Category: Reviews

/rɪˈvjuː/ noun. a report in a newspaper or magazine, or on the internet, television or radio, in which somebody gives their opinion of a book, play, film, product, etc.; the act of writing this kind of report

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

Author Sarah Wilson shares anecdotes and anxiety-busting methods from her life experience.

“One of the dear, dear things about getting older, is that it does eventually dawn on you that there is no guidebook. One day it suddenly emerges: No one bloody gets it! None of us knows what we’re doing. pg 5, ebook

Through her research and personal experiences, Wilson shares the best, and the worst, of the treatments and latest scientific advances. Even though we don’t have the treatments for anxiety nailed down yet, it helps to know that sufferers are not alone in their struggles.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“We’re told that globally one in thirteen people suffer an anxiety-related illness. Some studies tell us that one in six of us in the West will be afflicted with an anxiety disorder at some stage in our lives, making it the most common officially classified mental illness.” pg 14, ebook

I liked Wilson’s definition of anxiety: she sees it as a separation of self from something larger and more meaningful. The anxiety makes us reach for this something, but we don’t know what we’re reaching for and it hurts.

Photo by Daniel Torobekov on Pexels.com

“Anxiety is a disconnection with this Something Else. As I say, the doctors and scientists can call it all kinds of things, but I believe it all comes down to this disconnect.” pg 44, ebook

Wilson excels at the physical descriptions of anxiety and bipolar disorder. She captures the raw edges of the experience and how life can feel painful because all the stimulation coming in when you’re having a panic attack or a manic episode.

She includes a couple exercises to help bring yourself down when you’re experiencing anxiety. But not too many, because: “I don’t plan on filling this book with too many exercises that people like me skim over to get to the meaty theory. I’ll just include the ones that suit people like you and me.” pg 57, ebook

Highly recommended for anxiety sufferers or their loved ones who want to know what it’s like to be inside the experience.

Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry by Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry by Elizabeth Taylor

“I don’t want to be a sex symbol. I would rather be a symbol of a woman, a woman who makes mistakes, perhaps, but a woman who loves.” pg 53

The incomparable Elizabeth Taylor shares anecdotes of her life between gorgeous photos of her personal jewelry collection.

My favorite parts are her memories about the tempestuous years between Richard Burton and herself. They’re just so drama-filled.

“Richard went to Van Cleef & Arpels and came back with this extraordinary heart and choker. The necklace tends to ‘roll,’ so you don’t see me wearing it much in photographs, but it’s one of my favorite pieces of jewelry because it was given with such love. That man knew how to make up!” pg 118

Meanwhile, there’s the jewelry… amazing stuff.

For example, there’s a pearl that is pictured with a series of European monarchs that her puppy tried to eat once upon a time. Can you imagine?

And Elizabeth received gifts for any and all reasons imaginable. Had a fight? Make up jewelry. Become a grandma? Not-at-all grandma jewelry. Just a regular Tuesday? Here’s some regular Tuesday jewelry.

It’s so over-the-top and I love it so much. Highly recommended for readers seeking coffee table books. You can’t get much more lovely than this.

Thanks for reading!

Cahokia: Mirror of the Cosmos by Sally A. Kitt Chappell

Cahokia: Mirror of the Cosmos by Sally A. Kitt Chappell

“The components of the future earth and of Monks Mound were once bits of matter, created in the cauldrons of exploding stars, moving with great, swirling gravitational forces, like the stars still forming near the Cone Nebula today.” pg xiv

Cahokia: Mirror of the Cosmos is a reference book about the historic site, Cahokia Mounds. Author Sally Chappell takes the reader from the Big Bang all way through to the present – an estimated 13 billion years.

To say it is an ambitious book is an understatement.

Photo by Alex Andrews on Pexels.com

“A major change in midwestern climate about 1250 may have caused considerable stress in Cahokia. The overall temperature of the region cooled during this infamous Pacific Climate Episode.” pg 72

That being said, once Chappell gets into the history of the site itself, it is an excellent look at a little-remembered place of forgotten significance.

