are living less than because they were not exposed properly to love in the home.  There are children who are products of divorce, children with abusive / alcoholic parents, children who were not planned and seen as a burden, etc.  While I do believe anyone can rise out of bad circumstances, I do acknowledge that such people will have a late start in life and miss out on many important aspects of a pure and holy childhood.  Don't just marry anybody and don't just have children with anybody.  Choose someone who embodies love, is a good example for children, and will raise a productive member of society.

"Isaiah's Daughter" by Mesu Andrews

As a long time fan of the kings and queens stories in the Bible, I was very excited to read this book.  Add on the fact that Isaiah is one of my favorite prophets and that I adore the references to Hephzivah ("my delight is in her", which is also my Hebrew name), I was hooked on this book from the start.  Isaiah's daughter Ishma (Desolation) is renamed Hephzivah and eventually marries King Hezekiah, King of Judah.  There is much drama in the book as human sacrifice is tackled.  Hezekiah is actually the second born of King Ahaz.  The only reason he becomes king is because his father sacrifices Bocheru (Ahaz's firstborn son and Hezekiah's brother) to a pagan idol.  Hephzivah has her own family issues, as well.  She is not daughter to Isaiah by blood.  Rather, she is an orphaned refugee whose parents were killed in a war when she was barely five years old.  The story gets even more suspenseful when an Assyrian army invades Jerusalem and the royal Judean family struggles with infertility.   I could go on and on about this book.  I encourage readers to find out for themselves how great of a read this is.  Prophecies from the book of Isaiah will come to life as readers understand how they could have had real meaning in the physical time period of which Isaiah lived in.  Don't just study the Bible.  Live the Bible and understand what the characters back then had to go through.

"You've Got 8 Seconds" by Paul Hellman

This book is all about how to succinctly and effectively communicate to one's audience.  From elevator pitches to sales talks to presentations, readers will learn how to get to the point and hold attention.  There are copious tips in this book, from reducing the number of acronyms one uses to weaving stories into discussions.  With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, it is harder than ever to get one's point across.  In the business world, a talk can make or break an employee.  How can you sell your idea when your boss is zoned out on his phone?  How can you convince your team to try a new process when they don't even understand why they are in your meeting?  I am going to use the tips in this book to better communicate with others both at home and at the office.  Remember, you've only got 8 seconds!

"Wherever You Go" by Joan Leegant

This book tells the story of a few different characters in Israel.  Each of their lives are detailed in first-person over the course of about a month.  None of the characters interact with each other until later in the book when all paths cross.  Amidst political and religious extremism, the war between Israelis and Arabs rages.  The tale gets even more interesting as a bomb is detonated and fingers are pointing every which way to determine who did it.  The characters are all very unique.  There is the woman visiting her sister in Israel.  The woman who had an affair with her sister's fiance 10 years ago and who continues to sleep with married men.  There is the man who is a Talmud scholar.  The man who no longer feels his connection to the divine and shaves off his hasidic beard.  There is the man who dropped out of college and disappoints his parents.  The man who can not control his impulses and hurts others in the process of trying to find his own pleasures.  There is the woman who overdoses on drugs because she never got over the fact that her ancestors were murdered in the Holocaust.  The woman who could have a fulfilled life but can't see those who love her past those who deal her drugs.  Leegant goes into the mind and thoughts of all these characters.  While the plot was very good, there were parts I wish were omitted.  There are various instances of swearing, as well as a scene in which a woman is molested and nearly date raped.  This book is not recommended for children.