Influencer by Brittany Hennessy
Published by Citadel on 31/07/2018
Genres: Nonfiction
Pages: 254
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads

Brittany Hennessy does a great job on writing a book about that targets Instagram as the platform to promote your work. Appropriately titled, Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media this book makes you understand the strategies behind the Insta-popularity/lifestyle.

As a blogger myself, I started Instagram very late. I do not think it is important to be on every platform personally if you are one man army but I do think Instagram is a great core source of Digital Marketing in the modern day world. After using it for seven months now, I find there are two kinds of people on it, the one with many followers and the one lesser followers. I am not taking spammers and shameless promoting agencies into account.

I find Instagram works differently from social media platforms such as Twitter which in my opinion is more diverse and flexible. On Instagram, people are there to spread the word out of their book, blog, product, service, etc. by using hashtags and lots of them. It is easy to engage the audience but to build one is, of course, a game of patience, some smart decisions and working hard to promote your content. Once you have gained enough audience or number of followers as what they call on it, you can start monetizing. There is no hard and fast rule monetization. I have seen people with a lesser number of followers (that means, only in few thousands) monetizing greatly. Thus, this is what the book is about.

Hennessy guides you from how to start at the lowest level that is having zero influencers. From creating content worth double tapping and using hashtags to get discovered, not getting banned and delivering is what makes an impact on your audience. With things live Instagram TV, I have seen people who used live streaming services like Twitch or YouTube are now using it. Why? The answer is simple. It works on mobile which is easy to use in terms of setup (all you need is the app) both for the influencer and audience member.

The book is well organized and offers man practical methods that if put in practice, Hennessy assures that it will bring results. I cannot say that if I agree or not with her, because not everything is for everyone but I do think some of the methods she has described are not long term. The book offers insights from a few beauty, fashion, lifestyle and photographers who are digital influencers. This is the most valuable part of this book I find since many of the stuff they say did not sound biased towards using one social media platform such as Instagram.

The writing style is good but since it is more of a how-to book, there is no proper paradigm to value it thoroughly. Even though this book is 250 pages long, I think it could have been shorter. Some of the content I find is irrelevant to the core idea of the book.

3 out of 5! For two reasons. One it concentrates on only one Social Media Platform, which is great, but I am not interested in it more than I am using it right now. Secondly, some of the content does sound like dragging elements just to fill in the pages, as I have mentioned this book could have been shorter. If you are getting started on Instagram or want to to know how it works, this book is for you.

If you are book blogger read this post on how to promote your Bookish Instagram Posts: 10 Bookish Hashtags to Follow on Instagram

The post #BookReview: Influencer by Brittany Hennessy appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

How To Earn $10,000 While Learning To Code by Rob Percival
on 19/05/2014
Genres: Nonfiction
Pages: 65
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Learning how to code is a common asset these days for the interested ones. As a full-time software engineer and a volunteer of a nonprofit organization such as freeCodeCamp where an individual can learn how to code and become a web developer by following a dedicated curriculum. I can say it is a great “asset” that you can add in your set of skills. However, there are many misconceptions about it such as it is not learn-and-earn. You have to be smart enough to do the hard work like you would do in any other field.

Rob Percival is an acclaimed tutor who teaches web development through his famous course The Complete Web Development course 2.0. This book is sought of a companion to the course but on reading it, I can say it act mostly as an independent ebook. Learning to code is not about working 9 to 5 for an organization and provide services. It can also be about running your own business products where even though you do not code majorly, you can gather the team has enough knowledge on how to leverage the team by building an app or some other product that uses web/mobile services. Or you can travel full time and work on your laptop, the choice is yours.

The money is in all three different ways I mentioned and it does matter how to earn that. This is the core theme of Rob’s book. He provides insights on how you can start developing a mindset such that you can monetize your knowledge and skill work as per your own wish. All the millennials reading this review could take a look at this book right now. In the book, Rob follows a model of 6 to 8 months where he briefly describes how an individual can progress up to $ 10000 (USD) estimation of wealth. The amount described is not guaranteed and not the timeline. Even though Rob describes different methods, not every method is doable or suitable for an individual.

