Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff Chang Book Review

In Water Mirror Echo details the life of Bruce Lee and how he came to be the legend he is known as. He was born in San Francisco Chinatown. During the time when Japan was invading China. They decided to mirage to America. They lost their first child who got sick. There were laws passed to prevent Asians from owning land, attending schools, and from them serving against whites in court. His dad blamed the gods that his family kept getting sick and he felt they were being punished. Others felt it was the climate difference. There were times they didn’t know if we would survive. The book discussed his upbringing and how he studied Kung Fu and followed the acting path. 

This book was interesting to read about his life and what he faced growing up as an Asian in America. It covered the political side of the times and how this affected his life. This book was very comprehensive and was very well researched about his life. This is the closest readers will get to learn about Bruce Lee and who he was behind the fighter. There are also beautiful photos in the book that will bring the story to life. 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Water-Mirror-Echo-Making-America-ebook/dp/B0DR8B82SZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VD3GPJ7RC521&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KnSLIse4izhfhvJXdw18GP25ykRT7VThalFD-F_7bnBtW42GVqalkEXIs8D_JI0fiOKzvrdPTyhEgEr6VEH-vzm9JSfu6l8nX3Ws9itlpXw.cwA28nY5CoV8WTejp6ORffVg8g1yvYja9cfFXkHg2D8&dib_tag=se&keywords=water+mirror+bruce+lee&qid=1753659997&sprefix=water+mirro+bruce+lee%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-1

Jump and Find Joy: Embracing Change in Every Season of Life by Hoda Kotb Book Review

In Jump and Find Joy, Hoda Kotb explored the path on dealing with the changes in life and embracing joy thru it. She begins by sharing a story of standing on the edge of the water and wondering if you should stay or jump. She explained how change takes courage but it’s essential to our wellbeing. In the book, she shared how she left Peacock after 26 years and gave up journalism. She used to be a host on Dateline and a Today show cohost. Part of her choosing to leave was she adopted her kids at age 52. They were seven and five at the time and she wanted to become a more hands on parent. She also went over her cancer journey and her healing. In the book, she covered some helpful tips and tools in order to handle the different changes. She begun doing medication exercises at age 50 and focusing more on her breathing. She has even tried doing mantra phrases during it. She keeps a journal to help her refocus her life and to write everything down. She also uses visualization and she admits to feel the joy and to imagine the day. 

 

 

In the book, she also used the jumpstart section to showcase different people such as Steve Harvey, Thomas Rhett, Chip Conley, Anne Lamott, Mel Robbins, Sheryl Crow, Lainey Wilson, just to name a few. Steve Harvey is an entertainer, author, radio personability, and host. She shared how she got to interview him. He stated that when he first was on TV, they complained that he was too country and that if he didn’t fix it, he wouldn’t last on TV. They offered him a linguistics coach and he turned them down. He instead chose to ride on his leap of faith. He didn’t want to fail since he already flunked out of college and he messed up his marriage. When he transferred to comedy there was a time, he was homeless. He heard God telling him that if he would get up God would take him places, he hasn’t been to. He indicated how God has create within us a soul and has provide each of us a gift that only we can do. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to experience joy again no matter what changes may come. I liked the suggestions she included such as breathing, journaling, finding your spark, and much more that you will learn about. I liked how enclosed a few different celebrities and how they discovered their joy and how they jumpstarted their life. I liked the story of Thomas Rhett and appreciated how he put his wife and kids first before music and how he lives out die a happy man. It was interesting to read about her take on that. I also enjoyed the story of Lainey Wilson and Sheryl Crow two of my favorite artists. All of these stories will inspire you on dealing with the changes in your life. 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Find-Joy-Embracing-Change-ebook/dp/B0DZ3X9J7F/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible by Jordan Rubin and Dr. Josh Axe Book Review

