An Anatomical Guide to Godzilla and other Gigantic Japanese Monsters

These amazing diagrams showing a medical cross–section of Godzilla along with other Japanese monsters such as Mothra, Gamera and Agurius. These illustrations were created in 1967 by Shogo Endo for a book called ‘An Anatomical Guide to Monsters’. This cult book was crafted by Shoji Otomo (writer) along with Shogo Endo (illustrator) (1967). An AnatomicalContinue reading “An Anatomical Guide to Godzilla and other Gigantic Japanese Monsters”

Book Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

The surreal tale of a 100 year old man named Allan Karlsson who on his 100th birthday abandons his drooling and dottery compadres in a retirement home and skips town for an intriguing and unexpected adventure. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Genre: Fiction, Adventure, Black Comedy, Thriller, Action. Publisher: Picador Review in one word: Playful Loads has been written about this book.Continue reading “Book Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson”

Book Review: Elmet by Fiona Mozley

A dark, crepuscular and gripping Yorkshire thriller about family and loyalty that is timeless, lyrical and immensely satisfying. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Genre: Fiction, Gothic Noir, Yorkshire Noir, Thriller Publisher: Algonquin Books Review in one word: Stygian This debut book by Fiona Mozley was short-listed to win the Booker Prize in 2017 and it is easy to see why. This bookContinue reading “Book Review: Elmet by Fiona Mozley”

Book Review: Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed. Sixteen writers on the decision to not have kids

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟 Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Women’s Writing, Feminism, Family, Relationships. Publisher: Picador Review in one word: Provocative This book is designed to be confronting, provocative, emotional and stirring in all of the ways that many people don’t like to discuss in polite conversation. That’s because it tackles one of the most (ridiculously) controversial taboo topicsContinue reading “Book Review: Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed. Sixteen writers on the decision to not have kids”

Book Review: Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems Vol. 1

Spiritually nourishing and grounded in the slow rumblings of nature and animals, Mary Oliver’s poems are a salve for the restless and jaded soul. Her poems are steeped in the luminescent beauty of nature and timeless wisdom of land and animals, yet she always has her bare feet planted deeply in the soil Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Genre: Poetry,Continue reading “Book Review: Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems Vol. 1”

Book Review: The Book of Symbols by the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS)

The Book of Symbols is a masterpiece of art history, philosophy, mysticism, psychology, anthropology, biology and spirituality. It brings together the history of various symbols, concepts and objects from many cultures and civilisations.

Book Review: Real Love – The Art of Mindful Connection by Sharon Salzberg

One of the most erudite, spiritually nourishing and comprehensive books on the topic of love – of self, others and the world. Encompassing romantic and platonic love, familial love, friendship and more, by one of the world’s foremost experts on Loving Kindness Meditation. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Genre: Non-Fiction, Spirituality, Psychology, Buddhism, Self-Help Publisher: Flatiron books Review in one word: HelpfulContinue reading “Book Review: Real Love – The Art of Mindful Connection by Sharon Salzberg”

Book Review: A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

A Field Guide to Getting Lost is a collection of loosely related essays that expand upon the idea of wandering, being lost and our human sense of the unknown. The essays are insightful, vivid and at times slow-moving. This is a mosaic of cultural history, autobiography, nature writing and artistic criticism that roves far andContinue reading “Book Review: A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit”

Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Rating: 🌟🌟 Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction. Publisher: Canongate Books Review in one word: Fluff A lot of people raved and hyped about this book and a friend recommended this to me, because he spent a long night in the cafe reading it. This is an indulgent, compulsive and enjoyable read, sort of likeContinue reading “Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig”

Book Review: Auspicious Animals, The Art of Good Omens by Jun’ichi Uchiyama

If you have ever looked at a Japanese silk screen print or sculpture and wondered what the cranes, monkeys or bears mean…this book is for you! I found this beautiful book in an art gallery and decided that, despite the hefty price-tag, I simply had to own it! This elegant coffee table book charts the artistic symbolism of animals in northern Asia with a particular focus on Japan and China. Each page is translated and in both Japanese and English.