The book has simple language so if you are even a bit familiar with programming and freelancing, this book is readable. Though, I am disappointed by the lack of in-depth insights from a guy like Rob Percival who has served in the industry for so many years. Also, the methodology Rob describes in this book to earn a certain amount from this skill or turn it into a full time living, certainly needs devoted energy to put in long hours, curiosity to learn new things because you will be like almost every week or even every day, be patient and kind to your self cause your tolerance level be really tested like never been before.

3 out of 5!

The post #BookReview: How To Earn $10,000 While Learning To Code by Rob Percival appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Positive Eating: A guide to Everyday Health & Nutrition with easy to cook recipes on 2018
Genres: Nonfiction, Travel
Pages: 192
Format: ARC, eBook
Goodreads

Sports nutritionist Radhika Toshniwal has launched her book that tries to put emphasis on eating healthy. The book is titled, Positive Eating, A Guide to Everyday Health and Nutrition with Easy-to-Cook Recipes.

It does get clear from the title that book is full of recipes. The presentation of these recipes, however, is mind-blowing. I loved the artwork that comes along with every recipe turned into a dish. The content in the book presented is top notch, there is no doubt about that. I learned that some of the recipes are the result of unconventional combinations of ingredients which I found surprising. My favorite recipes were coffee related which are described at the end of the book.

Even though it is a nonfiction work, there is no voice or any other paradigm to judge this book. The author could have included a few words for some or every recipe or by putting more emphasis on the outcomes of eating healthy and how these recipes could be a start for someone who struggles with keeping their diet in control. The book unfolds these recipes to the reader or interested person but does not sell it and assumes the general idea of beneficial healthy eating which is okay but there are a ton of ways out there to eat well. The book certainly does not cover a large portion, nor it does explain how or why these recipes it contains.

3! If you are a foodie or a food blogger, a dietician or a nutritionist of your own, this book is for you. If you are curious enough about the unconventional ingredient combinations.

The post #BookReview: Positive Eating by Radhika Toshniwal appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Caina by Joseph Albanese
Published by Mockingbird Lane Press on 05/07/2018
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 174
Goodreads

Caina is a dark comedy thriller, a light-hearted novel written by Joseph Albanese. The story revolves around two siblings who are born only a few minutes apart. One is highly successful, the other is attracted towards trouble. This opposite nature of two brothers seems like a yin yang situation is what this book about.

Lee Tolan attracts trouble wherever he goes. In debt to multiple gang members, Lee is given a second chance in life to pay back his dues. After not seeing his twin brother for more than a decade, Lee is forced to overcome this strange nature of their relationship only to find that Grant, his twin brother dead but leaves a fortune behind. Soon Lee realizes that to claim this fortune, he has to turn into his brother for the DEA and fight the mob cleverly and do save a little for himself. From this point starts a dark comical thriller of the chase, sympathy, friendship, and love. During these events, Lee learns a lot about his brother and his dark secrets.

The plot is well constructed due to the following reasons. There is a lot in the storyline going in 170 pages that keep the reader on the edge. With themes of dark comedy and crime, this novel is well suited to be read in a seating or two. The timing of the climax is on the mark. However, I did not see any subplot emerging from the shadows of the characters. A subplot could give a reader some breathing space and thinking time as to what will be the turning point. This book does not. As a reader, you keep following the series of events with a variety of characters.

The characterization in this novel is above par. Realistic enough to digest and well suited with the plot. I do like how novel starts and then from there the story builds up. The author does a great job of providing the background of the protagonist in the start. Though in between, I did lose interest due to same nature of events getting repeated. The multiple gang members due was not necessary in my opinion. One such occurrence could have been enough.

3.5! An entertaining read overall.

The post #BookReview: Caina by Joseph Albanese appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright
Published by Asymmetrical Press on 06/11/2011
Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Business
Pages: 125
Format: eBook
Buy on Amazon

Travel is unexpected and uncomfortable and often the opposite of what you were expecting. #BookQuote #BookBlogging
Click To Tweet

Published 7 years ago, How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright still relevant today. It is not a complete how-to book but rather more of Colin’s philosophy on what makes him want to travel the world and earn to cover costs of travel or save money. Colin started traveling full time in 2009. Along with that, he was blogging and has already published a few ebooks but the main motivation that was that on his blog, he would ask his readers to vote for the country which they’d like him to move to. Sounds crazy, right?

