#BookReview: Barely Visible by @authorkathleensomers @shewritespress

For any parent who has ever struggled with a child’s difficult or peculiar behavior, this candid and compelling memoir about raising a child on the spectrum offers reassurance that you are not alone—and a path forward is possible.

Although Asperger syndrome is considered a form of autism, few people are aware of its existence and even fewer can recognize it. Barely Visible is not a series of helpful hints and best practices, or a heroic tale of a champion parent. It is a relatable story of one mother’s struggle with the gray space between her son appearing normal on the surface and being not quite normal beneath it. 

Walking that fine line between when to say something and when to bite your tongue, hoping your child can handle life on his own, requires tremendous discernment and energy. How do you convince others to “cut your child some slack” when the kid they see looks like every other kid they know? How do you explain away behavior that, at face value, looks like the result of bad parenting? And how do you prevent others from discriminating against your child once you do disclose their disability? 

Chronicling a journey spanning twenty-three years, Barely Visible is a mother’s admission of guilt. for choosing to ignore her son’s diagnosis initially; acceptance of defeat, for rarely knowing the right thing to do; and an acknowledgment of love—not only for her son, but for herself. 

#BookReview: The Mother Self: Poems by @taliagutin

In this debut collection of poetry, The Mother Self guides readers along the raw and transformative path of early motherhood.

The Mother Self is a collection of poetry that poignantly unveils the journey of a new mother navigating the complexities of early motherhood. Accessible and engaging, each poem captures a mother's delicate dance as she embraces her new identity and grieves her past self, all while finding solace in the sacred bond with her son. Readers are invited to explore the beauty and challenges of this period of life with grace and authenticity and to linger in the quiet spaces of a mother’s heart, where love and loss intertwine and a meaningful journey of growth unfolds.

This collection weaves the universal themes of presence, nature, loss, and transformation. It guides readers on a path of healing and empowerment and offers a comforting hand through the transformative power of words. More than a collection of poems, it is a companion for new and seasoned mothers as they turn each page, nodding in recognition.

Above all, this book is a poetic testimony to every incomparable and holy step of motherhood.

#BookReview: The Magician's Daughter - A Memoir by Katy Grabel

The Magician’s Daughter – a Memoir is a coming-of-age story set within the motion and light of a traveling magic show. Fourteen-year-old Katy has a craving for grandeur and an imaginary world in her bedroom. She is the daughter of Lee Grabel—a former professional magician stuck behind a desk in the suburbs—who yearns to rekindle the lost fame of his former magic show. When he decides to hit the road again in a grand bid to be a Las Vegas headliner, Katy is delighted to enter the leagues of show biz as his stage assistant. With a floating piano, vanishing horse, and other wonderments, the Grabel family and their crew go on tour across the Western states. Trouble ensues with wayward roadies, stage mishaps, and the increasing unhappiness of her mother, The Beautiful Helene, who is disenchanted with the magic show even as she runs it with military precision from her stage-right table. In cities far and wide, tensions mount and betrayal is in the air. Through error and misstep, Katy must find herself outside the show’s intoxicating spotlight. Meanwhile, the Grabels and their crew are getting closer to their booking at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where the fate of the show will be determined. Never before has a daughter of a great magician written with such candor and beauty about this backstage world, where all outlandish dreams are possible, and the magic continues after the show leaves town.

#BookReview: Grow Your Own Food, Lady Muck Style by Catherine Saunders

"This gloriously funny book is the perfect read for a cold winter’s evening!" KG Magazine★ In this laugh-out-loud collection of light-hearted gardening stories - which first appeared as magazine articles – Catherine (aka Lady Muck) takes you on a joyous journey of the ups and downs of growing your own food.

★ Packed with solid growing tips and advice - plus hilarious, relatable moments for beginners and expert gardeners alike - you will love this beautifully illustrated book.

