Tag: inspirational

When the World Hurts by Liz Moyer Benferhat Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Liz Moyer Benferhat shares the message of finding hope in desolate times and turning our pain into action in the book “When the World Hurts.”

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The Synopsis

Amazon #1 New Release

What if our pain isn’t the end but a beginning?

With breakdown on the rise—climate injustice, war, polarization, inequality—it’s easy to feel helpless. Overwhelmed. Collective pain isn’t just out there; it’s in your body. And if you’re like most people, you don’t know what to do about it.

But what if the pain we’re feeling—individually and collectively—isn’t proof of our demise, but a sign we’re awakening to something deeper as a society? What if your experience has a role to play?

When The World Hurts invites readers into a grounded, soulfully honest way of making sense of the world’s pain. It is a book about emotional healing that offers a simple yet radical idea: our emotions about the world are part of her change. Far from being obstacles, they’re doorways into collective wisdom. We just need the right tools to work with them.

Drawing from years of work at the intersection of sustainable development, systems thinking, and trauma-informed healing, Liz Moyer Benferhat presents a self-help guide to collective healing. She introduces her We Heal For All Circle model, a practice that helps people work with the emotional impact of change by connecting with themselves, each other, and the world through co-created wisdom.

When the World Hurts weaves together healing frameworks, social analysis, and storytelling to explore:

  • Why collective pain is on the rise and what it might point toward.
  • How to unearth wisdom within your grief for the world, and how to use it to play the role the world needs you to.
  • A deep dive into collective wounds to better understand yourself and others in our polarized times.
  • Tools that bridge inner work with outer action.

Whether you’re a burnt out activist seeking political self-help, a parent trying to stay hopeful for your kid, or simply someone who wants to do good in a world that’s upside down, this book is for you. It’s a shared space—a place to breathe, feel, and remember you’re not alone.

These pages won’t tell you how to save the world. But they will help you be in relationship with her, so you can listen more deeply to what’s being asked and be of service to the world’s transformation from the inside out.

The Review

In a world so divided and facing so many challenges, it is easy, when we are feeling stressed or scared about what may happen next, to feel alone and isolated. Yet the author’s book does such a beautiful job of creating a sense of community and love that resonates on an emotional level. The almost conversational tone and atmosphere the author creates with this book’s writing style cut through immediately for readers and allow them to relate to the author and their message very quickly.

The emotional journey readers are taken on is perfectly paired with the strong themes and messages this book offers. Not only are readers able to utilize excercises and moments of self reflection to engage in the author’s book, but the author showcases how the painful moments and experiences they live through both in their personal lives and what we as a society are experiencing right now are not necessarily a reason to despair and turn to hoplessness, but instead to see the winds of change in our world brewing and how that change can be the catalyst to heal these collective wounds and make a brighter future instead.

The Verdict

Hopeful, thoughtful, and engaging, author Liz Moyer Benferhat’s “When the World Hurts” is a must-read nonfiction book of inspiration, guidance, and heart. The author’s positivity and exploration of everything from political activism and parenthood to inner struggles will resonate deeply with readers, creating a book that is both helpful and healing. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Liz has worked in the sustainable development field for almost 20 years, so knows how much heart goes into caring about our world. Which is why she launched We Heal For All in 2018—to support fellow helpers and healers to have a healthier relationship with the world, so they can be conduits for these transformational times.

She does this through collective healing—both as a lens for making sense of the times we live in (“why is the world in so much pain?”) and as an embodied practice for what to do about it. Through writing, teaching, and beautifully co-creative community space, she offers language and tools for the inner dimension of social change, bringing healing-centered approaches into the mix.

Her offerings—Circles, courses, writings, and meditations—support people with the many normal feelings that come with being alive and attuned to our changing world. They’re the very tools she herself has needed as a longtime change maker, now shared to help others usher in the culture and consciousness shifts we’re at the precipice of. 

https://www.wehealforall.com/

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YOU ARE UNFORGETTABLE BY HARVEER SINGH REVIEW

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Harveer Singh shares the process of not only accepting oneself but using that to build their brand in the book “You Are Unforgettable.”

