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Book notes: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman book summary review and key ideas.

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Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis:

“Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed. There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them. And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew.

“A fantastic story that is both the stuff of dreams and nightmares” (San Diego Union-Tribune), Neil Gaiman’s first solo novel has become a touchstone of urban fantasy and a perennial favorite of readers and listeners everywhere.” -Audible

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Book notes: Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks & Oprah Winfrey

Build the Life You Want by Arthur C Brooks and Oprah Winfrey book summary review and key ideas.

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Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks & Oprah Winfrey

Synopsis:

“In Build the Life You Want, Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey invite you to begin a journey toward greater happiness no matter how challenging your circumstances. Drawing on cutting-edge science and their years of helping people translate ideas into action, they show you how to improve your life right now instead of waiting for the outside world to change.

With insight, compassion, and hope, Brooks and Winfrey reveal how the tools of emotional self-management can change your life―immediately. They recommend practical, research-based practices to build the four pillars of happiness: family, friendship, work, and faith. And along the way, they share hard-earned wisdom from their own lives and careers as well as the witness of regular people whose lives are joyful despite setbacks and hardship.

Equipped with the tools of emotional self-management and ready to build your four pillars, you can take control of your present and future rather than hoping and waiting for your circumstances to improve. Build the Life You Want is your blueprint for a better life.” -Audible

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I appreciate every donation as it goes directly to the maintenance costs of my blog and creation of new content. 😊

Book notes: The Sandman, Act 3 by Neil Gaiman

The Sandman, Act 3 by Neil Gaiman book summary review and key ideas.

Get the audiobook on Audible 👇 (affiliate link)

The Sandman, Act III by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis:

“The groundbreaking audio production of what Los Angeles Times Magazine called “the greatest epic in the history of comic books” continues. Leading perhaps the best cast ever assembled in audio, James McAvoy returns to voice Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, in The Sandman: Act III, the third installment of the New York Times best-selling audio saga. Award-winning audio trailblazer Dirk Maggs adapts the blockbuster DC graphic novel series written by Neil Gaiman (Good Omens) into another fully immersive listening experience, presented for the first time in breathtaking 3D audio.

In Act III, we follow Morpheus on a grand journey to take care of family business. He visits with his son Orpheus (Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page), an act that brings with it profound consequences. Accompanied by Delirium (Kristen Schaal, Bob’s Burgers), he tracks down their estranged brother, Destruction (David Harewood, Supergirl), the only member of the Endless ever to abandon their post. And at an inn at the intersection of all worlds, a group of travelers are forced together by a storm that threatens to destroy reality itself, with grave repercussions for Morpheus and the rest of the Endless.” -Amazon

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How to overcome a negative self-image and self-talk

Overcoming negative self-image.

As part of a bingo fundraiser for my dance team, a friend of mine requested some thoughtful advice on a specific topic:

“How to overcome negative self-image and negative self-talk, and being hypercritical about myself”

I thought this was an excellent topic because I think many of us struggle with the same issue at some point in our lives, myself included.

When I think of what causes negative self-talk or having a negative image of oneself, two ideas come to mind:

Comparison
Perfectionism

2023 Life Lessons: Love, Health, and Success

What 2023 has taught me about health, success, and love.

At the end of every “Year in Review” mega-post, I compile a list of all the major Life Lessons I’ve learned that year. A couple years ago, I started the tradition of separating this into a separate post from the main 2023 Year In Review post.

In compiling these lessons, I noticed they fell into 3 major categories. I have grouped them accordingly:

Love & Relationships
Success & Happiness
Health & Well-Being

Feel free to skip to the sections most interesting or relevant to you. Or just go through them all if you’re feeling in the mood.

A Year in Review: 2023

Blessings, achievements, goals, and life lessons of 2023.

Hello friends, followers, and various people on the internet 👋 Happy New Year! 🎊

2023 seemed to pass by so quickly! But even more astounding than that, for the first time in my Yearly Review history, I’ve managed to get this published right on January 1st 🥳💪🏻

Table of Contents

Why Am I Writing This?

This post allows me to simultaneously:

Self-reflect on my past year
Share personal highlights with those who are curious or interested

These year-end reviews give me the space to recap memorable events, express gratitude, compile my personal statistics, and examine how much progress I made on my personal goals.

My Tradition Since 2016

Since 2016, I’ve been doing these posts mainly for my own records. However, these reflections may also be beneficial to others, so I write them with the intention of a public audience reading them.

For those who don’t know, I do 3 other types of journal reflections: daily, weekly, and monthly. This yearly reflection is somewhat of a compilation of those reflections but formatted in a more digestible way for the public.

Past Years In Review:

In a separate post, I’ve compiled all of the life lessons I’ve learned this year. My hope is that sharing my own hard-earned lessons will benefit those who may encounter similar challenges. I also want to compile these into a book one day, since it’s my long-term dream to become a published author.

Book notes: Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen

Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen book summary review and key ideas.

Get the audiobook on Audible 👇 (affiliate link)

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen

Synopsis:

“Dealing with your ex-husband, who can’t seem to show up reliably for weekends with the kids; navigating a workplace fraught with office politics or racial tensions; saying “I’m sorry” or “I love you.”

We all have difficult conversations, no matter how confident or competent we are. And too often, no matter what we try, things don’t go well. Should you say what you’re thinking and risk starting a fight? Swallow your views and feel like a doormat? Or should you let them have it? But – what if you’re wrong?

Difficult Conversations shows you a way out of this dilemma; it teaches you how to handle even the toughest conversations more effectively and with less anxiety. Based on 15 years of work at Harvard Negotiation Project and consultations with thousands of people, the authors answer the question: When people confront the conversations they dread the most, what works?

Difficult Conversations walks you through a proven, concrete, step-by-step approach for understanding and conducting tough conversations. It shows you how to get ready, how to start the conversations in ways that reduce defensiveness, and how to keep the conversation on a constructive track regardless of how the other person responds.

Whether you’re dealing with your baby-sitter or biggest client, your boss or your brother-in-law, Difficult Conversations can help.” -Audible

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I appreciate every donation as it goes directly to the maintenance costs of my blog and creation of new content. 😊

Book notes: The Sandman, Act 2 by Neil Gaiman

The Sandman, Act 2 by Neil Gaiman book summary review and key ideas.

Get the audiobook on Audible 👇 (affiliate link)

The Sandman, Act II by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis:

“Enter the Dreaming again as the blockbuster audio adaptation of “the greatest epic in the history of comic books” continues in The Sandman: Act II. James McAvoy returns to voice Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, in this sequel to the number-one New York Times audio best seller. Journey into a world of myths, imagination, and terror based on the best-selling DC comic books and graphic novels written by Neil Gaiman (returning as the Narrator), and lose yourself in another groundbreaking, immersive drama adapted and directed by the award-winning audio master Dirk Maggs.

In the absolutely packed Act II, the dark fantasy resumes and the Sandman expands into the French Revolution, ancient Rome, 19th-century San Francisco, eighth-century Baghdad, and beyond. New and familiar characters abound, voiced by a bright mix of performers, including Kat Dennings, Regé-Jean Page, Emma Corrin, Michael Sheen, Kristen Schaal, Brian Cox, John Lithgow, Jeffrey Wright, and so many more, including fan-favorite narrators Simon Vance and Ray Porter.

Just close your eyes and listen again as the greatest epic continues” -Amazon

~If you enjoy my summary, please consider buying me a coffee via my Ko-Fi link (click the button below) or support this blog in one of several ways! 📖 🎓

I appreciate every donation as it goes directly to the maintenance costs of my blog and creation of new content. 😊