The Help
Kathryn Stockett
Four Stars
This book is a very fast, easy and entertaining read. It offers a unique, voice or three actually and an interesting perception, one you may have not considered. This book is humorous, heart warming and heart breaking through not terribly groundbreaking but definitely worth the read. I like how the story was told from three different perspectives, though they were a bit stereotypical and predictable. Though you liked the character you didn't really get the full depth of them. It dealt with a heavy subject lightly, but made it digestible to a larger audience.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Review of Goddess is in the Details by Deborah Blake
Review of Goddess is in the Details by Deborah Blake
3 stars
Reading this book is like sitting down in a cozy kitchen, or at a table in your local Pagan shop with a cup of tea in hand and talking to both a friendly and knowledgeable contemporary discussing the questions and concerns not addressed in typical Wicca 101 books. The style of writing flows easy like a conversation and is easy to read and understand with quite a lot of humor thrown in there even though some of it seems a bit forced.
This book covers a wide range of topics from affirmations, ethics, the power of words, to how to deal with non-Pagan spouses, how to raise children, coven dynamics, rites of passage and many others. I found her chapters on rites of passage and coven dynamics quite informative and interesting. It really tries to help logically and judgmentally help you answer how to be a Witch everyday and in every way possible. It does not go into grave details into any of these topics but gives you a good advice and starting point to begin thinking about these topics. Almost every chapter ends with asking you to pause and really think about what this or that topic means to you and would make a great journaling opportunity. In fact, this book would be a great book to read and work through with a book club or a circle. You could have people journal the questions asked at the end of the chapters and could share you answers creating a wonderfully open dialog, where advice could be shared and a different perception gained.
The enthusiastic, approachable writing style of the author gives you the sense that she has thought long and hard about the subjects and has personally experienced these situations. You get a sense of almost a two way conversation, a question and answer period, an open discussion. The advice given and questions asked are good, and she always makes sure to reaffirm that she is not all knowing and that the reader should think for themselves, but I would have liked for the author to go into more depth on these subjects and would have liked to hear more personal opinions and specific instances. The book however does include gives many other resources in which the readers may turn to for more in depth information.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has read and worked through a few 101 books and is asking the bigger questions and really wondering how logistically and spiritually live as Pagan, a Wiccan, and/or a Witch
Available in Paperback, and Kindle editions.
3 stars
Reading this book is like sitting down in a cozy kitchen, or at a table in your local Pagan shop with a cup of tea in hand and talking to both a friendly and knowledgeable contemporary discussing the questions and concerns not addressed in typical Wicca 101 books. The style of writing flows easy like a conversation and is easy to read and understand with quite a lot of humor thrown in there even though some of it seems a bit forced.
This book covers a wide range of topics from affirmations, ethics, the power of words, to how to deal with non-Pagan spouses, how to raise children, coven dynamics, rites of passage and many others. I found her chapters on rites of passage and coven dynamics quite informative and interesting. It really tries to help logically and judgmentally help you answer how to be a Witch everyday and in every way possible. It does not go into grave details into any of these topics but gives you a good advice and starting point to begin thinking about these topics. Almost every chapter ends with asking you to pause and really think about what this or that topic means to you and would make a great journaling opportunity. In fact, this book would be a great book to read and work through with a book club or a circle. You could have people journal the questions asked at the end of the chapters and could share you answers creating a wonderfully open dialog, where advice could be shared and a different perception gained.
The enthusiastic, approachable writing style of the author gives you the sense that she has thought long and hard about the subjects and has personally experienced these situations. You get a sense of almost a two way conversation, a question and answer period, an open discussion. The advice given and questions asked are good, and she always makes sure to reaffirm that she is not all knowing and that the reader should think for themselves, but I would have liked for the author to go into more depth on these subjects and would have liked to hear more personal opinions and specific instances. The book however does include gives many other resources in which the readers may turn to for more in depth information.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has read and worked through a few 101 books and is asking the bigger questions and really wondering how logistically and spiritually live as Pagan, a Wiccan, and/or a Witch
Available in Paperback, and Kindle editions.
