Book Review: “Ballad of Burnout” by Kerry Makin-Byrd

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Book, Book Review, Humour, Review , , ,

Rating: 2 stars

Headline: Writing about such a challenging topic was never going to be easy and, for me, this book missed the mark

Review:

Ballard of Burnout by Kerry Makin-Byrd is both poetic in nature whilst also leaning towards prose. It details the narrator’s personal experiences (presumably Makin-Byrd’s) in a stressful work environment, causing symptoms many of us would recognise and identify as the mental health condition, burnout.

The book covers the events before, during and after with an optimistic look to the future of what life holds following the traumatic experiences detailed over twelve chapters/verses that run as one continuation. It is for this reason the use of the term “ballad” is used in the book’s title, a monologue of one person’s experiences. In this overarching ballad Makin-Byrd utilises a range of poetic devices, from traditional stanzas, to chunks of prose and ad-hoc use of centred text. On several occasions we also see bullet points of meaty text, possibly a humorous jab at working environments where bullet points are overly used to excess. This latter point could be my own reasoning though.

And this is where I struggle with Ballard of Burnout. Writing about such a challenging topic was never going to be easy, but here the writing style feels particularly detached, almost upsettingly so. I want so badly to resonate with the author’s words, to see something within the text and pull at a strand of relatability. After all, stress in the workplace hardly an uncommon sight. But that moment, it just never seems to come. There is no insight into the type of workplace and very limited attempts at worldbuilding; the location, the employment sector, even a flavour of the personal relationships held by the narrator, these are elements that felt lacking. Coupled with the sporadic layouts of text, it makes the content feel a little flat and disjointed.

The writing quality on a micro, line-by-line basis, is good but by incorporating a broader view of the narrator’s environment it can only make for a more colourful reading experience all ways round. Food for thought for the next publication Makin-Byrd puts her hand to.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Ballad of Burnout” by Kerry Makin-Byrd

Purchase Link: https://www.balladofburnout.com

Author Website: https://drkerrymakinbyrd.com

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Writing motivation

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Book, Humour, Writing , , , , ,

This one goes out for anyone needing writing inspiration, as something I stumbled across when procrastinating on YouTube.

And, for what it’s worth, the first clip felt relatable in the most hilarious way. (I certainly have had my head turned once or twice for a good muffin.)

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Book Review: “Lady Slippers: A Memoir” by Melissa Deetz

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Rating: 4 stars

Headline: Bernice Dietrich’s charming memoir showcases a life lived to the fullest

Review:

A good deal of memoirs are written in response to a triggering incident, covering only a fraction of someone’s lived experiences. There is, however, something quite homely about memoirs that paint a full picture of an individual, especially if it is reflective of a life well lived.

Lady Slippers very much falls into this second camp of memoir. Written by Bernice Dietrich (completed and published by Melissa Bini), the book covers the full 102 years of Bernice’s colourful life. Born and raised in 1920s Staten Island, America, Bernice’s life was bookended by two pandemics with a World War in between. Told through her own words, Bernice paints a colourful picture of the experiences she had growing up, falling in love and forging a family of her own. As she documents her experiences Bernice’s words draw in subtle cultural and political changes, including the changing American healthcare system that went through a rapid pace of evolution throughout the 20th century, from the advances in medical treatment to the erosion of local community services. Bernice’s tale takes the reader up until 2007, when she stopped her memoir. She would go on to live for almost 15 years more, sadly passing away in 2022.

The final third of the book picks up where Bernice left off in 2007, with family members from younger generations contributing their tales of growing up with Bernice as a family figurehead. There you see the charming flipside of outsider perspective, how the family viewed her as a proud and active individual with a passion for travel and sports.

Reading this book you feel as if Bernice is in the room with you, recounting her tales besides a roaring fire. It’s a comforting feeling that comes through on every page. And while Bernice’s tone of voice and writing style does make the pacing a tad slower, it does make for a more gentler, steady read.

A calm and methodical memoir, Lady Slippers is a charming memoir that will make you want to pick up a journal and start living your own adventures.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Lady Slippers: A Memoir” by Melissa Deetz

Purchase Link: “Lady Slippers: A Memoir” by Melissa Deetz (Amazon)

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If watching Lion King isn’t the best way to spend Valentine’s Day, then shoot me now

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Children, Film, Humour, love, Uncategorized, Valentines , , ,

As we head into another year of celebrating commercial romanceiness (isn’t a word, but should be), here is a reminder to you (and my partner), that in 2013 my idea of a successful Valentine’s Day looked very different.

