Book Reviews

My thoughts of books I have read.

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Fantasy • Sci-Fi • Personal Growth • Business

Stormdancer – Jay Kristoff

I had expectation for this book. The exciting little blurb on the cover by Patrick Rothfuss has set the bar somewhat high. And it didn’t disappoint, well, at least not in the action-filled first chapter it didn’t. The ensuing chapters however, stalled a bit for me as the author set the stage for his tale. …
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The God Of Lost Words – A. J. Hackwith

“The God Of Lost Words” came out in November 2021, I was mad keen to read it, but I couldn’t bear my new favourite fantasy series not having the same cover so I patiently waited. Seeing them all together looking this good, I know I’ve made the right decision. You can imagine my excitement when …
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Unravel The Dusk – Elizabeth Lim

After the slightly-too-sweet-for-me book 1 of The Blood Of Stars duology, I was delighted that book 2 took a more matured turn. From the get go the pace was more intense and the theme much darker. What struck me immediately was the quality of the writing. It has matured and taken on a whole new …
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Spin The Dawn – Elizabeth Lim

The gorgeous cover of Six Crimson Cranes caught my eyes at my favourite bookshop (the only decent one in Brisbane sigh…) and thus I was introduced to Elizabeth Lim. I actually thought Cranes was book 3 of The Blood Of Stars series and of course I should start the series from the beginning so I …
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Cytonic – Brandon Sanderson

Heading into book 3 of Skyward, I was a little dirty with Mr Sanderson to begin with. I had expected it to be the conclusion to this awesome trilogy and only to find out he has recently announced a fourth book to the series, as he felt the story would be better told this way! …
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Starsight – Brandon Sanderson

This was only my second Brandon Sanderson novel and I can already see that Mr S does not fluff about. First page, BOOM! Right into the action. I was very excited to return to the sky with Spin, M-Bot, and the rest of Skyward Flight so I ain’t complaining. In fact, I liked it very …
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Scales Of Empire – Kylie Chan

When Rudi pointed out to me that Kylie Chan is a local, not just Australian local, but an hour away down the Gold Coast local, I was immediately keen to support my compatriot. When I read space ships and “a royal family of dragons” on the back cover, I was sold! I was immediately taken …
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The Poppy War – R. F. Kuang

This book was a little slow to get going… well that is not entirely a fair and unbiased view as I’ve just finished a book that set an exciting pace after a 10-page prologue! After that, most adventure would be slow by comparison. Once it got going however, it went! The story follows war orphan, …
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Skyward – Brandon Sanderson

It has easily been a decade since I last read a science fiction book, which was why, of the two books Santa brought me this year, I chose to start with Skyward. Wow! Apart from The Library Of The Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith, this was only the second book ever to have me hooked …
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Dragonflight – Anne McCaffrey

Dragons. I love dragons. It’s not hard to win me over when there’re dragons involved. That said, this was a tale that won me over simply by being an excellent story. The fact that the dragons were devastatingly akin to those in my own imagination was merely my personal good fortune. This is the story …
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The Chronicle of Narnia – C.S Lewis

Rudi bought me this book nearly 20 years ago. It was around the time when I started reading fantasy novels and was obsessing with The Lord Of The Rings. He procured it for me so I can continue to indulge in some classics. Much to his disappointment, I never read it. During my recent self-directed …
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The Girl And The Mountain – Mark Lawrence

I was most fortunate to already be in possession of book 2 as I was finishing book 1 and could immediately continue my adventure! The second Book of the Ice saw Yaz and her companions venturing to the mysterious Black Rock inhabited by the priests but forbidden to the tribes. There they will unveil the …
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The Girl And The Stars – Mark Lawrence

The last book I read sent me into a deep anxiety funk which you can read all about here. I directed myself to a much-needed mental health break with a simple instruction- Sleep and read. This was the first book I read during my recuperation and it was exactly the adventure I needed. This is …
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How To Do The Work – Dr Nicole LePera

This book broke me. It broke me precisely the way I needed to be unmade so I can rebuild myself afresh. It was painful. It was horrendous. It was brutal. But it was necessary. And I’m all the better for it. I’ve been on the inward journey for some 7 years now and up until …
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Purple Cow – Seth Godin

I used to travel to Sydney once a quarter to study marketing with the awesome folks at Basic Bananas back in 2016. Because my head will be jammed pack with all things marketing, I’d often buy a business book from the airport bookshop to read on the flight home. Typically, I’d read maybe a chapter …
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Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne

A patient of mine recommended this book to me circa 2016/7 around the time when I rebranded my physio clinic. I was too busy being busy then I never read it. To be honest, I don’t think I would have appreciated and gotten as much out of it back then as I did now. Mother …
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Think And Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

This is one of those books anyone who has embarked on a business or entrepreneurial journey will come across at some point. It is also one of those books you need to be ready for before you will appreciate it fully for what it is. When I first bought this book I was overwhelmed by …
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On A Pale Horse – Piers Anthony