★ This isn’t just a gardening book. It’s an inspiring story and celebration of resilience. Catherine got into growing her own food as a therapy after severe illness left her disabled for many years. However, with the help of her family, she started to recover and turned to gardening - finding strength, joy and purpose in nurturing plants. And it was fun.

★ Lady Muck is the lovable gardening character she created to share that fun. To show that growing food doesn’t have to be difficult or dull - especially when you grow the ingredients to make your own cocktails - and to share her love and knowledge of all things green with others.

What You’ll Find 20 chapters of funny gardening stories featuring Lady Muck, her digger in crime, Lord Muck, and other entertaining characters. Each chapter contains story-specific, tried-and-tested advice to show you how to grow edible plants in the space you have available – from gardens, balconies, backyards and allotments to patios, windowsills and containers. From vegetables and herbs to fruits and microgreens! Readers’ favourites 

♥ Home Alone ♥ With fun-loving Lady Muck as your gardening guide, you’ll discover how to create your own cocktail herb bar and botanical gin garden for the complete happy hour experience! Enjoy reading about the garden party Lady Muck threw to test those home-grown, herb-infused cocktails...

♥ Gloriously Green ♥ Every seasoned gardener knows that we all make mistakes when we start growing. Just ask Lady Muck about poor Toby, Ted, Tim, and their poor tomato siblings - may they rest in peace. But now, with Lady Muck as your guide, learn how to grow edible plants - without any disasters!

♥ We Are Not Amused ♥ It all started with the broad beans going on strike after being taunted by the skinny leeks. Dissent then swiftly spread to Lady Muck’s old English apple tree which refused to grow near the French beans. So, if you want to avoid calling in a veggie dispute expert, discover the wonders of crop rotation and companion planting to keep your plants and soil healthy year after year.

♥ Mini Mucks ♥ Discover how to get kids involved in gardening, Lady Muck Style. Have a fun afternoon planting strawberries for jam, or put together some grow-your-own tomato pasta pots. However, watch out for young Finn emptying a jar of strawberry jam straight into a plant pot in an attempt to cut out the middle man! Well, he always was a smart cookie.

♥ Juice Fest ♥ Grow juicing staples such as parsley, mint, carrots, beetroots, cucumbers, kale, and spinach - so, if you ever have to shadow your kids for three days at the Isle of Wight Festival - wearing a wig, a trilby, a pair of Jackie O Ray-Bans to avoid being spotted, you will have a detox garden ready when you get home!

★ Plus check out the other books in the Lady Muck Style Series - a beautiful Gardening Planner & Journal and a super Gardener's Big Puzzle Book - Ideal gardening gifts for all occasions - birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Mother's day, Father's day, Christmas stocking fillers.

#Review for: Lazy Witchcraft for Crazy, Sh*tty Days by Andrea Samayoa

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Discover how to do witchcraft the lazy way with this self-care-promoting book of super-easy spells and rituals for days when you’re feeling stressed, burned out, or just generally sh*tty.

Traditional witchcraft is a lot of work and some days you just need to do things the lazy way. After all, everyone gets tired sometimes. Some of us get tired a lot. In Lazy Witchcraft for Crazy Sh*tty Days, Andrea Samayoa from the popular TikTok handle MoonStreetKits, is going to show you how to do witchcraft even when you’re really, really tired. Or sick. Or burnt out. Or just had a really crappy day.

Andrea’s approach to witchcraft is rooted in making things as easy as possible, so you can continue to do magic even when you don’t have a lot of spoons to give. The book is divided into six chapters, each of which focuses on a different kind of magic, including:

Self-Care: Rituals, spell jars, and enchantments to help you go from feeling blah to feeling like the radiant magical being you are.
Focus + Energy: Teas, shaker jars, oils, and mini rituals that give you energy instead of taking it out of you.
Protection + Warding: Everything from basic protections during spell-casting to full-on warding from a**hole energy vampires.
Manifestation: Literally the easiest manifestation work you will ever do.
And more!