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The Synopsis

You were never meant to blend in, you were meant to be unforgettable.

If you’ve ever felt invisible despite your talent, unsure how to communicate your value, or frustrated watching others succeed while you stay unnoticed, this book is for you. You Are Unforgettable is not just another guide, it’s a powerful roadmap to help you build confidence, clarity, and a personal brand that truly represents who you are.

Rooted in lived experience and real-world results, this book speaks directly to readers who love self help books, motivational books, inspirational books, and self improvement books, while offering something deeper and more practical. Blending personal transformation with business strategy, it shows you how to stop hiding, show up authentically, and turn your story into influence and income through identity-first growth, without pretending to be someone else.

What makes this book different?

This is one of the rare personal development books that combines mindset, confidence, and strategy. Whether you are a sales professional, entrepreneur, creator, coach or corporate professional this book gives you practical tools to grow personally and professionally.

Inside, you’ll discover:

  • How to build a strong and authentic personal brand built around your personal story
  • How to communicate your value with confidence
  • How to stand out in today’s crowded markets
  • How to attract aligned clients and opportunities
  • How to monetize your knowledge, skills, and story
  • How to ensure you have an unshakable mindset to weather the ups and downs of sales and entrepreneurship


That’s why readers who love entrepreneurship books, marketing books, and personal branding principles find this book transformational.

A mindset shift that lasts

At its core, this is a powerful growth mindset book rooted in real life transformation. It helps you overcome self doubt, fear of judgment, and the habit of playing small, not through borrowed theory but through lived experience and practical application. Readers of personal growth books, self growth books, and self development books will recognize the emotional depth and appreciate the clear, actionable guidance that moves them from insight into execution.

It also serves as a modern self care book, reframing self care not as indulgence, but as the daily work of building confidence, clarity, and self belief as the foundation for lasting success.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

  • Self help books that are practical and inspiring
  • A modern inspirational book with real-world application
  • Personal branding book strategies that actually work
  • Personal branding guidance rooted in authenticity


Part 1 helps you identify what truly makes you unique. Not despite your past pain, awkwardness, or insecurities, but because of them. This is where you stop hiding your story and start seeing it as your advantage. It is time to look within.

Part 2 teaches you how to build a personal brand rooted in those truths. One designed for connection, trust, and client attraction. You are guided step by step so your brand reflects who you are and what you stand for.

Part 3 strengthens your mindset so you can confidently put your message into the world. You will learn how to stay consistent when motivation fades and how to handle criticism or self doubt without shrinking.

The Appendix includes a practical 30-Day Personal Branding Challenge that helps you build your personal brand one intentional action at a time.

Let’s build you an unforgettable personal brand that gets you paid. Buy your copy today!

The Review

Such an inspiring and empowering read. The author does a remarkable job of writing in a way that feels both conversational and uplifting all at once, relating to the reader his own personal struggles with maintaining his identity and not letting others erase who he is, while also showing the reader the steps that can lead to someone owning themselves and building a brand that reflects that. The author’s writing conveys a tone of duality, that of understanding and a fast-paced fire that instantly motivates the reader.

The author’s emphasis on the importance of the self and self-expression was remarkable. The creativity the author uses in utilizing stories from history and mythology, from the Rubicon River Caesar himself crossed to the rising of the Phoenix, and so much more, was enthralling and memorable. The reader is not only able to connect to the author, but the author is able to balance the reader’s ability to build self-confidence with the skills they need to turn that confidence into a brand that works for them.

