Whatcha reading?

Whatcha reading?

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Angel Therapy Handbook: Doreen Virtue

This was an interesting book to have in your collection. This book expertly explains the tiers of angels, names and when to call for aid as well as who to call for different types of aid. I explains in detail the different types of clairs, healing, life purposes and what was really neat was the entire section on how to make these special gifts into a way to support yourself.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Complete Book on Divination: Richard Webster

I really liked the explanation and variety of divination tools that aren't very well known and the numerology section was very informative.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Color Medicine: Charles Klosche

Fascinating idea in holistic healing goes over the success of both color healing- using colors aimed at ailments and the sound/ note/ frequency that could be used instead of or with color healing. I also talked about sun signs/ horoscope and how it could hint at each person's vitamin deficiency.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Angels; how to see, hear and feel your angels: Kyle Gray

This was a comforting book letting you know you are never alone and when desperate you can always ask for help in your life. This book was full of meditations and affirmations as well as stories about angles and the different levels of angelic beings present.

Reiki Workhop; Phillip Permutt

This was a very short audio book about setting up a healing room and different ways to use reiki not just on another person. It went over bringing positive energy to a space, animals, plants and directing reiki to your own chakras when needed. Super interesting.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Discovering the Healer Within: Anysia Marcell Kiel

I loved this approach to healing- mind/ body/ spirit and that one has to do it for themselves, but others can send energy to help. This book was set up in the format of a story from experience, then instructions on how to try something similar yourself. There is also a section at the end for cleaning up the energy in your house. " I clear and release anything other than the highest vibration of love" I liked that you do everything out of love instead of trying to meddle and fix as you want to and think may be best.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Simply Color Theory: Nina Ashby

This was an amazing book for me, having never heard of anything like this (well other then like fen shui) I was super intrigued! this book spoke about what colors to paint different rooms and to wear when you are feeling certain ways since color affects mood and temperature- red socks will keep your feet warm. It gives exercises for going through your closet and figuring out if you have an aversion to certain colors and how to address that. it explains auras and what each color means for a past life as well as a candle exercise for learning to see auras. Super interesting as it is a small book, but packed full of knowledge.

The Chakra System: Anodea Judith

This was a fabulous book. It spoke about chakras and how it relates to illness, childhood trauma, how it ties with other enlightenment practices and had a meditation for each chakra as well as several meditations at the end.

Chakra Breathing Meditations: Layne Redmond

This was a really fun listen to, I liked the marching meditation and that is really what made this audiobook stand out- see what I did there? :P

Chakras for Beginners: Naomi

This was my first book on chakras and I found it interesting, it does just got over the basics on each one and then lists an exercise. Things included; color, location, images, and a short story of each. It's a good little book

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Tarot Workshop: Suzanne Corbie

This was a great beginners guide to tarot. It went through the meaning of each card and provided several exercises with getting the messages to stick and how to interpret the cards further on a personal level.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Sepulchre: Kate Mosse

This was a book that sort of tested the idea that time is linear. The book is set in two time periods and follows the same family through tragedy and finding peace mixed with a little mysticism. The time periods are connected no only by family blood, but by tarot cards which seem to evoke the devil who is more of a protector of the good than the character we think of today. In the 1800s a boy falls in love with his widowed aunt and is killed in a duel with her ex-lover after they are stalked for months. The murderer leaves the country with the intent to come back and finish the rest of the family, but he is taken out by the devil after the man's sister seeks help within the tarot cards. Modern day- a young woman is looking into a man of importance as a journalist and finds the cards starting the cycle all over again. She survives with the help of a man who is able to exist in both times and assists both women.

The Seven Daughters of Eve: Bryan Sykes

This was a fascinating book that luckily spends the first portion teaching about DNA ( or I would have been completely lost) I love the journey to discovery and how there are so many people working on the same idea that come to the same conclusions even though there are many areas of thought. There are actually 33 clans, though he speaks about 7. Very interesting read if you are into genealogy and science.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

1421: The Year China Discovered America; Gavin Menzies

This book was fascinating to me, I love how it jumped around from ship building to exploration to the actual research, it really kept the reader interested throughout the entire book. The book provided evidence that the Chinese had already explored North America, South America, Polynesia, and Australia long before any European settlers. It also fell into the myth where the Aztecs were looking for the return of Quetzalcoatl.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Dropped Dead Stitch: Maggie Sefton

I wasn't super into this book, but it was a cutsey idea of creating a mystery novel for knitters. A woman is raped and then goes to a retreat and the rapist is the man hosting the event. The man is murdered and it is deemed an accident. The protagonist is a meddler and unbelievably a retired cop discusses the case with her. In predictable fashion, she saves the day and solves the case.

