Forest Bathing Retreat by Hannah Fries

I love this book. There is different sections in the book: breathe; connect; heal; give thanks. Forest bathing was coined by Japanese government by soaking in the benefits of being in the presence of trees. A lot of images are in this book with some having a word or quote on them. Pages with wording have quotes and poems and some information. There is information about music, trees and poetry. As well things to do in the forest like meditation and listening. If you are one for nature in anyway and really like trees, this is a book to pick up.

Magical Healing by Hexe Claire

Folk Healing Techniques from the Old World

 

Part one deals with healing and healers. Part two deals with tools of the trade and appendix: sympathy, antipathy and magnetism. Some history and current stories and points. There is a German/ European focus of healing. Shows of ideas of things to do like baths. Mentions of a few God/desses. As well as days of the week in traditional folk magic and phases of the moon. Zodiac and planets are mentioned together – aries and mars, cancer and the moon, etc. Other techniques are mentioned like blowing, drawing, and writing. A chapter talking about spells – some have Christian wording. Plants and stones are talked about, some in chart form and have image. Claire does have also a few tips of getting started. This is a book more if you want to focus on one specific area of magic and area of country/culture.

Rooted in Peace by Greg Reitman

Almost two hundred pages in eleven chapters. This book is said to accompany his documentary of the same name (of which I do not tend to see). It is more personal and of other people bringing in stories relating to the chapter. There is a quote at the beginning of each chapter. He tries to work towards peace in different areas of bad (like war and guns). As well going into health and body and the environment. It is more on experiences and the story of him and the journey with planting more trees. It does have a good purpose but I did not enjoy this book and I think I was expecting something else. I do like the concept in the act of good and helping with the act of planting. Still I was wanting more of informational/ spiritual book than the one I read. Some may argue with me on that sentence but it is what I got out of reading it.

The Ultimate Guide to Crystals and Stones by Uma Silbey

A practical path to personal power, self-development and healing

 

It has twelve chapters – and on contents page it tells what will be in each chapter. The purple boxes have a mantra, sentence, proverb. A meditation or exercise in a green box. Information for using crystals not about crystals (like this what the crystals mean and where they come from and hardness, etc). Talks about chakras, basics of quartz crystal energy works. Crystal shapes/formations and crystal readings are also talk about. So this is a book more of information on using them rather than an introduction to individual crystals.

This wont go from one crystal to the next but again is more informational.

Influencer by Brittany Hennessy

There are four parts – with chapters within them. Talks about finding your name, setting up and putting together a blog and YouTube channel. It does have Instagram tips – in gray boxes – from others. As well there are influencer insights – similar to the tips. A section of 'don't be that girl' of things not to do. She puts a spotlight in someone in the Influencer Icon sections. She does talk about audience also. Part two deals with packaging your brand, part three – monetizing your influence and part four is planning your future. So this can be a help to many different people who want to be a person that is called an influencer or wanting to know some tricks to do better.

Garden Builder by JoAnn Moser

There are thirty-five projects to make in this book. It is divided into four sections: decorative elements, small projects, planters and accessories, and a large section. Also, there is a bonus section of mason jar 'garden builder' projects. In the end, there is a metric conversion. In the introduction, there is helpful information. With each project, there is a photo of the end result and a diagram of the pieces needed to make the item. It lists the tools needed to make it with photos with the steps. It is not a long book. Steps seem easy to understand and follow.

So if want a quick book of project ideas this is one to look into.

DIY Hydroponic Gardens by Tyler Baras

The book discusses equipment needed, hydroponic growing systems, starting seeds and cuttings, plant nutrition, maintenance, common problems, and troubleshooting. The introduction shows you how it is useful. Shows you what you need to make your own and different projects. Informative and straight to the point on the process and goes from one to the next without connection. Images are put to the steps, so you have a visual as well on what to do. There is a glossary, crop selection charts – which would be good for what system and metric conversions.

This is good if you want to do gardening all year or having to do it in a building or smaller space.

