Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Poems, poetry, Quotes, Self-Help

Discontinued: A Short Film by LeShane | Review

A Global Pandemic, Unprecedented levels of Social Unrest, and The Loss of Family & Friends. These are the seemingly insurmountable forces that a young man from Tulsa, Oklahoma must face as he attempts to both grieve and heal.

As the young man navigates through his current circumstance, he battles with a variety of human emotions. Full of deep and resonant poems that invoke melancholia, thoughtfulness, hope, and encouragement Discontinued: A Short Film is a masterful depiction of the grieving process from initial denial to acceptance and growth.

A remarkable successor to Our Chemically Altered Romance, this poetic anthology will cause you to evaluate your perspective on the current state of the global society, reflect upon the past in thought provoking and meaningful ways, and cause you to marvel at our ability as humans to showcase resiliency and push forward through hardships to create a brighter future.

Title: Discontinued: A Short Film

Author: LeShane

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 110

My Review

Discontinued: A Short Film is a collection of beautifully written, thought-provoking poems. They express human emotions in their raw, unadulterated, unapologetic form. The words contain so much pain, anger and they spill the truth about our world. The author lost a dear friend and this event is marked in the first poem. The rest of them reflects his pain on this insurmountable loss. His grief leads him to unexplored places. He becomes less reactive and more of an observer. This leads him to inner conflicts and they are overflowed through these poems.

The poems are written in a unique style. Every verse brings out an incident from the author’s life and his perspective on them. Death and life is another recurring subject in these poems. Overcoming trauma is not an easy subject to write or explain. Everyone has their own way to heal. Nevertheless, the author has penned his thoughts and process through these poems.

I really loved how he structured his poems. Every poem tells you a story. Sometimes, it is about family, friends, experiences etc. It comes to a full circle at the end. He returns to where he began. In a way, these poems represent the uncertainty and unpredictable nature of our lives. Even the title of this book makes sense at the end. It is the discontinued chapter of life but only a short one. The collection ends with a beautiful poem on hope. It evokes courage within our souls. No matter how painful life is, it must continue and we all are bound to survive.

Really loved this piece of writing. One of the best works in poetry!

Rating: 5/5

Purchase here: Amazon.com

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Poems, poetry, Quotes, Self-Help

White Knuckle by Steven Bruce|Review

Bruce’s debut poetry collection, an autobiographical report on the reality of life in a poverty-stricken, drug and violence-fuelled environment, is a gut-wrenching composition of grief, loss, and abandonment at an early age.

This powerful book is brutal, tragic, and moving: an essential read.

Title: White Knuckle

Author: Steven Bruce

Pages: 100

My review

Raw, brutal and honest.


These poems drag us from our comfort zone and suddenly throw to a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs and lows are filled with misery. There is no middle ground. The suffering is real. The unpolished edges of these words will scratch our mind. This is an in-depth essay unravelling through complex human emotions. Their beauty lies in their unadulterated voice. We can feel the white knuckle against our face in each poem. It hurts because it is meant to be.

Broken dreams, pain, anger, abuse, frustration, death, greed, hunger… everything is poured through words. But these are not like any other poems. Because amidst this crushing pain, they all have one common feature- a hidden sense of survival. These are not served with the sugar-coating of hope. Rather, they all have a pinch of survival instinct in every line.

Pain is the greatest lesson. We don’t remember happiness but we remember every pain we had. It opens a new path for redemption. We can witness that redemption here.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Poems, poetry, Quotes, Self-Help

Star Dust: From Heaven to Earth We Fall by J.M. Pozon | Review

Star Dust is a intricately written collection of poetry, prose and short quotes centered around up lifting women of color as well as all our sisters around the globe. With the use of powerful words the author explores and navigates the themes of self love, healing, loss , and femininity. This is women’s empowerment at its finest.

Title: Star Dust: From heaven to Earth We Fall

Author: J.M. Pozon

Pages: 116

My review

Star Dust: From Heaven to Earth We Fall is a collection of poetry, prose and quotes that carries very deep underlying meaning. They are not easy to comprehend. Because it reflects the depth of pain. They hurl through the levels of misery and completes a full circle in the end, just like the stars in their orbits. This is the true voice of women, a compassionate, deeply hurt, uplifted and empowered women. These powerful poems can evoke a sense of pride in every woman’s heart.