In The Bibio Diet, Jordan Rubin and Dr. Josh Axe have created a new Biblio theme diet to help readers obtain their best health. This book is written by a team of two top nutrition experts. In the book, Jordan shared how he battled Crohn’s disease starting in his late teens. He also got the worst news 15 years later that he had an incurable cancer. He was 32 years old and he just had launched a new book and a television show. He had pain coming from a hernia near his groin. He was healthy and in shape. The doctors suggested that he try a conventional treatment or he could die within 3 months. He decided to rely on God and he gave God 40 days to heal him. He took a radical diet and detoxification route. He forgave people and asked for forgiveness. They did three different blood tests and everything came back zero and the CT scan showed he was cancer free. He looked at what Biblical people ate and he helped discover the Biblio diet. He would eat only what God created and eat only food in the form that is healthy for our bodies. He enclosed a whole list of food that we can consume to be healthier. In the book, Josh shared how his mother had stage 4 breast cancer and it had spread to her lymph nodes. She was health and a swim instructor and gym teacher. He was in the 8^th grade. After she was declared cancer free. This led him to want to study nutrition. The cancer did return 10 years later and he came across one of Jordan’s books. They tried some of Josh’s suggestions on cleansing her system and eventually her tumor shrunk and she became cancer free. 

 

 

 

 

 

In the book, he also discussed how he almost died in 2022. He tried a stem cell injection treatment to fix a back injury He suffered from an issue that caused him to become bedridden. It was discovered that he had a spinal infection that was eating away at his bones. They thought he would be disabled or could even die from this. He opened up about his approach to activate a healing mindset and the action plan he lived out. 

 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to change their diet and wants to improve their overall health. The book contained recipes to try and a 7-day starter program. They discussed healing leaves and essential oils. They explored working out and different exercises to try. The book was very insightful and powerful in exploring the ways we can use this diet to improve our lifestyles. It definably led me to want to try the program and to see what changes my body felt and experienced. 

 

 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Biblio-Diet-Metabolism-Depression-Conquer-ebook/dp/B0F31W98PD/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

Sister Roar: Claim Your Authentic Voice, Embrace Real Freedom, and Discover True Sisterhood by Kay Robertson and Lisa N. Robertson Book Review

In Sister Roar, Kay and Lisa Robertson have teamed up to help women reclaim their voice and to embrace sisterhood and to support one another. Like a lion we are created to roar. They begin the book by sharing the story of Phil Robertson and how he founded Duck Commander. He made the legendary duck call. This turned into them obtaining their own TV show on A&E Network entitled, Duck Dynasty. It became the number on reality show for 5 years. This show features all of their family members and offered watchers with a family friendly show. Kay is the wife of Phil Robertson and has a couple of cookbooks. Lisa is the wife of Alan and he’s the oldest and he’s known as the beardless brother. 

 

 

In the book, Lisa opened up about her past and how our past doesn’t determine our future. Her and Kay have a special place in their hearts about unplanned pregnancies. Both of them became pregnant when they were in their teens. Both of them were unmarried. Lisa chose to have an abortion. The doctor described it as a tissue that was inside her and she reassure her that she could recover from this and move on with her life. She shared how she had to learn with her shame and guilt everyday of her life. She explained how Jesus forgave her and helped to redeem her. This is why they are so big on reaching out to unwed mothers and teach them about the love of Christ. She also wants to help people who had an abortion to forgive themselves and to receive grace. In the book, she also discussed her past with having an affair that did become sexual and how this affected her marriage. 

 

 

Another big part of the book was the story from Phil’s past. This part of the book is written by a special guest, Phyllis. Readers are probably wondering who this new person in the Robertson is. It started with a DNA test her oldest son did to learn more about his family. It was revealed that Phyllis and her sister didn’t share the same dad. Her mother didn’t confess until pressured and it turned out Phil was her dad. She admitted to not knowing much about the family since she was living in Nicaragua. In the book, we hear from Kay and Lisa’s side of the story and how she met Phil and the family in 2020. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to join the sisterhood and they want to learn to soar together. The messages in this book will encourage readers to learn to lean on others and embracing others. The stories from both ladies really brought the book to life and it was inspiring to read about their life and their personal struggles. This book enclosed your turn section and it included questions and a prayer at the end of each chapter. 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400235618/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400235618&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor

When Doing It All Is Undoing You: Meeting God in Your Unmet Expectations by Alyssa Joy Bethke Book Review