The Island of Seven Cities: Paul Chiasson

This was a fascinating read. A man is diagnosed with HIV and begins wondering about some ruins he used to hike with his grandfather as a kid. His mother claims they are French, since the French had a long history of occupation on the island, but his research proves something entirely different. Documents show the first Europeans to land on the island noted that the Natives had some knowledge of Christianity, an alphabet, and distinct clothing unlike others they encounter. There is a mythical island of seven cities they believe was located on Cape Brenton. Chiasson begins rooting around the ruins and doesn't understand the slabs of stone he keeps finding. They were obviously chiseled by man, but the fortifications are like nothing he has seen. Being an architect he starts to realize the set up and construction could be Chinese and once he makes that connection he sees the alphabet is similar (looked identical to me)and the clothing the natives wore were distinctly Chinese. The validation comes when he speaks at a gathering with Gavin Menzies. Other scholars visit the site and see more than Paul had hoped to piece together; gold mining, cemeteries, gate posts, etc under hundreds of years of growth.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

The Dire King: William Ritter

This was book four of the series and reminded me how much I love some of the quotes " on a scale of 1-acorn", "Provided proper tinder and dry kindling, Marlowe's expression could have been used to start a fire". In this book the "underworld" executes it's plan to take over the world and drain every living, and I guess unliving beings as well, and take all the power in the world. Jackaby and Abigail hold their own until they are seemingly saved. Abigail loses Charlie...to be continued.

Monday, June 3, 2019

Psycho: Robert Bloch

The book is SOO much better than the movie, if you didn't know Norman Bate's mother was not alive and stuffed, the moment of realization would be amazing in the story. A woman steals money from her employer to try to help a boyfriend out of debt so they can get married, but gets lost on the way. She spends the night in the Bates hotel where she is senselessly murdered. Her sister goes on her own investigation to find her knowing something horrible must have happened. Norman kills a detective and tries to kill the sister who is finally saved by the sister's boyfriend and the small town cop.

Friday, May 31, 2019

Supernatural Sherlocks: Nick Rennison

This was a collection of out of print stories by some of the classic authors as well as some that aren't so well remembered today. It was a delightful read with a lot of hauntings in the supernatural showing how inventive modern authors have become in the supernatural genre.

Beastly Bones: William Ritter

This was book 2 in the Jackaby series. Abigail goes on an adventure to look at recently discovered dinosaur bones and Convinces Jackaby to come along after they find some species that mimics others. On this trip creature eats the dinosaur bones and becomes a dinosaur. Abigail saves them from being eaten and gains Mr Barker as a beau.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Jackaby: William Ritter

This was the first of the Jackaby series. We learn how Abigail Rook was hired on by Jackaby and how she got her first look and case into the supernatural. Someone in town was on a killing spree and Jackaby knew the murderer to be a "red cap" and to be in the police force. He found the monster and terminated him while also finding a canine shape shifter in the mix.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Ghostly Echoes: William Ritter

Though the second book in the series, this is the first one I have read and I loved it. It's a teen book, but doesn't seem written for them, there is no "dumbing down" of the plot and characters. It just seemed like a fun book that anyone would enjoy. A detective has " the sight" and can see the supernatural forces around us. He is investigating into the death of a friend that happened 10 years ago and travels to the place souls go to after death to get answers. Encountering supernatural trouble the whole way of course, or at least his female assistant Abigail gets to encounter a lot of trouble. The book does not come to a conclusion, but makes you antsy to get the next book so you can figure out what happens.

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Side Jobs: Jim Butcher

This was my first Jim Butcher book and I really enjoyed it. It was a collection of short stories where you get a glimpse of the characters in the novels. Harry Dresden is a wizard who works as a detective. He solves not only supernatural crimes, but crimes...which happen to be done by the supernatural :P We meet characters like Bob, who is a skull that helps Harry think through cases and work spells, his werewolf friends, and a police officer with no supernatural powers, who he happens to have a crush on. The stories are delightful and Harry's dry humor and sarcasm liven the stories.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Winds of War: Herman Wouk

I loved this book! o would compare it to Gone with the Wind and The Thornbirds. The story follows each of the Henry family members in the years leading up to the US entering WWII. The classic line of the father saying his family had become like tumbleweeds comes when his family has not only grown up and moved away, but is falling apart. Both the parents have affairs and the daughter has an affair with her older employer. Mrs Henry and her daughter-in-law are both drawn to adventure and don't seem to hesitate on thinking to leave their husbands when more excitement comes along. Mrs Henry is constantly looking for the most successful man and seems to stay with her husband only because he s close to the president and gets promotions at the right time. Mr henry risks his life getting into situations in Germany, England, and Russia in trying to see how prepared the countries are and to report back to the president on the war happenings becoming a sort of war correspondent. The book intertwines the right amount of war action with family life to make it seem like you are actually following a family through the brink of war. As soon as the war starts the novel ends.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

A Study in Emerald:Neil Gaiman and Rafael Albuquerque

This was a clever graphic novel that mixed the Holmes detective and supernatural genres. A detective is consulted to solve the murder of a royal and concludes that the Holmes and Watson sort men were responsible. It was a delightful read.

Friday, April 12, 2019

The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell:Lilian Jackson Braun

In the middle of Pix Axe's 100th anniversary celebration A nephew of an affluent childless couple comes to town. His filed attempt to inherit the family fortune after he murders the couple is detected on my Coco.

