The Stories Behind Astrology by Alison Davies

Rating:

3 Stars

Themes:

Astrology, Mythology

Thoughts:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is interesting to read regardless of your belief or disbelief in astrology. I found it intriguing to learn about the mythological stories behind each individual zodiac and also the planets and the illustration attached to each was stunning. I don’t know how much I personally believe in the rituals provided after each tale but I’m sure they would mean something significant to those who believe in astrology and I liked the affirmation attached below it. I also appreciated the affirmation summary style page at the back of the book as my memory isn’t the best after taking in so much information. There was also a small section on your big three (sun sign, moon sign, and rising sign) at the back and one on creating your own ritual which I’m sure is useful for those who believe in astrology and its impacts on their behaviours.

Comments

The War of Sober by Edward Rand

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Addiction, Psychology Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book not just for addicts trying to establish and maintain their sobriety but also psychologists, counsellors and the people working with them. It approaches the experience of addiction from the perspective of going to war and may help those who can’t get along with the 12 steps, contingency management or other forms of therapy traditionally used. It’s also helpful to have Edward detail his own experiences and approaches throughout so it feels less clinical and shows he does know what he’s talking about when he mentions the difficulties so it comes across less patronising than some self-help addiction books. Favourite Quote: "It doesn't matter what happened yesterday. Win or lose, if we are still alive, we must decide to be different today and then make the correct choices today, because friends, ...

Broken Glass by Sarah Kay

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Shame-Sex Attraction by Lucas Wilson

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, LGBTQ+ Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is definitely a difficult read and it took me quite a while to get through it for that very reason. It is split up into 17 different peoples experiences with a foreword and afterword. It’s definitely an important read for many as these practices are still legal in many countries, including my own, and without knowledge of the damage of the practices many may not join in the protests or sign the petitions to try to get laws in place. As a member of the community myself I found some of these stories such as the ‘Sniffing the Gay Away’ and ‘Convert’ especially difficult to read and reminded me just how lucky I was to have such a supportive and loving community around me. I appreciated that the afterword highlighted the limitations of the collection such as having little to no religious, geographical or racial diversity but that they did try to ga...

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