The Bookish Year in Review - 2018

Hi everyone! I don't think I've ever done a year in review post before but I wanted to make a special one that included all the bookish things in my life besides actually reading (I plan to do a top books of 2018 as well in a few days so look out for that). 2018 has been an amazing year for me book wise because I feel like often times reading is such a solitary act, and to have the opportunity to share that with others is really lovely. 

BOOK CLUBS 

I started not one but two book clubs this year! I have one with besties I've known since highschool and university days called #smrtkidsreadinclub and we meet monthly to read a book over drinks or food. Each person gets a designated month so it's been great discovering new genres and also changing up where we meet. I love these meetings so much because it's not only a time to discuss the book of the month, but also a time to catch up with my friends. I also find that I often change perspectives too after hearing how my friends read a book and it's so fascinating to see what everyone takes from a book. In addition to that, I have another book club with three very lovely fellow bloggers, and we started the #supersexybookclub, where we read two romance novels a month! It's been so much fun reading and then going out for dinner and drinks once a month with them. I feel like this year I really embraced my romance reading side and to have a solid group of friends to share that with is very special. 

Our first #smrtkidsreadinclub meeting at the Famous Last Words Bar and second photo is our first #supersexybookclub meeting at Terroni's

Also wanted to share photos from a super fun christmas party for #smrtkidsreadinclub where we had a fun bookish swap and one of the members, Liane, made us very beautiful custom bookmarks ;) They look amazing! (be sure to check her work out here) 

BOOK EVENTS

I attended a few book previews this year with the Indigo Fall Preview and the PRHC Fall Preview being my favorites. I always love attending these events because as a blogger and bookseller, it's so helpful to learn what's coming out and how to pitch the books. Also a good time to catch up with fellow blogger friends. I love the Toronto #bookfam and I'm so glad to know such wonderful, creative, and supportive people! 

Jess & Michele hosted a really fun screening for To All The Boys I've Loved Before and it was filled with lots of cookies! ^^ 

#supersexybookclub took a field trip to Chapters Brampton to meet Helena Hunting! <3 

#bookmas dinner this year with the gang at Kelly's Landing! So much fun! <3 

AND LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST.. 

I got engaged last month and it's been super exciting times. I wanted to share this special bit since the proposal did include a book and it's just been really fun wedding planning (hello wedding books and magazines), but also reading lots of wedding related stories (bless romance novels). 

It's been a great bookish year and I can't wait to see what next year has in store! :D 

Book Club Reads Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Earlier this year, my best friends and I got together to start a book club. I've been wanting to start one for ages and it's always a scary process starting something and worrying about how it will keep it's momentum. You also want to ensure people genuinely have a good time after every meeting and that you are reading books that are interesting. There also needs to be a good dynamic among your group to foster good discussion. After almost 5 months of doing it, I can say adding a book club to my life is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not only do I get to read books I didn't think I would read, I get to do that with my best friends and get together once a month to discuss them. Reading is such a solitary act, and to come together having read the same book each month brings a social aspect to reading that is quite nice. We don't always agree on if we liked the book or not, but it's great to get various perspectives and to hear everyone's thoughts. 

I also went camping not too long ago, hence the photo here, but book club has brought some firsts for me too. While camping, I read one of the stories out loud to my boyfriend and it was such an awesome experience. We read Big Driver by the camp fire and I think having read the story out loud, it really stuck with me the most out of all the stories. It reminded me of reading out assignments or sharing creative writing in school, but of course, in a fun way. As a fast reader, I feel like reading out loud allows me to slow down and take a step back, and really absorb the text. I won't be able to read every book out loud, but short story collections make moments like that possible. 

This past month we all read Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars, which is a short story collection of four stories: 1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage. Vik and Liane hosted book club at their place this month since King's book was one of Liane's picks. We designate a month to a person and their book pick! We had lots of great discussion about the themes of family and children that link the four stories together, the narrator's voice and the constructions of self, and the nature of human behavior when in dire circumstances. Everyone was in agreement that the strongest stories of the collection were definitely Big Driver and A Good Marriage. 