The Verdict

Inspiring, authentic, and engaging, author Harveer Singh’s “You Are Unforgettable” is a must-read nonfiction book. The book is both a tool to better yourself and a reminder that, while also giving readers the skills they need to build that self-image into a brand others can identify with and be inspired by. The remarkable honesty and compelling writing the author displays will have readers returning to this book time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Harveer Singh is a personal branding strategist, speaker, and author of You Are Unforgettable: Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Paid. He has almost two decades of experience in Sales within the Commercial Insurance and Real Estate Sales industries. As a first generation Sikh American, Harveer rebuilt his career after identity based challenges and major income loss during the pandemic, ultimately becoming one of the most recognizable personal brands in his market. His work blends personal branding, mindset shifts, confidence growth, and practical business strategy to help entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and creators stop hiding what makes them different and use their story to stand out, attract opportunities, and grow income. Through speaking, coaching, and content, Harveer helps people turn authenticity into visibility and visibility into results.

https://www.theharveersingh.com/

https://amzn.to/4jGKqql

Live Like a Guide Dog by Keri Wyatt Kent and Michael Hingson Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Learn the inspiring story of Michael Hingson and his guide dog who survived the 9/11 terror attacks in author Keri Wyatt Kent and Michael Hingson’s “Live Like A Guide Dog.”

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The Synopsis

A guide dog’s guide to life’s most important lessons!

Michael Hingson’s inspiring true story captivated the world when he and his guide dog Roselle escaped the Twin Towers together on 9/11, a story that became the New York Times bestselling book Thunder Dog. During decades of walking with guide dogs, he had learned a surprising truth that helped save his life that day: Being afraid can be a positive thing, one that prepares us to deal with any situation that befalls us. Now, in Live like a Guide Dog, he reveals how to:

  • Get equipped for whatever obstacles or challenges you may encounter as you make your way through the world
  • Train yourself to be brave, just like a guide dog’s training equips handler and dog to prepare for the unexpected
  • Learn to use your natural fear reactions as a way to focus and concentrate to make better decisions and turn your fear into courage and confidence.
  • Apply eleven principles Michael has learned with his guide dogs to overcome the fears that you face every day

Join Michael on the joyful adventure of walking with, loving, and learning from guide dogs!

The Review

A truly inspiring story, the author does a remarkable job of finding the right balance by exploring how these amazing animals not only helped in everyday life but also gave mental and emotional support in their years together with Michael. The relatability of the author’s life that so many readers will be able to connect with, and the honest and connective way the authors write this book, allows the readers to feel as if they are in an in-depth conversation with them, the book’s chapters expressing both the lighthearted and the more somber moments and memories the authors lived through.

A big theme that I truly appreciated as a reader was the author’s bringing to light of ableism, and how people with disabilities are treated, perceived, and interacted with in society as a whole. As a disabled person, it is the heart and honesty the authors write with that resonated the most, and, as someone passionate about animals in general, I found the author perfectly captures the routines, mindsets, and experiences these beautiful creatures give to Michael throughout his life. 

The Verdict

Memorable, thoughtful, and compelling, authors Michael Hingson and Keri Wyatt Kent’s “Live Like a Dog” is a must-read nonfiction inspirational book on living life with disabilities and the lessons animals, especially guide dogs, can teach a person going through hardships in life. The insight, the powerful writing style the author utilized, and the heartfelt connection the author felt with these beautiful animals and what they taught him will resonate deeply with readers. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Authors

Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of Live Like a Guide Dog, GodSpace, and ten other books. She makes a living creating content of all kinds, and enjoys reading, running, and cooking. She and her husband live in Chicago.

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https://amzn.to/4pvjEme

Buried Alive by Eric Fisher Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Eric Fisher examines how to tackle life’s struggles using his father’s near-fatal accident years ago in the book “Buried Alive.”

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The Synopsis

In the book, Buried Alive, the author tells of the near-death experience of his father, who almost dies during an expedition to dig up Native American artifacts. The perspectives from all three men involved in the event are examined. Four self-help strategies are linked in practical ways to the scary event that happened on February 12th, 2000, in a rural area of Tennessee.

Through the immersive and daunting story of the near-fatal accident, the author shows how challenging circumstances can shed light on strategies for dealing with life’s challenges. Through an intense story about survival and recovery, you’ll gain practical suggestions that will help you find increased awareness, fortitude, and direction.

