Okay, so here what’s going on, my computer picked up the topic socialism. However, I know nothing about politics. So instead I’m writing a post of tips that can help you be more social. I do get social anxiety, and at times I can’t cope with socializing at all. So, hopefully, this post will help some people out.
Be Polite and Respect
If you are starting a new job or feel like you need to socialise more with your co-workers, a good ice breaker can be as simple as a good morning and a smile to get the conversation going. Questions like ‘How are you? or Have a nice day.’ Can help build a working relationship. It’s always a good idea to avoid topics like politics, religion, race or other subjects that might create conflict.
Give and Take Feedback
A lot of times, when your boss or co-workers give you feedback is for you to get better at what you do. It will provide you with a guideline on what you need to improve on and the things that work to keep yourself on track with the job needs. When you give feedback, it will also help with any issues that might come up, and it provides a more peacefully work environment.
Showing Appreciation and Trust
It doesn’t take a ton of money to show appreciation sometimes, just saying thank you will do the job when your boss or co-worker helps you with a task or work situation and great way of doing so is by telling them that you value their input and opinion. Trust is significant, especially when you’re working in a team when you know that the people, you’re working with can pull their weight in the task or project it helps to create less anxiety on everyone.
So, I asked my friend Hannah from HannacondaBlog and Terra from Bookbanditblog to choose books from my kindle to read. To add a bit more of a challenge I will be trying to review all the books that they chose for me and if you read any of my reviews you know that I’m not really good at reviewing books but I try my best. Now onto the books.
Hannah’s Picks
Molly Miranda: Thief for Hire (Molly Miranda #1) by Jillianne Hamilton
Goodreads Blurb
Professional, experienced contract burglar.
It’s not exactly something you can put on a business card.
Molly Miranda has made a successful living from “acquiring” valuables and delivering them to clients who pay buckets of cash for her unique services.
So what if she has to lie about her lavish lifestyle in Manhattan and her frequent trips out of the country? Molly has everything under control.
Things go astray when she knocks boots with her charming roommate right before taking off to Scotland with an untrustworthy wildcard on a job assignment that doesn’t go quite as planned.
It doesn’t help that this new partner-in-crime is super annoying. And attractive…
Join Molly on her hilarious adventures as she dodges bullets, trespasses, wears disguises, and steals her way into trouble.
All the Little Things by B. Hollidae
Goodreads Blurb
Rafael’s and Akilah’s Story: An African American New Adult Urban Romance
After fleeing Miami for a new start, Akilah was the last thing 19-year-old Rafael needed.
She was everything he avoided in the past with girls. Opinionated. Assertive. Shrewd. Too curious for her own good. Bold. Daring. The type you didn’t want involved when you were running and had something to hide.
He fell for her anyway.
There are a lot of big reasons that Rafael shouldn’t be with Akilah. There are a lot of big reasons why he can’t be with her.
But shouldn’t and can’t aren’t in her vocabulary. And there are a lot of other reasons, little things really, that Rafael should be with her that outweigh the big things.
But when his past, my abuser, the reason he lived on the streets for three years, the reason he can never go back home, the biggest reason he shouldn’t get involved with Akilah, comes knocking on the door, Rafael has a choice to make.
Confront it. Or lose Akilah forever.
Terra’s Picks
Fearless (King #1) by Tawdra Kandle
Goodreads Blurb
This is an alternate cover version for ASIN: B006KHWEKQ
Tasmyn Vaughn didn’t expect much when her dad’s job moved them to a small town in Florida; it was just another new school. But there is more to King than meets the eye, and soon Tasmyn’s ability to hear other’s thoughts is the least of her worries. Entangled in a web of first love, quirky and secretive townsfolk, magic and blood rituals, she discovers the town’s secrets aren’t just bizarre, they’re deadly.
Coming Home (Texas Sisters #2) by Audrey Wick
Goodreads Blurb
College professor Mallory Fredrick loves her job in a city that feels like home, but after a student attacks her on social media, she loses her peace of mind and confidence. When her college offers a sabbatical, she jumps at the chance to escape to her hometown in Texas.
Entrepreneur Alec O’Donnell specializes in helping people in crisis. He’s built his company and career on packing up lives as people start over. It’s just business until he meets Mallory. Something about the beautiful and fragile woman who still manages to hold on to her sense of humor affects him. As feelings develop, he realizes he’s not ready for her to move out of his life.
Can Mallory find peace, or will a second setback keep her from coming home for good?