Our hosts went all out and even made themed food items for the event and then we all sat around afterwards and watched the trailers for the various movies. We had some mini pizzas that looked like rats (from 1922), Arlette's Lemonade (from 1922), Spotted Hen Microbrew (from Fair Extension), and Perrier and Lime (from A Good Marriage). The creativity!! *heart eyes emojis galore* Three of the books have been made into movie adaptations. 1922 is the most recent one having come out last year on Netflix. 

I've also gathered some book club members thoughts on the book to share with you all: 

Michelle: “I really loved reading a King book starring a few female protagonists that struggled with dynamic women’s issues. Big Diver was a personal favourite! A story in the horror genre from the female perspective about sexual assault really had me thinking about this and related issues in a new way." 

Niki: "Full Dark, No Stars was endlessly captivating. Each story being more horrific than the last. It wasn't the frightening events that made it as harrowing, but rather the idea that these events were common events, each becoming more and more likely a situation that could exist in our own lives. It was the unexpected  human conscience that was within each story that made it most enjoyable, and the slow collapse in the aftermath of the events. Definitely one of the best books I've read all year."

Liane: "Full Dark, No Stars (a title that is also a warning for what lies ahead) is a collection of stories with a strong theme that threads through each of the four novellas - retributive justice and what that means to each narrator. The stories left me disgusted, unable to sleep, annoyed, and questioning my own actions as well as those of the people around me. Typical Stephen King."  

Jeremy: "I'm not usually a big reader, but I really enjoyed all these stories with Big Driver being my favorite. They kept me wanting to read more and more. I'm definitely becoming a Stephen King fan."  

Brandon: "King’s decision to write from perspectives different than his usual style was refreshing and displays his growth as a writer. I enjoyed that the collection of short stories featured protagonists with varying levels of involvement in the horror that takes place."

I would like to thank the lovely folks at Simon and Schuster Canada for sponsoring the book club this month and sending over copies of the book for us. It's definitely something that will have a special spot on all of our shelves. If you like more book club recaps like this, I'll be sure to post more in the future. I hope that by the end of this post, you will feel inspired to join or start up your own book club. Reading is already rewarding because you get to immerse yourself into new worlds, but reading with a book club ensures you aren't going it alone ;) 

Sundays in the 6ix | August 27, 2017

This past Sunday after work, I headed downtown with Jeremy for a little stroll around Graffiti Alley and we visited Kensington Market to check out Dough.TO since it was their last weekend there. I will always be grateful that we live in such an amazing city and I love that we are constantly discovering new parts of the city. 

Aberfoyle Antique Market - #Canada150 Long Weekend

So this is definitely a departure from my regular posts. I mentioned a while back about wanting to add more personal posts on my blog to go along with bookish things. I also really love seeing blogs that format photos and very minimal text, and posts that highlight travel adventures. So here is my first one: during the Canada150 long weekend, Jeremy and I headed up to Guelph with his parents and we stopped by the Aberfoyle Antique Market. I haven't visited an antique market in what feels like forever, but I felt like I was back to being little and exploring the St. Lawrence Market stalls looking for skeleton keys. I didn't end up purchasing anything but a lemonade, but it was a beautiful day and we saw a lot (including some adorable pooches in strollers). I highly recommend giving this place a look if you want to find some old vintage finds and be sure to bring good shoes (because you will be walking a lot) and pack on that sunscreen if you go on a sunny day! 