The sections discussed in the book are as follows:

1. How to find balance in particular areas, which includes perfectionism, spirituality, toxicity, vulnerability, expectations, self-care, emotions, planning, open-mindedness, comparisons, and trauma.

2. The CIA acronym for personal growth: curiosity, introspection, and agency. The four principles of agency and entropy are described and explained. The importance of understanding how entropy applies to self-development.

3. Learning the different ways of connecting with yourself, others, and a local community. The blocks to connection are explored.

4. The power of the “W” word when it comes to life fulfillment, direction, and taking action.

Each chapter applies the self-help content to the true story being told in a documentary fashion. For each self-help component, practical strategies and techniques are given to the reader. The concluding chapter integrates all the content with practical, real-life scenarios.

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The Review

What a compelling and engaging story and guide. The author did a remarkable job of finding the perfect balance between telling his father’s story and relating it to the lessons life has to offer. The author’s writing style is so unique, moving between honest conversation and insightful dialogue that address issues that can lead to detrimental problems in a person’s life, from toxicity to the impact media has on a person’s mindset, and so much more. 

I loved how the author laid out his father’s and the other two people’s personal experiences of the incident slowly throughout the book. This style allowed the reader to not only consume the story in an almost episodic format but also see how each part of the story applied to the lessons the author imparted, from self-care and confronting trauma to even getting the wife’s perspective, discussing how his mother dealt with the accident, and so much more.

The Verdict

Insightful, engaging, and memorable, author Eric Fisher’s “Buried Alive” is a must-read inspirational nonfiction read. The way the author writes in a way that feels almost therapeutic, allowing him to express the feelings and emotions that came from a powerful incident for so many people while also giving readers a guide that gives them the tools to examine their own situations, made this book feel so important and valuable that readers will turn to it time and time again in their lives. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Eric Fisher is a certified counsellor based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has over 13 years of experience working in outpatient and inpatient treatment settings in the US and Canada. Eric is a master practitioner of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), both of which are evidence-based treatments for trauma. Eric’s private practice, Recovery Arts Counselling, serves individuals, couples, and families locally and remotely. He also works as an associate for local clinics in the surrounding area. In the past, Eric has supervised master’s-level graduate students and counsellors early in their careers. Additionally, Eric has a black belt in two martial arts styles: American Kenpo and Wadō-ryū. Eric enjoys hiking and riding his bike outdoors, trying new foods, travelling near and far, and meeting people.

https://www.instagram.com/ericfisherwriter/

https://amzn.to/3KG7pFb

Corporate Coach Approach: A Systematic Guide to Career Development by Nicole Fronek Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Nicole Fronek shares a tested-and-true guide to shaping one’s career path and moving forward in the book “Corporate Coach Approach.”

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The Synopsis

In the modern corporate environment, career advancement does not typically occur by chance, but rather through intentional action. Corporate Coach Approach – A Systematic Guide to Career Development was created to help individuals shape their career path while navigating the complexities of the workplace.

Recent graduates and seasoned professionals alike benefit from real-world experience accompanied by narratives to exemplify the subject at hand. Inclusion of relevant case studies provides readers with insight to the development of the tried-and-tested methods found throughout this book. Topics include areas such as establishing a personal brand, stakeholder engagement, and taking action to drive productivity.

Content presented in a consolidated format is aimed at identifying possibilities to heighten visibility, thereby showcasing capabilities. Each point covered integrates an evaluation of actual scenarios encountered and concludes with a summary reinforcing key concepts. This structure offers a quick yet informative view into the ‘best of the best practices’ and practical strategies for situations frequently found in the work environment.

Whether the aim is to increase confidence, maximize advancement opportunities, or retool an established career, Corporate Coach Approach – A Systematic Guide to Career Development, serves as an ‘all-purpose’ manual for a range of industries and skill levels. Although a cover-to- cover reading is encouraged, each chapter is designed to stand on its own, providing guidance when it matters most – the moment it’s needed.

