Always hungry for more books…

Holiday Read - Taylor Cole (11th May 2023)

What I loved about this book is it’s heartwarming propensity to help us see that we can choose our family. We can curate what works for us and that best friends and family can show up for us in many different ways and help us to see our worth. Anything less and we should and can choose our boundaries, people who don’t respect that, likely have an ulterior motive or not our best interests at heart. When surfer Candice moves from Hawaii to Cornwall she is not just escaping her cheating and controlling husband, she’s in search of her ‘dad’, her roots, what to do with her life, but most importantly I’d say, find herself.

Sometimes when we’re looking for something we are too blinded by our obsession of it. I’m also booking my trip to Fistral now, possibly one of the posh DFL ones!

The Prisoner’s Wife - Ali Blood

Emma is the victim of a coercive abuse. The story follows the standard abusers pattern of showering their victim with love, giving them everything they want and more, then slowly take away anything that gives them autonomy and outside friendships. It’s slow, so slow that you don’t know it’s happening until you’ve dug a hole, gradually making excuses for the change (let’s not look ungrateful) and have isolated yourself. To the outside world, life is perfect so who would believe you anyway. But then your abuser gets sent down for 5 years after the law finally catches up with what transpires is London’s most dangerous crime family leader. You’d think that gave you a break and a way out. No this is when it all implodes…

However, it is nice when sometimes the trash takes itself out. Brilliantly written, I loved it.

The Fear - Christiana Spens (14th March 2023)

Fear comes in many forms and plays out in many ways not always easily spotted by anyone, especially ourselves. However, a state of fear often perpetuates more fear in other areas of our lives, like a disease or dis-ease. It infects who we trust, how we progress, develop, nurture ourselves and others, how we stick with destructive patterns or live in a constant state of managing coping mechanisms. Its exhausting, its unhealthy and its not always easy to recognise. The Fear by Christiana Spens uses her own experience to help us understand and identify our fears individually and as a society, and how they may be controlling us to our detriment. Using philosophy, art, popular culture, poetry and much more – a varied and thorough breakdown of fear to help us understand, identify and build upon.

Wilder Journeys - EDITED BY LAURIE KING & MIRIAM LANCEWOOD (14th March)

Many of us feel the need to escape the chaos and incessant noise of life, and what better place to do it than in nature. Forest bathing, digital detox’s in a countryside setting, silent retreats and even good old camping are great ways that we are trying to embed nature in our lives. However, these are short term ‘quick fixes’. Wilder Journeys follow this notion to intense levels of nature absorption that results in a variety of profound connections that the contributors have experienced and share with us. Nature is stunning and too many of us take it for granted and see very little of it. Opting to swoon over ‘Nature posts’ on Instagram. But lets delve into the incredible journeys of those that did it #IRL.