What I've Been Loving | Spring 2017 Edition

Hi everyone! Happy Spring! I wanted to put together a post of my current favorites and what I've been loving recently. It is a nice way to compile everything in one shot and I'm thinking of doing this for every season? There would be a great variety of things I would include from bookish stuff to lifestyle bits. I finally feel like the warm spring weather is finally here to stay in Toronto, and hopefully no more surprise cold weather attacks (like snow.. go away please). Spring is like a time of rejuvenation and change. You are able to swap out closet basics for warmer choices and even turn to things to get you in the mood for warmer weather. Here's what I've been loving lately:

Games - I've been playing a ton of games lately. I recently finished Fire Emblem Fates (Conquest only so far) on my 3DS and that has gotten me really excited for the upcoming release of Fire Emblem Echoes! I've already pre-ordered the limited edition and I can't wait to play it next month! There is also Fire Emblem Heroes which is for your phone and I've been really enjoying playing that. It is nice to see characters I recognize from previous versions and they also had a really cute Easter/Spring Festival special. Also, I downloaded Pokemon Go again... I deleted it in November but with the nice weather and lots of walking down by my house, it doesn't hurt to have this again.

Podcasts - It was right around this time last year that I really got into podcasts. With my long commutes to school and walking occasionally, a podcast definitely helps pass the time. Some of my old favorites include: Serial and Lore. I recently finished S-Town which I loved!  It followed a man named John from Alabama who despised his town. He reaches out to the host, Brian Reed, to investigate a murder that allegedly happened but was covered up. What Brian soon discovers is an interesting story about John. All 7 chapters are available now and I definitely recommend checking it out if you were a fan of Serial. It's a strange story about a peculiar individual and gives you a lot to think about life/death, climate change, and depression. // My boyfriend and I also decided to pick a podcast to listen together when we are in the car, and we landed on Up and Vanished, which was recommended to him by a friend. It is told by Payne Lindsey, an amateur investigator and documentary maker. He admits in the first episode that he is not a regular podcaster, so those who have been spoiled by mixing from This American Life & Serial, may not find it perfect to begin with. But so far, the case about the missing teacher & beauty queen, Tara Grinstead, is really interesting. We are about two episodes in and can't wait to listen to more! 

Television - So if you haven't heard (so you must live under a rock)... Jay Asher's famous novel Thirteen Reasons Why has been adapted into a Netflix Series. I read the book many years ago and I'm rereading the anniversary edition now (I plan on writing a review post for both the book and tv series - be on the look out for that!). The trailer looked promising and I decided to give the series a go. I'm usually pleased with adaptations but not blown away by them. This is another case entirely. I want to save the full details for my main review, but it was so well-done. It is definitely triggering and I cried non-stop from episodes 6-13, so brace yourself. It is such a powerful show! // My boyfriend and I finally found an anime that he enjoyed. I'm the big anime fan and it isn't often that we find one that he likes. We landed on One-Punch Man which is funny and a lot of fun! It follows the very anti-hero, Saitama and his adventures with his friend, Genos. We finished the series and I'm slowly picking up the manga. I really hope it gets a second season because it was so good! // one of my favorite CW tv shows also returned recently: iZombie! Definitely one of my favorite shows and it is so good to see them all back together and solving cases. 

Music - I usually listen to music only when I'm sitting at my desk working on blog posts or marking. I have spotify premium and sometimes one of the curated playlists is just good enough for me (some favorites include: Evening Chill & Indie Pop Chillout). But... there are some songs that I've been in love with lately: Green Light by Lorde - such a fun song and I find myself wanting to dance about whenever I hear it & Sign of The Times by Harry Styles - how could I not mention this? His first debut single and it is a slow pop-rock single. His voice is magnificent! 

(c) photo by me. 

Other - Warm weather means lots of walks and hikes with Jeremy. We live pretty close to the water so it's been so nice to go down for a walk. I leave to Tokyo, Japan in about three weeks and while I'm there, I have a lot of hikes planned so must prep for that. Other than that, I've been enjoying the warm weather a lot and I'm hoping it gets warmer so I can set up the balcony nicely. The couch we have for our patio is my go-to-summer reading spot so I can't wait for that to be up and ready! 

What have you been loving recently? Let me know in the comments below! 

My Life in May (2016)

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your weekend. So remember a few posts back when I mentioned that I was going to incorporate some more personal blog posts? Here we are! I decided to do ~lifestyle~ posts where I mention what I've been up to lately. If you follow me on instagram (@soufflegrl), you'll get snippets there, but I thought I could write a bit more with accompanying pictures here! May came and went so quickly. I got up to a lot though, so I'm glad about that! 