The type of person who excels at long-term travel embraces these situations and sees them as opportunities. They’ll do what needs to be done, whether that means pulling new plans from thin air, hopping on another train, or finding…
Click To Tweet

How To Travel Full Time is a pragmatic approach to kickstart your own journey. It is straightforward. The book clearly targets a mindset. Colin Wright has clearly stated in the book that traveling full time is not about reaching out to tourist places but is about getting lost intentionally. Learn about the new cultures, language or food, and provide a value wherever you go. The author of this book talks about common sense that I see few full-time travelers over YouTube and on their blogs still do not get, even in 2018 when there is so much content, advice, suggestion and resources to become one while you work your ass off.

To a person lacking dreams and causes and imagination, money is just another expensive bottle of liquor or VIP seat at the club; borrowed dreams from generations of advertising. #BookQuote #BookBlogging
Click To Tweet

Colin is one of the first few digital nomads I would say. He has written a lot of books and is an advocate for minimalism. He offers how most people think traveling will turn in to a journey of nirvana and they will find a new self. If that is the mindset you want to set off, you are completely wrong. You will face problems with no conscious confidence and boldness. It is going to be uncomfortable. That is why I said, the main ideology behind this book is to observe and understand a mindset that you can merge along with your current one.

The idea most people have about travel is wrong. It’s not going to solve your problems. You aren’t going to go on vacation and become a person reborn. #BookQuote #BookBlogging
Click To Tweet

Interesting read, the context is still relevant. It is inspiring because it makes me want pursue a similar journey. The writing style is simple but there are some glimpses that Colin Wright can be a good storyteller. Even though the book is around 125 pages, there is a lot to think about.

4 out of 5

Visit Colin on his website. If you’d like to read the book, you can buy it for $1 from here.

My notes and highlights from Colin’s Book are available to Read on Goodreads.

The post #BookReview: How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

The Last Attractor of Chaos by Abhinav Singh
Published by Notionpress on 04/2018
Genres: Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 332
Format: eBook
Goodreads

If you get a chance to read a Spy novel written by an Indian writer you to read it. It is a like once in a blue moon material that gets out in the market.

The plot starts with a married couple. Ashwin Rathore is killed in a well-planned murder that gets wrong. The murderer was after his wife Shruti Rathore who is a retired R&AW agent. This is just a start of this thrilling storyline as the wife gets arrested by the Intelligence Bureau on the charge of stealing a strategic weapon and killing her associate. Unaware of her wife’s past, and after his death Ashwin meets a strange consciousness appearing in the form of a guide in his afterlife. Both of them try to save Shruti’s life as Ashwin himself tries to fight a dilemma of protecting his wife or choosing what is right to do.

The plot covers an interesting theme and there is a lot from a philosophical point of view on the death and afterlife. I was surprised by this as I expected it to be a traditional spy novel. However, the inclusion of this law of nature as the primary theme of the novel did make things interesting. With glimpses of mysterious nature of characters, this novel has a good pace, and the setting of the novel which includes an Intelligence Agency of India is something altogether new out there for the reader to pick this up.

The characterization is bold but more significant within the plot. They are like a molecule in the shell of the storyline and without it, they won’t exist. The use of sob plot was not much of an intriguing point from me but I think it copes well in the end. The writing style is crisp and lucid. It does help to turn the page at a faster rate. There are many twists and turns that made not to put down this book. A glimpse of realism is there which is what Indian readers are after these days.

Overall, this book is recommended for the sole reason that there aren’t many Spy novels written in India or by Indian writers. Another point that I can add is that this book is highly entertaining due to the way it reaches the climax of the story.

5 out of 5!

The post BOOK REVIEW: The Last Attractor of Chaos by Abhinav Singh appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

A Place Called Schugara by Joe English
on 20/03/2017
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 554
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Sometimes, when reading a book I often feel the characters it consists are the backbone. I do not know if you have encountered this feeling but I have. The storyline can be flawless but there is a lot that depends on the characters. These characters do not just fill up the pages but they tend to create their own illustration in our minds. For this kind of book, I do believe a writer needs to have a seamless ability to develop such characters and give them air to breathe in between the pages. A Place called Schugara by Joe English is one of that type of book.

