Must Reads - 11th December 2017
A gift of healing, love and evolution, meaning, insight and deeper understanding. Our true life stuff, the Great American Eclipse, the unclaimed self, the milk of the sun, the end of everything, our terror, rage and pain. Reclaiming what we’ve suppressed, blocked and displaced. Assimilating, internalizing and actualizing all we are and all that is. Living our wisdom, maturity and vulnerability.
A Biography
A critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author explores the Christmas holiday, from the original festival through present day traditions.
Christmas has always been a magical time. Or has it? Thirty years after the first recorded Christmas, the Pope was already warning that too many people were spending the day, not in worship, but in partying and eating to excess. By 1616, the playwright Ben Jonson was nostalgically remembering Christmas in the old days, certain that it had been better then.
Other elements of Christmas are much newer – who would have thought gift-wrap is a novelty of the twentieth century? That the first holiday parade was neither at Macy’s, nor even in the USA?
Some things, however, never change. The first known gag holiday gift book, The Boghouse Miscellany, was advertised in the 1760s ‘for gay Gallants, and good companions’, while in 1805, the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition exchanged – what else? – presents of underwear and socks.
Christmas is all things to all people: a religious festival, a family celebration, a period of eating and drinking. In Christmas: A Biography, bestselling author and acclaimed social historian Judith Flanders casts a sharp eye on myths, legends and history, deftly moving from the origins of the holiday in the Roman empire, through Christmas trees in central Europe, to what might be the first appearance of Santa Claus – in Switzerland – to draw a picture of the season as it has never been seen before.
An A-Z of Books to Keep Kids Happy, Healthy & Wise
Mumsnet 'Best Books for Christmas 2016'From tantrums to tummy aches to teenage mood swings, there are times when a book is the best medicine of all. The Story Cure is a manual for grown-ups who believe that the stories which shape children's lives should not be left to chance.
In these pages bibliotherapists Ella and Susan recommend the perfect children's book - from picture books to YA novels via the golden world of chapter books - for every hiccup and heartache. Whether the young child you know is being bullied, the toddler can't sleep, or the teenager has fallen in love for the first time - or just doesn't know what to read next - the right story will help them feel themselves again. Packed full of helpful lists of the best books to read when turning ten or going through a spy/horse/superhero phase, you'll find old favourites such as The Borrowers and The Secret Garden alongside modern classics by MT Anderson, Malorie Blackman and Frank Cottrell Boyce. The Story Cure is the perfect companion for initiating young readers into one of life's greatest pleasures.
In these pages bibliotherapists Ella and Susan recommend the perfect children's book - from picture books to YA novels via the golden world of chapter books - for every hiccup and heartache. Whether the young child you know is being bullied, the toddler can't sleep, or the teenager has fallen in love for the first time - or just doesn't know what to read next - the right story will help them feel themselves again. Packed full of helpful lists of the best books to read when turning ten or going through a spy/horse/superhero phase, you'll find old favourites such as The Borrowers and The Secret Garden alongside modern classics by MT Anderson, Malorie Blackman and Frank Cottrell Boyce. The Story Cure is the perfect companion for initiating young readers into one of life's greatest pleasures.
SELECTED BY REESE WITHERSPOON AS HER DECEMBER BOOK CLUB PICK!
Addictive, dark, thrilling and full of twists! You won’t want to miss this mesmerising debut from a fresh new voice in psychological suspense.
Perfect for fans of B. A. Paris, Shari Lapena and Liane Moriarty
How far would you go to make all your dreams come true?
Amber Patterson is tired of being a nobody: an invisible woman who melts into the background. She deserves more. She deserves a life of wealth, luxury and leisure.
Daphne Parrish is the golden girl of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut. With her model looks, her picture-perfect mansion and her millionaire husband, Jackson, she has everything Amber wants.
Amber’s envy could eat her alive—if she didn't have a plan. Before long, she has become Daphne’s closest friend, and is catching the eye of Jackson. But a skeleton from her past could destroy everything, and if discovered, Amber’s well-laid plan may end in disaster…
An Inspiring Guide to Positive Living with Faith, Love & Courage
In The Starting Point of Happiness, author Ryuho Okawa awakens us to the true spiritual values of our life; he beautifully illustrates, in simple but profound words, how we can find purpose and meaning in life and attain happiness that lasts forever. Okawa stresses the importance of cultivating and polishing our mind as the mind is the only thing we can take with us when return to the other world; we have to leave behind everything we thought to be valuable in this world. This book empowers spiritual seekers to find the strength in the midst of difficult times, to savour the joy of giving love to others, and to be in tune with the will of the great universe. This self-renewing guide to positive living will awaken us to the spiritual truths, infuse us with hope, strength and fulfilment, and lead us to walk the path to authentic, lasting happiness.
I can't wait to get to reading these, watch out for my full reviews.
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Happy Reading!
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