Monday, March 4, 2019

Mr. Dickens and His Carol : Samantha Silva

This was a heartfelt piece of fiction about how Charles Dickens got the inspiration to write " The Christmas Carol". He can't find inspiration and his family falls apart because everyone relies on him for money and don't want or don't know how to cut back on spending. He finds a woman who seems to understand him, only to find out he was meeting with her ghost. His father steals his work on the day he is to take it to the publishers and he rewrites the story making it better.

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Inspector Hobbs and the Blood:Wilkie Martin

I love the use of puns and the little misunderstandings due to speech that are riddled throughout the book. This is a delightful read. A somewhat naïve journalist, Andy, is to work with a detective, who is clearly a werewolf. Andy is oblivious, but maybe he knows and doesn't want to know. Detective Hobbs is investigating a disappearance and is captured and nearly killed by a witch before Andy blunders his way in, just in time to save the day.

Three Bags Full: Leonie Swan

This was an adorable book, at first I was wondering why some of the small details were focused on, then realized it all came together at the end of the book. A shepherd is apparently murdered and his literal flock of sheep try to piece together observances in a way only sheep can, to solve the crime. The characters were delightful and the author obviously had experience with sheep to be able to capture their personalities and likes/dislikes.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Folded Notes From Highschool: Matt Boren

This story was like a train wreck, you didn't want to watch, but can't look away. The author expertly captured the narcissism of teenagers to the point where you are equal parts "I can't read this anymore, they are so annoying" to "well maybe someone dies?" you are actually rooting on the main character Tara to turn into a character from Scream. It's told in notes passed back and forth and not only is the dialogue pointless and mean, but the vocabulary is like nails on chalk board. The characters were captured perfectly...lets see if you can make it to the end?

Mr Floods Last Resort: Jess Kidd

This is a murder mystery which is cleverly crafted where you initially don't know it's a murder mystery. Thumbs up to that! Maude is a rather cantankerous if not perfectly human caregiver who has a range of thoughts bouncing around at any minute. She see saints after the disappearance of her sister and starts working for an old man, Cathal in whom she finds a kindred spirit. Both have suffered tragedy and have secrets to keep and share similar dispositions. Cathal's wife died of suspicious circumstances and his daughter mysteriously disappeared, Maude wants to uncover the truth, more for her own curiosity than Cathal, who believes the past should remain in the past. After nearly being murdered twice, Maude discovers Cathal's son has been at the heart of the murders and his sister is buried in the well.

Sunday, January 27, 2019

The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales: Hans Christian Anderson

This was a collection of stories by Hans Christian Anderson. It included the ones you would expect; The Little Mermaid, Matchstick Girl, The Emperors New Clothes, and The Tin Soldier. It also included some others I'd never heard, so it was a good assortment. I had forgotten The Little Mermaid did not end happily and the mermaid dies...I really enjoyed the forward that spoke of Hans truly believing he was the bastard son of royalty and his "parents" were paid to raise him. It explained his education, which was mysteriously paid for, but I can't imagine what pain that would have caused the parents.

Thursday, January 24, 2019

A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens

This was a good refresher on The Christmas Carol I was hoping to finish before Christmas. A man, who is only concerned about wealth, gets a wake-up call when he is met by three ghosts. They show him that he can't take the money with him when he dies and that he is missing out on living in trying to accumulate wealth.

Before the Devil Breaks You: Libba Bray

This was a young adult story where the characters have special powers. The government had created a section of children with special powers hoping to use them as a weapon, but the program was shut down due to some mishaps and the children were released back into society. They are being collected again in order to be used to open the door between hell and earth and unleash " a power never seen before". The kids figure out what is happening after everyone seems to lose their parents/guardians and are able to keep from being used as weapons. Weird but oddly satisfying.

Friday, January 18, 2019

When I Was The Greatest: Jason Reynolds

This was a story about friendship and bravado. It explores an example of a boy who talks a lot of game about being tough, but once in an actual situation where he needs to rise up, he fails. Ali stays out of trouble and helps his single mom with his little sister. Then 2 new neighbor boys move in, who his little sister names Noodles and Needles. Noodles thinks he is a tough guy and is always picking on his brother Needles, who has turrets. The boys decide to go to a party and a fight breaks out. Needles comes to Noodles aid and Noodles disappears letting Needles get nearly beaten to death. This story explores the relationship between teenage boys and the power shift.

Inspector Hobbs and The Curse: Wilkie Martin

This was a cute detective story told by the point of view of the detective's...roommate? Andy Caplet, who mooches off him. Andy is like a child, but well into his 30's and seems incapable of living on his own. Clearly detective Hobbs is a werewolf or mythical creature of some kind, but Andy is clueless. It seems as though a majority of the townspeople may be part creature. A Brother and sister move into town and even though they are werecats, they are trying to get rid of the other creatures. The sister and Andy go on a couple of dates and like one another (the book make it out as though they are in love, but Andy is the narrator and a bit unreliable and naïve) In the end the brother and sister are run out of town when they nearly kill Andy and a werewolf family. Cute read.