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The Review

Immediately, I was struck by how organized and detailed the book was. The author’s writing style is clear and pointed, giving readers immediate access to valuable insights that are geared towards career advancement. The fast pacing of the book and what I like to call the re-readability factor of this book, which showcases the knowledge that allows readers to go back time and time again to learn and adapt to new situations using tried strategies, was on full display in the author’s writing and kept readers fully engaged throughout the book.

The balance the author found in thorough guidance through each chapter and the steps found within, with the detailed evidence and tests the author provided to prove how these strategies work, was remarkable. Lessons such as engaging a unique personal brand that allows businesses to perceive you a certain way, to being able to convey specific ideas and knowledge through professional presentations in the workspace and so much more had a significant impact on the reader as the book progressed, and even touching upon how AI can be a helpful tool but is not in any way an answer or solution to a problem added depth to the author’s lessons overall.

The Verdict

Compelling, engaging, and thought-provoking, author Nicole Fronek’s “Corporate Coach Approach” is a must-read nonfiction book on business and career management. A fast-paced yet detailed and profound read, the author does a remarkable job of providing a grounded, deep guide to career growth and excellence that will inspire and educate readers equally. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Known as “The Coach”, Nicole has supported Fortune 100 firms inclusive of CBRE, Chevron, HP, Citigroup, and Marriott International. With two decades of experience in project management and client services, she has built her career on a foundation of helping others achieve their goals.

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Nicole holds a BA in Communications from California State University, Fullerton, and an MSc in Project Management from The University of Liverpool. Publications include Corporate Coach Approach – A Systematic Guide to Career Development.

https://www.instagram.com/nicolefronek/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/corporate-coach-approach-nicole-fronek/1147592727?ean=9781952465574

https://amzn.to/3KURhzB

Your Happier Life Toolbox: How a Data-Driven Dad Cracked the Code on Happiness (And How You Can Too) by Billy Marshall Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Billy Marshall shares the tools his data-driven mind discovered for a happier mindset in the book “Your Happier Life Toolbox.”

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The Synopsis

What if happiness wasn’t a mystery—but a skill you could master?

At 2 a.m., Billy Marshall—data-driven dad, boat owner, and accidental philosopher—Googled four words that changed everything: how to be happy.

The search didn’t give him an answer. It gave him a project.

Armed with a spreadsheet, two decades of business analytics experience, and a stubborn streak, Billy devoured over 200 episodes of The Happiness Lab podcast, cross-referenced decades of research, and distilled it all into something you can actually use: a complete happiness toolbox.

Inside, you’ll find 42 proven tools to:

  • Rewire your mindset with gratitude, optimism, and resilience
  • Build energizing daily habits for body and mind
  • Create deep, lasting relationships and a stronger community
  • Bust 37 common happiness myths holding you back

Each tool comes with the science behind it, real-life stories (messy attempts included), and action steps you can start today—no guru-speak, no fluff.

Whether you read cover-to-cover or pick a tool that fits your mood, Your Happier Life Toolbox will help you:

  • Feel more in control of your thoughts and emotions
  • Design a life that actually works for you
  • Strengthen your connections with the people who matter most


Happiness isn’t a destination—it’s a daily practice. And with this book, you’ll have everything you need to get started.

If a spreadsheet-obsessed dad from Jersey can do it, so can you.

At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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The Review

What an insightful and engaging read. The author did an incredible job of writing a book that felt both practical and inspiring. The balance the author found between practical tools and the myths he proved false was outstanding to see. The author’s writing style was both honest and straightforward, speaking directly to the reader and conveying a sense of self that allows readers to put these tools into practice and guide their own happiness.

The scientific approach the author took in this self-help and improvement book was the hook that kept me invested in the guide. The way the author explores everything from reframing one’s mind and maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle to maintaining relationships through active listening and forgiveness, among other strategies, provides the reader with a distinct, straightforward path to follow and exposes ideas like the notion that material wealth makes a person happy. Even the role genetics plays in a person’s happiness made this book data-driven and insightful. 