Drawing School Fundamentals for the Beginner by Jim Dawdalls

In the procedure section, there are things like how to hold a pencil and transferring an image. There is also 'your homework' sections and exercises for practices. Like other beginner books, there is a section on materials like pencils and erasers. Photos are placed throughout products and examples – eyesight, perspective and more. There are helpful tips and how to draw an image. A lot of detail in pictures being shown – so for some not a total beginner book but is a good continuation. I did not get too much out of it, some might get more.

Carl Llewellyn Weschcke by Melanie Marquis

There are fifteen chapters and is a biography about the man that helped bring Llewellyn publications to what it is today. There is an introduction to the Llewellyn vision and mission statement. A few pages have messages from people that knew him. It has excerpts of Carl's writings. There is talk about Llewellyn George and Llewellyn Publication and going into the business. She does go into how he started to make the company it is today. She as well talks about his involvement in Gnostica bookstore and Gnostica festivals. Shows the importance of astrology to Carl Llewellyn – what started the company and his belief. Carl and wife Sandra – biography and almost a timeline of release dates/correlation to him meeting the author of the book. There is information about Llewellyn as a company. It is an interesting look at the life of his and how a big publication in the New Age/Pagan community came to be.

Nowhere Else But Here by Rachel Cotton

 

A Young Adult novel with twenty eight chapters in first person. It follows the main character Rose. Other characters include her friends Grace and Naya, and Tristan Meyers who like Rose and keeps staring at her. It is about how Theo Lockhart becomes a missing person at school – which no one really knows. Theo comes to her door stating he needs her help and instructs her not to call the police, and that he will only be a few nights. He wants her to hide him. She reluctantly agrees and states he must stay in her room no matter what. They are able to make it through a few days before her parents find out and sent back home and goes back to school. Overtime while staying with her and in the aftermath of the stay the two do find their way into a relationship.

So it is more of that classic YA novel where two different characters end up starting or developing a relationship through the course of the book.

The Crystal Code by Tamara Driessen

Balance your Energy, Transform Your Life

 

Crystal 101 is more of shopping, maintenance, chakras and more. Rituals include meditation, altar and grids. In the guide you get the name, what they help with, information, mantra, physical healing, chakra and source. As well you get an image of the crystal. In the section of colour and meaning there is a few sentences per colour, and is not that long. So the reader does get a quick introduction to a small selection of crystals, one that are used more often and are great crystals.

The Hatch by Joe Fletcher

 

A three part book of poetry. This book of poetry is more on the dark themes and spooky tone. Some of the poems are like a story. Others are like a list. Then others are set up like other poems. The sentences are vivid, create a good imagery. A story in each poem. An interesting set of poem that would be really good around Halloween or campfire.

Pocket Art: Portrait Drawing by Joanna Henly

There is a set up chapter that talks of things like point of view and how to hold a pencil. Also understanding the face – angles, facial relationships, and others. It goes into different facial features like eyes and ears. As well as skin tones and hair. The book does have images of techniques and examples. Not a total beginner book, not step by step – though there is a little of it. The book has tips to work on portrait drawing. It is a slight beginner book – more beginner to intermediate drawer. Shows a variety of different not show how to do each one.

Dishcloths to Crochet by Pat Olski

In the contents page there is a small image next to the title of the project, so you get a quick glance of the project. The is abbreviations and basic directions to make changing loop – common to see this is many beginner books. Pattern with side note – finished size, yarn, notion and gauge. You get a full image of the dishcloth. Not for the straight out beginner but once you got the skills down and practice these ones can be done. There are twenty five patterns – so the book is not that long to get through if you read before doing the patterns.

