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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Marriage Pact in Books
Oct 6, 2017
Now, this was a strange one, interesting but a bit wacky in its concept.
The marriage pact by Michelle Richmond was surprisingly good, The author has found a unique idea and evolved it from there.
With some surprising twists and turns that I didn't see coming this was a refreshing contribution to the psychological genre and I only had minor issues and niggles that pulled this down slightly for me.
So the marriage Pact involves newlywed's Jake and Alice who receive an enticing gift from one of Alice's Clients at the law firm she works at.
"The Pact"
It is designed to keep couples happy and fulfilled in their marriages, the rules seem to make sense and The Pact seems harmless in its intentions.
Initially impressed Alice and Jake start to realise there is more at stake than they realise as their dreams start to evolve into nightmares.
And no one leaves "THE PACT" ever.
So let me break this down for you first three-quarters of The Marriage Pact I loved, the story flowed, it was well written and my only minor criticism would be sometimes Jake could waffle on a tad too much with his inner monologue and I found this a touch irritating and longwinded.
Then came the last quarter, not sure what happened here but I really was not feeling it, the whole visit Orla at her home seemed unnecessary and a bit boring to me.
I would have really preferred another direction to be taken and a bit more of a pro-active stance applied here rather than talking.
Then came the ending, this is where my main issue lies, it was just so anti-climatic and blah and after all Jake's moralistic stances he just walks away, leaving the corruption behind for someone else to deal with.
I'm not saying he's wrong to do this, I just find it mildly surprising after listening to Jakes Inner moral compass throughout The Marriage Pact that he just abandons all his principles and jumps ship.
I would also have liked to see inside Alice's head as well, she was such a diverse character with so much to offer and I felt we didn't get to know her properly in her entirety.
So this was such a page-turner and even with the issues I've described, I have to give this a Four star as It was such compelling reading.
This was such an interestingly unique story that I would definitely recommend Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the Author Michelle Richmond for providing me with an Arc of The Marriage Pact, this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
The marriage pact by Michelle Richmond was surprisingly good, The author has found a unique idea and evolved it from there.
With some surprising twists and turns that I didn't see coming this was a refreshing contribution to the psychological genre and I only had minor issues and niggles that pulled this down slightly for me.
So the marriage Pact involves newlywed's Jake and Alice who receive an enticing gift from one of Alice's Clients at the law firm she works at.
"The Pact"
It is designed to keep couples happy and fulfilled in their marriages, the rules seem to make sense and The Pact seems harmless in its intentions.
Initially impressed Alice and Jake start to realise there is more at stake than they realise as their dreams start to evolve into nightmares.
And no one leaves "THE PACT" ever.
So let me break this down for you first three-quarters of The Marriage Pact I loved, the story flowed, it was well written and my only minor criticism would be sometimes Jake could waffle on a tad too much with his inner monologue and I found this a touch irritating and longwinded.
Then came the last quarter, not sure what happened here but I really was not feeling it, the whole visit Orla at her home seemed unnecessary and a bit boring to me.
I would have really preferred another direction to be taken and a bit more of a pro-active stance applied here rather than talking.
Then came the ending, this is where my main issue lies, it was just so anti-climatic and blah and after all Jake's moralistic stances he just walks away, leaving the corruption behind for someone else to deal with.
I'm not saying he's wrong to do this, I just find it mildly surprising after listening to Jakes Inner moral compass throughout The Marriage Pact that he just abandons all his principles and jumps ship.
I would also have liked to see inside Alice's head as well, she was such a diverse character with so much to offer and I felt we didn't get to know her properly in her entirety.
So this was such a page-turner and even with the issues I've described, I have to give this a Four star as It was such compelling reading.
This was such an interestingly unique story that I would definitely recommend Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the Author Michelle Richmond for providing me with an Arc of The Marriage Pact, this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated Halt and Catch Fire - Season 4 in TV
Nov 6, 2017
Writing (2 more)
Cast
Very nostalgic
The Future is Here, So Watch How it Arrived
Well this was the 4th and final season of Halt and Catch Fire and it went by way to fast. This was such a fantastic season and it was sad to see it go. For those of you that have never seen this show, shame on you and go watch it on Netflix. For those who haven't caught up I will not spoil anything for you.
This show is about a group of programmers that try to stay ahead of the technology curve and make the last tech better. This season was all about making a search engine. You know like Yahoo or Google. It was such a long road to get there and there was a lot of obstacle to get there first and be the best.
