Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction, Self-Help

Raising Independent Kiddos by Michele Bayer | Book review

Parenting is hard. It’s a never-ending series of particular problems that require ambiguous solutions. And the frustrating truth is that the specifics of your child’s situation aren’t in the literature. Believe me. I’ve been looking for it for two decades.

I’m a mother to four beautiful kids. When my second child was born with a disability, it took a lot of trial and error (and time hiding in the closet) before I realized the importance of holding myself back, almost sitting on my hands, so my kids could learn to think about where they had made mistakes, reflect on what they needed to change. “Let them do it themselves,” became our family mantra.

This book isn’t about the importance of one parenting style over another. It doesn’t tell you how important it is to hug your child, and it won’t help you minimize tantrums at any age. It’s about microparenting, which is when a parent tries to control every detail, no matter how small, of their child’s life. The point of this book is to help you stop microparenting and start doing something that works faster and better.

Title: Raising Independent Kiddos

Author: Michele Bayer

Pages: 139

My review

We never receive any training to become a parent. Yet most of the population will go through this challenging phase in their adult years. The best thing we can do to counteract ignorance is to learn. Knowledge can undo everything. But this is not a traditional parenting advice book. This book concentrates on one thing- microparenting.

Microparenting is same as the micromanaging. Most of the parents control every small task, every small detail in their child’s day-to-day life. This affects a child’s behavior as well as emotional development in unspeakable volumes. The author draws our attention to this most common practice of parenting through this. Most of today’s generation is affected by microparenting. The long-lasting effects of microparenting causes the development of domineering and unsatisfactory adult relationships in their later lives. We all exhibit the bits of this nature in our everyday life. Undoing this from our life, for the betterment of our children is not an easy task. However, we have to put conscious efforts for this.

The book has an elaborate introduction of microparenting and its effects, in the beginning. Later on, the author introduces a worksheet to test ourselves on the range of microparenting we already have. To minimize and gradually eliminate microparenting, first, we have to understand our child’s needs. They are empty shells. Their overall personality depends on what we try to fill them with, in their early years. Cultivating self-reliance and a sense of responsibility is not a simple task. But it is what they need to excel in their adult life.

The author supplements every step in this process with her life experiences. Her experiments and responses to the unfavorable and favorable results, teach us very practical solutions for every step. This alone makes the book a realistic guide.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Comics, Fiction, Self-Help

Tapping Your Way to a Great Big Smile!: Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping for Little Fingers by Ana Cybela | Book review

A great fun way to inculcate the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping to our little ones daily routine! EFT is a therapeutic practice to cope with stress, anxiety, negative thoughts, and other volatile emotions. Our kids are prone to various external stresses even from a very young age. Bullying, academic works, peer pressures etc may cause them sudden erratic behavior at school and home. They are behaving like this because they don’t know how to deal with these emotions. this will eventually lead them to low self-esteem and confidence in their later years.

It is essential to identify the root cause of their changes in behavior and inculcate sustainable habits in their life from a very young age to overcome issues. This book introduces a very good technique known as tapping for this purpose.

This is written and illustrated through a first-person point of view. It helps our child to connect with the character’s emotions and compare themselves. This enables them to act independently in various difficult situations. Managing stressful situations are painstaking even for adults like us. Practicing EFT with our kids on a day-to-day basis will be a great way to manage our emotional balance too. This will also set an example for our children to look up to and eventually create stronger bonds with us.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction, Self-Help

Affirmations For Money Blueprint: How To Earn $10k Per Month With Proven Affirmations by Ian Seamus Finn| Review

Imagine WRITING FOR 10 MINUTES A DAY… and waking up with a $100, $250, $500 in your bank account just a few days later.
What if there was a way to change your life, without spending 5 years getting really good at your chosen profession…
If there was a shortcut that created a new life and new streams of income for you, would you take it… And REALIZE YOUR DREAMS now?
The shortcut I am referring to is the magic of Affirmations.
To get really good at any one thing takes approximately 10,000 hours or 5 YEARS of full time work 40 hours per week.
Affirmations allow anyone to get really good and make really big changes, and the changes start in weeks, not years.
The absolute simplest way to Create Your Dream Life.