Monks Mound is the largest earthen mound in North America, but so few people know about it.

Photo by Scott Webb on Pexels.com

The visitor’s center is currently closed for a much-needed update. I’ve been in there half a dozen times and it doesn’t do the site justice.

What Cahokia Mounds could really use is a team of historians, archaeologists, and a couple years worth of grants to properly study it.

And more books like Cahokia: Mirror of the Cosmos.

“By 1900 the Cahokia landscape was so changed by farming, canals, ditches, clear-cutting, railroad construction, housing, erosion, highways, streets, telephone lines, and rogue vegetation that only shadows of its past remained.” pg 151

Recommended for scholars who are interested in Cahokia Mounds. Chappell gives you a broad but ultimately helpful place to start your research.

Thanks for reading!

Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing by Brandon Weston

Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing by Brandon Weston

“There are many more folk beliefs unique to the Ozarks, some of which will be discussed in this work, but we also have to remember that much of what makes up this tradition can be traced to influencing factors from outside the region.” pg 16

Author and healer Brandon Weston takes readers through the varying histories and roles of Ozark folk magic. He discusses the different kinds of historical practices as well as following the evolution of Ozark traditions in the modern day.

Photo by Gaspar Zaldo on Pexels.com

“What worked was saved, treasured, and passed down through the generations. This process continues even today, and as a practitioner in the modern world, I’m constantly making these changes not only within my own work, but also for the culture as a whole.” pg 33

It is an illuminating look into a culture that remains fairly closed and secretive even today.

Brandon discusses the historical reasons for this secret keeping and doesn’t dismiss the darker portions of Ozark history such as racial tensions.

Also, he makes sure to talk about the dangers of overdosing on certain herbs or not seeking the help of western medicine when it is warranted. This book is fully of cautionary tales as well as educational ones.

Photo by lilartsy on Pexels.com

“There are many rituals that might be very interesting to look at but that aren’t worth using in a modern setting. Take, for instance, those rituals that involve the harming or killing of an animal, like the infamous black cat rite. I can’t stress enough that many traditions of the past need to be left in the past.” pg 247

My favorite part of this book was the chapter dealing with how different practitioners have reported receiving “the gift”. There were so many different ways and methods! It was fascinating to read Brandon’s take on all of it.

“Another unique road to power often found in the modern Ozarks comes in the form of receiving the gift through communion with nature. It might seem overly simplistic, but one of the beautiful aspects of Ozark healing is its simplicity.” pg 92

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history and practices of Ozark folk magic.

Thanks for reading!

Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World by Kelly Coyne, Erik Knutzen

Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World by Kelly Coyne, Erik Knutzen

“Making It” is a collection of recipes and how-tos to create items from toothpaste to garden beds and everything in-between.

The dedication says it all: “To anyone who is in their kitchen, garden, or garage right now, making it.”

I picked this book up because I was curious about the processes listed in it. How does one forage? Or create drip irrigation for vegetables? Or create a variety salves? The topics go on and on in this book.

The recipes and instructions are divided by time – how long it will take you to complete the various projects.

I could see it being incredibly useful for homesteaders both experienced and not.

As for me, I’m not in a place right now where I can do much of this. But, I’m hopeful I will be in that place some day in the future.

Highly recommended.

Tarot Games: 45 Playful Ways to Explore Tarot Cards Together; A New Vision for the Circle of Community by Cait Johnson

Tarot Games: 45 Playful Ways to Explore Tarot Cards Together; A New Vision for the Circle of Community by Cait Johnson

Tarot Games is a cute book about different tarot card layouts and how you can share these games with your loved ones in order to promote communication and the sharing of emotions.

“The wonderful thing about using these simple games and ‘reading layouts’ is that they catalyze the deeper processes taking place between people. This in itself is healing.” pg xii

Photo by Alina Vilchenko on Pexels.com

Throughout the text, the author has sprinkled spiritual images and spirals. It makes for a relaxing read.