In When Doing It All Is Undoing You, Alyssa Joy Bethke explains how she came undone and how God put her back together. She was able to obtain her peace back. She begins by sharing how women tend to neglect their hearts, they try and earn our hearts, and we lost our hearts. She breaks each down into different sections and ending with how we need to have a full heart. God wants us to live with our whole selves: mind, heart, and body. She touched on discussing on what things she has control over. She can captive her thoughts, set boundaries, control her words, her behavior, choices, expressing her feelings, and setting her goals. Things she can’t control is the future, other people’s, past, and the weather. She encouraged readers to pray about one thing that we have been trying to control without God assistance and ask three of our friends to pray with us about this issue for 30 days. Another powerful section was the one that discussed what if and how we need to grab a piece of paper and write down all of our doubts. We can use this method to work through our fears. These can include what if I never marry, if I’m never close again to my parents, if my autoimmunity disease never changes, and much more. These are just some of her what ifs. 

 

 

I would recommend this book to women and they feel like they are always busy doing for others and in the process neglecting their own hearts. She walks readers on how to rediscover the fullness of your heart and to allow God to put you back together again. This book is an excellent read about surrendering and to keep coming back again and again with all of our concerns and this will teach us to trust Him more. 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1546034080/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1546034080&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor 

The King of Kings Movie Review and Giveaway

 

The animated film The King of Kings is now streaming on Angel.com and the Angel App and available to all Angel Guild members. 

There is a brand-new film released recently on Angel.com. It’s called The King of Kings and it’s a cartoon based animated film touching on the teachings and life of Jesus. I personally watched it via my Fire Cube device and the streaming was incredible. This film was in 4K quality and wasn’t blurry and it was very clear the entire time. And for this being a Christian based production I was pleasing surprised that it was so high quality and looked amazing. The film wasn’t cheesy or anything in that regards. I really enjoyed the message behind the film and how it was a strong introduction to the life of Christ. 

The film begins with Charles Dickson is reciting his story of the Scrooge to an audience. When his son, Walter and his cat stop the production of the play while trying to perform a reenacted of King Arthur. Instead of punishing him, he takes a different route thanks to his wife and tells him the story of Jesus. He begins with the birth of Jesus, discussed his miracles, his betrayal and resurrection. The film is very PG rated and the only violence kids will see is mark-lines on Jesus from the after effects of Jesus being beaten. Kids can’t really see the punishment that Jesus took its sort of censored in a way. Later they can see the nails marks near his hands but even that is a clean version. I liked how they didn’t make it too violent for kids where everyone wouldn’t have to worry about what is being seen. They will get to watch the scenes unfold of Jesus entire life it covered all the big events and miracles. My favorite one was probably the one of the women and go and sin no more. This was done in a way kids could understand without making it too adult. 

 

The film voiced high paying actors and actresses throughout the film. These included Kenneth Branagh (Thor and 2015 Cinderella), Mark Hamill (Star Wars – Luke Skywalker), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Forest Whitaker (Star Wars Rogue), Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3), Oscar Isaac (Star Wars, X-men Apocalypse, The Addam’s Family, and The Nativity Story), James Arnold Taylor (Best known in Star Wars Clone Wars voicing Obi-Wan Kenobi). There were tons of voicing that people will recognize from the Star Wars films. Two of my favorites were in this movie. I have always enjoyed Mark Hamill and Oscar Isaac in his roles. I think having the powerhouse lineup will help lure kids into the story of Jesus. They are also estimated that this film has outdone other cartoon films. It has surpassed the popular 1998’s Prince of Egypt. It raised over $19 million just in the opening weekend. This film will go down as another popular film that will be rewatched again and again. 

Another discussion we need to have is the story behind Angel Guild. They seek only positive messages that are Christian based and that can amplify the light. Becoming a member allows you two free theater tickets to upcoming shows, discount on merchandise, early access to steaming new movies, voting for your favorite projects, and much more. All the films are made in Angel Studios. Some of the movies enclosed, Young David, I Can Only Imagine, Homestead, The Last Rodeo, The Shift, Like Dandelion Dust, Green and Gold, Vindication, and with much more being released. The two free tickets incentive I believe will cause people to want to go to the movies even more and support the films. I checked my area and there is showing at my local theater so you can probably find it as yours. There is also a special feature allowing members to share a special link to the movie to others. This is mind blowing that in a world of streaming this Christian based encourages watchers to share the message for free with others and it's unlimited. When all of other streaming apps discourage you from sharing without paying them, this one allows you to share. This can allow unbelievers to heard the message of the Gospel thru their inspiring films. 

