A Review: The Power of Positive Thinking

Today I have just completed reading my constant companion – a book entitled, “The Power of Positive Thinking” written by Norman Vincent Peale. This was lent to me by my cousin, Ate Bambi, who had been a sounding board at the time when I was still down.

This book helped me lot in my workplace and in my personal life in general. It is composed of 13 chapters and I think it is best read according to your choice topic, depending on your mood for the day.

Its 13 chapters are:

1.       Believe In Yourself

2.       A Peaceful Mind Generates Power

3.       How to Have Constant Energy

4.       Try Prayer Power

5.       How to Create Your Own Happiness

6.       Expect the Best and Get It

7.       I Don’t Believe in Defeat

8.       How to Break the Worry Habit

9.       Power to Solve Personal Problems

10.   When Vitality Sags, Try this Health Formula

11.   How to Get People to Like You

12.   Prescription for Heartache

13.   How to Draw Upon That Higher Power

To make sure I’m not missing out any chapters I attached a post-it on its inside cover to track the chapters that I have finished.

I don’t think it’s still out in the market but if you get the chance to get one, I guarantee you that it’s going to be a soul soothing read! It will help you break free from whatever emotional turmoil that you may have. Even if you read it over and over again, you will continue to feel enlightened.

BOOKS TO BUY : Adarna House’s Recommended Reading List for Fiction Writers

In all the writing workshops I have attended, the speakers never fail to say that a good writer is a wide reader. This is quite a challenge on my end because as a solo parent with multiple jobs, my time each day to perform all my responsibilities seems to be never enough. There are even occasions when I would be leaving a book in the toilet because going inside there is a window for my guilt-free “me time” where I could update myself on reading by at least a chapter or two. Isn’t it that an ad said before, a page a day takes ignorance away?

In the writing workshop I recently attended, the “Sipat| Sulat: An Adarna House on Seeing and Making Literature,” the attendees were presented of the writers’ suggested chapter books. I took note of the book titles which from now on I consider as my target books to purchase sooner or later.

Here are the new book titles on my list:

WHY CHAPTER BOOKS?

Fantasy and Paranormal Series

1. Harry Potter (1997)

2. Twilight (2007)

Dystopian Series

1. The Hunger Games

2. Divergent

Science Fiction 

1. The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter

Bullying

1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Sick Lit

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

3. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Fandom Love

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

2. Carry  On : The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow

3. Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

4. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

It’s All A Lie

1. Crenshaw by Catherine Applegate

2. The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly

3. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

4. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Illustrated Novels / Sequential Story Telling

1. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

3. The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow

4. Flora & Ulysses : The Illustrated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo and K.G. Campbell

5. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

6. Gene Luen Yang

Alternating Points of View / Multiple Narratives

1. Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

2. I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

3. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

4. Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

#WeNeedDiverseBooks

1. Blackbird Fly

PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE

1. Tall Story by Candy Gourlay - Dual Narrative

2. Shine by Candy Gourlay - Dual Narrative

3. Choco Chip Hips by Agay Llanera - Manipulating Language

4. Woman In A Frame - Characterization and Language

5. I Hate My Mother - Code Switching

6. Si Janus Silang - “Offensive” Words

7. Sep? - Slang

8. Displaced - Novel in Verse

9. Anino ng mga Alon - Lyrical Language

SUBMITTING TO PUBLISHERS (ADARNA HOUSE)

1. Papel de Liha

2. Bakit Matagal Ang Sundo Ko

3. Palengke

4. Papa’s House, Mama’s House

5. Supremo