Every Day Is a Holiday (Every Day Is a Holiday #1) by George Mahood
Goodreads Blurb
George Mahood had a nice, easy, comfortable life. He had a job, a house, a wife and kids. But something was missing. He was stuck in a routine of working, changing nappies and cleaning up cat sick. He felt like he was missing out on a lot of what the world had to offer.
He then discovered that it was Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. The day after that was National Curmudgeon Day, and the day after that was Inane Answering Machine Message Day. In fact, the calendar is FULL of these quirky, weird and wonderful events. He realised that somebody somewhere had created these holidays, believing that they were important enough to warrant their own official day. Surely he should therefore be more appreciative of their existence? So he decided to try and celebrate them all. As you do. He hoped that at the end of the challenge he would be transformed into a happier, more intelligent and more content person.
Follow George on his hilarious, life changing adventure as he tries to balance his normal life with a wealth of new experiences, people, facts and ridiculous situations. It’s a rip-roaring, life-affirming, roller-coaster of a ride, where every day is a holiday.
A Tale of Two Houses (Defy the Stars #1) by Susan Harris
Goodreads Blurb
If you think you know how this story ends — think again!
Centuries ago, the royal house of witches in Vernanthia split into two factions: House Cambridge and House Montgomery. These two houses warred with each other for an age, causing widespread bloodshed and death. Those without magic — the Nulls — suffered the most. One day, a favored daughter of the Nulls was slain. With her dying breath, she cursed the covens to know no peace until love was possible between the houses.
That curse had long since been forgotten — until now.
Julian Montgomery is the reluctant Prince of House Montgomery and Rowan Cambridge is in no rush to become the Queen of House Cambridge. Both heirs long for freedom from their birthright obligations. When fate throws these two star-crossed lovers together, it sends them on a collision course with destiny that neither could have predicted.
Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet is reimagined in this compelling drama about two young people drawn by fate into an unwinnable situation. If you think you know how this story ends — think again!
Lovestruck
(Lucky in Love #3)
by Lila Monroe
Goodreads Blurb
Will Cassidy is hot, infuriating, and the guy behind the biggest heart-stomping humiliation of my life. He’s also hosting my BFF’s destination wedding at his super-luxe tropical resort, so short of a hurricane or outbreak of the plague (here’s hoping), I’m stuck within t̶o̶n̶g̶u̶e̶’s̶ arm’s reach of him for the next seven days.
But I’m not a naive college girl anymore, and there’s no way I’m falling for his (many) charms again. I just have to ignore the romantic wedding shenanigans, his miraculous abs, all those intimate beach sunsets… And did I mention those abs?
Maybe a wild vacation fling is exactly what I need to even the score… But between the scorching chemistry and all-inclusive margaritas, I’m getting drunk on love. Which definitely isn’t part of the plan.
Can I keep my heart zipped – even if my bikini bottoms are lost somewhere on that nude beach? And how do you let go of the past when you’re holding on tight to the past’s (very ripped) torso?
It looks like my friends chose seven books for me. I’m honest with you guys I’m not worried when it comes to reading the books but reviewing them is another story.
September 10: Books On My TBR I’m Avoiding Reading and Why (maybe you’re scared of it, worried it won’t live up to the hype, etc.) (submitted by Caitlin @ Caitlin Althea)
I want to do this with rereads because I don’t have enough books on my Goodreads tbr to create a good list of ten.
Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism by Julia Serano
Why: I would love to reread this book since It’s about activism and that something that I want to try and do in the future. However, when I read this the first time, a lot of the words entered one ear and went out the other.
Death Can Wait by Evan Bond
Why: This book is very well done but gave me nightmares for a few nights after I read this.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Why: I didn’t really understand this book or the reasons behind it, so I doubt it I will feel any different the second time around.
Closure, Limited and Other Zombie Stories by Max Brooks
Why: I doubt it if I read this book the right way, but I have no will to reread it.
The Blonde Formula by Federica Brunini, Becky D’Ugo (Translator)
Why: As much as I want to support Maltese authors, I don’t like this book enough to give it another read and I don’t own this book anymore.
Gone (Gone Saga #1) by Stacy Claflin
Why: This book gave me the creeps, but I was given this by the author and can’t afford or have access to the rest of the series.
The Transgender Manifesto by Ian Thomas Malone
Why: The Transgender Manifesto by Ian Thomas Malone represents the trans community, but, I think it will trigger feelings I don’t want to feel.
Nevada by Imogen Binnie
Why: I don’t know why but this book reminds me of an ex-girlfriend and the good times we had together and I feel that rereading this book will send me in a swallow mindset where I don’t want my mind to go.