Each spell or ritual is rated according to the number of “spoons” it takes to perform, and yes, that does include zero-spoon options (for the REAL bad days). The book will also feature Andrea’s best witch tips for divination, bulk recipes, herbs, ingredient/item substitutions, and more.

Fun, irreverent, and gorgeously illustrated, Lazy Witchcraft for Crazy, Sh*tty Days is the easiest witchcraft book you will ever buy. It’s perfect for beginners, young practitioners, or any witch who’s ever struggled to find the magic inside themselves on a really bad day.

#BookReview: Punished for Dreaming by Bettina L. Love

“I am an eighties baby who grew to hate school. I never fully understood why. Until now. Until Bettina Love unapologetically and painstakingly chronicled the last forty years of education ‘reform’ in this landmark book. I hated school because it warred on me. I hated school because I loved to dream.”
―Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to be an Antiracist

In the tradition of Michelle Alexander, an unflinching reckoning with the impact of 40 years of racist public school policy on generations of Black lives

In Punished for Dreaming Dr. Bettina Love argues forcefully that Reagan’s presidency ushered in a War on Black Children, pathologizing and penalizing them in concert with the War on Drugs. New policies punished schools with policing, closure, and loss of funding in the name of reform, as white savior, egalitarian efforts increasingly allowed private interests to infiltrate the system. These changes implicated children of color, and Black children in particular, as low performing, making it all too easy to turn a blind eye to their disproportionate conviction and incarceration. Today, there is little national conversation about a structural overhaul of American schools; cosmetic changes, rooted in anti-Blackness, are now passed off as justice.

It is time to put a price tag on the miseducation of Black children. In this prequel to The New Jim Crow , Dr. Love serves up a blistering account of four decades of educational reform through the lens of the people who lived it. Punished for Dreaming lays bare the devastating effect on 25 Black Americans caught in the intersection of economic gain and racist ideology. Then, with input from leading U.S. economists , Dr. Love offers a road map for repair, arguing for reparations with transformation for all children at its core.

#BookReview: Unsexed: Memoirs of a Prostitute's Daughter by Marina DelVecchio

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Unsexed examines the role that sex plays in the life of one woman with two mothers who introduce her to polarized frameworks of female sexuality.

Born in Greece to a violent prostitute and then adopted by a cold and unloving virgin from New York, Marina inherits a sexual identity steeped in fear and shame—one that, as she grows older and becomes a wife and mother, trickles into her marriage and the parenting of her children. Without the tools needed to understand her complex mothers or to unpack the lessons they taught her, Marina relies on self-erasure to survive relationships that silence and define her—until she finally becomes fed up with those old patterns and begins to stand in her own power.

A memoir that unearths the layered emotional and sexual lives of women and exemplifies the satisfaction that comes when they assert their voices and power, Unsexed speaks to millions of women who have different narratives but face similar struggles in reclaiming their voices, bodies, and sexuality.

#BookReview: The Botanic Garden by Ambra Edwards

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

This rich and beautiful guide from bestselling garden writer Ambra Edwards explores the most magnificent botanic havens from every continent across the world.

There has never been a better time to celebrate botanic gardens. From Brooklyn and San Francisco, to Colombia and Brazil; Oxford and Kew, to Cape Town and Mauritius; Norway and Germany, to Sydney and Thailand, discover surprising diversity, superb vistas and some of the most intriguing plants you can imagine.

As centres for research, conservation and education, these expansive collections are integral to our understanding of the true power of plants.

But they also hold some of the most beautiful species on earth – including ferns, trees, cacti, orchids and more – expertly cared for and presented as a feast for the senses, delighting thousands of visitors each year.

Ambra Edwards introduces the gardens, bringing them to life on the page, and uncovers their history, collections and scientific influence. This is a celebration of the wonder that is contained within the world’s greatest botanic gardens.