I went to go see The Amazing Tour is Not on Fire with my friend, Michelle! We had an amazing time and it was so cool to see my favorite youtubers on stage. Dan and Phil are just adorable and it was scary at first being in a room with a ton of fangirls, but it was a lot of fun! 

Later in the month, I went to another show at the Sony Centre for Performing Arts. My friends Matt and Tracey gifted me some tickets to see Hatsune Miku live (Miku Expo). I really did not know what to expect, since I'm more familiar with Miku's older titles and also, seeing a vocaloid live.. totally something I've never experienced before. It was the strangest experience ever, but I had a blast. I definitely think by the end of the night, I was a glow-stick pro. 

One of my friends, Tracey, celebrated her birthday at BCP this year and it was a murder mystery night. It was so much fun, we got to dress up in 20s costumes and we each had assigned character cards. I actually solved the murder mystery! So proud of myself for following along with the narrative. 

There were food stations and the food was just amazing. I also loved all the beautiful decor my friends put together. It was truly a wonderful birthday party! 

Me and the boy have had a fascination with terrariums for a while now and we've been meaning to make one since we moved into our place a month ago. We had some of the supplies but we never really got around until last Saturday. My aunt was over for the day and we decided to visit some nurseries and put our terrarium together! 

It is incredibly easy to make and we have a lot of supplies (soil and rocks) leftover, so I think this is only going to be the first of many terrariums that we make. I just love the look of it! (TIPS: If you are looking to make a terrarium yourself, lots of inspiration following the tag on instagram or searching on Pinterest) 

We had a housewarming party finally as well. I didn't take many photos of that night, so none will be pictured here sadly. But I want to just take a moment to thank friends and family (who read the blog), a tremendous thanks for coming out for such a fun and amazing night. The boy and me feel incredibly loved and grateful. <3 

Last week, I went to the Old Mill with my friend (it is my dream place for a wedding lol) and we had High Tea/Afternoon Tea as part of a birthday gift for her. It was so fancy and I just loved the area so much. The food was delicious and I got to try this Sencha Cherry tea that I've fallen in love with! 

And I ended the month attending a blogger event. I used to write recaps before but I decided to just include it in this post. It was a Trivia Night at Penguin Random House. There was many book sellers there (I'm technically one now!) and a few bloggers. We had so much fun even if we didn't get some of the answers right. It was a true test of our bookish knowledge and by the end of the night, I realized how much reading I still have to do in Canadian Lit! Many thanks to the folks at PRH for a terrific night (as always). You guys sure know how to make a book lover feel welcomed. 

Our team name was Blogwarts!! :D 

Anyways, that brings me to the end of my monthly update post. What did you get up to in the month of May? Let me know in the comments below! Also, let me know your upcoming plans for June! The weather is so nice now and I wasn't much of a summer person before, but I think this year is the year! 

New Beginnings?

(c) Christine Nguyen - 2016 

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend. I thought I would write an update post / something kind of personal and different from the regular book reviews. So if you don't follow me on other forms of social media (Twitter - @padfootslibrary & Instagram - @soufflegrl), you might not know this but a lot has happened recently. I moved closer to the city and I got a new part-time job. My surroundings have changed but also my schedule. I'm a little bit behind on reading lately and I've been trying to finish up my coursework for the term.. so you may see some delays in blog posts (forgive me! this is only temporary). I have a few exciting book blog tour posts lined up for you all coming in the next few weeks, but I simply wanted to write a post explaining a new chapter/journey/direction that Padfoot's Library will shift to.

