Queer Eye: Love Yourself. Love Your Life by Antoni Porowski

Book: Queer Eye: Love Yourself. Love Your Life.

Author: Antoni Porowski

Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: A new Fab Five is out and about on Netflix and I LOVE THEM! Normally I don’t binge TV, but these guys watch like a great book. They have taken their television show and put it into a book. A nice intro to the new team starts the book. Then, tips for all aspects of life are given by each of the guys in his area of specialty to be your best self.

My rating: Four Stars for audio, but so dang close to a 5 it isn’t funny. Here is the thing. I listened to this book and they spoke fast that it was distracting. Had I read this book, it would have been a 5 and possible one of my rare 10 out of 5 stars.

My opinion: A MUST READ! What I love most is they include the ladies in their tips. When I walked into this read, I thought I would be listening to it to support the guys. However, this book includes tips for the ladies, as well as a large chunk of unisex tips.

Source: Scribd

Would I recommend?: Hello??? Look above! Now, what I would recommend is to purchase the book versus listening to it. Although I grabbed it as part of my Scribd subscription, it is in my Amazon cart, so I can focus more carefully on their tips, recipes and make lots of notes in the margin.

Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow

Book: Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

Author: Eli Saslow

Release Date: Published

Synopsis: At the ripe old age of 19, Derek Black was already a leader in the White Nationalism movement. Then he went to college away from the influence of his parents and a whole new world opened to him. This is his story.

Stand Alone/Series: Stand Alone

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion: Overall, I would say this was a very good read. There were many aspects as to why it made an excellent read. It was interesting to see a man go through growth when put into a less insular setting and have to live with the consequences of his past choices. I felt the author chronicled that well, including Derek's changing relationships (particularly his father) as he went through these changes. 

Also, I found Derek's classmates reaction to his changing core values very interesting (no spoilers here). 

Overall, I felt the book was a 5 star read. Where I marked it down was due to the author's glaring bias against Conservatives. I had really wanted this to be a "just the facts, ma'am" type of read, but it wasn't. I found "tidbits" of bias added in where it wasn't necessary and brought absolutely nothing to the book. Standing on the outside, I was very sad with this. I thought the author brought a very important book into the market. 

Do I still recommend the book? Hell yes! I recommend it to show that people can change. I recommend it to show that preconceived notions and judgement of others is often wrong and one needs to get to know a person individually BEFORE passing judgement on him/her. Something that in this age of "sheepish" heightened politics and Jim Jones' kool-aid drinking often doesn't occur and a person is judged by the way he/she votes versus the content of his/her character and awakenings during one's life for whatever the reason.

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know by Retta

Book: So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know

Author: Retta

Release Date: Released

Synopsis: Comedienne/actress Retta discusses topics such as growing up poor, her love of fashion and life plans that go awry. 

Stand Alone/Series: Stand Alone

Version: Audiobook

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion: I was bummed when I was turned down by my favorite publisher to review this book. Looking back now, I am thrilled. I chose to download the audio book version from Scribd. The reason is the author narrates, which makes it extra special. I have a funny feeling that if I would have read, I would just skim. This is definitely one of my favorite "star bios" that I have read. Retta is funny and makes her read interesting by presenting a read that has some meat to it versus a whole lot of fluff that one sees out of these reads. Just down to earth REAL stories on self acceptance and familial relationships. One of my favorites was great advice on college credit card spending and its long-term impact. 

Source: Scribd

Cadence: a Tale of Fast Business Growth by Pete Williams

Book: Cadence: A Tale of Fast Business Growth

Author: Pete Williams

Release Date: August 21, 2018

Synopsis: Utilizing a story format, Williams educates readers on the “7 Levers” principle to business growth.

Stand Alone/Series: Stand alone

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion: As one who loves to devour business books, I must say that I was more impressed by this book than I expected to be. My main criticism of this book is the “story/fable” aspect to this book was a bit drawn out to me. On that note, that was well made up for in the way Williams laid out the levers beautifully with easy to understand applications and repetition in the story. I loved the graphics he partnered the story with. Again, very simple for easy comprehension and memorization. Furthermore, he used the illustrations as more of a key points approach versus as a “take away” section, which are often overlooked.

This book will definitely go on my Recommend List for those seeking recommendations in business books. This book would also be perfect for your new entrepreneur. 

Source: Publisher for review