Brigid Goddess, Druidess and Saint Brian Wright
Brigid
Goddess, Druidess and Saint
Brian Wright
Four stars
I started this book as part of a daily devotion to the Goddess Brighid, and as part of celebrating Imbolc. I found this book to be a very good resource for information and well worth the read if you have interest in the Goddess and/or saint Brighid. I will warn you however that reading this book can be downright painful, it is written in a very dry, scholarly technical, style, reminiscence of college textbooks. This is probably due to the fact that it is written by an archaeologist, folklore historian and lecturer. This book may not be what the reader expects, it is not a book of prayers or rituals dedicated to the Goddess or Saint Brighid, it is not a New Age, or Wicca book on the subject, it is not written by a dedicant of her, it is instead a very serious, scholarly exploration of Brighid. The first chapter focuses on Brigantia and her possible connection to Brighid and how Brighid, was “conceived,'. The second chapter focuses on druidism and how Brighid went from Goddess to saint and explores the possible hows and whys. The rest of the book focuses on her temples, their locations, their layout, what may have been done there, her other names, her attributes, her relics, her feast day, her connections with nature, her folk traditions, how she was seen and celebrated in other countries, etc. The book has a lot of information crammed into it, most subjects are covered in great depth, while a few other left you wanting for more. I think this book ended abruptly and without a real conclusion and I feel the subject of how Brighid is seen and celebrated in modern society should have been covered more in depth.
This book contains as many photos and drawings, historical quotes, prayers, references etc. but surprisingly what it does not contain is any footnotes, works cited, or biblogr1aphy, instead it includes a five page “Further Reading” sections that would be impossible to navigate or really use if one wanted to find or verify his sources!
I do recommend this book to anyone interested on Brighid it is a great resources, just read it slowly and in digestible bites. Take notes, visualize open your minds to the insight this book offers, you may find that your learn something new and useful that you can add to your spiritual practice.
This book is available in paperback, Kindle and Nook.
Goddess, Druidess and Saint
Brian Wright
Four stars
I started this book as part of a daily devotion to the Goddess Brighid, and as part of celebrating Imbolc. I found this book to be a very good resource for information and well worth the read if you have interest in the Goddess and/or saint Brighid. I will warn you however that reading this book can be downright painful, it is written in a very dry, scholarly technical, style, reminiscence of college textbooks. This is probably due to the fact that it is written by an archaeologist, folklore historian and lecturer. This book may not be what the reader expects, it is not a book of prayers or rituals dedicated to the Goddess or Saint Brighid, it is not a New Age, or Wicca book on the subject, it is not written by a dedicant of her, it is instead a very serious, scholarly exploration of Brighid. The first chapter focuses on Brigantia and her possible connection to Brighid and how Brighid, was “conceived,'. The second chapter focuses on druidism and how Brighid went from Goddess to saint and explores the possible hows and whys. The rest of the book focuses on her temples, their locations, their layout, what may have been done there, her other names, her attributes, her relics, her feast day, her connections with nature, her folk traditions, how she was seen and celebrated in other countries, etc. The book has a lot of information crammed into it, most subjects are covered in great depth, while a few other left you wanting for more. I think this book ended abruptly and without a real conclusion and I feel the subject of how Brighid is seen and celebrated in modern society should have been covered more in depth.
This book contains as many photos and drawings, historical quotes, prayers, references etc. but surprisingly what it does not contain is any footnotes, works cited, or biblogr1aphy, instead it includes a five page “Further Reading” sections that would be impossible to navigate or really use if one wanted to find or verify his sources!
I do recommend this book to anyone interested on Brighid it is a great resources, just read it slowly and in digestible bites. Take notes, visualize open your minds to the insight this book offers, you may find that your learn something new and useful that you can add to your spiritual practice.
This book is available in paperback, Kindle and Nook.
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