Wishing all of my wonderful readers a very happy Christmas. I hope you all get what you were wishing (present and otherwise), and make sure to have a decent sized glass of gin and/or wine on my behalf. Well, it is Christmas after all.
A couple of book reviews will go live during the festive break and don’t worry, there are plenty of fun and antics coming your way well into 2025.
(Because it never gets old.)
Have a good one and merry Christmas. AEB x
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Rating: 4 stars
Headline: A well-curated collection, encouraging theological discussions and individual reflection
Review:
Central Psalms to Know by D.G. Reagle is a carefully curated selection of religious psalms, which encourages readers to engage with wider conversations and debates. Think “religious book club”, for smaller congregations.
Each of the ten psalms are prefaced with a short introduction with analysis between the variations presented in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), the New International Version (NIV) and the King James Version (KJV) scriptures. Reagle’s analysis is presented in the format of bullet points spanning between one and two pages. Introductory notes include observations and titbits of information readers might not be aware of, giving the impression of direct and punchy insights, a lot like the pop-up format often deployed by film and TV. Following the introduction, there are the three differing versions of the psalms, and then a follow-up page of questions which aim to promote healthy conversation within groups, or spiritual reflection for solo readers. The psalms contained in this collection are 23, 27, 51, 46, 139, 91, 22, 1, 150, 119.
The book as a whole is a well considered collection by Reagle and nicely formatted in such a way that makes the psalms engaging. It is a book which anyone can enjoy, regardless of individual religious perspective or outlook. It opens up educational access to religious texts to a broad spectrum of audiences. The bullet point format feels more geared up to readers wanting to drop in and out of the book, as opposed to those wanting to read the book cover to cover in one sitting.
Central Psalms to Know is a good book, presented by a well-informed and accredited author on theological studies. A solid starting point for new and established readers of theological texts, the only piece of feedback would be that the lack of an overarching introduction does Reagle’s talents a disservice. A rationale behind why these ten psalms were selected for the collection specifically would have helped.
A thumbs up from me!
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Central Psalms to Know” by D. G. Reagle
Purchase Link: “Central Psalms to Know” by D. G. Reagle (Amazon)
Author Website: Coram DEO Theology
**
So, I’ve just spotted this in one of the recycling crates on my street…
Surprise, surprise the recycling collection crew left it behind.
Given this is the second time random heads have shown up in the immediate vicinity of my house, I’m starting to wonder whether I’m safe to continue living in this postcode area. Don’t people read-up on their local recycling policy anymore?!
Oh Swindon, you never fail to keep me in awe.
**
**
Rating: 5 stars
Headline: A brilliant concept, offering tongue-in-cheek “dating profiles” for novice houseplant owners
Review:
Sometimes a book just grabs your eye. Maybe it’s the title, other times the cover design, sometimes it’s the blurb jumps out at you. And then I saw Houseplant Hookups. Within seconds I was multitasking, rapidly messaging friends and family as I reached for the book with the other spare hand. They needed to be informed, Alice would not be messaging anyone for as long she was reading this book.
The guide, penned by American author Agatha Isabel (and illustrated by Mai Ly Degnan) is a highly colourful guide on all things houseplant. Summarising key guidance for would-be houseplant owners, the book opens with an extensive section on houseplant care 101. From this, Isabel’s guidance then moves onto the plants themselves, cleverly presenting a variety of different species in the form of an online dating profile. This allows readers to get snappy insights into the pros and cons of various house plants, from the commonly known Spider plant, to the more complex Bird of Paradise plant. This section makes up the core of Houseplant Hookups, but is bookended by a fun multichoice quiz for those still unsure of the right type of plant for them, and a glossary index.
The tone of voice through Houseplant Hookups is highly informal and somewhat tongue in cheek (case in point, the favourite music of a Purple Passion is apparently Prince’s “Purple Rain”). A lot of credit also needs to be given to Degnan’s illustrations, which are gorgeously to look at and do wonders for bringing the concept to life in a bold, fun, way.
While it is not something that I would particularly recommend to an expert gardener, I do see it as the perfect gift to give to a novice houseplant keeper for either birthdays or religious events. The general dating profile style and themes contained within the book lends itself more towards a feminine market.