#BookReview: Elk Love: A Montana Memoir by Lynne Spriggs O'Connor @shewritespress

Synopsis: Having spent ten summers on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation near Glacier National Park, part of her doctoral fieldwork for a PhD in Native American Art History, forty-two-year-old Lynne Spriggs thinks of Montana as her healing place. When she moves to “Big Sky Country” from the East Coast in a quest to reset her life, she has high hopes for what awaits her.

Great Falls, a farming and military town in central Montana, is not what Lynne imagined when she decided to leave city life behind. But her dream of being more connected to nature in the American West comes alive when she meets Harrison, a handsome rancher thirteen years her senior. Wary but curious, with her dog Willow by her side, she leans into the seasonal rhythms of Harrison’s hidden valley and opens her heart to a wild language that moves beyond words. In a modern world where listening is rare, Elk Love explores an intimate place where loneliness gives way to wonder, where the natural world speaks of what matters most.

#BookReview: The Witch's Door (Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme) by Ryan Matthew Cohn & Regina M. Cohn

Synopsis: In this spellbinding and entertaining memoir, Regina and Ryan Cohn, founders of Oddities Flea Market, take us on a fascinating and specially curated tour of their most macabre and mysterious objects, art, and artifacts, sharing their incredible history and stories.

Enter at your own risk …

This title will be released on October 1, 2024.

#BookReview: In Pursuit of Radio Mom: Searching for the Mother I Never Had by Terry Crylen

Synopsis: In Pursuit of Radio Mom  brings the reader tight to Terry Crylen’s side as it traces her path from frequent and debilitating anxiety, loneliness, and shame—and a dysfunctional marriage that mirrors the dynamics of her relationship with her mother—to the discovery of her authentic self and the happiness and fulfillment such a transformation brings. Radio Mom also illuminates the ways in which one generation impacts the next—both wittingly and unwittingly—when later, while pressing along the difficult route of raising her own daughter, the author is challenged to confront, yet again, the legacy of her past. 

A book that also makes transparent the process of psychotherapy, In Pursuit of Radio Mom’s message is the excavation of pain clears space within the mind and heart—affording the growth of new insight, overturning fear, and making acceptance and forgiveness possible.

#BookReview: Di Di Mau: A True Story About Tigers, Rock Apes, the Jungle, and War by Darren Walton , Michael J. Coffino

Synopsis: “A revealing, sometimes gut-wrenching war memoir that examines virtually every aspect of his tour of duty." —Marc Leepson, Arts Editor and Senior Writer, The VVA Veteran magazine. 

In 1969, Darren Walton, at the tender age of nineteen, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, trading life in idyllic Marin County in California for the chaos of a raging jungle war in Southeast Asia. In no time, he got pressed into service as a member of a Marine reconnaissance unit operating near Da Nang, Vietnam.

There were a few times when he basked in the breathtaking beauty of the triple canopy jungle, the contoured glistening mountain ridges, and the luscious green valleys. But there were many, many other times when he and his fellow Marines labored under the terror of the worst the jungle had to torrential monsoons, torturous humidity, rapacious insects, and enemy-placed punji traps springing from hell below.

Darren survived thanks to the unconditional loyalty and courage of his fellow Marines, men who risked their own lives to save his, men who demonstrated uncommon courage in the most desperate of circumstances. No questions asked. No conditions imposed. No social barriers erected. Semper Fidelis.Di Di Mau is Darren’s unabashed personal account of warfare, survival, and brotherhood—and the enduring reflections that followed. It is unlike any book about the Vietnam War.

#BookReview: The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth

Synopsis: A skeptic’s year-long quest to find spiritual fulfillment through modern Witchcraft, perfect for fans of A.J. Jacobs and Mary Roach.

Diana Helmuth, thirty-three, is skeptical of organized religion. She is also skeptical of disorganized religion. But, more than anything, she is tired of God being dead. So, she decides to try on the fastest growing, self-directed faith in Witchcraft.