The 2 groups going after it were the father/daughter pair and mother/tech firm pair. I won't tell you who one but it was wild. Both companies took different directions to make the same product and it was very interesting to see the progression. The best part of this show is how they take the real life way they got there and used fake names like Comet and Rover, but also used the real competition like AOL and Netscape to show they are in the same universe.
The characters this season really had a lot of drama, some good and some bad, but for my still it was a little much. I know TV shows need it to keep people watching to feel like they are involved, but sometimes you have to let the big picture speak for itself. But I did not mind it at all, sometimes you have to look the other way to enjoy the show.
This whole show was leading us to the future of technology and it was so much fun watching everything grow just like I did when I was a kid. Watching them play Nintendo for the first time and this season added Playstation which was kind of cool. But this show could have lasted so much longer and even added to characters along the way to make it happen. I think they jump a head in time too fast to make show reach the finish line. I with they would have stretched it a little longer. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.
Like I said earlier, if you haven't watch the show, get to watching and let me know what you think. If you have watched, lets get talking about how much you loved or hated it. Till next time, enjoy the show.
This show is about a group of programmers that try to stay ahead of the technology curve and make the last tech better. This season was all about making a search engine. You know like Yahoo or Google. It was such a long road to get there and there was a lot of obstacle to get there first and be the best.
The 2 groups going after it were the father/daughter pair and mother/tech firm pair. I won't tell you who one but it was wild. Both companies took different directions to make the same product and it was very interesting to see the progression. The best part of this show is how they take the real life way they got there and used fake names like Comet and Rover, but also used the real competition like AOL and Netscape to show they are in the same universe.
The characters this season really had a lot of drama, some good and some bad, but for my still it was a little much. I know TV shows need it to keep people watching to feel like they are involved, but sometimes you have to let the big picture speak for itself. But I did not mind it at all, sometimes you have to look the other way to enjoy the show.
This whole show was leading us to the future of technology and it was so much fun watching everything grow just like I did when I was a kid. Watching them play Nintendo for the first time and this season added Playstation which was kind of cool. But this show could have lasted so much longer and even added to characters along the way to make it happen. I think they jump a head in time too fast to make show reach the finish line. I with they would have stretched it a little longer. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.
Like I said earlier, if you haven't watch the show, get to watching and let me know what you think. If you have watched, lets get talking about how much you loved or hated it. Till next time, enjoy the show.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Stork Mountain in Books
May 25, 2017
Captivating
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Bulgarian-born, short storywriter Miroslav Penkov has turned to full-length novels with this captivating book, Stork Mountain. Set in the Bulgarian Strandja Mountains on the border of Turkey, he explores religion, mythology, the past and the present in a society affected by long-term political unrest.
The narrator, a young man who remains nameless throughout, relocated to the United States of America as a child after the fall of Communism. Now he returns to his home country to find his grandfather, an elderly man he lost contact with three years ago. However his real motive is purely for self gain: to sell his section of the family land in order to pay off student loans and his rising debt.
Naturally, things do not go according to plan. The protagonist finds his grandfather hiding in the village of Klisura, a place divided between the Christians and the Muslims. He also discovers that there is no longer any land for him to sell, making his journey fairly pointless. Instead of returning to the Western world, he stays in his grandfather’s house and, very slowly, begins to learn the truth about his family’s past, the man his grandfather once was, and the superstitious pagan activities still affecting some of the village’s inhabitants today.
Stork Mountain is full of the history, folklore and mythology of a little known about European country. Although ultimately a contemporary novel, there is a lot to learn about events that led up to southern Bulgaria’s current condition. As well as being informative, Penkov plays with his readers’ hearts by including a Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship between the narrator and a Muslim girl, and also reveals a similar affair between a younger Grandfather and the girl of his dreams.
Books containing politics are often reserved for those with particular interest in the topic, however Stork Mountain is suitable for a much larger audience. The inclusion of Bulgarian folklore adds a dark fairytale-like quality to the story; and the romance, something for the reader to latch onto.
On reading the blurb I jumped to the conclusion that this book would be boring. I was wrong. Whereas stories with similar themes can be hard going, Stork Mountain was fast paced and easy to read. There were a few confusions about who was talking or whether the narrative was about the past or the future, but these issues may be something that is improved upon as the author finds his groove in full-length novels.