For starters: The current bookish content will remain the same. *cheers* - nothing will change in that regard. Also, I'm hoping since it is summer time, I will, in fact, have more time to read, so hopefully more book reviews and more and NEW exciting bookish content. But what I hope to do is involve more of other aspects of my life. I don't mean I will be writing update posts of every single thing in my life, but rather, some lifestyle posts here and there and other things such as film, fashion, health, and beauty. I'm inspired by the new changes in my life (the move, the job), to incorporate new things in my blog as well. I treat my blog as a collection of my life, a sort of scrapbook if you will; that I can look back on time and time again. I would like to share more with my readers so that you can all get to know me a bit better, and also for me to get to know you a bit better as well. I hope that this sounds exciting for you all and I would love some recommendations of what you'd like to see on the blog.

Until next time.... ;)

Digital Detox

Hi everyone!

I hope that you are all doing well. A bit of a rambly post from me here. I know that I do post the occasional personal post here and there. I did in the past, speaking a bit about my anxiety. I thought for the new year, I would incorporate a bit more of that. So yes, what is new in your world? It is a new year, and usually every year, I come up with some resolutions. Even bookish resolutions. But this year, my main goal is to Digital Detox. For the month of January, the lovely folks at Penguin Random House Canada have been encouraging people to enjoy life "offline" - more details can be found here! You might be thinking how on earth can I manage that with an "online" blog, but I've been finding that all the time I've been spending offline has allowed 1) more time for reading and 2) more time for reading for pleasure and not simply school/work. And with all that, voila! I plan to bring you all much more interesting, thought-provoking blogging content. I've been feeling better physically and mentally and with that, I plan on extending this Digital Detox beyond the month of January. I want it to be my main goal for the entire year.

So what are some small things I've been up to during this Detox?

1. Breathing and Meditating 
Breathing is a no brainer obviously. But I've been enjoying meditation so much month. I usually meditate before my morning begins, or even at my desk at work for about 5-15 minutes (depending on how much time I have). I use an app called Insight Timer - which has guided meditation, but also just a timer if you want to do it unguided. Sometimes, I find it can do it without a guide and just visual certain things. But most of the time, a guided one woks best for me. I like to think of it as a way to check in mentally with myself during stressful moments.

2. Eating Right & Cooking 
Personally, I will admit that I've had my fair share of issues with food and eating in general. I've tried so many fad diets and I've always struggled with finding balance in what I eat. I would go on a specific diet for a couple months, obtain the results I want, and somehow that all goes out the window. I used to think that I just didn't have discipline and I entered into a big cycle of self-shaming and guilt. I've since then realized that the diets I was working with were not good for me in general. No wonder they didn't stick! I'm going to be moving in less than two months into my first home with my boyfriend. That is a massive step. It also means I won't be coming home to little special meals from my aunt occasionally. It will mean going to the grocery store myself a lot of the time, and cooking for myself. It will also mean living on a budget and not getting my meals out so often as I do now. This past month, I've gotten a new workspace at school with a kitchen and that has allowed me to experiment with cooking. I've made most of my meals at home this month and I haven't realized until now just how much I love cooking. I've been able to test out easy, fun and healthy recipes. I've been leaning more towards a vegetarian diet which has been great. And I've walked away from the restricted rigid structures of diets and I've just been doing what feels good. It is about becoming more aware of what we put into our bodies and making sure you are cooking something that you will not only enjoy eating and also making.

3. Taking Reading Breaks 
I have a full course load this semester, so I have a ton of readings weekly. I also have "deadlines" for certain advanced readers copies that I receive. Basically, there is a lot to read weekly. It is so easy to get burnt out from reading so much because I suffer from book hangovers. It is quite hard for me to "step away" once I'm done a book. It lingers and it takes a while for it to leave my system so I can fully move onto a new text. You can also get into reading slumps like me, where it becomes like homework reading. Reading because you have to, not because you want to. I've recently decided to take Reading Breaks. If I'm not feeling up to reading some days, I simply don't. I'm usually burnt out by reading a lot of my theoretical readings for school, and honestly, it is ok to just "walk" away from reading. It removes the pressure and when you finally come back to read, you will actually enjoy it.

