Outside of a Dog

Matt Cengia reviewed Allegiant by Veronica Roth

No cover — Allegiant (Hardcover, 2013, HarperCollins Children's Books)

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered -- fractured by violence …

Entertaining, but not fantastic

3 stars

Content warning Minor ending spoilers for Allegiant, by Veronica Roth

I listened to the audiobooks of this series because I'd watched the movies, only to find that Allegiant movie is only part 1 of 2, and that part 2 never got made, so I was left wondering how it ended.

Having finished the book, and found (unsurprisingly) that the story is a little different from the movies, and that the ending was… bittersweet, I think it's fair to say that while I would've been frustrated continuing to wonder at the ending, it's certainly not the most satisfying!

This series is quite obviously targeting young adults; much of the language is fairly simple (there are so many different words for "they said", but Roth doesn't take many opportunities to use them), but I didn't mind it. What can I say, I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction.

Matt Cengia reviewed The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb PhD

The Upward Spiral (Paperback, 2015, New Harbinger Publications)

Review of 'The Upward Spiral' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book was incredibly helpful, with simple, straightforward tips to slowly but surely start forming positive habits (e.g. going for a daily walk, even if it's just to the end of the street), with a solid scientific backing, including citations to many supportive studies.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who's struggling, even just a little, with their mental health.

Matt Cengia reviewed The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape

The Barefoot Investor (Paperback, 2007, Wiley)

Review of 'The Barefoot Investor' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This is a somewhat prescriptive book targeted at fairly traditional family structures. It's great to have some clearly defined steps for how to manage your finances, rather than more general wishy-washy advice, assuming you're within the target demographic for whom this advice makes sense.

I perceived some of the prose as somewhat arrogant, but maybe some people need that sort of upfront and direct approach; it didn't quite work for me.

My intent is to use this as a basis for where to start researching what would work for me, and take from the book what works for me, and leave what doesn't.