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, engaging, and memorable, author Billy Marshall’s “Your Happier Life Toolbox” is a must-read nonfiction book of self-improvement. The detailed, heavy research the author poured into this book, and the tried-and-true methods that came of it, allow the reader to cultivate a happier, calmer mindset in a time when anxiety and chaos run rampant across social media and our lives as a whole. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Billy Marshall is the “data-driven dad” who cracked the code on happiness—using science.

He spent decades designing technical frameworks and data tools to help business leaders make smart, analytical decisions. But when faced with the messier puzzle of his own well-being—stuck on a question his degrees and decades hadn’t answered despite a loving family and outward success—he realized he needed a new framework for the most important project of all: his own life.

Faced with a 2 a.m. crisis, Billy asked a specific question: What does the science actually say about how to be happy? He wasn’t looking for abstract philosophy, but for evidence-based rules he could count on. He launched an intensive quest, analyzing over 100 peer-reviewed scientific studies and expert interviews. His mission was to find the linchpin—the core principles proven to move the needle on well-being.

The result is Your Happier Life Toolbox, a collection of 42 practical tools derived directly from this extensive research. Billy’s “no-fluff,” evidence-based approach proves that you don’t need a Ph.D. to apply the science of happiness; you just need the right tools.

When he’s not optimizing spreadsheets for joy, Billy can be found cruising the Manasquan River on his pontoon boat, organizing neighborhood cornhole tournaments, or trying (and sometimes failing) at DIY projects. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Suzy, and their energetic golden retriever, Yeti, and is a proud father of five and grandfather of five.

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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-happier-life-toolbox-billy-marshall/1148566080?ean=9798999786609

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Shoes That Fit Her Soul Workbook by Shamayne Olivia Review 

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Shamayne Olivia offers a guide for women to discover personal transformation using a unique system in the book “Shoes That Fit Her Soul Workbook.”

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The Synopsis

Reclaim your sense of self and create a life filled with purpose with the Shoes That Fit Her Soul Workbook by Shamayne Olivia Kotfas. This empowering guide, designed for women seeking personal transformation, uses a unique eight-step “Shoe Model” to navigate self-discovery. From reconnecting with your core values (Sole/Soul) to healing past patterns (Heel/Heal) and crafting your life’s legacy (Stitching/Journey), each step offers reflective exercises, journaling prompts, and practical tools to align your actions with your authentic self. Learn to trust your intuition, set healthy boundaries, foster meaningful relationships, and embrace resilience through mindfulness and self-compassion. With bonus journaling pages for deeper reflection, this workbook is perfect for women ready to break free from limiting beliefs and live with intention. Whether you’re starting your journey or seeking to redefine your path, this workbook provides the roadmap to a more meaningful, authentic life. Start your transformation today!

  • Ideal for: Women pursuing self-discovery, personal growth, and emotional healing.
  • Features: Interactive exercises, goal-setting frameworks, and mindfulness practices.

The Review

One of the most challenging experiences a person can face in life is the feeling of not being seen or heard. Far too often in life, a person can reach a point where they feel their voice isn’t being listened to and their actions or words are ignored entirely. The contributions this makes to self-esteem and a person’s confidence are detrimental, and being able to find that voice again and make yourself known is so crucial to developing as a person. This is a problem encountered far too often by women, whether in the workplace or in society as a whole, and the authors’ workbook is the perfect guide that helps restore women’s confidence.

The author’s writing style is poignant, detailed, and to the point, and yet speaks in a voice that can relate to women on a personal level. The exploration of a person’s future through these eight steps (or shoes) and utilizing techniques that leverage positive affirmations, journal prompts, and even methods of meditation or self-reflection allows readers to feel a sense of accomplishment and engagement, with the book enabling them to put these steps into use actively. Another aspect of this workbook is the way the reader can return to it time and again, enhancing its readability and serving as a constant guide that can help readers whenever they feel this way.