Title: Affirmations For Money Blueprint: How To Earn $10k Per Month With Proven Affirmations

Author: Ian Seamus Finn

Pages: 99

My review

Affirmations For Money Blueprint is a perfect guide for reaching our financial goals. Money solves many problems in life and it is essential for survival. Through this guide, the author mentors us to earn $10k per month. This not an exaggeration. It is very doable. But we can only achieve this target by chiseling one most important skill in our life – sales. We all are selling something in our whole life, our skills, services, or any other products. Learning the art of sales in the right way is the secret formula for high income. This code is cracked through this book.

Communication is the key to excel in sales. For improving this skill, first, we have to set the right affirmations. But affirmations don’t work if we don’t apply the right technique. After explaining this, the author moves on to the core of this skill. One of the best chapters in this book is about the art of persuasion. The author explains the types of people and how to approach them and influence them gradually. This section includes the right arguments and tactics to use and how to confront them successfully in every situation.

Before delving into the art of money-making, the author has also dedicated a section for setting the right mindset. This part is an essential read, not only for making money, but also for our general well being. What makes this book special in the sea of self-help books is it’s easy to read content. All the techniques uncovered in the book are very pragmatic and easy to implement in our day-to-day life.

Overall, this is an all-in-one guide for self-improvement.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, non-fiction

Esoteric Christianity Made Simple by Con Trong Bui | Book review

For many centuries, millions of people who read the Bible consider it to be the word of God. Many readers of the Old Testament and the New Testament believe that God lives in heaven and human beings live on the planet Earth. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Should we ask “where God had lived before he created heaven”? Had he been homeless, and that was why he had to create heaven?

In the Old Testament, we see humans were required some burnt offerings “of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire,” and drink offerings. Should we ask, “was God homeless, hungry, and thirsty, and that was why he created heaven, humans, and animals, and required humans to offer burnt animals and drinks”?

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:13-14, “And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.”? What is that “vail” in the reading of the Old Testament? Did Paul also tell us about the New Testament when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:6, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life”? Is there any difference between “the letter” and “the spirit”? Through these verses, should we read the Old Testament and the New Testament as we read a historical book?

Title: Esoteric Christianity Made Simple

Author: Con Trong Bui

Pages: 354

My review

To reach the deepest understanding of faith not only gives a sense of salvation but also takes us to the height of faith. Esoteric Christianity Made Simple by Con Trong Bui is written in a way to create a greater understanding of the Holy Bible by eliminating literal doubts. Human beings are one of the greatest species ever walked on the earth. Only exceptional beings can dominate a planet. Although we are gifted with a creative and highly intelligent brain, when comes to the matter of the faith, we usually follow blindly. Often we neglect the logical questions raised in this subject. The answers always lie within but we never try to understand them. This book tries to bridge that gap.

I think theism and atheism are divided by a narrow gap of logical reasoning. Both ideologies have been fighting for their victory over others for ages. But what I learned by reading this book is everything can be explained logically. We have been reading the Holy Bible in a literal sense in all these years. The author has made clear in this book that the Old and New Testament are not simple historical books. We cannot read them just like other works of human beings. The scriptures were written to mean literally and symbolically at times. But they are not meant to be interpreted and understood literally. If we do, this arise questions. Jesus’s life and works are not symbols, but words about his life and works are. If we read between the lines and interpreted them correctly, everything will become simple.

The author has gone a great extend to eliminate many confusions. One such is the beliefs around “One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. This is the spine of Christianity. Yet many believers perceived this wrong. But if we study deeply this concept is very clearly explained in the Holy Bible beyond the scope of any doubt.

The author has done a commendable job by penning down this book. This will help a believer to gain wisdom and for a non-believer, to eliminate wide-spread doubts regarding the concepts of Christianity.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, Fiction, Thriller

I Was Called Barabbas by M.D. House | Book review

We know precious little of the man called Barabbas, a contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth. He is variously described in the historical record as thief, murderer, rebel, and notable Roman prisoner. His release by the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate was part of the supernal plan for the Christ to offer himself as the ultimate blood sacrifice, but it’s doubtful Barabbas understood any of that at the time.