Sex in C Major by Matthew J. Metzger
Why: I love this book for its weirdness, but it has a lot of sex scenes that will set me off.
Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E.L. James
Why: I won’t like it as much as my 17-year-old self did, because me back then didn’t care how bad the writing in this book is. However, I now with the lens of an author does care.
I don’t really know where to start, so I guess I might as well start from the beginning. A few months, my endocrinologist ordered a bunch of blood tests to see if I still have Polycystic ovary syndrome. (Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age) And the reason behind the tests is to have a definite yes or no about this condition and whether I have it.
I don’t have most of the symptoms of PCOS, but I have some like body hair, sadly I don’t have it on my face, I do get irregular cycles, pelvic pain, I don’t know how fertile or infertile I’m because I never tried to get pregnant. So, if it turns out I have PCOS, then I’ll deal with it as I deal with everything else in life. Hopefully, it turns out that I don’t have which will lower my risk of having things like type 2 diabetes – a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. Depression and mood swings – because the symptoms of PCOS can affect your confidence and self-esteem. High blood pressure and high cholesterol – which can lead to heart disease and stroke and sleep apnoea – overweight women may also develop sleep apnoea, a condition that causes interrupted breathing during sleep.
My endocrinologist told me to go and see a psychiatrist who works with trans people and just to make it clear here in Malta you don’t need a psychiatrist report to start hormones. Having said that I needed to see one due to my anxiety and my history an eating disorder. To say that I wasn’t terrified is like saying a monkey doesn’t like banana I know it’s not the best comparison, but it’s all I can compare to right now. I went to the appointment two hours late by mistake but thanked God she still saw me and she was super friendly.
She confirmed that both my anxiety and my past eating disorder is the cause of gender dysphoria. She recommended me for hormones and top surgery. It felt freeing because I’m not going to seem as ‘insane’ as my 15-year-old self has seemed. My aim and dream are for more training for doctors when it comes to handling trans patients. I choose to share my medical stuff for the sole reason to remind people that they aren’t alone, so if you guys have any questions put them down in the comments, and I’ll try my best to answer them.
Some of the benefits of having a dog are improved heart health by reducing high blood pressure and other related conditions. Keeps you going because now you have a dog whose life is depending on you. It’s another way to keep you moving by dog walks. Gives you a way to meet more people while at the dog parks and play dates.
So, what if your next best friend is a robot? You heard me right in 2020 this new dog robot is coming out called Jennie. Tom Stevens is the mind behind Jennie after his mother got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and had to give up her dog. Stevens said “My mom was devastated, so I started looking at substitutes for live animal companions,”
Jennie does many of the things that an average dog would do, like barking, responding to human touch and wags her tail, which will give that emotional support and love that every human being looks for to have in their life. Research shows that both robotic pets and pet therapy are on the rise in nowadays life. I think robotic pet can be another opinion for those who for one reason or another can’t have a ‘real’ pet.
According to Tombot’s Kickstarter page, Jennie the Golden Labrador retriever dog was created after Stevens own four-legged pup and is expected to be available for the public to purchase in May and will cost about $450. Which considering how many things a real pet would need like, the vet, food, pet sitter, groomer and toys, the price sounds affordable. So, what do you guys think? Let me know me know in the comments below!
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book
Lines
‘Make sure you get carrots from the front of the counter,’ Gwen Stratton glanced up from writing a shopping list. ‘There were several bad ones last week. And don’t go hanging around in Woolworth’s, Prudence, you know how Father feels about that!’
To an outsider stepping in from the frosty streets, the Saturday morning scene in the kitchen of number 14 Easton Street had a look of almost Victorian cosy domesticity. Mother sitting at the scrubbed wood table juggling a list of requirements against the meagre pile of coins in front of her; the four children dutifully engaged in various tasks around her.
An Aladdin paraffin stove, a pan of boiling handkerchiefs and meat being browned in a frying pan added diverse smells to the warm, steamy fug. The clatter of dishes, the polishing of brass and little James chattering to himself as he sat on his potty, almost concealed the resentment which emanated from all but the youngest member of the family.
All four children were remarkably alike and small for their ages. Four white-blond heads, pale, thin faces, big blue eyes. Charity and Prudence, fifteen and ten respectively, dressed alike in quaintly old-fashioned navy blue serge smock dresses and long grey socks, both with their hair neatly plaited. Tobias was nine, his shirt, long shorts and pullover all grey, his face streaked with black from the Brasso he was rubbing into candlesticks and an embossed wall plaque of a boat.