Even if, like me, you have prejudged this book to be boring, I urge you to give it a go. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Miroslav Penkov definitely has a future in the world of literature.
Bulgarian-born, short storywriter Miroslav Penkov has turned to full-length novels with this captivating book, Stork Mountain. Set in the Bulgarian Strandja Mountains on the border of Turkey, he explores religion, mythology, the past and the present in a society affected by long-term political unrest.
The narrator, a young man who remains nameless throughout, relocated to the United States of America as a child after the fall of Communism. Now he returns to his home country to find his grandfather, an elderly man he lost contact with three years ago. However his real motive is purely for self gain: to sell his section of the family land in order to pay off student loans and his rising debt.
Naturally, things do not go according to plan. The protagonist finds his grandfather hiding in the village of Klisura, a place divided between the Christians and the Muslims. He also discovers that there is no longer any land for him to sell, making his journey fairly pointless. Instead of returning to the Western world, he stays in his grandfather’s house and, very slowly, begins to learn the truth about his family’s past, the man his grandfather once was, and the superstitious pagan activities still affecting some of the village’s inhabitants today.
Stork Mountain is full of the history, folklore and mythology of a little known about European country. Although ultimately a contemporary novel, there is a lot to learn about events that led up to southern Bulgaria’s current condition. As well as being informative, Penkov plays with his readers’ hearts by including a Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship between the narrator and a Muslim girl, and also reveals a similar affair between a younger Grandfather and the girl of his dreams.
Books containing politics are often reserved for those with particular interest in the topic, however Stork Mountain is suitable for a much larger audience. The inclusion of Bulgarian folklore adds a dark fairytale-like quality to the story; and the romance, something for the reader to latch onto.
On reading the blurb I jumped to the conclusion that this book would be boring. I was wrong. Whereas stories with similar themes can be hard going, Stork Mountain was fast paced and easy to read. There were a few confusions about who was talking or whether the narrative was about the past or the future, but these issues may be something that is improved upon as the author finds his groove in full-length novels.
Even if, like me, you have prejudged this book to be boring, I urge you to give it a go. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Miroslav Penkov definitely has a future in the world of literature.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Colossal (2016) in Movies
Jul 26, 2017
Colossal is written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, who also wrote and directed 2007’s Timecrimes. One of my favourite movies and probably the best movie about time travel that isn’t Back to the Future! So, I’d been looking forward to catching this, his latest movie, for a while now. Luckily, it didn’t disappoint.
Anne Hathaway is Gloria, a 30-something party girl whose life is in a serious downward spiral. Her boyfriend (an underused Dan Stevens) decides that enough is enough and kicks her out of his New York apartment. So, Gloria moves back to the quiet little town where she grew up and moves into her parents empty house in an attempt to try and rebuild her life. After a bad nights sleep on the bare floor (a nice running joke throughout the movie), she heads out to buy an inflatable mattress and on the way back is passed by Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) in his pickup truck, who pulls up and offers her a ride. It turns out that Oscar and Grace are old school friends and as they get talking about old times it transpires that things aren’t so great for Oscar these days either. He takes her to the bar he inherited from his father, only half renovated due to a lack of money, and later on offers Gloria a waitress job. Most of their time in the bar though seems to be spent after hours, drinking away the stock with a couple of other friends/barflies. Gloria is soon back to blacking out from drink and then waking up at some point the next day with vague memories of the night before.
And then one morning Gloria wakes to images on TV of a giant Godzilla-like creature which suddenly materialised and started rampaging through Seoul in South Korea. Furthermore, after a few more appearances by this creature, Gloria comes to the realisation that this creature somehow appears to be copying her movements! And a bit later on, a giant robot appears too!!
It’s difficult to elaborate on this part of the movie much further without going into serious spoiler territory. The whole idea sounds crazy, but it’s surprising just how quickly the whole concept just settles in and this remains primarily a movie about humans, our relationships and our inner demons. Hathaway and Sudeikis are at their best here, with Sudeikis progressing from his usual likeable slacker role into something much more darker and complex. Things become increasingly tense, culminating in a highly original and hugely satisfying final act which I absolutely loved. It’s truly amazing what’s been achieved here with such a low budget too, with only a few occasions where the effects appear a little shaky. Overall though, this is a smart must-see movie. Brilliant.
