A book review of Rise and Thrive: A Mental Health Workbook for Youth & For the Young Person Inside All of Us by Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble

Stars: ****

Refined Honey (2026)
Mental Health>Teens
147 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Dr. Alfiee, a global leader in youth mental health, delivers the ultimate youth mental health guide—packed with simple, memorable concepts you can actually use in real time to care for your emotional wellbeing.

Rise and Thrive is your space to step into your power, embrace your brilliance, and rise—no matter what life throws your way. Designed for teens and young adults (inclusive of all identities), this book combines Dr. Alfiee’s 30 years of research, clinical work, and community advocacy into an easy-to-use roadmap for emotional wellness and real-world resilience.

Not just another workbook—Rise and Thrive gives you practical support for the moments you feel anxious, unseen, or overwhelmed. Each chapter offers bite-size “mindset remixes” you can remember on the spot, plus reflection prompts and coping tools that actually fit your life, culture, and community.

Whether you’re figuring out who you are, navigating school or work, dealing with family and friendships, or just trying to make it through the day, we invite you to reflect, act, and reconnect with your truest, strongest self.

Rise and Thrive

This is a mental health workbook for youth but it is also a good read for young adults or even older adults who have struggled since their youth. It’s also very good for those in marginalized groups as it focuses on those people. You can read it if you are not though.

The workbook is in colour which makes it a fun and happier read. It’s mostly words but the beginning of each chapter has a great illustration as well as a few illustrations throughout the book.

The book is based on seven mindsets which are the names of the seven chapters. Each chapter is full of help to understand and practice those mindsets. Each chapter has journal prompts, activities (easy, medium and hard) and key takeaways. After each activity there is a self reflection area. This is a great book for youth who feel out of place or have lost their self-confidence.

Buy Rise and Thrive from Amazon.com

The Daddy Essays: Perspectives from an Unexpected Journey by Neil Turner

Stars: *****

Lingering Hereford Press (2026)
Self-Help/Grief
353 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: The Daddy Essays is not a parenting manual. It’s a book of stories from a dad who never expected his journey to include the loss of a child, the joy of becoming a stay-at-home father, or the privilege of raising a son with autism—all while learning to laugh, grieve, grow, and find meaning in diaper duty.

Collected here are the most meaningful and entertaining pieces from years of writing: honest snapshots of fatherhood, marriage, love, loss, resilience, and everyday absurdities. Some essays will make you laugh. Some may make you cry. All the essays will enrich your perspective on parenthood.

Told with humility, humor, and a deep affection for family, The Daddy Essays invites readers to dip in and out—one story at a time—on days when they need encouragement, perspective, or a reminder that life’s sweetest joys often sit right beside its hardest truths.

The Daddy Essays

This is a grief book, written like a memoir but with a beautiful undertone of reliving the happy moments. The author lost a child, an indescribable event that someone like me who hasn’t been through it can only imagine. Instead of writing about the loss the whole book he focuses on happy memories and what they taught him and his wife about loss, love and life.

It’s a longer book and it took me a while to read but not because it wasn’t a well written book. It was partly having time and partly mixing it up with a lighter read. It was very well written. The stories were intriguing, even when they were sad. They aren’t in order but I didn’t find myself confused like with some books.

The stories aren’t just about the child who passed. All their family is included in the stories. This makes for a well rounded idea of their family and what they are like. Also this book will probably become a nice heirloom for their kids when they are older.

Buy The Daddy Essays from Amazon.com

A book review of The Nineties: a Book by Chuck Klosterman

Stars: ****

Penguin Books (2022)
Popular Culture
370 pages

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: It was long ago, but not as long as it seems: The Berlin Wall fell and the Twin Towers collapsed. In between, one presidential election was allegedly decided by Ross Perot while another was plausibly decided by Ralph Nader. Landlines fell to cell phones, the internet exploded, and pop culture accelerated without the aid of technology that remembered everything. It was the last era with a real mainstream to either identify with or oppose. The ’90s brought about a revolution in the human condition, and a shift in consciousness, that we’re still struggling to understand. Happily, Chuck Klosterman is more than up to the job.

In The Nineties, Klosterman dissects the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the pre-9/11 politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan, and (almost) everything else. The result is a multidimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian.