Houseplant Hookups is a fun book, with a creative approach to an otherwise fairly mundane topic. It engages readers with indoor horticulture and reminds us that no matter how big (or small) the garden, there is a perfect plant out there for all of us.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Houseplant Hookups” by Agatha Isabel
Purchase Link: “Houseplant Hookups” by Agatha Isabel (Amazon)
Author Website: Plant Ma Shop by Agatha Isabel
**
It’s not very often you say “that’s a nicely sculpted bum” in the middle of a charity shop.
This was spotted in a charity (thrift) shop supporting Cancer Research UK. I’ll refrain from saying the exact location of said shop, as I’m keeping all knowledge of this mannequin for my own personal use. And make of that what you will.
Editorial note: I know my dislike / borderline hate for mannequins is very well documented (see the end of my Belfast video / The Alice Show). However, I make exception to shop mannequins as a general category…unless they’re the creepy ones with badly constructed faces. Those ones can burn in a pit of fire with the historical ones.
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**
Rating: 3 stars
Headline: There were too many short stories in “The Adventures of Nanna Willowspell” for me to get behind the central character
Review:
The Adventures of Nanna Willowspell is a children’s book by author Keele Fishel. Set across multiple enchanting settings, it follows the various short tales and adventures, recounted by the protagonist Nanna Willowspell to a group of children who have gathered to hear her stories. The pacing of this book is driven by these short stories, most lasting no more than a page or two in length, with limited plot outside these stories, which for parents could make this a good read aloud book for much younger children.
While the stories in this book are pleasant enough to read, the basis that all the stories are hyper short in length and unrelated to each other (or the world in which Nanna Willowspell is recounting them) makes the book feel a bit bitty in places. You start getting into a story only to be yanked out of it again. The scene-setting also feels somewhat lacking as a result of the shortness of the stories and the dialogue is limited by the narration of the stories being conveyed in a memory form. While granted, it gives a homely feeling of an older relative recounting an experience, it does remove the development and personality of the secondary characters, however fleeting their appearances might be.
A smaller points on the book’s formatting, where the use of the story’s title at the top of each page in varying font sizes does lend to confusion, it gives the feeling that a new story is starting on each fresh page when in reality it is not always the case. The margins are also too narrow, something which may have been a formatting choice to reduce page count and potential printing costs but it makes the amount of text feel blocky and a tad bit overwhelming.
Based on several hints dotted toward the end of the book, it would seem Fishel is planning to turn The Adventures of Nanna Willowspell into a series for younger audiences. While I love the magical and fantastical elements of this book, in any subsequent books I would prefer it if there was more focus on lengthening the short stories or focusing on the overarching plot of Nanna Willowspell in the hear and now. In simple terms, less is more.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “The Adventures of Nanna Willowspell” by Keele Fishel
Purchase Link: “The Adventures of Nanna Willowspell” by Keele Fishel (Amazon)
Author Website: Nanna Willowspell
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**
On 11th November 2014, I went to the supermarket to buy toilet roll, which inspired me to start a blog. Ten years later, I’m still here.
Five years ago I wrote the very aptly named piece, Five Years Ago Today…. Aside from it being very surreal that five more years have gone by, a hell of a lot more has changed since then.
What MHAM is, and always will be, is an insight into my world, from the highs of getting my short stories published, to the foot injury lows and the ranty McRant face of Jus-Rol’s cinnamon swirls. It has also been the place to share all the wonderful holidays I’ve undertaken as a solo traveller and, more recently, with my wonderful “Boyfriend Ben”. I setup a social group for young people, moved to London, came back from London, built a career from a History degree in execution and country houses. I’ve volunteered for nine separate non profits, and met an amazing bloke who to this day continues to champion my corner, inspiring me to strive for the stars each and every day. It really has been a rollercoaster of emotional content.
Around the world there are so many instances of people being denied their freedom of expression and creativity, which is why I feel so privileged to have the family and professional career that supports me to keep doing what I love. It is the utter joy I get from recognition and compliments, the unexpected surprise when someone reaches out to say how much they enjoy my work. The odd competition win or shortlisting. It is those glints of gold that give me the euphoric buzz to keep hitting these keys.
In 2014, on that chilly dark night where nothing seemed possible, I discovered my voice. And you, the reader, are 75% of the reason why I’m still here. Thank you.