Anne Hathaway is Gloria, a 30-something party girl whose life is in a serious downward spiral. Her boyfriend (an underused Dan Stevens) decides that enough is enough and kicks her out of his New York apartment. So, Gloria moves back to the quiet little town where she grew up and moves into her parents empty house in an attempt to try and rebuild her life. After a bad nights sleep on the bare floor (a nice running joke throughout the movie), she heads out to buy an inflatable mattress and on the way back is passed by Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) in his pickup truck, who pulls up and offers her a ride. It turns out that Oscar and Grace are old school friends and as they get talking about old times it transpires that things aren’t so great for Oscar these days either. He takes her to the bar he inherited from his father, only half renovated due to a lack of money, and later on offers Gloria a waitress job. Most of their time in the bar though seems to be spent after hours, drinking away the stock with a couple of other friends/barflies. Gloria is soon back to blacking out from drink and then waking up at some point the next day with vague memories of the night before.
And then one morning Gloria wakes to images on TV of a giant Godzilla-like creature which suddenly materialised and started rampaging through Seoul in South Korea. Furthermore, after a few more appearances by this creature, Gloria comes to the realisation that this creature somehow appears to be copying her movements! And a bit later on, a giant robot appears too!!
It’s difficult to elaborate on this part of the movie much further without going into serious spoiler territory. The whole idea sounds crazy, but it’s surprising just how quickly the whole concept just settles in and this remains primarily a movie about humans, our relationships and our inner demons. Hathaway and Sudeikis are at their best here, with Sudeikis progressing from his usual likeable slacker role into something much more darker and complex. Things become increasingly tense, culminating in a highly original and hugely satisfying final act which I absolutely loved. It’s truly amazing what’s been achieved here with such a low budget too, with only a few occasions where the effects appear a little shaky. Overall though, this is a smart must-see movie. Brilliant.
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1) in Books
May 3, 2018
[a:Cinda Williams Chima|125308|Cinda Williams Chima|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1291420167p2/125308.jpg] was my biggest takeaway from [b:The Way of the Wizard|8121665|The Way of the Wizard|John Joseph Adams|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297656860s/8121665.jpg|12917149]. I absolutely adored the short story of how Linda and Hastings met, and knew that I had to read the actual series.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
You can definitely tell that this was written a few years before the short story in The Way of the Wizard. The writing isn't quite on the same level - all of the key elements are still there, but in a rawer form.
That's not a bad thing. I'm not insulting the quality of the writing, at all. It was still a very enjoyable story, and the writing and the editing were solid. And I'm happy to watch the progression of the narrative, as it gets stronger over time.
...but. If I had read The Warrior Heir before I read "The Trader and the Slave", I probably would have enjoyed this book more than I did. Part of me kept waiting for the dark, grittiness that the short story had, and it never really showed up.
Were parts of The Warrior Heir heavy? Sure. There's a lot of double-crossing, morality, and self-sacrifice in there. But it wasn't quite the same.
Sorry for that slight detour there. I felt that, before I started talking about the book itself, I should explain the factors that went towards my final rating.
Because, in general, I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I loved the "world" and the magic system, I loved the history and explanations of why magic works, and where it came from. The dedication to the magic system was very nice, and much appreciated in such an action-based fantasy book.
The main characters all managed to keep me interested in what was going on (even though there wasn't nearly enough Linda and Hastings in there for me), and the antagonists walked a delicate balance of being evil, and just doing what they thought would be best for themselves, or for those around them. Even some of the protagonists walked that line, which was <i>really</i> nice to see.
Morality - it's pretty important to the story.
There weren't really any surprises in the plot department. It was incredibly easy to guess the various "twists" the book had to offer. <spoiler>Especially anything having to do with Ellen.</spoiler> But personally, I was too distracted by the world-building to overly care about how predictable things were.
Because in Maki-land, well-established magic system > plot.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Finding the Light of Jesus in Books
Feb 11, 2019
When I first started to read this book, I realized very quickly how simply written this book is. The first ten chapters read as if I were sitting in a therapy session with the author and she were talking to me. They are written without much emphasis on detail, and seemed to focus largely on how a person feels in regards to stress and depression. Though the author writes extensively on the light of Jesus, she does not quote a single Bible verse, though she attempts to paraphrase a few - without citations. The beginning and end of each of these ten chapters also contain a poem she wrote and calls prayers, though the poetry is badly written and has little resemblance to an actual prayer, in my opinion. Also scattered through the chapters are activities that the author recommends for the reader, such as journaling and answering questions.