It looked like this:

And you know what? I still would class that as a great way to spend Valentine’s, single or not.

Pps, I remember buying the trilogy in a HMV store, back when the boxset was on sale for £10. I’m amazed I was this calm and collected when I typed that social media status, to say I was buzzin’ would be a vast understatement.

By the way, I was nervous of using *actual* Lion King imagery for this article’s featured image, so I’ve used this delightful piece of fan art.

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Poetry Review: “Lyrical Voices” by Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps

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Rating: 3 stars

Headline: Exploring themes of family, faith, and nature, “Lyrical Voices” is a good collection that needed a bit more variety to stand out

Review:

Lyrical Voices is the new poetry collection by joint collaboration Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps. Written in a distinctive first person style, poems within this book’s 140 pages include close study on a variety of key themes, including the role of family, faith and nature.

Taylor and Fipps’ poetic styles work well together within conventional approaches, with most poems written as non-rhyming, single stanzas lasting between a quarter to a full page. A highlight within the collection is “Favorite Tune”, which is written to give the impression of a fast tempo, high energy, environment where the speaker is recounting the joy of listening to their favourite song. All of the poems are well thought through and written in a meaningful way, with strong religious undertones feeding through onto the page. Doing so builds a strong sense of Taylor and Fipps’ backgrounds and creative inspirations.

Even though it represents a collaboration between two poets, Taylor’s work dominates the lion’s share of Lyrical Voices, with her poems featuring 123 times, versus Fipps, who includes only 16 of his own. With such a limited involvement, it is questionable as to whether Taylor should have published this book in her own right.

There is also the question of formatting. About halfway through the alignment of the poems switches, from left alignment to centred, with no clear reason as to why stylistically this decision has been made. As a result the change comes across as abrupt and as if two collections have been forced together at some point during the publishing process.

Given the collection spans over a hundred pages in length, the first person perspective becomes quite repetitive after a time. That is not to say the poems themselves are bad, but a differing third person viewpoint would have helped elevate the collection and allowed for expansion of character development and the events and landscapes they interact with.

Lyrical Voices is good, but there are areas where it could have been better. It needed more variety in its approach and better formatting to stand out in a crowded poetry market. Possible food for thought for the publication these two poets turn their attention to.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Lyrical Voices” by Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps

Purchase Link: “Lyrical Voices” by Lakella Taylor and Frankie L. Fipps (Amazon)

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*VIDEO* New York ’24

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) America, Holiday, Humour, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation , , , ,

In September, Boyfriend Ben and I had an utterly amazing holiday in New York.

The last few months have been a labour of love, sifting through the literal piles of photographs and video clips. With Christmas out of the way and the start of 2025 ushering in a more predictable schedule, I was finally able to find the time to work on the video project, that has become the norm for many of my travelling’s.

As always, this vid comes with the very much homemade feel (no fancy video equipment or expertise here!) We hope you enjoy watching this as much as we enjoyed waking up every morning to this view. ❤️

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Book Review: “The Giant’s Ladder: The Science Professional’s Blueprint for Marketing Success” by Elizabeth Chabe

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Rating: 5 stars

Headline: Featuring real-world case studies, this guide is a must for marketeers in science

Review:

With the rise of the internet, social media and dwindling attention spans, the economy of attention has never been more valuable. In Elizabeth Chabe’s own words: “At the distinct risk of sounding self-serving…In an era where humanity faces unprecedented challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, energy deficits, food security, and global health threats, the role of science marketing stands at a critical juncture.”

In her new book, The Giant’s Ladder: The Science Professional’s Blueprint for Marketing Success, Chabe provides a step-by-step guide for those in the field of scientific research looking to promote their research to a wider audience. From how best to communicate, to knowing where to focus energy to get the best return on investment, Chabe’s “seven rung” guide covers all the essential material needed for any would-be marketer.

It is worth noting Chabe’s credentials. A recognised strategic consultant in the fields of science and technology, her previous work in the field has gone on to feature in The New York Times, Popular Science and Entrepreneur, amongst a string of other popular titles. Her (and her team’s) experiences supporting scientific firms to achieve funding goals are dropped in throughout, providing real world case studies which help support the broad discussion topics presented.