The result is 366 days of observation, trial, error, wit, and back spasms. Witches today are often presented as confident and finished, proud and powerful. Diana is eager to join them. She wants to follow all the rules, memorize all the incantations, and read all the liturgy. But there’s one glaring problem: no Witch can agree on what the right rules, liturgy, and incantations are.

As with life, Diana will have to define the craft for herself, looking past the fashionable and figuring out how to define the real. Along the way, she travels to Salem and Edinburgh (two very Crafty hubs) and attends a week-long (clothing optional) Witch camp in Northern California. Whether she’s trying to perform a full moon ritual on a cardboard box, summon an ancient demon with scotch tape and a kitchen trivet, or just trying to become a calmer, happier person, her biggest question Will any of this really work?

The Witching Year follows in the footsteps of celebrated memoirs by journalists like A.J. Jacobs, Mary Roach, and Caitlin Doughty, who knit humor and reportage together in search of something worth believing.

#BookReview: Summons to Berlin by Joanne Intrator @shewritespress

Synopsis: On his deathbed, Dr. Joanne Intrator’s father poses two unsettling 

“Are you tough enough? Do they know who you are?”

Joanne soon realizes that these haunting questions relate to a center-city Berlin building at 16 Wallstrasse that the Nazis ripped away from her family in 1938. But a decade is to pass before she will fully come to grasp why her father threw down the gauntlet as he did.

Repeatedly, Joanne’s restitution quest brings her into confrontation with yet another of her profound fears surrounding Germany and the Holocaust. Having to call on reserves of strength she’s unsure she possesses, the author leans into her professional command of psychiatry, often overcoming flabbergasting obstacles perniciously dumped in her path.

The depth and lucidity of psychological insight threaded throughout Summons to Berlin makes it an attention-grabbing standout among books on like topics. As a reader, you’ll come away delighted to know just who Dr. Joanne Intrator is. You’ll also finish the book cheering for her, because in the end, she proves far more than tough enough to satisfy her father’s unnerving final demands.

#BookReview: Happy AF by @BethRomeroBooks @shewritespress

Synopsis: Feeling crappy? Wanna be happier? Wanna up your game? 
Happy AF  is your comprehensive roadmap for happiness. Drawing heavily from neuroscience, positive psychology, and behavioral science, the straightforward strategies and exercises in this how-to guide will teach you how to strengthen your happiness muscle and live up to your greatest potential. Happiness junky Beth Romero serves up a life-affirming parable laced with contextual how-tos—all backed by clinical research—in fresh, insightful, and accessible language you can relate to. Kinda like your best friend giving it to you straight (with love) over cocktails. In this book, you will 
* the art of letting go 
* proven ways to jiu-jitsu your negative thoughts to transform your life
* how goals, vision, purpose are the stepping-stones to greatness
* the importance of gratitude and grace in your happiness journey
* the scientific link between sleep, morning routines, diet, and exercise on your mental well-being
* and much, much more!

Happiness  is  a choice—and it’s within your reach.  If you do the work . If you believe. Much like Dorothy with her ruby slippers, the power is always within you . . . just waiting for you to access it. So get ready to click your Manolos, Dr. Martens, or Adidas and find your happy place.

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#BookReview: Southern Fried Sass: A Queen's Guide to Cooking, Decorating, and Living Just a Little "Extra" by Ginger Minj

Synopsis: RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Ginger Minj shares her favorite recipes, best advice, and wildest stories in this hilarious book that’s part memoir, part cookbook. Perfect for fans of Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood.

Drag icon Ginger Minj brings her signature humor and sass to this tongue-in-cheek memoir-cum-life manual-cum-cookbook. Featuring Ginger’s favorite Southern-inspired recipes, Southern Fried Sassshowcases some of her most vulnerable and celebratory moments, revealing the most valuable lessons she’s learned after years in drag and the pearls of wisdom she’s gleaned from her grandmother’s personal brand of Southern resilience.