4. Ditching the Laptop 
Since I started graduate studies, I made the shift from laptop notes to paper notes. I've been able to recall information so much better this way. I've started doing that with blogging as well. Usually, I read a book, sit down and write the entire review. I've started journalling. I journal for therapy and I've decided to do that for blogging. As I'm reading, I make some points/notes that I want to go back and revisit in my review. I also think journalling in general has been super helpful. It allows me to get all my emotions out if I'm having a bad day, and it is a lot more refreshing than ranting about it online on twitter. I used to be anti-diary/anti-journal because the thought of reading what I wrote before made me cringe. But I simply don't read what I wrote before. I simply turn to a fresh new page and go from there. It is super therapeutic! I highly recommend it.

5. Colouring! Drawing!
We all know how big adult colouring books has gotten. There are colouring books for specific fandoms now which is awesome! I have a Harry Potter, Doctor Who and Game of Thrones one! :D I've been taking some time to colour every now and then and it takes me about 15-20 minutes most days and I just find it really clears my mind and allows me to focus simply on colouring. I also recently picked up some drawing books, specifically anime and manga ones. I used to draw a lot when I was little, but it got harder with me being a perfectionist and not wanting to draw unless it was perfect. But recently, my sketchbook has been filling up and much like the journal, it is super therapeutic. :D

So yes, those are my "tips" or strategies of what I've been doing recently in terms of doing a Digital Detox. Let me know if you have any other tips for focusing more on life "offline" -- I would love to know!

Managing Stress and Anxiety: Books That Have Helped - Part 2

Hi All! So a while back I did a post about managing stress and anxiety and I shared some books with you that really helped me deal with my stress and anxiety. You can revisit that post here! I mention books that I still use daily there and even some colouring book recommendations!

 

I have since found some more books that have really helped me to manage stress and anxiety. I thought with school starting up again soon, that this would be a good time to share this with you all. School can be such a great time, but also an incredibly stress-inducing time.

 

IMAGE FROM PINTEREST

I am lucky to have an office space at both my jobs, so I am able to bring books to read during my break. In addition to my books, I have a happiness kit/self-soothing kit. If you look on pinterest, there are tons of inspirational examples that you can follow. To give you an idea of mine, I have a stress-ball, some lavender hand lotion, some candy, a plush toy and more. I also make sure it all sits in a nice little bag.

 

The brings me to the point of this post and that is to share small "pocket-sized" books that can fit in your happiness kit or your daily bag that you can easily take out when you want some stress relief.

 

I want to be calm and I want to sleep by Harriet Griffey - are both good pocket-sized books that are so detailed and offer a lot of tips on how to be calm and how to sleep better. I particularly love that the I want to be calm book offers places where you can be calm in!

 

Two more recommendations for pocket-sized books that have really helped is The Little Book of Mindfulness and Everything is going to be OK. The LBOM is my favorite and I carry it in my purse with me all the time. It offers tips on how to reduce stress regardless of where you are. It introduces the reader to mindfulness and my favorite part is tips on mindful eating. Everything is going to be ok is something different and has really lovely images with quotes that instantly make you feel better when you aren't having the greatest day.

 I will have another post up in this series where I will feature my favorite adult colouring books which have really helped me with stress and anxiety! So be on the lookout for that.

 

I hope that this post has helped in some way. Please leave your own recommendations for books that have helped you manage stress and anxiety in the comments below. And please let me know if you check out any of the books I mentioned!

 

Be well! xxx

Update!

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. A bit of an update post from me today!

• Bout of Books this time around did not work out again. I got caught up with work and research and I just was not able to read as much as I planned to. So for those of you who expected BoB update posts and the like, I'm so sorry! I'm really hoping that the next time around it will work out!
• I used to get book reviews up the day of book release, but that has been a bit hard lately! I've been reading a bit slower recently and also, I want to make sure that I write the best review that I can and I really don't want to rush and write something only to get it up at a certain time. So book reviews will still remain the same, but they may not go up exactly on release date, but around the time frame (within two weeks before or after release date).
• Book series like Top 5 Wednesday will start up again when school starts up for me. I can manage series a lot better when school gets around.