Grafton Mini Pen

The Verdict

Inspiring, highly creative, and motivating, author Shamayne Olivia’s “Shoes That Fit Her Soul Workbook” is a must-read self-help and improvement guide for women and readers everywhere. The book is the perfect jumping-off point for anyone looking to change the direction they are heading in or start anew. The fast-paced narrative and easy-to-follow steps are both insightful and introspective as readers begin their work. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Shamayne Olivia’s transformative and entrepreneurial journey started with a simple question: “Who am I?” Her decades-long quest to reclaim her identity led to profound insights and realizations that are the foundation of her company, Shoes That Fit Her Soul, LLC. Based on her personal experiences with generational trauma, Shamayne’s authentic message guides women towards personal and professional growth and living more meaningful lives filled with passion, purpose, and renewed confidence. Her workshop has empowered countless women with the essential tools to get unstuck and move beyond the behaviors and patterns preventing them from realizing their full potential. Her first book explores these intricacies, removing the layers to uncover the fundamental steps needed to recover one’s identity. Shamayne lives in the Texas Hill Country, near Austin, with her husband and their two cats, Wrigley & Ivy. Living nearby are two of her adult children and three grandchildren, fulfilling her love of spending time with family. In her spare time, she enjoys live music, visiting Major League ballparks, and traveling to the western states to experience nature, especially in the mountains, rivers, and national parks. It is there that she reconnects with her soul and discovers new ways to inspire her clients to become their authentic selves.

Reclaim your sense of self, discover your voice, and step into your light.

https://amzn.to/490k6Ei

Don’t Flush! By Dakarai Larriett Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Dakarai Larriet showcases the struggle and activism his false arrest brought to life in the book “Don’t Flush.”

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The Synopsis

What would you do if you were arrested for a crime you didn’t commit—despite passing every test and proving your innocence?

In Don’t Flush!, activist and Senate candidate Dakarai Larriett recounts the harrowing night in April 2024 when he was wrongfully arrested in Michigan for suspected DUI. Despite testing negative and showing no signs of impairment, he was jailed, humiliated, and thrust into the unforgiving machinery of systemic injustice.

This gripping memoir not only exposes the cracks in our legal and policing systems but also shows the power of one voice refusing to stay silent. Larriett’s $10 million lawsuit against the Michigan State Police, his media campaign fueled by FOIA-released footage, and his push for legislative reform—including a Motorist Bill of Rights and the end of qualified immunity—paint a picture of a man turning trauma into action.

Don’t Flush! is more than a personal story—it’s a rallying cry. Whether you’re an ally, advocate, or just waking up to these injustices, this book demands you do more. Read it. Share it. Join the movement for true accountability.

The Review

This was such a compelling and thought-provoking read. The author expertly weaves a balance of personal storytelling and inspirational and motivational discussion, engaging readers to deliver a powerful look at social justice and the overhaul that the criminal justice system needs in the United States, as well as the many fears and hardships those who struggle with discrimination must face every day. 

The author’s writing was the most powerful aspect of this book. The tension, and almost atmospheric way the author delved into those tense moments of his false arrest, from the hyper awareness of his surroundings as he drove before he spotted the police, to the calm manner he forced himself to stay in when engaging the police, and how these moments connected to the similar struggles of discrimination his grandparents and so many others had made these events feel more elevated and essential, and yet the harsh realities that this book brings to light also serves a hopeful tone, as the author showcases how finding the light in that darkness proved that a path of change does exist, if people are willing to fight for it.

