When I heard that Wax was releasing a new book entitled Frazzled, I immediately pre-ordered it.
A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled is split into sections, which include: an introduction to Mindfulness, Neuroscience and How Our Brains Work, a six-week Mindfulness Course, Mindfulness for Parents, Babies & Children, Mindfulness for Older Kids & Teenagers and Mindfulness & Wax.
Wax’s story sections spattered throughout Frazzled were fascinating to read. Wax’s occasional drawings and photos throughout the book were also enjoyable.
It was interesting to see the two MRI brain scans on Wax in Frazzled. One was taken before a weeklong silence mindfulness meditative retreat and one afterwards.
The format and structure of Frazzled is pleasing, although Wax could have added a section on Mindfulness for OAPs (Old Aged Pensioners). The six-week Mindfulness Course pages are grey-edged, which makes it easy for the reader to find the course. The exercises in the course did feel repetitive to read and it felt like whole sections from Week 1 had been copy/pasted into the other weeks of the course.
Frazzled shouldn’t be compared with Sane New World, but it’s difficult not to compare the two books. Frazzled is just as informative as Sane New World but not as funny. Frazzled reads like a self-help instructional book on Mindfulness.
Overall Sane New World is a good book, just not as good as Sane New World. Frazzled failed to captivate this reader throughout and failed to inspire this reader to practice mindfulness.
The only section that was not read in this book was Mindfulness for Parents, Babies and Children.
Maddy has been best friends with Rob and Ben ever since her family moved to Peaswood when she was nine years old. Together they were an inseparable trio, calling themselves the tripod. That was until puberty hit.
You’re The One That I want starts on Maddy’s wedding day. Waiting for her at the altar is Rob, but it could have just as easily been best man Ben.
This is the dilemma: Rob and Ben both love her and Maddy loves them both back. Is Maddy marrying the right man? As butterflies flutter around in her stomach, Fletcher goes back to the start of their story and tells it tenderly.
Fletcher writes in first person perspectives of Maddy, Rob & Ben and switches perspectives brilliantly. The use of first person perspectives is the best way to tell this sort of story. The first few chapters felt fictional because characters were describing meeting one another (at nine years old) and going into far more detail than most people would remember from when they were that age.
Maddy, Rob & Ben are good, likeable characters, that are well-rounded and have flaws. Through use of first person perspective and good characters Fletcher achieves an emotionally resonant connection between the characters and the reader.
The level of detail in description is perfect and Fletcher cleverly uses descriptive references that will take readers in their late twenties to early thirties back to their own childhood’s.
The plot is comfortably predictable and enjoyable. It centres around Ben’s secret love for Maddy. The relationship dilemma and love triangle will split readers, with readers finding themselves taking a side. Some readers will be Team Rob and others will be Team Ben. Personally, I was a Team Ben.
Overall You’re The One That I want is a wonderful book that will have you hooked from the first page to the last. Fletcher should be highly commended on this warm, engaging and delightful read.
Stephen King is a Writer that I’ve always admired. But to be honest, he’s wrote that many books, I’ve always been unsure where to start.
That was until I watched the TV series Under The Dome, based on King’s two-book story with the same name. The copy of Under The Dome that I’m reviewing is one where the two books have been combined into one and therefore has the full story from start to finish.
My Review Under The Dome is the masterpiece novel Stephen King. It literally took over my life for a good few weeks. At every available opportunity, I’ve found myself picking it up and reading more.
Under The Dome starts when an invisible dome descends on the sock-shaped town of Chester’s Mill, Maine in the USA. The dome is almost impenetrable, only letting through small amounts of air and water.
When the dome comes down it slices off the hand of a woman gardening. It slices a small aeroplane in half. A few cars crash into the dome, which explode on impact. The gardener, aeroplane pilot and trainee, and car drivers all die.
But for the people of Chester’s Mill this is just the start of their problems and things are going to get a hell of a lot worse.
Under The Dome has a full town cast of characters. Here are some of the characters, in alphabetical order:
Andrea Grinnell – local politician (Third Selectman) and addicted to prescription painkillers.
Andy Sanders – Local politician (First Selectman) and Pharmacist. Owner of the only drug store, which would have closed years ago, if it wasn’t for the help of Jim Rennie.
Colonel James Cox – In charge of the military outside of the dome.
Dale Barbara (Barbie) – A Iraq army veteran.
Duke Perkins – local Police Chief. That is until he meets his demise and is replaced by Peter Randolph.
Jim Rennie (Big Jim) – Local politician (Second Selectman) and a used car salesman. He also has a secret illegal business of making, selling and shipping methamphetamine.
