labyrinth_witch's reviews
549 reviews

The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity by Grant Snider

5.0

This is one of the most delightful books I’ve come across. Sometimes you just read things and find yourself better for having done so. I loved the illustrations and the wonderful sense of connection that someone out there experiences the path of thinking to much very much like I do. At the same time, I marveled at some of the illustrations and how he took an ordinary thing and played with it until it felt new. Often I thought, huh I would never have thought of that or that color. Of course other comics made me laugh out loud because it’s how I think about it but you don’t say it out loud. For example, he had one on “frames of mind” that in drawn using literal frames. Which is secretly what I always think about when I say that. Lol, so entirely delightful.

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

5.0

This was my first Nora Roberts. It was very well written. The intimate scenes were realistic and believable, as was the tension she created. The witchcraft was accurately depicted and well researched. Overall, this was one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had this year.

Lady Charlotte's First Love by Anna Bradley

1.0

This one was my least favorite. Male character was a complete asshole with little redeeming qualities. Then he got mad at her for having a miscarriage?!? What the fuck. Nothing about this book was romantic to me.

A Wicked Way to Win an Earl by Anna Bradley

4.0

I liked that the female protagonist is more witty and seemed vaguely to have her own interests. For a brief moment I thought she was going to have a developed knowledge and passion for architecture that would make her her own person. But that turned out not to go very far. I did like that the male protagonist family seemed to be healing, which makes them more complex. What I didn’t like was the strange emphasis on possessing the woman. And the ending was trite. But overall the characters had more depth than most romances.

A Season of Ruin by Anna Bradley

4.0

This was a pretty decent romance. The female protagonist made me cry a little, identified with her struggle to balance order with risk. The male protagonist was slightly more complex than they usually are, which is nice. Overall, part from the same-old belabored purity tropes, it was an enjoyable read.

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

3.0

This narrative follows the original fairytale closely with some adaptations- such as the sisters are nice and the sister relationships are strong. My main critique is that beauty does not meet the beast until page 114, nearly half way through the book. There is a French film adaptation that resembles this narrative that’s not bad.

It was okay.

Motherhood by Sheila Heti

3.0

I’m not going to leave a detailed review because I can tell this was a deeply personal journey for the author. The benefit of it was that I could feel my own insufferableness. Only the writing style did not suit me and I felt the narrative was belabored. That’s all.

Sins of the Night: A Dark-Hunter Novel by Sherrilyn Kenyon

3.0

The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig

5.0

This book has a hint of magic in it- an excellent exploration of aromas and spices and how they relate to emotional sensations. The story is a cause-and-effect plot that starts with happenings in the early 20th century that ultimately set in motion the events of the main character in the 21st century. An interesting exploration of two key relationships: the mother-child relationship and the wife-husband relationship. This book not only makes you reflect on how your consistent treatment of someone changes the course of their lives, but also how you sense the world around you. Overall, a very good read.

Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: The 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict Into Cooperation by Becky A. Bailey

5.0

I really enjoy her method. I’ve already implemented the “I don’t like to be hit. Hitting hurts. Stop hitting” formula to set boundaries for my toddler. I didn’t realize how hard it is for me to be assertive, but I’ve definitely seen a positive growth in my son’s assertiveness that I’m glad to see. The other technique that I’ve been trying that has been really hard is being observant and not judgmental. So instead of saying, “Good Job!” You have to say, “you picked out your green shirt!” And let your child make their own value judgment of their actions. I had no idea how judgmental I was until I tried to practice this. It’s hard but I love it. My hope is that by diminishing my judgmental-ness i can create a more safe environment for m son to trust.

The book has multiple scenarios that’s really helps you think through common situations that come up with kids learning to navigate the world. She also ends the the book with a 7 week program that I’m looking forward to practicing. Highly recommend.