Rescue Me, Maybe (Jackie Bouchard)

Why I have this book: I got it for maybe .99 ten years ago on Kindle. I'm trying to read some of those older books I have in my quest to get my to-be-read book count lowered!

I really liked this book. I saw some reviewers thought the main character was "unlikable" because she tended to be standoffish and negative, but I liked her. Maybe I relate to her too much. Haha. To me, she just carried a lot of baggage and had been through quite a few really hard things, and she was probably in protection mode. 

In any case, I gave the book four stars on Goodreads, and I also bought another book by the author. I like that pups play a part in her stories (at least this one and the new one I purchased).

Oh, and there's a newer version of this book. The author said it's about 97% the same, but a new publisher wanted her to change a few things. Kinda interesting. I will say the version I read could have been cleaned up just a bit in the punctuation department.

This was my last read of 2023. Just something to note for no particular reason. 

Clean. I don't recall any swearing, so if there was any, it wasn't a big part of the writing. There's some attraction and a thought about a possible future sharing of a bed, but nothing else sexual. 

A Heart Like His (Virginia H. Pearce)

Why I have this book: I had the print edition for years, but bought the Kindle edition at some point, too.

Still trying to clean some of the shorter books off my "to be read" Kindle books, so I picked this one today.

I really loved this book back in the day. I still like it now, even though some of the religious stuff reminded me of how stressful it was to always try to get things "right" and do and be enough. Still, I love and agree with the author that it's so important to learn to open our hearts instead of closing them up to protect ourselves or our feelings. I think for some, God is the motivation or the power behind being able to do that, and maybe for others, it's humanity or light or a positive energy. 

I liked this thought:

"... when you honestly open your heart up to someone, it is a gift. And if they don't take the gift, it's still okay... because [it] feels so good."

I liked that the author (who happens to be Gordon and Marjorie Hinkley's daughter) and her friends who worked on this process were honest about their struggles with it and about how often they lived with hardened or closed off walls. They made a real deliberate effort to be more open. I think it does take effort for most of us.

Even though my religious beliefs are different now, I'm glad I read this again. I skimmed some of the more religious parts, but the ideas aren't necessarily religious in nature. I think they have more to do with being human and being part of humanity, no matter one's spiritual beliefs.

Clean.

Within: Making Peace with Food and Body Image to Create a Healthy Family and Home (Karen Diaz)

Why I have this book: I must have thought it felt inspiring since I bought the Kindle edition.

I gave it two stars on Goodreads. It had some good advice (not necessarily anything new), but felt a little drawn out, and it didn't keep my interest really well.

Clean.

Dark Horse (John Fischer)

Why I have this book: I got the Kindle version for free years ago. Again, it's short, so I moved it up to help get some books off my extensive "to be read" list on my Kindle.

I gave this book one star on Goodreads. I wouldn't have finished it if it hadn't been so short. 

It's an allegory, and I don't really love allegories. This one didn't make much much sense to me, to be honest. I think it wasn't supposed to be about Christ ("The White One?") Maybe? The author is/was a pastor, so that's what I'm guessing. 

Super boring, pretty confusing, and all over the place. 

Clean.

A Horse for Kate (Miralee Ferrell)

Why I have this book: I probably bought the ebook for my daughter back when she was into horses (like all girls go through).

I'm trying to knock some of the books off my Kindle, so I moved this one up the list since it's short and written for kids. I enjoyed it well enough considering that it was written for a young crowd. I gave it three stars on Goodreads.

My only complaint was the random moments where prayer or "God answered her prayers" came into the story. It didn't seem like a religious story, so it felt a little out of place, plus it creates this idea that God will answer your prayer if you're praying for a horse or other desire. The reality is that we don't always get what we want, praying or not.

Clean.

It Will All Work Out: The Freedom of Letting Go (Kevin Hart)

Why I have this book: It was an Amazon First Reads (free) book. I'm not a big fan of Kevin Hart and his filthy mouth, but I decided to give him a chance.

This is a very short book (44 pages), and it really seemed more like an excerpt than a real "short story." (It's not a story, more of a self-help genre.) One reviewer on Amazon said it IS an excerpt of something the author did/wrote/performed. I'm not sure. It shouldn't be promoted as a book, though, even a "short" book.

I gave it one star on Goodreads. It wasn't that interesting, it wasn't funny, the advice wasn't that profound. I'm just glad I didn't pay for it. (I wouldn't have even paid .99 for it, to be honest.)

Lots of profanity (although maybe it was toned down for him). He mentioned sex once or twice, but not in any kind of descriptive way.

Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast (Barry McDonagh)

Why I have this book: I saw it recommended quite a few times, so I bought it. I somehow ended up with both the audio and ebook versions.

I did get through the book by listening to the audio version. I only referenced the ebook version when I wanted to make a note of something he said.

I gave it three stars on Goodreads. I think the advice was good, but it felt a little more drawn out than it needed to be. It wasn't even that long of a book to begin with (print length is 244 pages), but it could have been a 1/3 fewer pages, in my opinion. 

Clean. I don't recall anything offensive.