The Stories of my Life by James Patterson

 

I really enjoyed this book. It is written in a series of short, concise chapters that are easy to dip into and out of when you have time. James Patterson shares a life well-lived with some amazing experiences, and gives us as readers an insight into what makes him the man he is. The stories he tells are short and succinct, sometimes feeling like they are lacking in detail but this is better than reading someone who rambles on. Instead, the book flies along, much like his novels, and you feel yourself caught up in the excitement of his life. It is very well written, as you would expect, and feels almost like you are having a chat over a coffee. 

With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers by Kyehyun Park

 

This book provides to its reader exactly what the title promises. It starts with an in-depth look at the materials needed for sketching and watercolouring, then goes on to show the basics of sketching flowers using basic shapes, and how to draw them from different angles. The basics of watercolour are also covered, looking at colour mixing, blending and the colour wheel.

The second part of the book focuses on several projects, including cosmos, lily, foxglove, hydrangea, hibiscus and more. For each project you are shown how to sketch it and taken step-by-step through the process of painting it. There are many clear photographs to take you from blank page to finished painting. This is a very informative book that will take a beginner painter from feeling like they know nothing to completing several beautiful pictures. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a go at painting plants and flowers in watercolour.

With thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Creative Drawing Symbols and Sacred Geometry by Ana Victoria Calderon

 

In this book, you are taken by the hand and gently lead down a beginner’s road of learning how to draw your own sacred geometry. It is packed with information. The book is laid out in an easy to follow format and contains clear images and step by step instructions, so if you have never drawn any kind of sacred geometry before, you will feel confident to get started after reading this book.

There is guidance on blending with coloured pencils and suggestions for how to make your artwork your own and take it to the next level, as well as instruction for creating mosaics, collages and much more. There is so much in this book, and Ana Victoria Calderon is a very talented artist in her own right so it is wonderful to be able to learn from her via this book. 

I recommend this comprehensive book if you are at all interested in art because this is a little extra something to add to your artistic skillset. Just be prepared to get a lot of use from your compass, and to start dreaming in circles, because making sacred geometry is a little bit addictive!

With thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing an advance review copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Be A Triangle by Lilly Singh

 

I started this book with optimism. I loved the idea of ‘being a triangle’ with a solid foundation as support and was looking forward to how Lilly would expand on this idea in the book. 

However, the book felt a little thin on the ground to me. There are some nice ideas here and Lilly comes across as very approachable and authentic, but there is no depth. I wanted more but as I read on I realised I wasn’t going to get it. Which is a shame because the first chapter really resonated with me. I’m not saying this book isn’t worth reading because it is entertaining and has some nice ideas in it but there is nothing new here; treat it more as a light, entertaining, Saturday afternoon read rather than an informative, potentially life changing self help book. 

With thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing an advance review copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐

Magic For Hedge Witches by Harmonia Saille

 

This book is not an in-depth guide to the topic of magic for hedge witches but the Pagan Portals series are introductory books so this was to be expected. The book takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour through connecting with magical ingredients, trees and other items found in nature, runes, candle magic, the elements, magical bottles and sachets, ritual, magical space, animal familiars and hedge riding. But each topic is only covered superficially so if you are a beginner you may need something with more detail and if you are an experienced hedge witch, you may know this stuff already.

The book contains a lot of correspondences but these are personal to the author, so may give you a new perspective on what to use and when. One thing I liked was the format of the spells. There are only a few spells in the book but they are not written out like a recipe, as is found in many spell books. Instead you are given a list of possible ingredients that you can choose from, depending on what is available to you at any given time. I liked this freedom and it also allows a witch to make her spell her own, rather than following someone else’s instructions.

This is not a book to read if you want to be entertained. It is a reference book full of information about magical items and how to use them. The text is often written as if it was once a bullet pointed list made into a paragraph but that is great if you have the book next to your altar and just want to look something up quickly. Reading from cover to cover is quite a dry experience, but if you buy it intending to use it as reference then I’m sure you will not be disappointed.

With thanks to Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing for providing a free advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Create Your Own Tarot Cards by Teresa Reed and Adrianne Hawthorne

 

This book is split into two halves: the first part is all about the tarot with a very brief overview of the cards and a slightly more in depth look at spreads. The second part is a walkthrough of painting a selection of the cards. It is a very quick read as there are a lot of photos along with the text.

This is a book about creating your own tarot cards and in order to do that, you need to have an understanding of what each card means so you can interpret the symbolism in your own way. This is where this book falls down. Visually, it is very appealing, with full pages of colour photographs. But there is no focus on card meanings and symbolism. Very briefly are we introduced to what the court cards mean, what each suit of the minor arcana means and that is it. Two half-pages of text covering the meanings of the cards in a book expecting you to be able to create your own deck! Admittedly, there is a little bit more information in the second part of the book when a selection of twenty tarot cards are illustrated for us, but that still leaves some readers in the dark regarding the other fifty eight cards. For this reason, this is not a book for beginners as knowledge of the cards is crucial and not provided here.

I’m not sure what I expected from the artistic part of the book when I began reading. On a personal level I did not like the artist’s style as it was too childlike and simple but this has not influenced my final star rating as it is subjective. However, instead of being shown on repeat how to paint basic plants on a card, I would have preferred a discussion on the symbolism of each card with advice on how to best interpret them artistically, perhaps with a look at brainstorming and researching and discovering possible personal interpretations. This book just did not inspire me to want to create my own cards, not did it give me the information and direction that I wanted.

With thanks to Netgalley and Walter Foster Publishing for providing an advance review copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