The final chapter is actually a collection of prayers and reflections that the reader is supposed to follow over the course of seven days. This is followed by a section of "Conversations With Jesus" that focus on different topics such as anger, jealousy, being overwhelmed, and fear. This is followed by five pages in which she quotes a scripture from the New American Bible, and leaves a blank space for the reader to journal the answers to her questions about the scripture verse. This is followed by more of her prayers and a further 30 days of prayer and reflection.
Overall, the author presents a Jesus that is only concerned about a person's feelings, whom the author seems to believe that everyone has inside of him or her from birth. She further indicates that everyone goes to heaven, and Jesus' strongest quality is being a "light." No mention is made of the basic precepts of Bible-based Christianity, such as sin, salvation, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead she writes things that seem to contradict parts of scripture, such as stating that Jesus does not judge us and that we are the "light," as well as what I previously mentioned about everyone going to heaven. In the context of that paragraph, I almost expected the author to write that we are all Jesus. I also noticed while reading that nowhere does she ever refer to Him as Jesus Christ either. The entire book has a vague New Age feel, as many of the things Tuttle writes mimic the doctrine of a New Age Jesus.
The author, Cindy Tuttle, has a background of working in the mental health industry for more than twenty-five years. Based on what I have read in this book, I have no doubt that she is good at her job and finds great success with her patients, but I do not find this book of the same calibur.
The final chapter is actually a collection of prayers and reflections that the reader is supposed to follow over the course of seven days. This is followed by a section of "Conversations With Jesus" that focus on different topics such as anger, jealousy, being overwhelmed, and fear. This is followed by five pages in which she quotes a scripture from the New American Bible, and leaves a blank space for the reader to journal the answers to her questions about the scripture verse. This is followed by more of her prayers and a further 30 days of prayer and reflection.
Overall, the author presents a Jesus that is only concerned about a person's feelings, whom the author seems to believe that everyone has inside of him or her from birth. She further indicates that everyone goes to heaven, and Jesus' strongest quality is being a "light." No mention is made of the basic precepts of Bible-based Christianity, such as sin, salvation, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead she writes things that seem to contradict parts of scripture, such as stating that Jesus does not judge us and that we are the "light," as well as what I previously mentioned about everyone going to heaven. In the context of that paragraph, I almost expected the author to write that we are all Jesus. I also noticed while reading that nowhere does she ever refer to Him as Jesus Christ either. The entire book has a vague New Age feel, as many of the things Tuttle writes mimic the doctrine of a New Age Jesus.
The author, Cindy Tuttle, has a background of working in the mental health industry for more than twenty-five years. Based on what I have read in this book, I have no doubt that she is good at her job and finds great success with her patients, but I do not find this book of the same calibur.
Sam (74 KP) rated Remember This When You're Sad in Books
Mar 27, 2019
The publisher kindly sent me a copy of Remember This When You’re Sad to review, and I’m so glad they did. This book is hilarious, helpful, and like a nice hug all in one.
Remember This When You’re Sad is part memoir, part self-help, based on the experiences of former Buzzfeed Social Media Editor and current BBC Social Media Manager Maggy Van Eijk. It focuses on her anxiety, depression, panic attacks and disassociation and how she gets through each day with them.
I really loved reading this. I never really read many self-help books before Matt Haig’s Reasons To Stay Alive, but now I really love them and enjoy that they make you feel like you’re being cuddled while reading them.
This book managed to be absolutely hilarious in places while somehow also remaining serious and to the point. It spoke about anxiety in the same way that I address mine. I wouldn’t have gotten through so much if it hadn’t have been for being able to laugh at it sometimes.
It doesn’t preach a miracle cure to mental illnesses. Instead, Maggy Van Eijk talks through different ways of getting through your worst points, from telling you the best places to have a good cry to explaining how to ‘Club Penguin’ your problems. It’s the perfect mental health book for my generation.
I loved how the book is split into lots of lists, and the chapters are split so you can easily flick to the one you need the most at the time you need it.
Maggy Van Eijk even went into the detail of discussing people’s reactions when you talk about your mental health and it made me think about something that happened when I was at college that I had forgotten about until now. I’ve always been open about my mental health, especially when it was much worse when I was in college. I spoke to a girl I knew about it and she said ‘But why are you so open about it? You don’t talk about things like that.’ People’s reactions in the book were quite similar to that.
It’s sad to see that this is a normal thing that people think, but at the same time, it’s not shocking. There is still a massive stigma around mental health conditions, which is why I love books like this that talk openly about it.