With little more to add, I will leave you with visual memories of the last ten years (and a couple from before) and a simple vow, that I will continue to write for ten more years and beyond, whatever form that takes.
May your hearts always be full and your coffee only slightly spilled.
AEB x
**
Rating: 4 stars
Headline: A strong poetry debut which speaks highly of where Osman will take her creative talents next
Review:
There are few mediums that can transport a reader quite so rapidly as poetry. From snappy two liners to elongated stanza blocks, when done right there is something quite magical about the romanticism of the free flowing word and its ability to convey a fresh presentative on the world we live in.
Marking her poetry collection debut, Ruth Osman brings readers to the sunny landscapes of the Caribbean in her new publication All Made of Longing. Spread over sixty four pages, Osman’s poetry draws heavily on the symbolism of tropical surroundings, with an acknowledgement of the human interactions that have come to influence nature (much to our peril).
In All Made of Longing, Osman experiments with different approaches to tempo, pace, presentation and, most significantly, tone. A number of the poems draw on the poet’s heritage and its links to slavery and the slave trade; while they are not always a pleasant read, they are an important read all the same. They suggest sorrow and an ongoing struggle felt by the descendants ever since. As a British reader in the twenty-first century, they serve as an important reminder to the past.
Within this collection, a personal favourite of mine is the short and sweet “Deluge”, a four line stanza that offers a somewhat tongue-in-cheek warning to those who mock the power of Mother Nature. The use of blue monotone illustrations at the header of each chapter is also a nice touch to break up the collection, each a representation of ta tree’s growth, and the ongoing circle of life contained within.
Reading All Made of Longing you would not expect this to be the work of a debut poet, it is a strong opening collection and speaks highly of where Osman will take her creative talents next.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “All Made of Longing” by Ruth Osman
Purchase Link: “All Made of Longing” by Ruth Osman (Amazon)
**
Rating: 1 star
Headline: Nick Simoneschi’s guide lacks clarity, identity, and engaging writing
Review:
It only takes a minute, the right author and a dash of luck to make a story go viral. By mid morning, that seemingly biennial news article could not only have become the talk of the office, but the driving force behind behind an entire brand, a new cult or even a shifting force within History itself. Recent years has seen the rapid adoption and expansion of instant media, but can everything we read be trusted?
Written by Law graduate and financial strategic advisor Nick Simoneschi, Guide to Understanding the News and Understanding the World is a non-fiction guide which aims to educate and warn against the perils of believing news coverage at face value. The book is split into seven chapters, covering topics such as “global news”, “environmental news” and “fact-checking”. It is formatted in an essay-type construct, with no additional imagery. Simoneschi refers to the reader as “students” throughout.
While on the cover it seems apparent what Simoneschi is trying to achieve, in reality this is a book that lacks identity. In doing so, more often than not it turns into a soap box for the author to express his views on how news content should be presented. Chapter three, “news literacy for children”, becomes bogged down in arguments for changing the school curriculum, yet it is not clear who Simoneschi is directing this argument to. Parents? Students? Teachers? The intended readership of this title is not apparent enough to know for sure.
The writing itself makes for a very clunky read, with over repetition of key essay buzz words (in the duration of the book’s 81 pages, the word “furthermore” is used 33 times, “conclusion”, 30, and “student” an eye-watering 249 times). The lack of author credentials and general introduction on why the world needs this book right now is also an area which needed presenting in the opening pages of the book. Otherwise it looks like just another opinionated piece anyone could have written.
In a market saturated with other books claiming to be the “definitive guide”, Guide to Understanding the News and Understanding the World does little to shake up the establishment, or offer new insight to a fresh readership base. An experienced book editor would have identified the mistakes immediately and worked with the author to improve the writing quality, to make it a more engaging and inclusive read for its intended audience. Instead, the content repeats over itself, to the point where Simoneschi’s guidance unfortunately becomes too bland to consume in a meaningful way. This book could have been better disseminated as a series of short online blog posts.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Guide to Understanding the News and Understanding the World” by Nick Simoneschi
Purchase Link: “Guide to Understanding the News and Understanding the World” by Nick Simoneschi (Amazon)
**
My Housemate's a Mermaid 