Many have wondered what became of him, or rather, who he became after that fateful day. Someday we will know the answer, but in the meantime we can imagine that, like all of us, he too sought a path of personal redemption, imperfectly. 

Title: I Was Called Barabbas by

Author: M.D. House

Pages: 222

My review

This is the story of Barabbas, the prisoner who was released by Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate. It was him that Prefect was decided to sacrifice instead of Jesus of Nazareth. But this decision was not accepted and eventually Barabbas was released. The story took a brief turn here. We then came to know the past of Barabbas and how he ended up as a prisoner. The ferocious child who once wanted to be a Roman soldier and ran away from his family for his existence. He came back and became an apprentice to a tentmaker. But fate has better decisions for him. From a meager worker, he was transitioned to a Jewish rebel. He was not intended to do anything like this but he was bought into the war by destiny. But his real story begins after his release and crucifixion of The Christ.

He came back home to start a new life. With some surprise, he gets married to his love of life and started a family together. But what came after that is truly changed him. He was a damaged soul who believed that he is not worth saving. But the Lord has greater plans for him. His mercy has bestowed upon him and he finds his path eventually. Just like before, he wants a quite low life, but he was called into this war. He was needed on this journey. Moreover, he needed this new path for his salvation.

The story digs deep into the emotional account of Barabbas. His transformation from a common man to a leader was astounding. He was always immersed in self-doubt. But his courage and love saved him. They help him to rise beyond every obstructions. Although he was a deeply damaged soul, his path to salvation began in the moment he put his life before others. He was ready to sacrifice his life. This was his redemption.

The author has narrated a heart-wrenching tale of Barabbas rather beautifully. We are walking beside him throughout the story. His life was unpredictable. But it is what keeps him moving. I’m eagerly waiting for the next part.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction, Self-Help

636: A Path to Higher Consciousness by Vera J. Skye | Book review

What is it to be conscious? What is it to have a higher sense of awareness? In this book, I will not only guide you through practical steps to help you achieve a higher state of consciousness, I will also help you to interpret your dreams. Every dreamer has their own unique symbols, and each symbol has its own meaning for the dreamer. I will walk you through some of my own dreams, telling you about the symbols that stuck out to me, and what I interpreted them to mean.
I will explain how even through a traumatic childhood, I learned how to adapt to life and accept even my worst flaws, as I am, and we all are, human beings with imperfections. I will walk you through becoming more aware of yourself and the world around you, by diving into my own life experiences and sharing tips that have, and continue to help me.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand more about themselves and is looking to reach their Higher Consciousness.

Title: 636: A Path to Higher Consciousness

Author: Vera J. Skye

Pages: 78

My review

Life-changing experience!

I never had this much of life-changing reading experience from a single book ever. I was always curious about my consciousness and its mysterious expressions. Often I avoided thoughts regarding this. But deep down I always wanted to learn about this. Because the thoughts and dreams are extremely personal affairs. No one can understand them better than us.

This book has the answer to all my questions. The author draws this vast knowledge from her personal experience. In the beginning, I had a certain extend of fear about experimenting with my mind. But soon they disappeared when she delved into the depth of deeper consciousness and uncovered its mysteries.

Our consciousness is our greatest power. Although most of the book is dedicated to the techniques we can apply to elevate our consciousness, what I liked most was the dream interpretation part. The elaborate explanation and interpretation gave me answers to all my questions. I felt that I found a way out of a very difficult maze after I read this section. It was deep and accurate. Also, you can learn about the unique title of this book in this section!