As books go, this is expertly written, with a clear and engaging writing style that strikes the perfect balance between formal and informal. Content is presented nicely on the page through mixed use of tables, bullet points, diagrams and block paragraphs, and is communicated in succinctly with key they takeaways listed at the end of each chapter. The varied style helps keep the book engaging cover-to-cover.

While it is overstated to say that this book will solve all the world’s problems, anything that contributes towards the cure is no bad thing, especially when it comes packaged like this. The sooner more news feeds on social media become less bogged down in clickbait trivia and destructive wars, and more on the drive toward a sustainable and peaceful world, the better.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “The Giant’s Ladder…” by Elizabeth Chabe

Purchase Link: “The Giant’s Ladder…” by Elizabeth Chabe (Amazon)

Author Website: https://elizabethchabe.com/

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I don’t know if it’s healthy to have *this* song stuck in my head for nearly as long as it has

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) comedy, Humor, Humour, Music, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

“Justified and Ancient”, now that was truly a song of its time. (1991, if you need reminding.)

Given I was born after this year, you may well ask how I came to be acquainted with this track. Short answer, BBC Radio 2. Slightly longer answer, Radio 2 played it twice in as many days and that was it, I was hooked.

Not knowing the title of the track from the lyrics alone, I blindly punched “moo moo land” into a popular search engine and found it. Turns out, it’s a very nineties collaboration between country singer Tammy Wynette and “British electronic band”, The KLF.

And, well, I got this:

It also wasn’t lost on me that this clip from Glee came in a close second on search results:

So, guess what? This track is now embedded in my memory dungeon, alongside the Never Ending Property song. Yay, me!

Image credit: https://concord.com/news/klfs-justified-ancient-featuring-tammy-wynette-released-to-streaming-for-first-time/

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Book Review: “The Complete Guide to Goats” by KC Kent

My Housemate's a Mermaid (Alice E. Bennett) Book, Book Review, Humour, Review , , ,

Rating: 2 stars

Headline: “The Complete Guide to Goats” offers comprehensive goat-raising advice but lacks effective formatting and author credibility

Review:

I am a country girl at heart. Eighteen years growing up in the rural surroundings of the English Cotswolds will do that to anyone. Books on farmyard creatures? Right up my street.

The Complete Guide to Goats by KC Kent does exactly what it says on the cover, providing would-be goat enthusiasts with a comprehensive guide on all elements of ownership, from the sustainable benefits and the importance selecting the right goat breed, to how to care for and make a commercial enterprise out of them. Across eleven chapters and nearly 160 pages, Kent’s guidance leaves no stone unturned when it comes to would-be goat enthusiasts.

While this is a highly informative book, the layout and formatting of the guidance itself may form an accessibly blocker for some. Throughout this guide, there are no illustrative examples to support readers and the copy is presented in dense and varied fonts (in some places text appears to have a 1.5 line spacing, in other places single). The indentation of bullets, where used, is also too deep, resulting in copy filling up more space than is probably needed.

Another element that is crucially missing is a introductory biography of the author. There is a throwaway comment made halfway through the introduction of Kent having raised goats for many years, but there seems to be a missing link to add authenticity. To perhaps put it somewhat more bluntly, what makes Kent’s guide better than the competition, more importantly still, how can readers trust it? It may be a bit more author background was needed in the initial introduction but as it stands the main concern around recommending this book is the lack of transparency that Kent as the right author to be issuing guidance on agricultural matters.

When it comes to The Complete Guide to Goats, the content is there, but it is the formatting of it, and the lack of author credentials, that lets the side down.

AEB Reviews

Links:

Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “The Complete Guide to Goats” by KC Kent

Purchase Link: “The Complete Guide to Goats” by KC Kent (Amazon)

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Happy New Year 2025!

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Whoop it’s 2025* (depending on where you are at the time of reading this post, but let’s assume for the sake of argument it’s 1st January when you’re reading this. Go on, humour me!)

Here’s hoping 2025 brings you all the joy, happiness and success you truly deserve. In 2024 I actually met the new year’s resolution I set myself ten odd years ago (yay!). I’m sure there will be a post in the 2025 pipeline to showcase the fact I actually have proper length, natural, hand nails.

Given I met a resolution from almost a decade ago, odds are I won’t be setting another anytime soon. I achieved a personal goal of mine, so why try harder? (I joke, I try harder all the time, I just don’t label it as a resolution!)

Happy 2025 everyone x

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