#BookReview Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

Sometimes it takes a stranger to really know who you are.

My Review

I loved this book, and it has to be my most favourite of the year so far!

I was a little confused when I began reading and realised that the whole story is told in the form of letters between two people. How could you write a whole book based on that format? Quite easily, as it turns out. We learn about Tina and Anders through their correspondence, and we learn about their families, their social circles, the world and the cultures that they grew up in, all wrapped up in reference to archaeology and the nature of what makes us human.

It was nice to read something from characters that are older than we usually find, because they can talk from experience, and we can relate to it. I could easily see Tina in people that I have known and do know and understand how her life happened around her almost by accident.

The book left me feeling warm and fuzzy, but also gave me some serious subjects to think about and apply to my own life as I grow older.

You must read this book!

Get the book

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#BookReview Leave the World Behind by by Rumaan Alam

A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.

My Review

I found the first chapter of this book a little boring since it talked about an average family and their road trip to a secluded holiday destination. I stuck with it and gradually the pace picked up a little, although it never really reached a point where I couldn't put it down. I like what the author was trying to convey, and the prose was appealing to me, but the abrupt ending left me feeling short-changed. I realise this was planned and intended, but still, it left me a bit disgruntled! I would recommend this book if you like something completely modern that talks about your average US family and their life experiences.

Get the book

I borrowed this book from my local library, but if you want to read it now, click here.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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#BookReview Incy Wincy (Mal & Jackie Book 2) by R.J. Dark

Malachite Jones is a pretend psychic medium and an unwilling detective.
He certainly doesn't want anyone bringing him a missing persons case.
Definitely not two.
When a body turns up he knows life is only going to get harder.

 
My Review
 
Yorkshire meets Hollywood with a dash of British cynicism thrown in for good measure.
 
This was a very interesting book and not my usual choice. It is the second in a series, but I had no difficulty recognising the characters as they were introduced. I think the story was set in Leeds or Sheffield, but it was never properly confirmed, and I don't know either of those cities well enough to recognise some of the estates and areas that featured in the book. I did enjoy reading a book set in the North of England that was modern, that I could relate to, and that managed to combine Hollywood action with British reservedness, if that makes sense.
 
Jackie was an interesting character, who at first I disliked but in the end grew quite fond of, even recognising and understanding why he behaved the way that he did. Mal was a fairly regular character, and my one disappointment was that he didn't display any obvious psychic skills during the story. I know he is faking it and that is made clear from the start, but still, he must have something that made him set up the business, surely?
 
Generally, I am glad I read this book, it had me gripped when the action kicked in, and it left me thinking about what happened for a while afterwards.
 
Get the book – click here.
 
 

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*I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review
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#Booktalk Totally Loveable: A Mindful Guide to Moving on From Toxic Relationships and Creating the Love You Deserve by Tammy Lovell

Debut Book from ‘The Mindful Diva’ Takes Readers on a Journey from Toxic to Transformed!

 

Written by Tammy Lovell, Totally Loveable is the product of the author’s own experiences and more than seven years of education in meditation, healing and trauma recovery. Full of insight, gentle guidance, and hard-won wisdom, ‘Totally Loveable’ will show readers how to mindfulness can help them create the life and love they deserve.

Mindfulness is well-known as a remedy for everything from anxiety to chronic health conditions, but can it also help you find love?

After a wrenching divorce, journalist Tammy Lovell hit rock bottom. Like so many others going through emotional distress, Lovell turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and came close to losing everything. It was only when she discovered meditation that Lovell saw light in the darkness, and embarked on a journey that would literally change her life.

It’s a journey that inspired Lovell’s new book, Totally Loveable: A Mindful Guide to Moving on From Toxic Relationships and Creating the Love You Deserve. In the book, Lovell shares what has worked for her and clients throughout the healing process and led to her becoming one of the foremost new voices in mindfulness education.

Covering a wide range of topics, including addiction recovery, narcissistic abuse, online dating, and dealing with your inner critic, ‘Totally Loveable’ is also about something profoundly universal to the human experience: finding love.

Synopsis:

Are you ready to move on from toxic relationships and finally get the love you deserve? Tammy Lovell, founder of The Mindful Diva, takes you on a journey of transformative inner work to heal your past, claim your worth and attract love.

Totally Loveable is a guide to moving from hurt to healed, so you can create the happy, fulfilling life and relationship you truly deserve.

Drawing on her expertise as a mindfulness teacher and her personal experience of recovering from a difficult divorce, Tammy outlines a complete plan for transforming the pain of your past into newfound self-love and empowerment.

You'll learn:

·       How to let go of your painful patterns

·       Why mindfulness is the hidden key to manifesting love

·       What to do if you're in love with a narcissist

·       The secret to tackling your inner critic once and for all

·       Why you need to open your heart to love

·       The importance of following your desires

Tried and tested tips for maintaining a healthy relationship… and so much more!

If your confidence has been knocked through divorce, heartbreak or unhappy relationships, this book will provide you with the tools you need to regain your power and get ready for the love you've been dreaming of.

It’s time to realise how Totally Loveable you really are!

“It was my own spiritual journey that led to this book,” says Lovell. “After my divorce my whole life fell apart and I eventually left my hectic media job to train as a mindfulness teacher. It’s been such an empowering change and it’s set me on a course to helping others, which is what I feel called to do.”