Joseph McClatchey (Scarecrow Joe) – a very clever teenager. He is often with his two friends (Norrie Calvert & Benny Drake) throughout the book.
Julia Shumway – Owner, writer and editor of Democrat Chester’s Mill local newspaper. Has a Corgi dog named Horace.
Junior Rennie – Jim’s son. Revealed to have a brain tumour that nobody knows about that influences his thinking and behaviour.
Ollie Dinsmore – The boy who looses everyone and everything, but manages to survive.
Piper Libby – A Reverend who doesn’t believe in God and lives with her dog whom she loves dearly.
Rommie Burpee – Owner of Burpee’s Department Store.
Rusty (Physicians Assistant) & Linda (Police Officer) Everett – Rusty’s character is brilliant. He sees the truth because he questions everything and follows his gut feeling. But with a wife and two children he is constantly torn between doing the right thing and protecting his family.
Samantha (Sammy) Bushey – A girl with a difficult life, one that’s going to get more difficult with the dome in place and will lead to tragic consequences.
I know that I have probably missed out someone’s favourite character. If I have and you want to let others know about your favourite character, leave a comment below, giving the character’s name and a brief description.
So what actually happens in the just over a week that the dome is in place? The answer plenty including: manipulation, lies, abuse of power, crimes – looting, rape (this scene was particularly disturbing and traumatic to read, but none the less extremely well written) and murder, false allegations, the attempted cover-up of meth labs and propane use/storage, the threat of diminishing resources – people don’t know how long the dome will be in place for and how people respond to this threat, a major explosion and fire fuelled by the propane and an abundance of death.
The TV series was mediocre. I am pleased to say that the book far exceeds the TV series, being extraordinary. In this letter King explains that in the TV series the concept of the dome is the same, but the Writers have re-imagined the plot and some aspects of the characters. He states that he sees the TV series as playing out in an alternate reality.
The Under The Dome concept is brilliant. The description is superb. The characters are have been well developed and are interesting. The pacing is terrifically fast meaning that the book grips you from the first page to the very last (it’s a total of 877 pages long). Overall Under The Dome is exceptionally well written, with not a single word wasted. Well done King.
I would go as far as saying that in writing Under The Dome King has reached his pinnacle, but I don’t feel I can say this as I haven’t read any other of his works, yet.
The Story Behind The Story Stephen King had the idea for Under The Dome over twenty-five years ago. But every time he tried to write it, he didn’t feel that he could do the story justice. Then he was involved in a car crash, where he nearly died. For a while after the accident he thought that he might never write again. When King did start writing again, albeit more slowly than before the accident, he decided to start and complete Under The Dome as he didn’t want to die with an unfinished manuscript in his desk draw.
Before I start this review, I want to say that I love the all-round good egg that is Whoopi Goldberg. I love the on screen Goldberg. I love the Goldberg I’ve watched on many interviews on YouTube where she has defended the rights of gay people, the homeless, children and people who have substance misuse issues. Goldberg has been fighting the battle against AIDS, since it came onto the scene in the 80s.
Goldberg gives her advice about love and relationships in If Someone Says “You Complete Me,” RUN!. The book can be summarised in three sentences:
1. Be self aware. Know what you want from a relationship and be realistic about it.
2. Have your own life. Be comfortable alone. Have your own busy life and don’t make a new relationship your entire life. It’s good to have your own friends, social commitments, hobbies and leisure activities.
3. Communicate. Tell your potential partner what you want and don’t from the outset. Set the boundaries from the beginning and know what you’re willing to compromise on and what you’re not willing to compromise on.
At the start of a If Someone Says “You Complete Me,” RUN! Goldberg describes herself as an Realist. But at intervals throughout the book she felt like more of a Cynic.
In If Someone Says “You Complete Me,” RUN! Goldberg discusses friends with benefits or F*** buddies, mentioning that she has a few for booty calls herself. She emphasises the need to know the difference between physical and emotional needs, and for both sides to know what the deal is.
Goldberg is an inspirational icon, but there’s just nothing inspiring about this book, which is a real shame. It should be noted that she wrote this book during and after the recent death of her brother. So perhaps she was grief-stricken with a deadline looming.
There were some mildly entertaining Ask Whoopi sections throughout the book, where Goldberg responds to relationship dilemmas.
What Goldberg covers in If Someone Says “You Complete Me,” RUN! could have been covered in a 500-1,000 word article. It felt like Goldberg had put tones of unnecessary words in, that said nothing, to make up the word count.
This is not the first time I’ve been disappointed by a book Goldberg has written. I read her Book, which I reviewed here and was disappointed. I think in future, I’ll steer clear of any written works by Goldberg.
Review soon,
Antony
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Wednesday 30 March 2016
About
Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of eight books.
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