The collection is divided into four sections. Each section has its unique theme that fits its place in the circle. I felt that the poems in the first section are more like rejecting the pain by remembering our worth. These poems bear the pain of lost love. Second section is all about realizing that worth. Accept that unique superpowers. Third section includes most empowering poems. They not only encourage to embrace our power but also counsel to use them most diligently. The final section is all about walking through that newly drawn path proudly. Be the woman you always wanted to be.

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

The Road to Growth through Values Quotes: : 310 Powerful Positive Quotes from 178 Inspiring People by Ruthy Bar

Ruthy Bar’s creative passion for collecting insightful quotes from various sources that have helped her grow in positivity has led her to share these words of empowerment with you. She has collected quotations that express values that are important for growth. These are values for life; she’s chosen them for their conciseness, effectiveness, and positive outlook.
By categorizing the best of the best under twenty of our most cherished values – values such as Creativity, Optimism, Determination, Courage, Persistence, Commitment, and Gratitude – she has tried to include quotations that will encourage you to do positive and good things for yourself. She believes that if a person has good in their life, they will be inspired to share it by bringing good to others.
She also believes every reader can benefit from even just one sentence that can move them and give them the inspiration and the motivation to do and think differently. Through these beautiful, inspired words she hopes that you can grow strong in the values that are most important to you.
Leaf through the book randomly or visit the value that impinges on your thoughts at the moment — each page is sure to improve your outlook. Each and every one of us needs only one phrase that can influence, inspire, and motivate us so we can grow strong in our most vital values.

Title: The Road to Growth through Values Quotes: : 310 Powerful Positive Quotes from 178 Inspiring People

Author: Ruthy Bar

Pages: 136

My review

The Road to Growth through Values Quotes is a bundle of wisdom ready to flow from the first touch.

Quotes are always an essential part of my life. I’m a person who quickly enters into a rut after a hectic workweek. Soon, I‘m procrastinating from my goals. The secret to success is consistency. You have to keep moving forward. The pace does not matter. But no matter how determined I’m to achieve my goal, I often find myself in a state of laziness. To regain control from this recurring phase, I always looked up to the great personalities who had the grit to push forward, no matter what happens. I like to collect their quotes for my personal growth. They give me instant energy and motivation. A little push, that is all needed. This habit lands me in this quote collection. Within no time, this book became my accountability partner.

The author has carefully curated, important and multidimensional quotes for this book. They are arranged in chapter-wise which is tremendously helpful for me. They touch every inch of personal growth. The wisdom from this book is invaluable. This will surely go into my permanent collection.

Download this book for FREE! Amazon.com Amazon.in

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Poems, poetry, Quotes, Self-Help

One Sacred Moment (The Mystical Traveler #5) by Fawn Moran| Book review

One Sacred Moment is the fifth volume of inspirational poetry in The Mystical Traveler Series. If you’re looking for insights that deepen over time or kernels of truth you won’t forget, this is the book for you. Like the book says, “Come to the table, The one set for two. Open to the moment. You needn’t prepare. Your special guest is the Presence we share.”

“Fawn Moran has managed to distill so much wisdom into phrases that open doors that we thought were closed. Reading her words, or better still, reading them out loud, brings a resonance in the heart that remains. The distillation has clearly come from many hours of plumbing her own depths. This is not a collection of ideas—it’s a collection of Truth revealed. Try it. You might end up becoming what you were seeking.“
Mary-Margaret Moore,Spiritual teacher, workshop leader, counselor and author of the Bartholomew books

Title: One Sacred Moment (The Mystical Traveler #5)

Author: Fawn Moran

Pages: 72

My review

Poetry is the expression of deep-rooted creativity. It is the projection of one’s own heart and mind. It is the uncovered truth of our inhibitions. One Sacred Moment is a spiritual journey. The beauty of poems lies not in the words but the underlying meaning. In a sense, it expresses the raw unadulterated version of ourselves.

These inspirational poems hold pristine energy, waiting to be unleashed to our flesh and wounds. It is hard to rebuild a broken heart. But every wound will heal if the right treatment is provided. The scars will fade one day. But it is the scars that signify our existence.