You’ll cheer for Ginger as she spills the tea with exclusive behind-the-scenes details from three seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and offers her best advice on everything from contouring to cooking and setting the table for a full-on Southern-style Thanksgiving dinner. Did we say dinner? Here, you’ll find more than fifty recipes, including The Minx’s Sick’ning Scalloped Pineapple Paradise, Red Barn BBQ Ribs platter, Better Than Sex cake, and countless other decadent desserts. From fighting for what you’re worth to looking good on a motorcycle as a big girl to finding love while also making damn good cupcakes, this is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to live their best life.

#BookReview: The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth

Synopsis: A skeptic’s year-long quest to find spiritual fulfillment through modern Witchcraft, perfect for fans of A.J. Jacobs and Mary Roach.

Diana Helmuth, thirty-three, is skeptical of organized religion. She is also skeptical of disorganized religion. But, more than anything, she is tired of God being dead. So, she decides to try on the fastest growing, self-directed faith in Witchcraft.

The result is 366 days of observation, trial, error, wit, and back spasms. Witches today are often presented as confident and finished, proud and powerful. Diana is eager to join them. She wants to follow all the rules, memorize all the incantations, and read all the liturgy. But there’s one glaring problem: no Witch can agree on what the right rules, liturgy, and incantations are.

As with life, Diana will have to define the craft for herself, looking past the fashionable and figuring out how to define the real. Along the way, she travels to Salem and Edinburgh (two very Crafty hubs) and attends a week-long (clothing optional) Witch camp in Northern California. Whether she’s trying to perform a full moon ritual on a cardboard box, summon an ancient demon with scotch tape and a kitchen trivet, or just trying to become a calmer, happier person, her biggest question Will any of this really work?

The Witching Year follows in the footsteps of celebrated memoirs by journalists like A.J. Jacobs, Mary Roach, and Caitlin Doughty, who knit humor and reportage together in search of something worth believing.

#BookReview: The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz by Sara Leibovits & Eti Elbom

Synopsis: Poland, 1944 The train slowed and halted with a squeal of the brakes. It felt like we waited in the carriage for an eternity, but eventually, the heavy doors opened, directly into the chaos outside. Sara Leibovits, a 16-year-old Jewish girl, was a passenger on the train, together with her family. Within minutes, their horrific fate was sealed.
The little family spent their final minutes together on the platform at Auschwitz before they were ordered in all directions and each left to their own fate. Sara’s mother and baby brothers were sent to their deaths. Her father was made a Sonderkommando, one of the men forced to remove the bodies from the gas chambers, and was later executed. This is the powerful true story of Sara Leibovits and the incredible pain and hardships she went through during her time in the Death Camp. Yet despite the horrors she faced she always tried to maintain her families’ values ​​of courage, faith and kindness to others. Her story is intertwined with that of her daughter, Eti, seventy years later, who embodies the voice of the second generation and completes the Holocaust survivors' tale.

#BookReview: Essential Oils for Healing by @bindiyogass @StMartinsPress

Synopsis: An easy-to-use handbook for using essential oils every day ― now with a new foreword from the author

All over the world, people are turning toward homeopathic and alternative medicines. Essential Oils for Healing is an easy-to-use guide for anyone who wants to learn how to use essential oils to heal a multitude of ills. Ailments are listed in alphabetical order and are accompanied by hundreds of recipes you can re-create at home using the essential oils at your disposal. Tips on safe handling and usage, contraindications, and storage ensure that even the most novice of essential oils user can get the healing benefits from our planet's natural resources.

Did you know that a few drops of lavender oil can be added to your kids' shampoo to protect them from head lice? Or that a drop of clove oil mixed with orange oil can relieve a mind-numbing toothache? Common, everyday problems such as nausea, dry skin, and insect bites to more serious issues like migraines and arthritis are included along with all-natural remedies that are simple and accessible.