The storyline is intriguing as it is based in Caribbean islands. It consists of three main characters: a factory owner from Ohio, an insurance investigator from New York and a bookseller from Chicago. Their fate is tied up together on a little island in the Caribbean. Each of them, offering a variety of background and have their own justification for reaching out on the island. One is after the materialistic missing treasure and another arrives to search for a missing person. Each of them discovers a different experience that is rightly justified by the overall novel. The plot covers all these different characters with a gap in between the timeline of their arrival. The main highlight of the plot is that each character brings on a subplot that adds to the major picture and from time it is unpredictable which is how a reader like is motivated to keep reading it.

The characterisation apart from the main cast is well organized and developed. Every character has its own role to play. The author uses dialogue formation well to switch between the different acts but also uses first-person narrative voice with Chicago bookseller. On reading it, I could say there are different styles of narration mixed to enhance the distinct voices of different characters. This is intriguing. The pace of the novel is steady and helps in moving with the plot. The book is 550 pages long so it also gives a lot of time for the main cast to develop to its fullest and at the same time for the reader to cope with them.

Apart from that, there are different themes that the author tries to address in this book. Themes such as drug wars and the scandal related to a Church clergy are the two highlights. The climax of the novel unfolds in more of a classic Russian literature style. Yes, I am referring to the likes of Dostoyevsky and Chekhov. The book is the result of a highly creative energy put in as the effort. I took my time to read it but I can say it was worth it.

5 out of 5! Recommended.

The post BOOK REVIEW: A Place Called Schugara by Joe English appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Sherlock's World: Fan Fiction and the Reimagining of BBC's Sherlock by Ann K. McClellan
Published by University Of Iowa Press on 15/11/2018
Genres: Nonfiction
Pages: 286
Format: ARC, eBook
Goodreads

Sherlock series by BBC set in contemporary London has one of the most mixed bag reviews I have ever heard from fans and non-fans of the original Sherlock Holmes books. Sherlock Holmes is still popular after making his first appearance in the print 130 years ago. It is one of the most fan-fictionalized characters. No other character from the literary world has been written about than Sherlock Holmes. So what makes Sherlock’s fanfic so popular?

Ann McClellan tries to answer this question in her latest book which consists of a series of essays. She tries to answer, even after 130 years of Sherlock Holmes, why are people so attracted to it? Sherlock’s fanfic does not end at the BBC’s remaking that stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson and created by one Mark Gattis and Steven Moffat. After reading this book, it does seem that Sherlock as a series is a mere portion of the fandom. The more aggressive and a larger portion is available on the internet where the world of Sherlock is constantly rebuilt. It explores different characters, genres, settings, fictitious realities.

I was shocked to see people often think of Sherlock as a sex symbol and there is a huge collection of fanfic all over the internet that likes to talk about it. Heck, many fans even have re-imagined their wildest dreams of performing a relationship between Dr. Watson and the detective himself. Most essays are written in third person narrative. I do feel this book could have been a bit short. It is a perfect read for someone looking to write or explore Sherlockians world deeply but if you just want to be in the awe of the literary character, this book is not for you.

3.5 out of 5!

What is your fantasy about Sherlock Holmes? Or do you like the classic/original cast and do not want to fiddle with it since it is mind-boggling…?

The post BOOK REVIEW: Sherlock’s World: Fan Fiction and the Reimagining of BBC’s Sherlock by Ann K. McClellan appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Zen and the Art of Admin Tasks by Nic De Castro, Nathan Pettijohn
Published by Lioncrest Publishing on 27/06/2018
Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Entrepreneurship
Pages: 66
Format: eBook
Goodreads

In the world of hustle, we often forget how much time we lose instead of spending it in a useful manner. Time management is an actionable task if you run a startup or a micro business. If you are not managing your time wilfully, you are not only losing time but your energy too in performing mundane tasks. Think about the most mundane task you go through every day that unknowingly consumes a lot of time?

I am a remote worker and I spend a lot of my time reading and answering emails (not from my workmates). Emails in a modern world, consume a lot of our time. I often find myself reading emails on my laptop and if away from that, my mobile phone happily delivers them to me. Zen and the Art of Admin Tasks is a short book, mere 65 pages, about how to outsource these type of administrative tasks. It offers a system that if followed and maintained can add a lot of value to your time and save that energy. It is a tactical guide that might not interest everyone, but let me convince you to read it at least once.

