Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass – Review

Celebrity’s books and poetry collections haven’t been something I’ve bothered with in the past. I tend to have more of a cynical approach to them because more often than not they only get a book deal because of their popularity and can’t write. Unless the book is written by a ghost writer, the books tend to be a disappointment. It’s harsh but I see them as money grabs. However, I am always open to be proved wrong in my assumptions so when I found out that singer Lana Del Rey had released a poetry collection my interest was spiked.

In my teenage years Lana Del Rey’s songs were a stable in my playlist, she just had a way with words that I loved so much. That’s the reason I picked up her poetry collection and not some other celebrities’ book – she could write good lyrics and there is a cross over between lyric writing and poetry.

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An Enchantment of Ravens – book review

It’s getting close to the end of the year and the completion of the Goodreads challenge, something I’m behind on at the moment. This means that these past few weeks have been full of speed reading (or as close to speed reading as a dyslexic student with an eye watering number of essays due can). One of the books I got my hands on to try to make up on my book count was An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Roderson.

An Enchantment of Ravens is a fantasy book that follows Isobel, a young master painter who has a particularly dangerous set of clients: the fair folk. In a world where craft is highly valued by fair folk and everything is paid for by enchantments, Isobel developed a sharp mind and polite mask that didn’t upset the fair folk she painted. Things take a turn for the worst when she paints her first royal fair one, Rook the autumn prince. After she painted him with human emotion endangering both the prince and herself, they travel to the autumn lands for Isobel to face trial for her crime. The book follows them as they form an alliance to survive, prompting forbidden emotions that endanger them even more.


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The Back Up Plan- Review

At the moment we could all do with that little something that gives us the feel good factor, something that puts a smile on your face. For me, that was reading The Back Up Plan by Elsie McArthur. This Scottish romance was just what I needed to cheer me up and keep me entertained over lockdown.

I was given this book by Elsie in exchange for an honest review not too long after lockdown started here in the UK. As with all of my review, the options that I give are my own and have not be influenced in any way by the fact that I was gifted the book by the author. Don’t worry, you guys will always get my honest opinion.

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Surrounded by idiots – book review

Feel like you’re constantly surrounded by idiots? Want to learn valuable behavioural skills that can help you navigate the world of work? Surrounded by idiots is an easy to understand tool that teaches you how to understand those who cannot be understood.

This 260+ paged, non-fiction read was written by Thomas Erikson, a Swedish behavioural specialist who’s been in the field for almost 20 years. The book explains to the reader the DISC method, created by William Moulton Marston a psychologist who published in his book Emotions of Normal people in 1928. The DISC method simply categorises people into one (most often two) of behavioural groups. These groups can be nicely distinguished by colours, you have your red people, yellow, green and blue. Once you understand these colour groups and the behaviours they show, you can start to understand those who cannot be understood.

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