Hello, how you doing?

Yes I know that is an odd way to start a blog post but its the most important question we can ask each other, even if its the one that normally elicits gentle lies rather than uncomfortable truths. Also I am not the greatest at small talk, but I am trying to get better at it. Or at least less awkward. And sure there is probably a point to me asking beyond that which may becomes clear, or not as the case my be, but enough of that…

Regular readers of the book reviews I post will be aware of two things. The first being that I never give bad reviews, if I don’t like a book I just don’t review it, as I may not like it but that may just mean its not for me. The second thing regular readers will be aware of is that I tend to witter on aimlessly on a topic for anything up to two thirds of the post before I even mention the book I’m reviewing. Some might find this annoying, but one has a paradigm and one sticks to it. Besides the wittering is generally at least an attempt to get across something vaguely profound or relatable I found within the pages of the book I am reviewing.

This is my paradigm with almost every blog post I ever writer to be honest so if you don’t like my paradigm, your probably reading the wrong blog, and what I consider profound or important to say about a book is probably of little or no value to you. I’ll assume therefore if you are still reading past this you like what we might laughably refer to as my literary style at least when it comes to blog posts. The paradigm must be preserved, my readers, that’s you lot, like it that way…

So anyway. What follows are the reviews for four books that each for different reasons, I cannot, or at least will not review within the normal rules of my paradigm. They are four equally excellent, but very different books. And the reasons each of them don’t get their own blogs with long wittering introductions are different as well. They are instead getting this shared introduction which is, you may have noticed, a bit weird. All of them are in this group because if I was to write a long introduction piece for each it would be the type of witter that would likely reveal far more about myself, my objective reality and how I doing right now, than I am comfortable revealing to any one.

“I am fine,” he says, with the gentlest of lies… (see I told there was probably a point…)

Or of course I am just being lazy, and trying to do a bunch quick of reviews all in one go… But there are some other links between these books if you pay attention you might spot them…

(amazon links for all four books are at the end)

Stolen Magick by Lilian Brooks

Speaking of objective reality, Lilian Brooks is a totally real person and not a pen name used by Amy Wilson a fellow founding Harvey writer I’ve know for years.

This is the third of Lilian’s ‘The Whitby Witches’ series featuring water witch Alyssa Bright, a modern pagan woman in her late twenty’s dealing with… Well the second book ended on a cliff edge, and this one jumps off that cliff and does some serious screwing around with Alyssa’s objective reality, and the readers who have to adjust to a new paradigm fairly sharpish to keep up with the plot…

It’s a brave novel, because its brave for any writer to throw their readers such a curve ball in an established series. A lesser writer might struggle to pull it off, but luckily Lilian is not a lesser writer. My reviews of the first two books in the series were some what longer, but to review further than say this is a great read would involve spoilers for this book and the series as a whole. So start at the beginning, the journey is worth it, trust me…

review of book 1 review of book 2

Beyond Sustainability by Nimue Brown

Climate change is swiftly moving the world into a new paradigm. A new way of thinking about, well just about everything, is needed, a new focus, a gentler more sustainable approach to life, but more so we need a more authentic relationship with each other and the planet, as individuals, as a society and a species.

What do we really want from life? How do we find happiness, health, purpose and comfort? Humans are increasingly a miserable species, caught in ways of behaving that give us very little and will cost the earth…

What it it was easy to change our lives? What if happiness wasn’t an impossible dream to chase after? What if we could have nice things?

This is the core question and message of this remarkable book by Nimue Brown, I could talk about it for hours, and write many many blog posts inspired by this book and the soul searching it inspired. But I won’t, instead I will suggest you read it yourself as the journey it takes you on may differ to mine. All I will suggest is that you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities of a more authentic approach to life, happiness and the world as you read.

Facing The Darkness by Cat Treadwell

I have in the past spoken of my occasional struggles with ‘the old black dog’. I believe talking about such things is important, indeed as I am a man I consider it even more important I do so because ‘a chap doesn’t talk about such things.‘ Some people are however far better at talking about depression, they are also far better at given practical, loving, thoughtful advice on ways to face it, fight it, and survive it.

This is a remarkable book in many ways, it is remarkably honest in its writing, remarkably open about all forms of depression, remarkable in coming at the issue from the perspective of a practising pagan, but also remarkable for the depth of advice and wisdom granted to the reader to help guide them through those dark hours and days when the world seems too much and going on too hard.

It is also a beautiful book in both in Cat writing, as well as the authentic voices of contributors, the structure of the book and some frankly heart wrenchingly beautiful and poignant art work by Emma Hotchkin between the covers.

I can not claim this book has helped me face the old black dog, yet, as I have read it at a time when the old dog is in his kennel and not troubling me. Also while I lean towards a form of personal paganism my roots do not lay in druidism so some of the practical suggestions don’t resonate with me as well as they may with those of a more orthodox pagan faith. But that ‘yet’ is doing some heavy lifting and this book is going on the shelf so I know where it is should I find myself feeling the need for the guidance and advice held within it.

And I would certainly recommended it to anyone, pagan or otherwise, for what it contains is the kind of hope you need when the darkness comes a calling.

Once Upon a Hopeless, Maine by Keith Errington

This is not a children’s books, don’t let your children read it, it will give them idea’s and they will enjoy it far too much… This is the kind of book your child wants you to read to them. You should not. It is the kind of children’s book you would have loved as a child, and will love now, and would love to read to your child, even though you know you shouldn’t.

Look it very defiantly says ‘A not for children, children’s story’ on the cover… I think that is as clear as it needs to be. Do not buy this book to read to your child…

Buy it to read to yourself, enjoy the art work, laugh, smile and remember just how much this was exactly the story you wanted your parents to read to you when you were a child…

But don’t read it to your child…

Unless of course you want to, because your the kind of bad parent every child actually wants , you know , the cool one who doesn’t make them tie their laces before they run off, because you want to see if they learn by tripping over them…

The Links

And there we have it, all caught up, normal wittering will resume when I review a book I am sure. Enough of the paradigm nonsense that’s for sure.

Much love

Mark x