Sarah's World Her Way

I have always been a huge book nerd. Growing up books were a giant part of my life. My parents read to me at night until I started reading to them. The words would jump off the page as I read about princesses, dragons, wizards, and vampires. Reading has always been a passion of mine and lately my life has been taken over by a couple of amazing books that I just had to share with someone. Now I am not one for being dramatic (I bet you are laughing right now if you personally know me because I, in fact, am very dramatic), but these books are some of the best things I have ever read for their genre. So if you are looking for a good read in the near future, keep on reading my blog post for some awesome recommendations! Books include: milk and honey by rupi kaur, the princess saves herself in this one by amanda lovelace, brave new girl: how to be fearless by Lou Hamilton, and #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso.

milk and honey by rupi kaur

Now I know I am pretty late in the game to read and review this book, but I have a reason for it. My reason being I have never been a huge poetry gal. I have never really connected to poems in the way that others do and have found most of the poetry I have read to be really confusing. However after seeing this poetry book everywhere, even hearing my mom's seventy something friend talk about it, I finally gave in and purchased a copy. Little did I know that this book would change how I felt about poetry forever. Milk and honey sparked a love of poetry that I didn't know was in me and I highly recommend it for anyone on the outskirts of this genre, or even a returning poetry lover.

What I liked most about this book was how even though I have never really been in situations involving abusive relationships, neglectful parents, love, and violence, I can somehow relate to what she is saying. Kaur makes the book very personal as though she is telling this to a dear friend, which made me have two reactions. I like that I can connect with Kaur and feel as though I am going through her journey of life with her. At the same time when the chapters of the hurting and the breaking are being read, I hurt along with Kaur. I feel as though my heart is breaking for a dear friend, not just an author of the book I am reading. I enjoyed this feeling of being close to someone I have never met and being able to connect with Kaur through her words. This is when you know you are reading an excellent book.

The other thing I liked about milk and honey was that Kaur was straightforward and brutally honest. She held nothing back and left nothing to the imagination when it came to sex, heartache, emptiness, violence, etc. I think in society today we are constantly being censored and only told what is necessary, but when talking about these kinds of hard topics, I like that Kaur wasn't polite about it. This made it all feel more raw, real, and open.

Overall I highly suggest you go pick up a copy of this book, it's a fast read, but not an easy one. Forewarning the content is heavy and it took a while to digest what I had read, but I think it is important for people to read.

the princess saves herself in this one by amanda lovelace

This poetry book (see I told you milk and honey lit a fire within for poetry) is a tale of learning to love yourself even after all the parental abuse, bullying, fat shaming, relationship abuse, cancer, and sexual abuse. It's about being the one to save yourself and not needing a hero to do it for you.

Lovelace just like Kaur is very blunt and in your face even with the subject matter that she is talking about, which I like. I really liked her poems on body confidence issues and cancer because those I could specifically relate to my life. Growing up I struggled with weight and how to live a healthy life. I always thought that how skinny a person was meant how healthy they were. As I got older I realized that the number on the scale doesn't mean that I am healthy. What I eat and if I exercise, among other things is what makes a healthy lifestyle. I relate to the cancer part because mentioned in my last post I have lost many loved ones to cancer, so hearing another's perspective on that topic was comforting.

It's sad to say because Lovelace has gone through so much in her life, but because of that I think there is at least one topic in the book that everyone can relate to. It's a healing book helping people through issues that maybe they didn't want to talk about. It's a survival story and I think Lovelace's views on life are beautiful. I love how strong and kickass Lovelace is and I can't wait for the second book! Definitely give this one a read guys.

brave new girl: HOW TO BE FEARLESS by Lou Hamilton

This fun and quirky book is basically an adult picture book made to help empower women and girls to shoot for the stars. Finding inner resilience and courage are Hamilton's words of wisdom. Much like my motto here on my blog, the book is all about being your best self and living your happiest life. The character throughout the illustrations is named brave new girl or BNG and let me start off by saying how much I love her. I felt like BNG was a friend taking on life with me and helping me along by giving me encouraging images and quotes. I felt strong, uplifted, and powerful seeing what BNG was doing and then knowing that I too could "Launce myself into the unknown," or "Be someone to watch." I even took some of BNG's advice, putting my own twist on it, and power posed for a minute every morning after reading this book. I may have looked like a real idiot to anyone who saw, but at the end of the minute I truly felt ready to start my day. I know it sounds goofy, but humor me and try it tomorrow morning when you wake up for the day, I bet it will make you feel like a superhero.

I would say that this book is what you make of it. It could be a book that sits on your coffee table and is only used as a conversation piece, which really means it has never been opened, or it could be much more than that. It could be a book that once you read it, you can't put it down. BNG ignites a fire within and you go for your dreams and big ideas. I hope the ladder is the road that you choose for this book. I promise you will want to share with your sisters, mom, best friends, book club, and even the boys in your life because I think anyone can take the positive message and vibes to motivate them in their own lives.

If I am being totally honest though, one of the biggest takeaways I got after reading this book was that I really want BNG and Lou Hamilton to illustrate my life. I would love to have a little sidekick giving me pep talks when I needed them most, I mean who wouldn't?

Once again, I definitely recommend this book to anymore looking for a light, but uplifted read!




#GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso 

This book is written by Sophia Amoruso, the founder and once CEO of Nasty Gal and GirlBoss. It's about her rise to the top of a 100 million dollar clothing company that she started off of eBay. It's shows her successful career, but what I love most about it is that it shows all the failures. Amoruso doesn't hold back in putting herself in her place, by saying yeah she screwed up so many times she couldn't count, but she never stopped trying. I like the straightforward parts where she talks about how building a life and a career won't be easy, but that's it worth the struggles.

The overall message of the book is very empowering and supportive. After reading it I felt like I could do anything. Climb the world's tallest mountain? Girl I could do that in my sleep. Be a best selling author before I am twenty-five? Let's make the twenty-three. #GirlBoss is basically the best pep talk that you will ever get in your life.

Another thing I like about this book is that Amoruso writes it as though she is your older sister giving you life lessons about how to be badass and how to not let the man get ya down. The personal touches give it a conversation like feeling. I felt like Amoruso and I were sitting drinking coffee at a little coffee shop that no know has heard about, talking about her life, while I was reading this book. I always gravitate towards books that are more personal and open. That shows the author isn't afraid to tell it like it is and is being honest with me and the other readers.

I bet you don't know what I am going to say next! Did you think I was going to say I highly recommend it? Well you were right. Dang I was trying to be more creative, but I just couldn't come up with anything. Then I got sidetracked by a cute golden retriever that walked by the window in the coffee shop I am writing in. So there you go, I highly recommend #GirlBoss if you ever want to feel like a powerful badass that can take on the world.