Word for Word – Laurie Lisle

"This is a memoir about living a writing life - wanting to be a writer, becoming a writer, and being a writer - as acts of self-expression, self-assertion, and womanly survival." If I'm honest - and I usually am 😉 - I have very little idea of who Laurie Lisle is, which may not seem …

The Way of Nagomi – Ken Mogi

"The Japanese philosophy of finding balance and peace in everything you do." Short review: I didn't particularly get much from this book. For every decent self-help-ish tome I read, there's a huge pile of those that sound amazing and utterly fail to hit any kind of mark - and this falls into the latter category. …

You Can Draw Cute Animals – Yasmina Mattson

"A step by step guide to drawing and coloring adorable creatures." I've written before about how much I'd like to get back into drawing and being more creative, but boy can that feel daunting. However, it's hard to feel too intimidated when the samples look like this: The tone of the book is very light …

The Better Habits Workbook – Stephanie Sorady Arias

"Exercises for getting unstuck, changing your behaviour, and reaching your goals." Another week, another self help book? 'fraid so! Why do I do this to myself? Well, mainly because I live in hope that somewhere out there is a book that'll help me figure it all out. No, it probably doesn't exist! In the meantime, …

The Consistency Formula – Suzi Sung

"Consistency is one of the key components when it comes to reaching your goals because when you are consistent, you will keep doing something regardless of wat is going on around you." I absolutely know that one of my own big problems with pursuing any goal is a lack of consistency. Even when I feel absolutely motivated, …

Everything is OK – Debbie Tung

"For everyone who is going through a tough time. You are not alone. You matter. You are enough just as you are right now." A while ago I read the graphic novel, Book Love, by Debbie Tung. It's such an adorably sweet book, you never would have guessed that the author was struggling with anxiety and …

Stress into Strength – Nick Arnett

"When a coach or physical therapist urges you to work hard, that's because physical stress can become strength." I'm finding it really tough to review this book - or indeed, finish reading it, which took almost a year (!). It's not bad at all, it's just... hmm. For a start, going through a heck of …

Healthy Easy Mexican – Velda de la Garza

Mexican food is one of my absolutely favourite cuisines, but also one that I'm not great at cooking. Sure, I can rustle up some fajitas, but there's a whole lot more than that! This book isn't just about Mexican food, but strongly leans into the 'healthy' part of the title. In fact, the first section …

Mindful Sketching – Peggy Dean

"How to develop a drawing practice and embrace the art of imperfection." It's been a while since I reviewed an art book, but I'm forever looking for ways back into the hobby, the creative part of myself. I'm also a big fan of meditation and mindfulness, so the title of this book sounded perfect. It turned …

The Monkey Mind Workout for Perfectionism – Jennifer Shannon

"Break free from anxiety and build self-compassion in 30 days!" Perfectionism is one of those 'joke' answers when asked in an interview about your biggest weakness. Oh, I'm such a perfectionist - like it's a good thing. But it's really not much of a joke: it can be a debilitatingly stressful way to live, and …