Dedicating whole life to selfless service is one of the greatest sacrifice we can ever perform. By doing this we can immerse our soul to divinity and unburden ourselves from everything. It is the path to salvation. We achieve it at our own pace and through our journey. These poems are the expression of that spiritual journey. They are unique because they are not crafted but emerged from a deeper state of mind. The truth is very difficult to express, as always. It needs time and patience to put together words around the emotions encountered during ones own spiritual endeavor. They are difficult to decipher. But they will make you think. They will push you to go farther. No two experience is same.

Meaningful read. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

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

Mental Toughness by Nicola Jeremy Baehler| Book review

 

51m6rW0LGYLTitle: MENTAL TOUGHNESS: “How To Build Mental Strength Like A Spartan – Guide On How To Improve Your Self-Confidence, Build Unbreakable Discipline, Become Emotional Resilient And Overcome Your Fears.”

Author: Nicola Jeremy Baehler

Pages: 119

Genre: Self-help

My review

Mental toughness is everything. Almost all the competitors have the same set of skills, efficiency and knowledge. What makes one another different is their level of mastery in mental toughness. Believe it or not, it is the single most aspect, that differentiates a legend from a winner.

I have read many books on personality development until now. From my experience, I must say most of the books lack original ideas. Thay has either copied or paraphrased contents. But this book surprised me from the beginning itself. It has astonishingly original ideas and practical techniques. The major difference that I have spotted while reading was, the author has been constantly pushing the readers to take action rather than consume more information.

The presentation of the contents in the book is remarkable. It is structured as a complete package. The author explains the theoretical aspects of mental toughness in the initial chapters, then gradually proceeds to tools and habits needed to rewire our existing life and mindset. The book concludes with providing two bonus chapters. I really liked the second bonus chapter on the spartan morning routine which contains refreshing techniques.

Altogether, this short book has very promising and helpful ideas that can surely transform one’s life. A must-read for everyone.

Rating:5/5

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

The Self-Esteem Workbook: Become your Amazing Ideal Self, build your Real Self-Esteem and get Healthy Confidence|Book review

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Title: The Self-Esteem Workbook: Become your Amazing Ideal Self, build your Real Self-Esteem and get Healthy Confidence 

Author:  Lya Swan

Pages: 112

Why we read self-help books? The answer is simple! We all want to change our personality for better results and eventually to attract success in life. To change our personality, we apply many techniques and hacks in our life in the hope to yield better results. But most of these techniques never give the results we need. Primarily because these techniques never concentrate on the root cause. They all are superficial, so the results. The bottom line of every personality development hack is self-esteem. This is the best takeaway from this book. Self- esteem builds strong self-confidence. Self-confidence will lead to success.

The author has divided the whole book into two parts. The first part concentrates on defining the meaning of Self-esteem. After a clear explanation, she moves to evaluate our own self-esteem. From this evaluation, we will realize where we stand and how far we have to go. The next chapter is about laying a solid foundation for the upcoming exercises. In the second part, the author gives a holistic approach to building self-esteem. This approach includes mindfulness to goal setting.

What I really liked about this book is the author never tries to rush into the action plan. She starts from the basics and then proceeds further. This step by step approach makes this book special in the genre. The overall structure of the book is unique and truly meant to help people. Personal development books depend a lot on human psychology. How well you know that will reflect on your writings. The understanding of author in this area makes this book exceptional. I would love to see a continuation of this book or more work from the author.

Rating: 5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Quotes, Self-Help

The Leader’s Book of Inspiration: Quotes and Insights for Today’s Leaders by Michael Elliott|Book review

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Title: The Leader’s Book of Inspiration: Quotes and Insights for Today’s Leaders
Author: Michael Elliott
Pages: 170
Blurb
The Leader’s Book of Inspiration is a work of extraordinary insights for self-driven go-getters. Whether you are an entrepreneur, illustrator, writer, executive, or pastor, a leader needs a book s/he can lean on for inspiration. This is that book. Drawing from the greatest kings, authors, artists, poets, philosophers, and religious minds of all time, and amassing over 300 lessons for the 21st-century leader, this refreshing collection of quotes delivers a wealth of eternal knowledge, that is sure to stand the test of time. The Leader’s Book of Inspiration is an essential addition to any personal library. There is everything to gain by igniting the imagination through profound words of inspiration. This book will be your spark.
My review
Life is all about goals and dreams. It is a quest for our own purpose. We have the freedom to uses our limited years of life for our own good or for doing good to others. Not all can manifest their own destiny. When we fail, we seek guidance. Those who have walked the same path before are the best mentors to choose from. This is why we rely on motivation to supplement our endeavors. But extrinsic motivation is always something short-lived. Intrinsic motivation only emerges from our own inner self. What we can do for this is to fall back to the knowledge from great visionaries and leaders to build strong morale.