This is definitely one of my favourite mental health books. I’ve already had to buy it for a friend and I’ve got two friends waiting to borrow my copy. I’ve never read a book that has been so much like talking to a friend.
Remember This When You’re Sad is part memoir, part self-help, based on the experiences of former Buzzfeed Social Media Editor and current BBC Social Media Manager Maggy Van Eijk. It focuses on her anxiety, depression, panic attacks and disassociation and how she gets through each day with them.
I really loved reading this. I never really read many self-help books before Matt Haig’s Reasons To Stay Alive, but now I really love them and enjoy that they make you feel like you’re being cuddled while reading them.
This book managed to be absolutely hilarious in places while somehow also remaining serious and to the point. It spoke about anxiety in the same way that I address mine. I wouldn’t have gotten through so much if it hadn’t have been for being able to laugh at it sometimes.
It doesn’t preach a miracle cure to mental illnesses. Instead, Maggy Van Eijk talks through different ways of getting through your worst points, from telling you the best places to have a good cry to explaining how to ‘Club Penguin’ your problems. It’s the perfect mental health book for my generation.
I loved how the book is split into lots of lists, and the chapters are split so you can easily flick to the one you need the most at the time you need it.
Maggy Van Eijk even went into the detail of discussing people’s reactions when you talk about your mental health and it made me think about something that happened when I was at college that I had forgotten about until now. I’ve always been open about my mental health, especially when it was much worse when I was in college. I spoke to a girl I knew about it and she said ‘But why are you so open about it? You don’t talk about things like that.’ People’s reactions in the book were quite similar to that.
It’s sad to see that this is a normal thing that people think, but at the same time, it’s not shocking. There is still a massive stigma around mental health conditions, which is why I love books like this that talk openly about it.
This is definitely one of my favourite mental health books. I’ve already had to buy it for a friend and I’ve got two friends waiting to borrow my copy. I’ve never read a book that has been so much like talking to a friend.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Write Yourself Happy: The Art of Positive Journalling in Books
Jun 5, 2019
With the book Write Yourself Happy: The Art of Positive Journalling, Megan C. Hayes reveals just how we can use practical and scientifically proven methods to increase our happiness through journalling. She’s an academic in Positive Psychology and Creative Writing, and that shows via her knowledge and understanding in this well-written and enlightening book.
I enjoy the process of writing and feel like I am quite a creative person. I’ve read many books like this, and ‘Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron and the companion workbook , are just two of them, so I was really happy to learn about this, and keen to read it myself.
The first thing I cannot help but tell you is how the cover has been printed in a way that is is raised in some places, making it very tactile. And yes, I can’t help touching it! The second thing I noticed, before I even began to read it, was how the pages inside are as colourful as the front cover, and filled with the same pastel shades within.
I found it quite amazing how we can use diary writing to discover more about ourselves, overcome difficulties and experience a positive way to reflect on our lives through both good and bad times. It makes sense, when you think about it, how talking to someone about problems can help, so why not express yourself in the form of writing? And this is just what this book encourages you to do in a way that we can reflect on our writing to positively assess our day. It’s not about bigging yourself up and writing only positive things, it’s about really letting go and understanding the psychology behind the case studies and ‘take-away’ lessons to practice for yourself.
Megan has an encouraging, reassuring and uplifting tone, and I really enjoy reading about the psychological and beneficial aspects of journalling. The author uses eight of our most commonly experienced and life-affirming emotions to journal about; joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride awe and love. Now some of these may sound a bit new-agey and put some of you off, but it’s set out in a down-to-earth way, that I found very inspiring and not preachy at all.
To conclude, I’d like to explain that writing this way is like reading an engrossing book. When you’re totally immersed it’s like you can actually feel the emotions, experiences and senses of your character. In the same way, writing down evokes similar sensations, memories, smells and feelings. It’s no wonder this positive journalling is a scientifically proven way to support our wellbeing, through personal expression and creativity.
Write Yourself Happy is a thoroughly researched, empowering, positive read.
I enjoy the process of writing and feel like I am quite a creative person. I’ve read many books like this, and ‘Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron and the companion workbook , are just two of them, so I was really happy to learn about this, and keen to read it myself.
The first thing I cannot help but tell you is how the cover has been printed in a way that is is raised in some places, making it very tactile. And yes, I can’t help touching it! The second thing I noticed, before I even began to read it, was how the pages inside are as colourful as the front cover, and filled with the same pastel shades within.