Rudi has told me about the awesomeness of The Incarnations Of Immortality Series on a number of occasions. As you may know by now, I have a penchant for the supernatural so I was keen to meet these Incarnations. Sadly, these books were devilishly difficult to come by until we discovered the Book Depository. I …
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The Courage To Be Happy – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga

This being the sequel to the book I believe every person on Earth should read because I believe it can not only help each of us find happiness, but can also help make the world a better place, needlessly to say, I was compelled to read it. This book once more took the super easy …
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The Archive Of The Forgotten – A.J. Hackwith

I have never fallen in love with a character until I dug through The Archive. When my first sojourn to Hell became an instant love affair, I counted my blessing to be able to jump straight back in and visit the Archive. My previous adventure in Hell left me all warm and fuzzy with my …
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The Library Of The Written – A.J. Hackwith

I first saw this book when I visited the brand-spanking new Dymocks in the city. The cover art was striking and instantly caught my eyes. I took a picture of it and filed it in my “Interested” list. The next time we visited the same Dymocks my eyes picked out this book again and that …
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5 Minute Therapy – Sarah Crosby

I’ve been a fan of psychotherapist, Sarah Crosby, and have followed her on the Instamagram (@themindgeek) for a looooong time. I love the way she packages mental health wisdom in easy-to-digest, bitesize, too-cute little Post-it notes. Needlessly to say I was elated to learn that she was releasing her first book! And it did not …
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How To Make It In The New Music Business – Ari Herstand

I know, I know, as business books go, this certainly is a niche one. As an artist however, this book is compulsory reading. One of the biggest confusion that plagued me when I first decided to embrace my inner artist and let my music live is the matter of royalties. Whilst there’re loads of information …
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The Courage To Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga

The Courage To Be Disliked brings wisdom that every single person on planet Earth will benefit from. I wholeheartedly believe that this book should be read by anyone as soon as they are old enough to comprehend the text and if we did this for a few generations, the world will for sure be a …
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Soul Music – Terry Pratchett

We were loitering in the fantasy isles in the brand-spanking new Dymocks in the city (supposedly doing our Christmas shopping) when we met this lovely fellow fantasy fan who overheard Rudi’s shock and dismay at my ignorance of the existence of Discworld. She affirmed that Sir Pratchett’s books are absolute classics and that I can …
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Meditations – Marcus Aurelius

This was a difficult read because it was hard to follow someone’s thought when you haven’t been the one pondering them. Also, this copy by MacMillan Collectors Library, which I bought because of the gorgeous gilt edges and adorable petite dimension, only contains the direct translation from the original, which means I’ve had to try …
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The Power Of Now – Eckhart Tolle

Shortly after I began my mediation practice, I, like most who embark on the inward journey, came across Eckhart Tolle, and “The Power Of Now” seems to be essential reading so I purchased it. The book then sat patiently on my bookshelf for 5+ years with a dog ear on page 29- That was how …
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The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

“The circus arrives without warning” and without warning, you are transported to a beautiful and enchanted world. Before long, you are blissfully lost in a charming world full of wonders and mysteries, mesmerised by a dreamlike circus full of engaging characters and many a spellbound tent. Erin Morgenstern’s world building in The Night Circus is …
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Silence – Thich Nhat Hanh

“The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise” is written on the cover of this book and it is precisely what it delivers. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh effortlessly conveys the wisdom of Zen Buddhism and Mindfulness and gracefully deciphers why noise is a barrier to happiness. He illustrates where such perils lurk in …
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The Fork, The Witch, And The Worm – Christopher Paolini

I squealed with delight when I strolled past the name “Christopher Paolini” at Dymocks! Why? Because the Inheritance Cycle is only my favourite book series – the idea of bonding to a dragon is simply too splendid to behold. Besides, if there ever was anything better than flying, it would be to fly with a dragon! …
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Think Like A Monk – Jay Shetty

Think Like A Monk is an excellent read for anyone who wishes to do life with less stress and more joy. Jay Shetty, having lived as a monk, serves gracefully as a gateway between ancient monk wisdom and modern-day living. Through enjoyable and relatable story telling, Jay demonstrates how he applies his learnings to deal …
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Atomic Habits – James Clear

I’m interested in reading Atomic Habits not only for my personal benefit but also to enhance my work as a physiotherapist. After 20 years in the field I can tell you being a physio is first and foremost about education and behavioural change – Your patient has an issue with their movement (A) and they …
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The Seat of The Soul – Gary Zukav⁣

The Seat Of The Soul is not for everyone. Some people will no doubt think it’s complete bollocks. If you’re on an inward journey however, at one point Gary Zukav will come into your life, and when you read it at the right time, it can provide tremendous value to your spiritual growth.⁣ Having just …
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