Check Out Their Website: 

 

Link to Website 

 

 

Disclosure:  

Many thanks to Angel for providing a one-month Angel Guild membership for this review. Opinions are 100% my own. 

 

 

 

Giveaway: $10 Amazon gift card 

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Your Worshipfulness, Princess Leia: Starring Carrie Fisher by Jeff Ryan Book Review

In Your Worshipfulness is about Princess Leia and how Carrie Fisher became the face of Star Wars. This book is written like an autobiography using interviews and stories. He shared how from the first movie we see Leia as someone who has hope. This is the thing that keeps us holding on when bad luck hits us. The book revealed her first audition for the role and how George Lucas had an act of making people feel like they didn’t get the part. He struggled with choosing who would play Leia he couldn’t get an image in his head. He didn’t know who he was looking for. George’s friend, Fred Roos kept trying to direct him towards picking Carrie who he met at a soiree. She ended up getting the role eventually. In the book, he walks readers through the different scenes and films she was in. The book also discussed her mother, Debbie Reynolds and how she was successful woman and grew her career. The book looked at Carrie’s dark secrets with drugs and mental illness. It touched on how she passed away and the legacy she left behind. 

 

 

This book was an excellent read about her life story and how she became the actress that we all know and love. I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is a fan of Star Wars and they enjoy watching Carrie on the big screen. It gave a behind the scenes look at her life that people may not be familiar with. It provided information that I haven’t read before about her life and background. Readers will get a taste of who she was as a person. 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D2VQ6131

Abundantly Well: Bible-Based Wisdom for Weight Loss, Increased Energy, and Vibrant Health by Shemane Nugent Book Review

 

In Abundantly Well, Shemane Nugent takes readers through a 40-day journey on using the Bible knowledge and applying it to our health. Each day contained a scripture verse, a short lesson, a path to move forward, and a prayer. The physical copy of the book has a pink ribbon to make the pages. She begins the book by sharing how in college she started gaining the dreaded freshmen 15. Her diet was filled with chocolate chip cookie dough, pizza, cupcakes, coke, mountain dew just to name a few. She would wrap her body in plastic wrap and put on a heavy sweatsuit and she would run several miles. She tried different diets in an admit to lose weight. She felt God instruct her to realize that her body was a temple and she should treat it better. 

 

 

 

In the book, she touched on how she got sick from mold from her MTV crib. She explained how she was told by a toxicologist that told her to leave her home. It was poisoning her. She had four different types of molds in her bloodstream. She also shared how she suffered from the effects of a betrayal and a divorce from her ex-husband. She discussed tips and a plan on choosing healthy options for food. She encouraged readers to eat at least 80 percent of whole foods and God created foods. Another tip was eating protein with each meal. A way to cut down on overeating is to healthy salt it where you won’t like the taste to continue eating the meal. There is a special section revealing how to Swap bread and butter for cheese and crackers, chips and salsa with vegetables and hummus, and much more. She went over the best ways to stop overindulging and dealing with anxiety. 

 

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is ready to get their health back. I really enjoyed the lessons presented in this book and how open she was on her struggles with getting healthy. I really liked the style of this book and how it was basically broken down into a 40-day journey on changing your lifestyle. The book even enclosed recipes such as spaghetti squash, meatloaf, peanut butter protein balls, and a few others. There was a supplement section, metric conversions, sample workouts, meal planner, and journal sections. This book can assist you in your transformation to a healthier you. 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680999249/ 

A Dog Named Mattis: 12 Lessons for Living Courageously, Serving Selflessly, and Building Bridges from a Heroic K9 Officer (The Perfect Gift for Dog Lovers and People in Law Enforcement) by Mark Tappan Book Review

 

 

 