Along with defining the situation by giving a real-life example of the major difference by managing these tasks on your own versus hire someone to manage your inbox, this book offers a variety of tools, mostly free. Written by Nic De Castro and Nathan Pettijohn, both of them are startup owners. They describe by hiring a virtual assistant how they were able to add more value to their personal and work life.

This book even the so short is about implementing the strategies defined in it ASAP. That is the idea both the co-authors want to convey. The writing style is simple and to the point. The tools and systems defined are pragmatic. Two of those tools, I have started using them. However, I do feel this book could have been a longer and tackled other issues for a modern-day hustler. I would have loved to hear about how Nic’s and Nathan’s manage and tackle different situations in their startup world. That zen could have been more descriptive.

3.5 out of 5!

The post BOOK REVIEW: Zen and the Art of Admin Tasks by Nic De Castro and Nathan Pettijohn appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Mastering Fear - A Navy SEAL's Guide by Brandon Webb, John David Mann
Published by Portfolio on 07/08/2018
Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Entrepreneurship, Self Help
Pages: 256
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Best book I have read in 2018!

When I saw the cover of the book I knew I had to get my hands on it. The cover is unique and simple. A yellow background with a man representing a warrior type of a person on a horse killing a lion with a spear. Might sound mythological to some or hypothetical to others. It has a significance to the context of the book. I urge you whatever thought comes into your mind after grasping the cover image from both of your eyes, either try to remember it or write it down somewhere. You will be astonished by its significance.

Mastering Fear is a great title to start the book. It is not your typical self-help book if you read it carefully. The author of this book had experience in war zones of Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL where he learned a lot of things and developed a conscience for trusting himself in the situations where panic easily takes over a human mind. Brandon Webb, he is an accomplished author and has written many books before this one. Apart from being a Navy SEAL, he now runs a media business that is worth millions. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to understand the motive behind this book. To master the fear, the first step is to take a decision and I want you to take decide for yourself whether this book is for you or not.

Mastering Fear is not about facing a hostile gang of men or being in a war zone. It's about the battlefield in your mind.
Click To Tweet

Think about it. Who is that person that you most spend time with? Talk to, care about or listen to? Yes, yourself! This book talks about you. It is based on you. There are stories of people who are have mastered their own fear of drowning in the water, heights or build their own life after getting bankrupt 2 or 3 times. But all are these realities of others who have faced panic in its face when the time came for them. Brandon Webb, the co-author of this book starts it in a storytelling way about his friend who is suffering from the fear of drowning for the last 35 years of his life. The only reason he is still suffering because he wants to learn to swim and has tried everything. Contacted every medal winner or coach but always failed. This how Brandon concludes this situation:

Mastering Fear is not about becoming physically stronger, or tougher, or more macho r more aggressive, or more stoic. It is about how to identify and change the conversation in your mind.
Click To Tweet

I consider this a universal truth after hours of dwelling in works of ancient and modern day writers. The book focus on the self’s thought process and how to change it when the situation of an excruciating adrenaline rush comes where we often fail because we forget to give it a second thought right there, in that circumstance. This is the core of the book. Switching your thought process and understanding that fear is not something you should despise and can have your own way in life. Brandon points out that fear is a signpost, a gateway to the prize or the achievement or your success. It can be that secret weapon or the missing piece of puzzle right under your nose. To do so, Brandon divides the whole process into five interesting steps that are demonstrated with real-life anecdotes.

The writing style of the book is simple and easy to grasp. The book even though only 250 pages long is time-consuming. The chapters are short and consistent. Each follows the previous one, so I would not recommend skipping one for another. Its narrative style is catchy. Once you sit down and start reading it, it is hard to move away from it.

I would also like to say here that the context of the book is solely a pragmatic POV. Some readers might do not want to read it since it is written by a Navy SEAL or some only want to read it because it is written by a Navy SEAL and will have content on war zones, et cetera. You both are going to be disappointed. This book is about overcoming your fear even if you sit in a cubicle all day. It is about how to grow as a person and achieve what you always wanted to.

A must-read book for everyone.

5 out of 5!

The post BOOK REVIEW: Mastering Fear – A Navy SEAL’s Guide by Brandon Webb and John David Mann appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.