The Nineties

This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but it was still interesting. In the 90s I was ages 7-16 so a lot of what was going on I knew little about. Especially American politics since I’m Canadian. I remember hearing a lot of those names but never knew who they were or what they were doing as a teen.

I think if there wasn’t so much American politics the book would have been better. As a kid of the 90s I’d rather read about Tamogatchis then politics. If like me though, you weren’t as aware of what was going on in the world as teens are today, then you can recap what happened in the 90s that was big or important.

The book is on the longer end to me (370 pages) with smaller text so it took a bit to read. It was nice reminiscing about the 90s though.

Buy The Nineties from Amazon.com

A book review of Soccerology: Unbelievable Facts and Stories About the Beautiful Game by Kevin Sylvester

Stars: *****

Annick Press (2026)
Children’s Nonfiction>Sports
92 pages

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Colorful illustrations, fun infographics, and supercool trivia reveal all about the most popular sport in the world. Begin with the game’s startling origins or turn to any short chapter and dive in! You’ll discover historic firsts, trailblazing athletes, and the weirdest soccer records. Read unforgettable stories about players who pushed the boundaries of the game―sometimes by bending the rules―and learn why soccer had to become more welcoming before it could truly bring people together. Packed with charts, timelines, and further reading, Soccerology is a must-have that’s equally fascinating for soccer newbies and diehard fans.

Written by former sports broadcaster and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Kevin Sylvester, Soccerology is a book about the Beautiful Game like nothing else!

Soccerology

Another great book through Annick Press, this one is all about soccer. The author was a soccer player, sportscaster and radio host and has written other children’s nonfiction we’ve enjoyed.

Soccerology brings you through from the very first beginnings of a game resembling soccer to where it is today. Known as football in many parts of the world, soccer is very popular, especially among women.

The book is divided into parts: Invention, Evolution, Revolution, Expansion, Inclusion and a section called Just for Kicks.

The book is full of fun cartoon drawings by the author himself. They are really cute and fit the book well. The book is good for soccer newbies or soccer afficionados alike. The book is designed for ages 9-12 and would make a great gift for a soccer fan.

Buy Soccerology from Amazon.com

A book review of Quiet Endurance: A Memoir by James D. Reginato

Stars: ****

Self-Published (2025)
Memoir
139 pages

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: At aged 23, James Reginato was a law and commerce student who loved structure, precision and meaning. He found peace in order, whether through flying, study, or music. Life made sense until a trip overseas left him with a severe infection that marked the beginning of a long and confusing decline. What began as physical illness became something far more complicated when doctors could not explain his symptoms.

Quiet Endurance is a hauntingly raw recount of his journey through misdiagnosis, disbelief, and the quiet erosion of identity that comes from being treated as a problem instead of a person. It is an intimate account of how a once healthy body can become a source of fear and how the healthcare system can lose sight of the human being behind the data.

Through vivid storytelling and careful reflection, James explores the moments that broke him and the small acts of persistence that kept him alive. He writes about the hospitals that misunderstood him, the labels that trapped him, and the eventual discovery of the real conditions that he had been researching all along. Alongside the medical struggle runs a portrait of family, love, and endurance in the face of a system that could not see past its own limits.

This memoir is both personal and universal. It speaks to anyone who has been dismissed, doubted, or reduced to an explanation that does not fit. It is about what happens when you are forced to become your own advocate, when survival depends on refusing to be erased.

Quiet Endurance is not a story of miracle recovery. It is about the resilience that remains when there is nothing left to prove. It is a record of persistence, truth, and the strength that comes from still being here.

Quiet Endurance

I enjoy medical memoirs and this one was no different. But enjoy is not quite the right word as I didn’t enjoy what the author went through or the lack of an answer at the end. The medical systems around the world need fixing. We don’t live in the same country but it’s not any better here. I have so many examples of that.

It took me a long time to get to this book but then I read it in 2 days. It would have been 1 day if I hadn’t needed to go to bed. It’s not a long book but it has small text. Every time I thought I knew what might be going on I was wrong. Every time I thought he just needed a certain test, he’d end up having that test and was still treated poorly.

It’s not just that they didn’t know what was wrong, they treated him as if he was just anxious when truthfully anxiety entered the picture from lack of being taken seriously.

Writing wise, James did a good job of telling his story. It was very intriguing and pulled me in like I said. You can follow his updates on Instagram as well. It would be nice if his book got really popular and spread the word to the healthcare system about treating everything that isn’t easily identifiable as anxiety.