In the end, the author has given dream-recall and self-awareness worksheets prompting readers to take action rather than read and go. I’m 100% convinced about the power of higher consciousness and I will definitely employ this in my life.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction

How To Improve Your Finances: In Under 1 Hour by Jarvis Brown | Book review

Do you want to thrive financially and not only survive week to week? This short and easy to digest book will cover the most important financial lessons you can implement today!. Reading ‘How To Improve Your Finances In Under 1 Hour’ will give you the knowledge and actionable behaviors to:

★Get rich and more importantly, wealthy

★Save what’s needed and choose the right investments

★Choose assets and minimize liabilities

★Produce positive cash flow to have unlimited wealth

★Start and own businesses

★Build and lead a financial team

★Build a financial empire

★Desire continued learning

★Give back, and so much more!

For those of you who are already doing well with your finances, this book is also for you. Read Chapters 1-8 to check your financial savviness. Then dive into the meat of the book, Chapters 9-15, for a mind-blowing journey to improving your finances. Also, included is a link that you can email to receive free financial tools! Explore the benefits of spending 1 hour today to change the rest of your financial future.

Title: How To Improve Your Finances: In Under 1 Hour

Author: Jarvis Brown

Pages: 46

My review

Perfect guide for financial management!

Financial freedom is one of the most sought-after dreams for many. Yet many of them couldn’t reach their targets ever in life. You may have a good income, but you may fail to build wealth. Getting rich is easy but building wealth is hard. Because rich can be poor in a day, but wealth is longlasting. What is the key to creating wealth? It is the right financial education.

Everyone should learn about their financial condition and its management regardless of your age. The early you learn this, the better your finances are. This is a systematic structured guide for this. The first half of the book is dedicated to analyze and manage our current financial situation. Creating a good financial plan is the first step towards the right management. This establishes our goal. Then the author explains how you can create a financial report card. Analyzing our income and expenditure every month is vital to reach a better understanding of our current situation.

The second half of this book talks about building your wealth by managing credits, dealing with paper assets, creating a positive cashflow and investment options. One of the best features of this book, it has an elaborate manual on building various investments. The author dedicated four chapters to explain them with accuracy. This is my best takeaway.

This is not a simple financial guide. This is a practical guide. I liked the way the author has explained all the difficult concepts using simple language which made them easy to comprehend. Overall, this was a good learning experience.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, non-fiction, Self-Help

Embrace The Void Bravely: & Other Secular Sermons by Race Hochdorf | Book review

“While covering many of the age old existential problems faced by the non-religious, Hochdorf avoids retreading the steps of the New Atheists and presents us with a fresh, thoughtful, charming little book.” —Helen Pluckrose, editor-in-chief of Areo Magazine

“This book is teeming with beauty and hope. An inspirational message for those of us who prefer to be amazed by the limitless awe-inspiring reality around us, as opposed to the limited imaginations of ancient men.” —Yasmine Mohammed, Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam

“Race’s provocative, open-hearted essays tackle the central, existential angst of our modern era: how can godless secularism give humans the meaning and morality that religion falsely provides? His answers are astonishing, challenging, revolutionary.” —Hank Pellissier, founder of Humanist Global Charity

Title: Embrace The Void Bravely: & Other Secular Sermons

Author: Race Hochdorf

Pages: 108

My review

“Embrace The Void Bravely” is a fire in the darkness. The darkness which limits our thoughts by forcing down rules and regulations. This is a tool to question religious superiority which has been the root of existential problems over the centuries. The conflicting nature of human beings is forcefully tamed by the religion. The author addresses how this system has been made us mere slaves without raising any questions.

I was so curious about the meaning of the title. The author explains this in the first chapter itself. “What is the meaning of life?” This is a popular question that often shuts our thoughts down. Over time this question become the root of spirituality and religion. There is a void which exists in our mind. The void cannot be filled or erased. Knowing that you will cease one day and everything about you will be erased over time. We are living for accomplishments, personal and professional. But nothing is everlasting, not even wealth. We are building a sandcastle on the shore side for the praise of a few passersby. It will be erased when a tide which is strong enough comes. But we do it nevertheless. We embrace this void bravely, rather than filling it. We can be infinite the moment we embrace this truth.