In A Dog Names Mattis, Mark Tappan went over 12 lessons he learned while being a Georgia law enforcement officer and having a K9 dog. Some of these included go all in, keep your eyes on what matters most, pride is the enemy, be strong and courageous, and much more. In the book, he opened up the book by sharing a terrifying story about in pursuit of a criminal. A suspect driving a BMW with Florida tags was fleeting. The driver didn’t seem to care about others safety. They were running red lights and speeding. He was calling off the chase when another officer spotted that they wrecked the vehicle near North Point Parkway. He explained how he made the choice to try and stop him near a guardrail. The suspect jumped and he almost made the jump but grabbed back on. He had already hit the secret button on his belt to release the door on his vehicle which will in turn let out his dog Mattis. Mattis made the jump after the suspect and this event almost cost him his dog’s life. He goes into great detail about this event and what happened after that. 

 

 

 

In the book, he discussed the different training methods they use for their K9 dogs. He also started an Instagram showcasing videos of the training sessions. He touched on getting a chance on staring on the American Top Dog. This show was a K9 show that they competed on to win money for their department. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is curious about how the K9 unit works and you want an insider look to the program. It was very eye opening and revealing to read about the training and how difficult they must train the K9 to hunt, search, and stop suspects. The stories at times from the field will leave you on the edge of your seat to see how they all play out. I enjoyed reading this inspiring book and believe others will too. 

 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400246687/

Check Out his instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/adps_k9_mattis/

In Search of You: How to Find Joy When Doing More Isn't Doing It Anymore by Kasey Compton Book Review

In Search of You, Kasey Compton helps readers to reconnect with their inner child and discovering the path to true joy again. She has always had a dream of being an author since a young child. When she started her journey of writing she discovered more of herself in the process. She is now an author and a counselor. She realized that her marriage was failing. Her heart was heartened to protect herself from the pain she felt. He accused her of cheating with a woman and stated that he saw them sharing a drink together. They would constantly fight and argue. She shared how she felt close to this woman how she trusted her and communicated with her. She went into details about her experience with this and her new feelings. She explained what she learned in therapy and how to apply it to our lives. The book features journal entries, therapy assignments, and memories. 

 

 

This book was interesting to read about her story and how she was able to refined joy and heal her inner child. This book can help you to find new meaning in life and searching for new things. I really liked the journal style entries and how open she was in sharing and trying to help others to gain more self-awareness. 

 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1637744447/ 

The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality by Sam Jolman Book Review

 

 

The Sex Talk You Never Got, Sam Jolman has written a book to try and help men to embrace their sexuality and rediscovering their heart. The book shared stories on how parents taught their children about sex and how some didn’t. One study in 2017 revealed that 70% of 18 to 25 years old wish their parents would have gone over sex and romance more. He explained how as man our sexuality is in trouble and it’s being neglected. Many people feel they must hide their sexuality and that it is a burden. They feel shamed for being sexuality. Evil has warped our perception and has twisted God’s desire for human sexuality.   

 

 

He takes the approach that our sexuality is a gift that is meant to be blessed. God stated that it was good on day six but sin eventually entered the world. In the book, he explored what is sex and how it is intended to be playful. He compares it to the stage and how it follows a script. He clarified that our bodies go through different arousal cycles and it like a story following the plot and climax. He looked at scriptures and how a king spotted Isaac and Rebekah playing together. He goes into the Song of Songs and how these poems are testimony of love. He helped readers to see how sex is meant to be pleasurable and not just for bringing in new life into this world. He shared how they suffered a few miscarriages and when they had a focus to get pregnant it was robbing them of pleasure. The playtime was lacking. He touched on being humble and serving one another in the bedroom. And learning how to be better lovers. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book discussing our sexuality to all men who are confused and they feel ashamed for having sexual thoughts and desires. Sex was meant to be pleasing and bring us closer to our lovers. This book has the power to help readers to recheck ourselves and find out what the true message of sex we should be receiving. I appreciated how he touched on the topic of shame and tried to help men realize the truth about sexuality. I think this book is a good lesson in reminding parents on how to discuss sex and sexuality. Maybe even teach them a new approach. 

 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Talk-You-Never-Got-ebook/dp/B0CMQ9THBG/