“Playing this game together gave both friends a sense of being supported, understood, and protected.” pg 27

I think people take tarot cards too seriously sometimes. This book is a good reminder to allow ourselves to play and share. It doesn’t have to be as dire as all that.

Highly recommended for beginners to advanced practitioners of tarot card reading.

Thanks for reading!

Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1) by Tamsyn Muir

Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1) by Tamsyn Muir

Gideon wants to escape from her dreary life on a dead end planet but when her plans are hijacked by the head of her household, she ends up having to become a cavalier for her nemesis. Snarky humor, profanity, and gothic themes follow.

“Gideon marveled that someone could live in the universe only seventeen years and yet wear black and sneer with such ancient self-assurance.” pg 24

Photo by Jeremy Mu00fcller on Pexels.com

I was unprepared for the violence and blood-soaked pages of this book. (Maybe I should have read some of the reviews first!)

I also had trouble keeping track of character’s titles. Each character could be referred to in three or four different ways, and the author used the titles interchangeably.

It made it hard for me to enjoy the story. The pacing was slow in the middle, which didn’t help matters.

One positive thing I have to say about Gideon the Ninth is the story is quite unique. I’ve never read a story about necromancers in space – until now.

Also, the humor was note-worthy. Tamsyn Muir, the author, uses modern language to build sparkling dialogue and funny interactions. If readers are fond of Deadpool, they may enjoy this story too.

I wish I had enjoyed it more. Only recommended for readers who like their humor dark, their bloody wounds flowing and their character lists massive.

Thanks for reading!

Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction by Chris Bailey

Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction by Chris Bailey

In Hyperfocus, author Chris Bailey describes different types of attention and gives methods to improve the quality of your attention each day.

He suggests attention is a limited resource and, as such, you should take control of when, where, and to what you give your attention to.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Most of his advice on how to improve your focus was common sense: drink a cup of coffee, rid your environment of distractions, only check your email once an hour.

The brilliance of this book is his method of codifying attention. He compares two types of attention, hyperfocus and scatterfocus.

Hyperfocus is fairly self explanatory – you only focus on one thing and redirect your attention if it wanders.

Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com

Scatterfocus is the mode that most of us wander around in every day. But, Bailey says, you can harness this type of focus too.

Use this method of focusing when you’re trying to be creative or looking for connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. It is the focus that sometimes hits in the shower, a ah-ha moment that changes the way you view reality.

I feel like there’s no real way to control that type of focus, other than to be self aware while you’re in it. However, I found Bailey’s suggestion intriguing. Perhaps if I set aside time each day to consciously let my mind wander, I will have a different view on it.

I’m definitely game to give it a try.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells

In All Systems Red a sentient android, who calls herself, Murderbot, is with a group of scientists on a mission to survey a planet. She (though technically not a she, but I think of her as a she) is responsible for the security of the group.

When things begin going horribly wrong, Murderbot’s job becomes infinitely more complex. She doesn’t experience emotions but is thrust into situation after situation where the humans around her are dealing with emotions.

Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

At least she has hours of videos in storage to keep her busy- watching films is her favorite pastime.

It’s not an easy job. But someone has to do it.

From the first pages of this story, I was hooked. Author Martha Wells pulled me in and my attention never wavered throughout this novella. It’s easy to see why this one is an award winner – both Hugo and Nebula Awards.

The characters are delightful. The action is both intense and entertaining.

Throughout the story, I was mentally comparing Murderbot’s interactions with other people with the plight of real soldiers who are returning from war. In many ways, she feels like she doesn’t belong. Her special skillsets and very existence forever separates her from the people around her.

She has no emotions; mimicking the numbness that some soldiers feel with post-traumatic stress disorder.

I realize soldiers are not actually robots, but the allegories drawn from this book could make for interesting book club conversations.

Even though it’s science fiction, it’s not the “hard” variety which leads to appeal far beyond the typical group of science fiction readers.

This is a stand-alone novel as well as the first in a series. Readers who are completionists, like me, may like that, especially if they’re reading outside of their typical genre.

Highly recommended for fiction readers and book clubs.

Thanks for reading!