One of the best ideas I gained from this book is about inequality. We often discuss economic and gender inequality. But what we don’t know is, inequality exists in every social order. It exists in our house, friend circle, office, and in our society. Oppression and supremacy are the fundamental character of the human race. No matter how much we protest, this disparity will exist.

In other chapters, the author addresses issues related to romantic and other relationships. No religion addresses romantic love in their holy books. Rather they all promote celibacy. Why they all deny this fundamental human emotion? The same goes for friendships. The social and religious order has created barriers for every human emotion over time.

A very insightful read. Highly recommended.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller

The Trial of Summary James (Longman Jones, #1) by C.E. White| Book review

Longman Jones has seen several visions of murders. The problem is that those convicted of the murders are never the killers Longman sees. When Summary James is tried and convicted for a murder he didn’t commit, Longman is determined to rescue him from the nation’s only prison.

The Trial of Summary James is a novella set within an alternative history involving a North America where the United States was never born, because the colonists lost the Revolutionary War, the British freed the slaves, and a massive migration from Africa and the Caribbean empowered Black and Native Americans to help build a nation called the Carolina Union in their image.

Title: The Trial of Summary James (Longman Jones, #1)

Author: C.E. White

Pages:

My review

The Trial of Summary James is a story set in the alternative history of the present-day United States of America. The Britishers won the American Revolutionary war partly with the help of slaves. The slaved are freed in the aftermath and they founded a state in the Carolina coast along with other migrated African and Carribeans. This black state in North America is known as Carolina Union.

Longman Jones is a former journalist who is now working as a freelancer. He has a rare gift of having visions about murders. But in all the cases, someone is wrongly accused and sentenced. He takes this upon himself and rescues the convicts. In one of such trials revolving around Summary James, he met Sonata Holmes, a barrister. She is an empath and senses Longman’s secret talent. He is quickly drawn into her and shares most of his secrets in the very first meeting. But things are getting out of control and this time it will be not easy for Longman to rescue Summary as he did before. As both of them dig deeper in this case, they encounter many dark secrets that is slowly engulfing the society.

Honestly, I had high hopes about this novella, particularly because of its setting. You can easily tell a story without crafting a unique American history. But why the author has gone this far? The answer lies within the story itself. The present-day Carolina Union is not much different from any other developed country in this world. But humanity is essentially flawed. The race for power, money, and authority has been blinded people and they are consumed by greed. It is just like a rabbit-hole. The more you get, the greedier you become.

The author has portrayed every raw emotion of people without losing its intensity. Usually, for a novella, the character development might be not up to the point. But the author has done a good job with this story. It is a gripping thriller with good characterization. He is managed to keep the suspense from beginning to the end. Even the protagonist too, falls in the web of suspicion from time to time.

Altogether, this novella certainly exceeded my hopes.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Comics, Fantacy, Fiction, Thriller

Clan-X : Purple Slurp (Vol. Book 11) by Raphael Jones | Book review

Clan-X is a comic line that showcases the future in an advanced utopian-style society millions of years into it. In this particular issue, Xen and Julie Coolmaster travel to planet Galaxia only to run into Sherla Maximus, who is getting ready to begin her mission of traveling to a tribal planet for a shot at diplomacy with them.

Title: Clan-X : Purple Slurp (Vol. Book 11)

Author: Raphael Jones

Pages: 15

My review

Clan-X: Purple Slurp introduces us to a utopian style, ultra-modern, technologically advanced civilization. Xen and Julie Coolmaster are in Galaxia, a free state with plenty of options for entertainment. They are trying to get into the live performance of Sole Sonic, the extraordinary singer. But this is an impossible feat for them. In an attempt to get into the show and explore other fun options, they ran into Sherla Maximus, the warrior princess. She is enjoying her time in Galaxia before going to another mission as a world messenger.-

Just like all the other books in the Clan-X series, this one also features a fun story accompanied by good illustrations. A world were aliens, humans and all other living beings co-exist in peace. This world is filled with fun. You can enjoy and explore as much as you like!

This story brings us a hint of hope. An undivided world which is thriving through technological advancement. The illustrations are so colorful and add a vibrant effect to the story.

A must-read for every comic fan!