Buy Quiet Endurance at Amazon.com

A book review of Keys to Your 20s: The Ultimate Homebuyer Playbook for Young Adults by Jamal Henry (Start Smart. Buy Smart – Step by Step Guide for Your First Home)

Stars: *****

Self-Published (2025)
Financial Advice
155 pages

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for a review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: “Keys to Your 20s: The Ultimate Homebuyer Playbook for Young Adults” is the real-talk manual every young adults needs. Written by Jamal Henry, who went from counting pennies to holding the keys to his own house at just 23, this book hands you the exact steps that schools never teach. Tired of hearing that home-ownership is only for the rich or those in their thirties? Jamal’s story and action plans prove it’s not just possible–it’s powerful and life-changing.

Inside, you’ll find:
– Mindset shifts to break the cycle of renting
– Budgeting and money hacks that don’t suck the fun out of life
– Side hustle ideas to stack real cash (and keep it)
– Honest credit-building advice (no fluff, no scams)
– Step-by-step guides for making your first offer and closing the deal

You’ll also get real strategies for dealing with family and social pressure, using loans and programs like NACA, and managing your new home after move-in. Jamal’s unique blend of easy-to-follow instructions, personal examples, and motivational mantras keeps you moving forward–even when the process gets tough.

Every chapter ends with actionable advice, exercises, and reflection questions, so you’re always building practical skills not just reading theories. Whether you’re a college student, working your first job, or already saved a little, this playbook will walk you through every stage, from setting your first savings goal to holding your keys. Ready to rewrite your story and build your wealth early? Grab this playbook, take action, and prove that age is just a number when it comes to owning your future.

Keys to Your 20s

This book is very interesting and would have been very helpful when I was a teen or young adult. I’m reading this as a 40-something with the intention to share it with my teen/young adult children afterwards.

I like that the advice isn’t just what you’d expect (save your money.) The author Jamal has figured out how to be a homeowner in his 20s. Now I owned my house in my 20s too but that was because I received a large amount of money from an accident lawsuit. I used the last of it as a down payment on a house. I wish I had used that money more wisely though. This book would have been helpful with that even if it had been around then.

He includes actionable steps, not just advice that you can’t actually follow.

Don’t make the mistake of discounting this book because it is self published. It should absolutely be picked up by a big publisher to help it get to more people. In the meantime I recommend it as required reading for ages 13+. It says 20s but really the earlier you get the concepts the earlier you can start so that you CAN have a house of your own in your 20s. If you or your child is already in their 20s though it’s still worth the read. You will learn a lot about money management.

Buy Keys to Your 20s from Amazon.com

This is a book review of the So You Want To Be A… series by Linda Soules

Stars: *****

Self-Published
Children’s Nonfiction
38 pages

These adorable books are not like ones made for younger children that have very few (and obvious) words. These books are more like children’s nonfiction in a picture book. There is lots of information that an aspiring doctor, veterinarian, astronomer, chef, police officer so many more would need to know.

There are so many titles and they included lesser talked about professions such as chocolatier, voice actor, waterslide tester, ice cream flavor inventor, candy scientist, CEO, beekeeper, hot sauce creator, food stylist and SO many more.

These books are designed for ages 10-14, probably because they are text heavy. Something to note is the illustrations are AI. Now I know that is a big NO for some people but I like them and it doesn’t detract from the story, in fact it adds to it. As the author says, she’s a writer, not an illustrator.

At the end of the book is a glossary and websites/books to check out, organizations to know of and things to do to further learning. I especially like the What You Can Do To Prepare Now section which gives real ideas for the aspiring (fill in the blank profession) to do to start learning about the topic.

Check them out at amazon.com

A book review of Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok by Oliver James

Stars: *****

Union Square & Co (2026)
242 pages
Memoir

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: As a result of childhood learning disabilities and educational neglect, Oliver James graduated from high school and became one of approximately 45 million functionally illiterate Americans. However, at age 32, with big dreams and few tools to actualize them, he dedicated himself to learning the key skill that had evaded him his entire life: reading.

Oliver has become a TikTok/BookTok sensation for the way he’s candidly documented his decision to learn to read as an adult, and his struggles and triumphs along the way. Here, he tells the full story behind his journey for the first time through the 21 key books that shaped and informed his experience. His story reveals the ways in which reading can teach each of us how to be better, more empathetic people.

