Book Review No. 58 - Everyday Kundalini by Kathryn McCusker

Welcome! I have been so busy lately, reading books and being on the internet sort of got away from me. With summer in full bloom, it is hard not to want to enjoy the heat or at least be more active inside where there is some air conditioning. "Everyday Kundalini" by Kathryn McCusker is a great book, it took me awhile to get through, but it was well worth the read. This is for individuals that are seeking meditation more as a spiritual practice with yoga than people who want "secular" meditation and yoga.   

Book Review No. 56 - Llewellyn's Little Book of Spirit Animals by Melissa Alvarez

Good Afternoon! Hope you are enjoying your day so far. I started my day off with a large cup of spilt tea, not the best way to get going, however it did force me to do some cleaning so that is looking on the bright side.    I got to read through this little gem of a reference book "Llewellyn's Little Book of Spirit Animals" by Melissa Alvarez. This book is sort of of a pocket guide to spirit animals. The beginning has a really nice overview on what a spirit animal is and different ways you can utilize them in you everyday life and practice. Also, Alvarez points out that spirit animals may have a one time message or may be with you for extended periods of time, you have to pay attention to your surroundings.  

 

Book Review No. 55 - Dark Goddess Craft by Stephanie Woodfield

Wow, it has been awhile since I've been here. I guess I took a hiatus without even realizing it. I actually stepped away from most of the internet, taking some time to deal with family issues and more health work.
So, this review is a long time coming. This was an excellent book, and I enjoyed it a lot. Stephanie Woodfield's "Dark Goddess Craft" was filled with an enormous amount of information about the realms of the dark goddesses.   

 

Book Review No. 54 - The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

Sit down, grab some tea because it is cold outside and when anyone discusses Austen it is always better to have tea in hand. I read this book in about a day and a half. Katherine Reay's "The Austen Escape" is a charming romance novel set in modern times. Isabel and Mary have been friends since childhood, but things have been strained in their relationship as they've grown into adulthood. Mary took a job working in a flourishing tech job while Isabel is working on her doctoral thesis on Jane Austen.  

 

Book Review No. 53 - Arthurian Magic by Virginia Chandler, John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews and Gareth Knight

Welcome 2018! The ending of a year and the beginning of a new always has a special quality about it, like things get refreshed.
I finished this magical book "Arthurian Magic" by Virginia Chandler, John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews and Gareth Knight. Now, I know little about King Arthur other than the basic mythology, but this book goes way deeper into ancient magics and mythos of the fabled king and Merlin.

Book Review No. 52 - Tarot Time Traveller by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin

Hello, welcome back to another addition of Book Review Tuesday, that rarely ever happens on Tuesdays. 
If you read tarot books, then you've come across Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin before. They have a good number of books on the subject, and I've read several of them, which I thought were excellent for beginners and more advanced tarot students alike. "Tarot Time Traveller" is a little bit different of a book, it really is like time traveling to specific times in tarot history.   

Book Review No. 51 - Darkly Skewed by Natalie-Nicole Bates

Well hello December. Where did November go? It passed by so quick, and with the holidays upon us, time really flies.
I have a great novella to review this week, it is "Darkly Skewed" by Natalie-Nicole Bates. I have the privilege of knowing this author, so I am please to be able to review her work. This is the first in a series of books based on a dark, devilish carnival. This book is set at the turn on the early 1900's, a time period I love to read about.  

 

Book Review No. 50 - The Witching Hour by Silver RavenWolf

Book review #50 on the site, how exciting! I've been feeling a little more witchy than usual, although I still have no energy. I'm lucky to spend a few minutes of meditation beneath a moon. Here is to new things on the horizon though, as this is a good time of the year for reflection and introspection.
I've never read one of Silver RavenWolf's books before, although she is a well-known new age writer. I really didn't know what to expect when reading "The Witching Hour", but I approached it with an open mind and I am glad I did.   

Book Review No. 48 - Ghosts of the Civil War by Rich Newman

With Halloween so close, I've been enjoying some spooky shows and creepy reads. I had the luck of going on a haunted train ride over the weekend. That was a lot of fun. I also got to visit My Old Kentucky Home State Park where the tour consisted of Victorian Funerary rituals and rites. That was extremely fascinating, plus I feel like everyone that lives in KY should visit their state song's namesake at least once.    In the spirit of the season, I read Rich Newman's "Ghosts of the Civil War". Newman does a great job of exploring the grounds of haunted battlefields and houses of some of the civil war's greatest battles.

Book Review No. 47 - Queens of Conquest by Alison Weir

Hello autumn! Welcome to the cooler weather and the longer nights. It has been a little rough here this week, as I got my wisdom teeth out. I know, most people have this done in there late teens/early twenties. But I guess I just like doing things the hard way. I did get to enjoy an amazing book this week, so I can't complain too much. 
If you enjoy non-fiction books about English history, this is a must. Alison Weir's "Queens of Conquest" is so well done, I really had a hard time putting it down. Now, that is hard to say about non-fiction, especially ones filled with so much detail, but this book is a treasure of information.

Book Review No. 46 - A Dangerous Woman from Nowhere by Kris Radish

Hello there again, welcome back. I haven't been into much lately, except spending way too much time looking at all the Halloween goodies online and in stores. As this is my favorite time of year, I tend to go a bit nutty.
If you like westerns, especially ones with a strong female main character, I think you will enjoy "A Dangerous Woman from Nowhere" by Kris Radish. This is technically a love story, but not in a smutty, naughty romance sort of way, this book isn't in that genre (not there is anything wrong with a nice trashy romance set in the American west).  

