mrshood's reviews
52 reviews

Wraeththu by Storm Constantine

5.0

The History of Tarot Art: Demystifying the Art and Arcana, Deck by Deck by Holly Adams Easley, Esther Joy Archer

funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Fun keepsake explaining the history of tarot (though Robert Place does it more in depth but this was a good intro) - and they cover many historic and contemporary decks. Loved the plethora of images and the easy to follow layout. Beautiful book.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

Bird by Bird was a great motivator to get me writing, filled with lovely and funny anecdotes. 

Signs of the Zodiac: A Modern Guide to the Age-Old Wisdom of the Stars by Carlota Santos

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

The author reminds us continuously to look at your birth chart as a whole, not just your sun sign. I love the origin myths for each sign, and the artwork alone is worth getting the book! But on top of that it has great info and it’s organized well. Fun book.

Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book by Dan Harris

informative lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.0

The Muse Tarot by Chris-Anne

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Best tarot guidebook ever, not for the beginner though.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Tarot for Change: Using the Cards for Self-Care, Acceptance, and Growth by Jessica Dore

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Overall, an important and gut-wrenching yet hopeful read. A psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz. I did not resonate at much with the second part on logotherapy, but loved the memoir piece and evaluation of good and bad behavior from both sides. 

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

 Inspiring ideas to combat trauma and fight against the prevailing notion that medication is the main answer; mental illness is not just simply a “chemical imbalance” fixed by the Band-Aid of psychiatric meds. 

Once you get past the valuable parts on brain science and what trauma does to our brain and mind (peppered with at times difficult anecdotes of trauma survivors the author encounters and helps), the main modalities explored for treatment are: Mindfulness, Yoga, EMDR, neurofeedback, and theater! 

I echo what I always hear from readers of this book: “Everyone should read this book”!