I found it quite amazing how we can use diary writing to discover more about ourselves, overcome difficulties and experience a positive way to reflect on our lives through both good and bad times. It makes sense, when you think about it, how talking to someone about problems can help, so why not express yourself in the form of writing? And this is just what this book encourages you to do in a way that we can reflect on our writing to positively assess our day. It’s not about bigging yourself up and writing only positive things, it’s about really letting go and understanding the psychology behind the case studies and ‘take-away’ lessons to practice for yourself.
Megan has an encouraging, reassuring and uplifting tone, and I really enjoy reading about the psychological and beneficial aspects of journalling. The author uses eight of our most commonly experienced and life-affirming emotions to journal about; joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride awe and love. Now some of these may sound a bit new-agey and put some of you off, but it’s set out in a down-to-earth way, that I found very inspiring and not preachy at all.
To conclude, I’d like to explain that writing this way is like reading an engrossing book. When you’re totally immersed it’s like you can actually feel the emotions, experiences and senses of your character. In the same way, writing down evokes similar sensations, memories, smells and feelings. It’s no wonder this positive journalling is a scientifically proven way to support our wellbeing, through personal expression and creativity.
Write Yourself Happy is a thoroughly researched, empowering, positive read.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Every Wicked Man in Books
Jun 5, 2019
With the book Write Yourself Happy: The Art of Positive Journalling, Megan C. Hayes reveals just how we can use practical and scientifically proven methods to increase our happiness through journalling. She’s an academic in Positive Psychology and Creative Writing, and that shows via her knowledge and understanding in this well-written and enlightening book.
I enjoy the process of writing and feel like I am quite a creative person. I’ve read many books like this, and ‘Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron and the companion workbook , are just two of them, so I was really happy to learn about this, and keen to read it myself.
The first thing I cannot help but tell you is how the cover has been printed in a way that is is raised in some places, making it very tactile. And yes, I can’t help touching it! The second thing I noticed, before I even began to read it, was how the pages inside are as colourful as the front cover, and filled with the same pastel shades within.
I found it quite amazing how we can use diary writing to discover more about ourselves, overcome difficulties and experience a positive way to reflect on our lives through both good and bad times. It makes sense, when you think about it, how talking to someone about problems can help, so why not express yourself in the form of writing? And this is just what this book encourages you to do in a way that we can reflect on our writing to positively assess our day. It’s not about bigging yourself up and writing only positive things, it’s about really letting go and understanding the psychology behind the case studies and ‘take-away’ lessons to practice for yourself.
Megan has an encouraging, reassuring and uplifting tone, and I really enjoy reading about the psychological and beneficial aspects of journalling. The author uses eight of our most commonly experienced and life-affirming emotions to journal about; joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride awe and love. Now some of these may sound a bit new-agey and put some of you off, but it’s set out in a down-to-earth way, that I found very inspiring and not preachy at all.
To conclude, I’d like to explain that writing this way is like reading an engrossing book. When you’re totally immersed it’s like you can actually feel the emotions, experiences and senses of your character. In the same way, writing down evokes similar sensations, memories, smells and feelings. It’s no wonder this positive journalling is a scientifically proven way to support our wellbeing, through personal expression and creativity.
Write Yourself Happy is a thoroughly researched, empowering, positive read.
I enjoy the process of writing and feel like I am quite a creative person. I’ve read many books like this, and ‘Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron and the companion workbook , are just two of them, so I was really happy to learn about this, and keen to read it myself.
The first thing I cannot help but tell you is how the cover has been printed in a way that is is raised in some places, making it very tactile. And yes, I can’t help touching it! The second thing I noticed, before I even began to read it, was how the pages inside are as colourful as the front cover, and filled with the same pastel shades within.
I found it quite amazing how we can use diary writing to discover more about ourselves, overcome difficulties and experience a positive way to reflect on our lives through both good and bad times. It makes sense, when you think about it, how talking to someone about problems can help, so why not express yourself in the form of writing? And this is just what this book encourages you to do in a way that we can reflect on our writing to positively assess our day. It’s not about bigging yourself up and writing only positive things, it’s about really letting go and understanding the psychology behind the case studies and ‘take-away’ lessons to practice for yourself.