Book Review No. 45 - Spirits of the Cage by Richard Estep and Vanessa Mitchell

Hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying the last little bit of summer before autumn takes over. I love autumn, all the decoration, the cooler weather, and overall feeling of the season. The book I read this week really ties into the autumn-feel, especially with Halloween not too far off.   If you like real-life ghost stories, you will probably enjoy this book. "Spirits of the Cage: True Accounts of Living in a Haunted Medieval Prison" by Richard Estep and Vanessa Mitchell is a chilling read about one woman's life struggle living in The Cage for over three years and a paranormal investigators 5 day immersion into her world.   

Book Review No. 44 - Reincarnation Blue by Michael Poore

Everyone welcome, I hope you are enjoying the site. I know its mostly been book reviews lately, I hope to remedy that soon.
I couldn't put this week's book down. "Reincarnation Blues" by Michael Poore is a witty, humorous story of a man named Milo who's lived nearly 10,000 lives. If I believed in reincarnation, this is how I would imagine it. Each life is supposed to teach a lesson, and ultimately, people are supposed to achieve a "perfect" life. Milo, has lived more lives than any, and yet he still hasn't received perfection. His afterlife is also complicated, as he is involved in a forbidden love.  

Book Review No. 43 - The Witch's Book of Spirits by Devin Hunter

Welcome back to the blog. It's been a little bit, but I've got some work done outside of cyberspace, so that is exciting. For this installation of Book Review Tuesday I finished "The Witch's Book of Spirits" by Devin Hunter. Let me first say this book is packed with a lot of material, and would serve as a good reference book.   

Book Review No. 42 - Magical Power for Beginners by Deborah Lipp

Well hello there! Welcome back to my little blog, thanks for taking a gander and I hope you find something interesting. Not a whole lot is going on right now, just trying to stay cool in the heat. I've been listening to a lot of AFI, Alkaline Trio and Charlotte OC. If you've not checked out these artists, you really should.

It took me a little while to finish this week's book, but in no way is that a bad thing. Deborah Lipp's book "Magical Power for Beginners" is excellent. I can honestly say if you are new to this topic, this is a perfect place to start. Lipp covers a whole range of topics, some I never even thought to explore, in a very approachable manner. 

Book Review No. 41 - The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz

Well hello there! Come and sit a spell, if you are looking for a good book to read, I have some recommendations on the site.
This week, well just actually today, I finished "The Silent Corner" by Dean Koontz. This is a great cerebral thriller, and I have to say Mr. Koontz is always a good read. He is one of my all-time favorite authors, I've been reading his books for probably almost 2 decades now. As a teenager, I even wrote him a letter condemning him for killing one of his characters. He was ever so polite to reply back, which I never expected!  

 

Book Review No. 40 - Llewellyn's Little Book of Psychic Development by Melanie Barnum

Welcome back! I've been busy reading, enjoying the early summer sunshine and watching way too much TV. I'm still in medical limbo, being bounced between specialists for my stomach. So, although I'm unable to do basically anything that involves walking or standing for more than 5 minute, I'm trying to stay on the positive!   This little book was really a nice read, and I really enjoyed how Melanie Barnum approached psychic development. Her book "Llewellyn's Little Book of Psychic Development" is filled with easy to read tips on how to expand your psychic abilities. Now, as a tarot reader, I've a pretty open mind about this sort of stuff. If you don't have an inclination towards psychic abilities, well then this isn't a book for you.  

 

Book Review No. 39 - The Evolution of Beauty by Richard O. Prum

On the road again, we are on the road again! In my head, I am singing that to myself. This week, we are spending time in Akron, Ohio. While the hubby works, I am taking full advantage of our suite at Holiday Inn Express. The weather is glorious gloomy NE Ohio weather, so I'm also enjoying that. My husband isn't such a fan of the gloom, but I actually miss it now that we live in Central KY. 
I finished this really well-written science book by Richard O. Prum, "The Evolution of Beauty". The book, obvious by the title, is about the evolution of beautiful (or costly) traits in organisms. Prum is a professor of ornithology at Yale University, and also head curator of vertebrate zoology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. So, this man knows what he is talking about.

Book Review No. 38 - Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker

Welcome back. This week I am welcoming the warmer weather and rainy days. Something about rainy days, where there is a slow drizzle, makes me happy.  

  While listening to the pitter-patter on the windows, I finished this fantastic book "Mr. Rochester" by Sarah Shoemaker. This is a great companion book to the ultimate romance (well one of them in my opinion) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë. I first read "Jane Eyre" in high school, and fell in love with the characters and moody, Gothic story. Shoemaker expands upon this world by providing Edward Rochester's tale.  

 

Book Review No. 37 - The Witch's Cauldron by Laura Tempest Zakroff

Welcome back! I've another great book to review. I know I call these "Book Review Tuesdays" and most of these are no longer posted on Tuesdays. Maybe I will get back to being more consistent soon...but until then...I hope you enjoy! Have you ever wanted to know more about the witch's cauldron, that symbol so deeply associated with witchery? I highly recommend Laura Tempest Zakroff's book "The Witch's Cauldron". She did a masterful job covering so many aspects of the magical vessel, this is a great reference book as well as enjoyable to read.