Cannabis in Spiritual Practice by Will Johnson

            Part one deals with calm mind of the Buddha and part two is about the ecstatic body of Shiva. And this is the focus of the book. If looking for a book that has more of a focus of cannabis in your practice, the title can be a little deceiving. But can be understandable when cannabis is not a fully legal, or at all drug in a number of areas. There is a list of audio tracks and reading suggestions at the end of the book. The intention of the book, stated more or less, not to encourage or promote the use if it in spiritual work but nether to deny from it being a support or catalyst for some. There is breathing and connect with Buddha teachings/practice. Does talk about the five precepts and goes into them. The first part is short, more of an introduction. Part two is the longer section and deals with Shiva. There is meditations in both parts. More of a Buddist/Shiva practice than one of cannabis use/integration in spiritual use. There is small mentions of it though throughout.

Being Creative by Michael Atavar

Five sections and an epilogue. Each section has information, toolkit and further reading. Twenty lessons of the most current and topical debates of creative thinking today – stated in book. Toolkits are help with what reader has learned in lesson. Each topic has an exercise. Not a long book, but does take time to read. Unsure if it will help a whole lot of people, but it does have some good points. And the exercises could be helpful with your creativity and distract yourself enough to spark your creativity for another project. It is a different take on creativity books.

Traditional Wicca by Thorn Mooney

There are three parts, an epilogue, and further reading. There are some quotes throughout the book. In the book there are terms, mentions books and people in the Wiccan community. An introduction to Traditional Wicca – specific tradition where others may discuss Wicca but not specific traditions. Goes into red flags and explains them and own stories with those flags. A reader does learn/educate themselves, a focus on coven and community, a year and a day and hierarchy and coven structure.

I have left Wicca as my path as a Pagan, and do not find coven work the end all be all of my path. But in this book, there is a focus on that, but more specifically a tradition of Wicca – Traditional Wicca. So there is a system set in place in that path. This book does not fully lead to solitary path or workings.

The Ultimate Guide To Divination by Liz Dean

The beginner's guide to using cards, crystals, runes, palmistry, and more for insight and predicting the future

Goes into a variety of methods of divination, it is more of a brief introduction to each one than a full-blown explanation and ways of doing them. It talks about preparing a crystal reading and a few more bits of information about crystals. It goes into other methods like a pendulum, runes, tea, coffee, among others. It gives a runic calendar. Some divination methods are given a quick explanation/chapter where others like tarot are longer – but the tarot section does show each card with a sentence or two. It is easy to understand. Page to record your readings. Not a huge bibliography. Again this book is more of a brief introduction into the world of introduction.

Things I'd Rather Do Than Die by Christine Hurley Deriso

This is a young adult fiction, that goes back and forth between the two main characters Jade and Ethan. For this type of narrative, I am comparing it to Jodi Picoult because it is stated whose point of view it is coming from and the point of view continues on the story. It does not reply to the same scene over to get the other person point of view. It follows Jade a high school student, who works at a gym, last year of school but is delaying going to post-secondary because of family issues. Ethan goes to the same school as her, going to church every Sunday, has a girlfriend name Brianne. Ethan and Jade are not friends or in the same social groups. It is one night at the gym as it is closing that Ethan does not realize it is closing but the manager has okayed for him to a quick workout, Jade is not happy about this – she wants to home. The story could end here, but it would not be a great story – the story kicks off when a guy comes into the gym thinking Jade is the only one there, takes out a gun and demands money. Unable to provide any from the gym, Jade and Ethan are pushed into a room, personal effects handed to thief and is left there for about eight hours. It is after they get out that their interactions and attitudes start to change and people are starting to notice this as well. As the story progress and situations happen with other characters the reader see a Young adult romance start – eventually.

Happiness Hacks – Alex Palmer

Researched and information quotes at the beginning of chapters – just happy related quotes. Sidenotes of people with information and help. Shows different things to do to be happy. Knows that not everyone has the same things that make them happy. Talks about different aspects of your life like work or love. Sum up after many hacks (one or two sentences). Does have a chapter called 'the downside of happiness.' there can be side effects or risky behaviors. A section that goes chapter by chapter that tells you about article/journal, site the author got information from.

Nice book, but not my top book. But can get some information out of it.