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The Verdict

Engaging, thoughtfully written, and memorable, author Dakarai Larriett’s “Don’t Flush” is a must-read nonfiction memoir that also serves as a valuable resource for social and criminal justice reform. The expertise with which the author crafts this book, slipping from the defining moments of his childhood and his struggles both as a Black man and a Gay man, to the horrors so many face when confronted by false arrests such as this, and the inspiring direction the author takes when making a bid for the US Senate will have readers enthralled with the author’s story and eager to fight for the changes this country sorely needs. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Dakarai Larriett, a proud Alabama native and son of a U.S. Army veteran and public school teacher, is a successful entrepreneur and dedicated community volunteer whose run for the U.S. Senate is motivated by a false arrest in 2024 for which he has yet to receive justice. His upbringing, shaped by his father’s military service, saw him move across various states and even to Germany. After excelling as an honors student and earning a full scholarship to the University of Alabama, Dakarai’s passion for public service grew during his junior year as an exchange student at Howard University. He built a successful career as a corporate leader while managing a pet-care business he started in his garage, ultimately returning to Birmingham in 2021 where he became known for his servant leadership. Engaged in various volunteer activities, he also leads a board representing local families and businesses, expressing his love for Alabama’s culture and community. In his free time, Dakarai enjoys the shooting range and attends First United Methodist Church regularly.

Website: dakarailarriett.com

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The Masterpiece of Nature by Rabei A. Wazzeh Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Rabei A. Wazzeh shares how everyone has a story and a voice that matters in the book “The Masterpiece of Nature.”

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The Synopsis

The Masterpiece of Nature is a quietly powerful exploration of what it means to grow, endure, and live meaningfully in a world that often demands noise over presence, certainty over curiosity, and speed over depth.

Through poetic reflections, real-life stories, and a compassionate voice that meets the reader like a trusted friend, this book reframes resilience not as forceful triumph, but as steady return. Not as perfection, but as honesty. Each chapter is a gentle invitation – to stand inside your own questions, to reimagine courage, to find strength in softness, and to keep moving even when the path disappears beneath your feet.

From the silent determination of Viola Davis to the devoted practice of Kobe Bryant, from the handwritten code of Masako Wakamiya to the return of Diana Nyad to the sea at sixty, this book brings to life the quiet human choices that shape not only our days – but who we become.

You won’t find loud formulas or self-help demands here. What you will find is a steady companion for the in-between spaces – the invisible steps, the tender thresholds, the places where meaning begins.

This is not a guide to becoming extraordinary.

It’s a gentle remembering that you already are.

The Review

This is such a unique and inspiring book. The balance not only in writing style, moving from poetic prose to essays and engaging dialogue with the reader, but also in the use of historical and public figures as examples for each chapter, was spot on in every respect. The emotive and connective way the author writes will leave a lasting impact on readers as the book delves into questions of existence and philosophy with ease. 

The heart of this book, the idea that friendship and connection are nature’s version of a masterpiece, is such a thought-provoking and heartfelt ideal to strive for and to accept in our hearts. The stories range, of course, but each packs a punch that resonates with readers, from the origins of McDonald’s, starting with one single store, showcasing how a forest begins with just a seed. It matters not how early or late in life you start, but that you start to begin with, to the story of a renowned cellist who showed that daily returns, who continues to improve on one’s craft, is not a means of becoming great, but of showing our love and respect for what moves us daily. 

The Verdict

Inspiring, heartfelt, and engaging, author Rabei A. Wazzeh’s “The Masterpiece of Nature” is a must-read book. The inspiring stories don’t leave readers with questions to ponder or steps to follow, but instead engage them on an emotional and philosophical level, allowing the reader to feel the weight of these people’s choices and how one small act can change the world, making everyone not only connected but also proving that everyone truly matters. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Rabei A. Wazzeh writes from the quiet center of a life shaped by listening -not only to people and systems, but to the deeper questions that live beneath both. Though his professional path has led him across boardrooms and ministries, his truest work has always been quieter: noticing what matters, holding space for what’s unfolding, and walking with people through the uncertain middle of change. At heart, he is a humanist -drawn to psychology, to philosophy, and to the soft strength that emerges when presence is given time to speak. His writing does not seek to impress, but to companion. It offers no grand solutions – only a steady hand on the shoulder and a quiet reminder: your life still holds meaning. You are still becoming. The Masterpiece of Nature is not a presentation of what he knows. It is an offering of what he’s still learning about resilience, about tenderness, and about the quiet power of staying close to what is true.

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