Lastly, I want to say that there will be all the same stuff that I've had before: book reviews, event recaps, book tags, etc. But I want to start incorporating more ~personal~ posts on the blog that surround my lifestyle a bit more.. so for example, music, movies, self-help stuff, health and fitness stuff. I hope that you will enjoy this new chapter addition of Padfoot's Library! Stick around because a TON of posts are headed your way soon ;)

Managing Stress and Anxiety: Books That Have Helped.

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. Today's post will be something a little bit different. Think of it was a semi-book review but also along with personal bookish thoughts. I wanted to talk to you all about managing stress and anxiety with the help of books. Dealing with stress and anxiety is quite a personal topic for me and while I can write blog posts that go on forever about my personal issues, I'd rather share with you all some books that have really helped me. 

Photo from weheartit. 

I've learned that reading just simply "self-help" books about how to remove stress and anxiety from your life were not particular helpful (in my case). Anxiety, more particularly, is an on-going process. There will be days where it seems easier and some days where it is a downright uphill climb. I've found books that help "soothe" the mind in a way have been really helpful. It helps change perspective and offers a more positive outlook. So as opposed to finding one-set-cure that will end all stress and anxiety, I've found books that are helpful in managing stress and anxiety in the moments that they appear and slowly overtime, I've found that the stress panic moments have been a little less frequent and easier to manage. 

One of the first books that I picked up that has been really helpful with shifting perspectives when some days feel quite negative is Barbara Ann Kipfer's 14,000 Things to be Happy About. This book literally lists 14,000 things to be happy about. It is written in a simplistic style of lists of things that make one happy in the moment. I found that going with a highlighter and working on 2-3 pages daily have really been helpful. I started to highlight the things that I know personally make me happy and the ones that are left blank, I will eventually discover. Another book that has been just a treat daily is Demi Lovato's Staying Strong - 365 Days a Year. I'm not a big Demi fan myself, not really knowing much about her music. But a friend of mine had picked this book up and I decided to take a look. It includes daily affirmations and mini little challenges or tips that you can take up. I really enjoy reading each of these each morning before I start my day. It honestly makes a world of a difference. Lastly, with getting into yoga, I've started to get into the practice of mindfulness. I honestly used to think that it was a gimmick and that is mainly because I simply did not understand it at all. Thich Nhat Hanh's The Miracle of Mindfulness has been a great introductory book into understanding mindfulness. 

Another thing that I want to quickly touch on is how the current trend of Adult colouring books has really been helpful. I ended up buying a bunch of adult coloring books because I found it to be incredibly soothing to take some time during stressful moments to just focus on coloring and kind of take your mind away from the situation. I've found that these two colouring books in particular have been super helpful. Lisa Currie's The Scribble Diary is more than a coloring book and is organized as a type of diary that has questions and you can adapt to it daily. You can literally turn to any page of the book and work on it. I've been loving using it. The Mindfulness Coloring book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People is just a perfect book with really calming images that you can focus on. I've been working on this one slowly, but the good thing about it is, it is quite small that it can fit in your bag so that you can work on it on the go. I have quite a few more coloring books and I've been thinking about reviewing them more frequently on the blog, so please let me know if you'd like to see that. 

This isn't all the tools that I've been using to help manage stress and anxiety, but this is a small look into what books have been really helping me as of late. I wanted to share this all with you and if you'd like this to become a regular series on the blog, please let me know because I would love to keep talking about and sharing things that have been helpful when it comes to managing stress and anxiety. It is easy enough to turn to a fiction/non-fiction read that will let you escape for a few hours, but I've found that turning to these books in particular have shaped my perspective as of late to be a more positive outlook on things. It is less "escapism" from stress and anxiety, and more so, ways to cope and change. I hope that you will give these books a look next time you are perusing the book store, they might be helpful :) 

Please let me know in the comments what books help you manage stress and anxiety. 

Be well - xx.