Megan has an encouraging, reassuring and uplifting tone, and I really enjoy reading about the psychological and beneficial aspects of journalling. The author uses eight of our most commonly experienced and life-affirming emotions to journal about; joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride awe and love. Now some of these may sound a bit new-agey and put some of you off, but it’s set out in a down-to-earth way, that I found very inspiring and not preachy at all.
To conclude, I’d like to explain that writing this way is like reading an engrossing book. When you’re totally immersed it’s like you can actually feel the emotions, experiences and senses of your character. In the same way, writing down evokes similar sensations, memories, smells and feelings. It’s no wonder this positive journalling is a scientifically proven way to support our wellbeing, through personal expression and creativity.
Write Yourself Happy is a thoroughly researched, empowering, positive read.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Arrival (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Thrilling from start to finish
Sci-fi seems to be having somewhat of a renaissance recently, that is, if you don’t count Independence Day: Resurgence which could’ve easily derailed the whole genre, never mind just the franchise.
What with last year’s The Martian, the rebirth of Star Wars and the upcoming Passengers, sci-fi is really getting its mojo back. The subject of this review, Arrival, has been hailed as a masterpiece across the Atlantic. But is it worthy of such a strong adjective?
From the director of Prisoners and Sicario; Arrival is not only one of the best sci-fi films of the last year, it’s up there with the genre’s greatest assets. We’re talking a Close Encounters level of good.
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when humongous spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extra-terrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
Amy Adams leads a pleasing cast that includes commanding turns from Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner but it is in our female protagonist that we find the most joy. Adams is fast becoming one of Hollywood’s best actresses and her complex character is superbly written and incredibly well acted.
Elsewhere, the cinematography is truly exceptional with the alien craft taking a backseat to sweeping landscapes from across the world. The focal point of the film, a lush and open Montana valley is filmed to a breath-taking standard especially during Arrival’s opening sequences.
When it comes to special effects, director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t bombard the audience with constant CGI, instead opting for a laidback approach. Even the aliens themselves are understated in their appearance. It’s also fair to say that the film is a slow-burner with very little in the way of action – though it manages to stay well-clear of becoming tedious.
In spite of all this though, Arrival’s greatest strength is its story. This is thinking person’s sci-fi that somehow manages to cement its themes with an emotional heft of gravitational proportions. Throughout the 114 minute running time, we’re constantly reminded of our characters and where it is they come from, something missing from the majority of mass-market blockbusters these days.
Overall, Arrival is more than worthy of an adjective like masterpiece. From it’s incredible story and beautiful cinematography to what is Amy Adams’ best performance to date, it’s a new classic for the sci-fi genre and well worth a watch.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/11/11/thrilling-from-start-to-finish-arrival-review/
What with last year’s The Martian, the rebirth of Star Wars and the upcoming Passengers, sci-fi is really getting its mojo back. The subject of this review, Arrival, has been hailed as a masterpiece across the Atlantic. But is it worthy of such a strong adjective?
From the director of Prisoners and Sicario; Arrival is not only one of the best sci-fi films of the last year, it’s up there with the genre’s greatest assets. We’re talking a Close Encounters level of good.
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when humongous spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extra-terrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
Amy Adams leads a pleasing cast that includes commanding turns from Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner but it is in our female protagonist that we find the most joy. Adams is fast becoming one of Hollywood’s best actresses and her complex character is superbly written and incredibly well acted.
Elsewhere, the cinematography is truly exceptional with the alien craft taking a backseat to sweeping landscapes from across the world. The focal point of the film, a lush and open Montana valley is filmed to a breath-taking standard especially during Arrival’s opening sequences.
When it comes to special effects, director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t bombard the audience with constant CGI, instead opting for a laidback approach. Even the aliens themselves are understated in their appearance. It’s also fair to say that the film is a slow-burner with very little in the way of action – though it manages to stay well-clear of becoming tedious.
In spite of all this though, Arrival’s greatest strength is its story. This is thinking person’s sci-fi that somehow manages to cement its themes with an emotional heft of gravitational proportions. Throughout the 114 minute running time, we’re constantly reminded of our characters and where it is they come from, something missing from the majority of mass-market blockbusters these days.
Overall, Arrival is more than worthy of an adjective like masterpiece. From it’s incredible story and beautiful cinematography to what is Amy Adams’ best performance to date, it’s a new classic for the sci-fi genre and well worth a watch.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/11/11/thrilling-from-start-to-finish-arrival-review/