Book Reviews
Fantasy, quirky history, non-fiction, historical fiction books & more
Book Review: Into the Silent Land by Paul Broks
Genre: Non-fiction, Neuropsychology, psychology. Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Publisher: Allen and Unwin *No spoilers. Into the Silent Land is a non-fiction book about neuropsychology that explores the vast and unknowable terrain of people’s minds. Paul Broks is an English neuropsychologist and writer. This book was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book award. In…
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Book Review: Circe by Madeline Miller
A self-made witch goddess navigates through the hazy cruelty and beauty of the ancient Greek pantheon Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I have never been really into Greek mythology and preferred instead Celtic, Egyptian, Polynesian, Japanese myths. I know that’s weird, given my real name, however I always found the twisting, complex tales of Greek deities to be…
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Ecomysticism: The Profound Experience of Nature as Spiritual Guide by Carl Von Essen
Ecomysticism: The Profound Experience of Nature as Spiritual Guide by Carl Von Essen
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Book Review: Words of a Kaumātua by Haare Williams
A compelling, rich and lush blend of essay, poetry, reflections and personal stories by one of New Zealand’s most preeminent Māori writers. I have to admit that I didn’t know much about Haare Williams before picking up this book in Te Papa Museum in Wellington. This is a definitive collection of Māori wisdom that is…
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Book Review: Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss
*contains a few spoilers (sorry I couldn’t resist) Iceland has always held a unique fascination for me. Driven by a love for Sigur Rós and Björk, along with the vague romance of going to a remote and icy place. In Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss, you get to actually explore the nuts and…
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Book Review: The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
Robert Greene has written best-selling books on seduction, power, war, self-mastery and now knowledge. Although the sum and total of his output of books gives the wrong impression about the man. He’s not an evil and Machiavellian type jockeying for power – rather his books are about understanding the lesser-known shadowy parts of ourselves to…
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Book Review: The Memory Code by Lynne Kelly
Genre: Non-fiction, archaeology, history. Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Publisher: Pegasus Books Historian and writer Lynne Kelly has created a fascinating book with a realistic theory its heart – that ancient monuments – Stonehenge, the Ring of Brodgar and also smaller hand-held objects (Lukasa, Coolamon) are actually memory aids. She believes that these objects large…
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Book Review: Life in a Medieval Castle by Frances and Joseph Gies
Life in a Medieval Castle is one of a series of compelling historical reference books written by acclaimed husband and wife historians Frances and Joseph Gies in the 1970’s. Life in a Medieval Castle (along with companion books Life in a Medieval Village and Life in a Medival City) were re-released in 205 under the weight…
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Book Review: One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia
Imagine if you will, a delightful and timeless book of wisdom that fits into the palm of the hand or your handbag. A hardback that looks at first inconspicuous and unimportant. And yet on opening this book you will unlock a treasury of wisdom that’s beautifully illustrated on high quality paper. One Year Wiser by…
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Book Review: Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono
Genre: Non-fiction, business, psychology. Publisher: Little, Brown and Company. Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 If you have ever attended a team building event, a motivational psychology course or some kind of HR mandated business workshop then you will have encountered the ideas of Six Thinking Hats. This is a classic book that came out in…
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Book Review: Animals Make Us Human: Edited by Leah Kaminsky and Meg Keneally
Genre: Non-fiction, nature, animals Publisher: Penguin Life Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 The Christmas/New Year of 2019/2020 bush fires scorched through enormous swathes of land across the whole of Australia and killed many millions of native animals. Afterwards, there was a huge outpouring of collective grief from people not only in Australia, but throughout the…
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My All Time Favourite Top-Ten Non-Fiction History Books
Here’s a collection of some of the non-fiction I have reviewed in the past, ranked as a top ten. The subject matter and time periods vary, but I really like the history of medicine, psychology, symbolism, medieval history, animals and more. 1. The Book of Symbols by the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS)…
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Book Review: Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
Genre: Fiction, essay, creative non-fiction, travel. Publisher: Text Publishing Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk won the Man Booker International Prize for this novel in 2018 along with a Nike Award, Poland’s highest literary honour. Tokarczuk is a thrilling and exhilarating writer who effortlessly criss-crosses genres and conventions, Flight is part…
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Book Review: The Fashion Chronicles: Style Stories of History’s Best Dressed by Amber Butchard
Genre: Non-fiction, Fashion, History. Publisher: Hatchett Publishing Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟1/2 Stars Amber Butchard is the charismatic TV host of the BBC’s ‘A Stitch in Time’, a fantastic show about the history of fashion told in several outfits. She is also a fashion historian and author. She has blazing red hair in a chic…
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Book Review: The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris
Genre: Non-fiction, medical history, medicine. Publisher: Allen Lane, Penguin Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 * No Spoilers This is an electrifying book about the history of surgery from the point of view of one of its pioneers, Joseph Lister. A humble and unassuming Quaker, Lister managed to rise up through the ranks of Edinburgh’s…
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