 

Continuing, “While anyone can talk about their topic of choice, with this book I guide readers toward their transformation through a series of practical exercises. Everything is laid out for them in an easy-to-follow manner. With this book, they won’t have to wonder if they’re on the right path - it will be there for them to follow. I truly believe my book is the key to changing lives for the better. It’s the best gift I could give - sharing what I’ve learned.”

Visit the author’s official website

 

About the Author

Tammy Lovell is a mindfulness teacher, life coach, women’s circle leader and award-winning health journalist. She is a registered teacher with the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA) and her company The Mindful Diva is dedicated to guiding people to overcome stress, anxiety and chronic pain so they can fulfil their purpose in the world.

Tammy started her mindfulness journey back in 2013 when she went through a difficult divorce. After initially turning to alcohol to cope, she went through a personal breakdown which saw her on the verge of losing everything dear to her. At her lowest point she discovered a meditation retreat, which led to a spiritual awakening and a new way of life. After studying mindfulness and coaching, Tammy quit her media job to focus on helping others who are suffering and looking for guidance.

In 2020, Tammy co-founded Awakening Women’s Circle with a friend as an online offering to help women feeling alone during global coronavirus lockdowns. Tammy now writes and teaches about mindfulness, health and relationships full-time.

She has been featured in publications including Soul & Spirit, The Mail on Sunday, and Menopause Life.

 

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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Bulletproof Retirement: Live your Dreams, Avoid Excess Fees and Secure your Legacy

 Bulletproof Retirement: New book shares how not to be a casualty of the biggest financial scandal nobody is talking about.

 
A veteran of 30 years in the financial services market, Martin Wilcocks is one of the UK’s leading financial and investment advisers. In his book, Bulletproof Retirement, he explains how to keep your share of the £64 billion that is haemorrhaging from pensions and investments at the hands of those that administer our nest eggs.
 
Bulletproof Retirement: Live your Dreams, Avoid Excess Fees and Secure your Legacy is destined for a place on the non-fiction best seller list. In this significant and life-changing read financial guru Martin Wilcocks explains how we can retain our hard-earned nest eggs, in their entirety, by taking control of our finances ourselves (and therefore negating the need to collectively give away billions to those that administer our pension and investment portfolios on our behalf).
Concise and written in a manner to ensure the least financial amongst us can benefit from his sage advice, Bulletproof Retirement will undoubtedly rattle the cages of many involved in the industry. But, more importantly, the author should be congratulated for putting his head above the parapet and shining the spotlight on what he describes as ‘the biggest scandal that nobody is talking about.’

 
Synopsis:
 
From endowment mis-selling and the global financial crisis to pension transfer and PPI scandals: UK financial services exploit customers rather than serve them. Our pensions and investments are also under attack – high-cost financial advisers, glossy financial networks and ineffective expensive investment managers are taking £64 billion out of our pensions and investments every year.
 
Make a stand against these archaic practices and save yourself and your retirement from the biggest scandal that nobody is talking about. Read Bulletproof Retirement to understand how to:
 
•           Identify what your future ideal lifestyle looks like and plan ahead to achieve it
•           Become financially organised and set clear goals for investing, with a portfolio linked to these goals
•           Enhance the monetary value of your plan and portfolio by maximising your pension, ISA and CGT allowances
•           Reduce exposure by establishing a backstop that strips out risks within your personal and business life
•           Protect your hard-earned wealth and pass it on to children and other beneficiaries safely and tax-efficiently
•           Remain focussed on your plan, keep your goals on track and avoid making emotional decisions about your wealth.
 
Published by Rethink, Bulletproof Retirement: Live your Dreams, Avoid Excess Fees and Secure your Legacy. Buy the book here.

 
About the author
 
Martin Wilcocks is a financial services veteran of some 30 years’ standing who has featured in The Times, The Telegraph and The Mail on Sunday as one of the UK’s top financial and investment advisers. Wilcocks & Wilcocks currently manage over £124m of assets and investments for their clients.
 

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🖤Vampire of Blackpool🖤

Contemporary English Gothic Novel Vampire of Blackpool by Catherine Green is available now on digital download or in paperback.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

Book Review: Dear Boobs by Claire Foskett

Dear Boobs: A book of poems about the love, leaks and let-downs of breastfeeding by Claire Foskett.

 

I was excited to receive a copy of Claire’s new book for review, since I am a former breastfeeding mother myself. It is several years since I breastfed my second child, but I still remember those crazy days and all the mood swings and mess.

Poems are a great way to represent our feelings, and Claire approaches her observations with humour and emotion mixed together. Her style of writing reminds me of Roald Dahl, and I love the illustrations in this book, and especially the Recipe for Breastfeeding Mums. There are some laugh-out-loud funny poems including A Cautionary Tale and Flashing, and there are more serious thought-provoking ones including Tired and Day Three.

Claire has included her own breastfeeding experiences in these poems, and her husband wrote a lovely poem to finish the book as well, which I thought was a nice touch. We often get so involved in supporting the mother that we forget about the father standing helplessly watching. Husbands and partners do take an active role, but it may not always be recognised.

I would recommend this book if you are a breastfeeding mum, if you are pregnant, or if you still remember those days and want to chuckle and reminisce. I will pass the book on to my sister who just had her first baby, and then to my friend who is pregnant, and I know they will relate to the poems and enjoy reading them.

 

You can find Claire on social media and you can buy the book here.

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

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