This book is a great collection of quotes from almost all the visionaries who have ever walked on the earth. The insights range from poets to Kings, authors to philosophers. I must say it is a great addition to my personal book collection because it serves as a constant source of motivation. The author has divided this book into nine parts, each one discusses the insights from a particular group of leaders. This composition helps to read and accept things that best suits each one of us.

Rating:5/5
Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Quotes, Self-Help

DREAMS. GOALS. PLANS.: A Simple Guide for Turning Your Dreams into Goals and Goals into Plans by Danni White

 

43437394._UY630_SR1200,630_Title: Dreams. Goals. Plans: A Simple Guide for Turning Your Dreams into Goals and Goals into Plans

Author: Danni White

Pages: 102

Blurb

DREAMS. GOALS. PLANS. is a 31-day guide to helping you get from where you are now to where you would like to be. It is much more than another book on how to dream big, best practices for setting goals, or a checklist on how to plan your life and future. Instead, it serves as a simple guidebook of empowerment to help you think about your life and the opportunities available to you in new ways. When we open up to the possibilities, we find new ways of dreaming, propose better goals for ourselves, and make plans that excite us.

My review

Life is a journey, some may simply exist here and some may live their dreams here. Only a very small percentage of people become successful in their life. We all have some dreams and goals. But realizing these dreams are the hardest part. Usually, extrinsic motivation is short-lived. Feasible and long-term motivation only comes from introspection methods. Analyzing and examining our day-to-day habits is the only way forward. This book Dreams. Goals. Plans by Danni White focuses on changing and prioritizing our habits. The author has structured this book in way that its core values should make an impact on its readers.

I have read many books in this niche before. But what makes this one different is its applicability. The author never attempts to sugarcoat the harsh truths in this book. She put down the exact reality of the hardworking and successful people. Success never comes easy. If someone says it is easy then its a blatant lie. We subconsciously accept these lies because we are afraid to go beyond our comfort zone. This book serves as a detox for this mindset. Because of this nature, I felt refreshed after completing this book. This book gave me the clarity that I need for my thoughts. It is a practical guide to converting dreams to goals and then actionable plans.

The author has carefully chosen some meaningful quotes to convey her ideas. She included them at the beginning and at the end of each chapter. These quotes reflect the core values of successful people. Then she explains the concepts and actionable plans that one can derive from those words. This is indeed a unique plan for achieving our own goals. Because the action is the only thing that matters in the end.

Rating:5/5

Purchase here: Amazon.in

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Motivational Quotes, Quotes, Self-Help

Winning over life by Arun Malik

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Title: Winning over life

Author: Arun Malik

Format: Kindle edition

Pages: 189

Rating: 4/5

About the book

‘Winning over Life’ is a collection of quotes written by Arun Malik. Known as the master motivator, Arun Malik has filled the book with inspiring quotes on topics as wide as happiness and parenting to interrelated subjects such as success and achievement.
The book has been penned in a clear and concise manner which makes it quite universal. So, whether you are a student or a working professional, you can relate to the words and personalize your relationship with each quotation.
‘Winning over Life’ isn’t meant to be read in a go. The book is written to inspire you and to brighten your life with every sunrise. So, read it slowly, savor every sentence and fight with the worse times to rise above!
Other popular books by Arun Malik are ‘Courting Happiness,’ ‘Inviting Abundance’ and ‘Unfolding Dreams.’

My words

“Leaving your mark in a field involves going into an unchartered territory and emerging out of it as a winner.”

“Winning over life” by Arun Malik is a collection of motivational quotes which will help readers in their everyday life. Life is like this, sometimes happiness and sometimes sorrow. But everybody has to overcome their own challenges and complete their own mile. Sometimes there will be people who care about us will help to overcome sorrow, but most of the times we have to look inside and the power has to come from within our mind. This little book is a path to that inner inspiration. These quotes touch many aspirations of life. A must-read for everyone.

Buy now: Amazon