Monthly Archives: July 2021

Going on a brief hiatus

Sometimes the most difficult thing we must do is say goodbye.

For anyone who has followed me on any of my social media accounts, they will have heard me mention my Emma. She started out as the “family dog” but that soon turned in to “Melissa’s dog”. She was my best friend and confidant.

For 13 (almost 14) years we have been side by side. And this past Saturday we were forced to part. She passed from natural causes and while her passing was a shock neither was it unexpected.

I say all of this so my readers will understand when I say I am going on a brief hiatus. I simply do not have the emotional energy right now to read and write reviews.

I know I am signed up for a few book tours but I must drop out. I apologize profusely to you all. I do not like having to drop out so suddenly but neither is it fair to anyone for me to deliver a subpar product.

I will continue to remain on Twitter and Facebook though it will be on a limited basis.

Thank you to you all for your understanding.

Provided for Review: The Seeker of Well-Being by Indrajit Garai

A practical guide, with a unique perspective on personal growth. Numerous case studies on people who have changed their lives simply by overcoming their inner resistance.

We all want to attain excellence in what we do, but the first resistance comes from within us. We prevent ourselves from doing our best, from approaching our inner richness, and from feeling sincerely well within.

The key to our durable well-being is by aligning accordance with our self, by overcoming our internal resistance, and by acting in synergy with our deepest values. But, how?

Only our original solution, which originates from within us, can provide that.

This book, based on twelve years of client work, reveals why ‘accordance with self’ is the prerequisite for a deep and durable well-being. Why only our original solution can do this, and how we can easily construct this solution from inside out. And attain our inherent potential, by aligning with ourselves.

Others have done this with grace; their results endure. You can do it too.

This book was provided for review by the author. Thank you!

Almost every person is looking to better themselves in some way. Whether it be their physical well-being or mental well-being, the search is almost constant. And while it can be fairly straight forward to better oneself physically, to do so mentally and emotionally can be a struggle.

Fortunately, with a bit of help and insight through books such as The Seeker of Well-Being, it can be done.

Unlike many self-help books, The Seeker of Well-Being does not have a one size fits all solution. It doesn’t even have a one size fits most solution. Instead, it encourages the reader to do a bit of self reflection and derive a solution that fits just them. Many examples are given through past case studies and interviews, each one intended to inspire the reader in their search. It is very much a “What worked for this person may not be completely right for you, but perhaps something similar will?”

Like so many in this difficult time, I too am trying to become a better version of myself. So The Seeker of Well-Being came to me at a most opportune time. I found it to be an excellent read and one that really had me thinking on my own internal conflicts. In time I even hope to put some of the advice I garnered while reading this book to work.

I recommend this book to all my readers regardless of where they are on their path in life.

Provided for Review: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Practical, unassuming Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work. Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town. Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed. Gone is the bold, courageous surgeon, and in his place is a terrified, paranoid man—one who cannot tell reality from nightmare, and fears Jane is an apparition, come to haunt him.

By morning, Augustine is himself again, but Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to. 

This book was provided for review by NetGalley. Thank you!

When I first saw the blurb on NetGalley for The Death of Jane Lawrence, I was intrigued. Especially once I saw it compared to Crimson Peak – a personal favorite in both book and movie. So it leaves little doubt that I had to request it.

The Death of Jane Lawrence on the surface has a basic enough premise. There is a young woman with a potential decision to make and there is a handsome young man with a dark secret. Add in the ubiquitous crumbling manor house and you have the recipe for most any gothic novel. That however is where the comparison ends because this book contains so much more.

I think what I liked best about The Death of Jane Lawrence was how unexpected it was. What I mean is, while reading it I was quite sure I knew the direction in which the story would go. Having read my fair share of gothic novels – both modern and historical – I tend to be able to guess how a story of this kind will end. And while sometimes I am correct there are other times where I am wrong. The Death of Jane Lawrence proved that point to me, that one cannot always guess how a book is going to go.

I quite enjoyed reading this book. Starling does a wonderful job of creating the perfect moody setting with Lindridge Hall and its surroundings. She peoples it with characters that are sympathetic and ones that are insensitive and at times they are the same person.

As a fan of gothic novels, I heartily recommend The Death of Jane Lawrence to my readers. With the colder months soon upon us it the perfect spooky book to settle down with on a dark night.