In just 365 days, Oliver went from barely being able to read a restaurant menu to closing in on his goal of finishing 100 books in a year. Unread is a moving reminder to all of us that words and stories have power, and that, no matter our past, it’s never too late to grow.

Unread

I grabbed this from the library because it sounded interesting. It’s the story of a boy (and then man) who wasn’t able to read and hid it because he was embarrassed.

Oliver James teaches us that when someone is illiterate it’s not just about not being able to read a book but means they can’t read street signs, fill out forms or even navigate the streets. There is so much that requires reading that as a regular reader, I hadn’t thought of.

Reading this book opens your eyes so much to the plight of the illiterate. Also I always thought being illiterate was very rare but apparently it’s not. We really need to do something about this. I homeschool but I understand this doesn’t work for everyone. We need to improve the school systems and find ways to find those who are unable to read and get them the right supports.

The book isn’t just about learning to read but also the community you can find on social media. On TikTok people rally around Oliver. They cheer him on, they suggest books and they discuss the books he reads. There are lots of trolls on social media but if you can ignore them, there are also lots of good people on there.

Buy Unread on Amazon.com

A book review of Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and more by James Burrows

Stars: ****

Ballantine Books (2022)
Memoir>TV
352 pages

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air, and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. 

Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found during his childhood and young adult years, including his father, legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than any other director in history.

Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.

Directed by James Burrows

As someone who grew up with most of these shows, I was interested in read this book. I like behind the scenes of TV shows and movie type books. It took me a long time to get through this book, not because it wasn’t interesting though. It’s large and isn’t a quick read. If you speed read you won’t be able to take from it what was intended.

James Burrows, as a director, is often overlooked when talking about TV shows. We focus on the actors for the most part. When you think of Friends or Frasier, you think of the actors not the director. However without the director the show wouldn’t come together.

It was very interesting reading about the start of the shows, like before the pilot. There is information on how they pitched the show to networks, how they picked cast including in some cases who almost got picked or the show names that almost got used.

The book is written like a memoir but includes dialogue from the shows in certain parts. Also the middle of the book has photos of James Burrows, sometimes alone, sometimes with other directors/producers and sometimes with cast.

It was very interesting.

Buy Directed by James Burrows at Amazon.com

A book review of Without Your Father by Jessica Lynne Henkle

Stars: *****

Unsolicited Press 2026
Memoir
136 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Five days after the sudden death of Jessica Lynne Henkle’s father, the phrase “when your father dies” seeped into her shock-sore brain, and for the next year, it kept pouring out of her. Half-blind with questions, she catalogued that year, in all its unmerciful unknowns, and ended up with a series of snapshots. Time passes, and yet, it doesn’t. Each day is distinct, and yet, it is exactly the same. Without Your Father is concrete, abstract, gentle, blunt, lighthearted, and deeply sad all at once. But then, so is grief. Written in the second person and with searing honesty, the book consists of 112 vignettes that depict the oddities and absurdities of navigating sudden loss, along with the utter devastation of it: the daily, sometimes hourly trudging forward in a life that has become unrecognizable now that one person is no longer in it. Some of the vignettes tell a story; others are more like prose poems.

The book can be read in one sitting, savored over several days, or dropped into at random for a dose of reflection, comfort, or validation. More than anything, that’s what Jessica yearned for during her time of terrible grief: the sense that what she was feeling was not alien, even if it was alien to her. Without Your Father seeks to mimic the grieving process itself and allows readers to enter its pages and move through their own losses, in their own ways. It is, at its core, an offering-from one grieving soul to another.

Without Your Father

This book is more than a memoir of a lost father. It’s written in an unusual way that is captivating and kept me reading even though it’s such a sad topic.

Each page in the book only contains one paragraph, some longer than others. They are numbered 1-112 and are further separated into sections. Each reads like an entry into a journal almost but not in a dear diary style. More like a memory mixed with raw emotions and showing the process of grief from recent death to a year past. The book calls them vignettes.

They are written in the second person as if it was your father that died. This I find, makes it hard to read if you haven’t lost your father because it makes a stark reminder that the day will come. However I plan to keep the book to reread after that fateful day. It’s that poignant and I think it will be comforting.

Buy Without Your Father on Amazon.ca