Hist Fic Saturday ~ We Are Feminist ...

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's look at ...An Infographic History of the Women's Rights Movement

Illustrated: Rebecca Strickson

Foreword : Helen Pankhurst

Modern Books
28 March 2019

My thanks to the publishers and Alison Menzies PR for my copy of this book

Full of facts and figures, snappy quotes, events, infographics, statistics and key dates, We Are Feminist is a visual timeline celebrating 150 years of achievements of feminism..

My thoughts..

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those brave pioneers who campaigned so diligently, and often at great personal cost, so that woman would have the right to be considered equal to men. 

Beautifully illustrated, and with a foreword by Helen Pankhurst, the great grand-daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, there are a myriad snippets of information in We are Feminist, which enlighten, and which look at the role of women in an ever changing world. It is filled to bursting with lots of fascinating facts we never knew we needed to know, from the rise of feminism, in the pioneering first-wave of the movement in the 1840s, when the French term féminisme was adopted, through to the 2017 Women's March which was attended by 20 million protesters in more that 20 countries across the world.

Presented in a very visual style both the infographics and inspirational quotes certainly help to get the feminist message across in a readable and informative way.

Infographic

I have found so much to enjoy in this little book - I was extremely impressed with the amount of information that it contained, and have enjoyed reading through, discovering things I never knew, and finding huge inspiration in the quotes from prominent women, both past and present. I particularly liked the way that the book shines a light on what can be achieved when we stand together.

"I raise up my voice - not so I can shout, but that those without a voice can be heard"

Malala Yousafzai

1997

Twitter @modernbooks

@alisonmenziespr

Review ~ Live Happy by Bridget Grenville-Cleave and Dr Ilona Boniwell

Modern Books
21 January 2019

My thanks to the publishers and also to Alison Menzies PR for my copy of this book

Live Happy: 100 Simple Ways to Fill Your Life with Joy 

Scientifically rigorous, practical & accessible. Part self-help book, part psychology primer and written by leading experts, it contains the latest thinking on positive psychology. 

100 neat pieces of advice from practical steps to more aspirational long-term goals:

· Say hi to the neighbours

· Have a regular bedtime

· Dance more

· Improve your luck

· Embrace Ageing

Written by Experts - the authors are great communicators, and experts in the field of Positive Psychology. They back each tip up with scientific research.

My thoughts about it..

Monday 21st January is 'Blue Monday' is described as the saddest day of the year however, with this little book, which is filled with happiness, all depressing thoughts are instantly chased away.

The content of Live Happy is as sunny as its perfectly designed cover, I mean, who could fail to be unhappy when looking at the tranquil blue dragonfly background and the sunshine yellow dandelion clock which just screams of lazy days of sunshine.

It's all too easy to become worried and anxious about events which are beyond our control and so Live Happy is about finding good in all the positives, encouraging us to banish negativity and to embrace everything about what's happy about our lives right now this minute. And there's lots of really interesting snippets of positivity to be found amongst the 100 simple ways to enjoy your life, all of which are backed up by proper scientific research and sound common sense

Here are a few of my favourite things:

Number 21 - Realise Your potential  is about breaking down goals into manageable steps and in doing so build confidence.. 

Number 23 - Boost Your Vitality stresses the importance of a balanced diet, regular exercise and a good night's sleep..

Number 65 -  Small Acts of Kindness, doing good deeds, however small, helps us to feel more positive about ourselves and other people..

And my absolute favourite is Number 71 - Take Care of an Animal - those who are pet owners will already know the joyous benefits to be had from living with and caring for our furry companions.

I've really enjoyed reading through this beautifully presented little book, there's so much to enjoy and also so much to learn, and whilst it will certainly boost your mood on Blue Monday it  will also encourage a real sense of purpose for every day of the year, when, if you look hard enough, there is always something to feel happy about 😊

About the Authors

Bridget Grenville-Cleave is an Charter Member of the International Positive Psychology Association and holds an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology. She is also a qualified life coach and NLP ( neuro -linguistic programming) practitioner.

Dr Ilona Boniwell is an academic psychologist and practitioner, specialising in Positive Psychology and well-being. She founded the European Network of Positive Psychology and acted as the main consultant for the BBC series The Happiness Formula and is the author of Positive Psychology in a Nutshell.

Twitter @modernbook  #LiveHappy

#BlueMonday


Amazon UK

Review ~ ikigai & other Japanese words to live by by Mari Fujimoto and David Buchler

Modern Books
24 January 2019

My thanks to the publisher and also to Alison Menzies PR for my copy of this book

This little book goes beyond the obvious - Ikigai and Wabi-Sabi - to provide concepts for all aspects of daily life. Perfect to dip in and out of, seven categories can be explored in any order and cover the benefits of courtesy, calm, gratitude and a reverence for the natural world. 

My thoughts...

There's something about this small but perfectly formed little book which really appeals to all the senses. Firstly, it's just the right size to hold comfortably and the beauty of its cover draws the eye, not just to consider the artistic effect of the negative space around the central image, but also to contemplate the classic beauty of the snow covered tree which helps to focus the attention on what's to come inside the book.

Harmony, Beauty, Nature, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Time, Respect

Divided into seven broad themes which can be explored in any order, each of the sections compliment each other in quite special ways. There is something profoundly beautiful to be found both in the words themselves and in the way in which they are presented, so that the idea of peace and tranquility is ever present.

After the boisterous activity of Christmas I found this book to be a real tonic. Each of the concepts struck a chord with me but I was especially drawn towards the Mindfulness section and the way in which each thought process is beautifully demonstrated in both words and pictures.

I found it best to read this book quite slowly, as it's not something to be rushed, it's rather more about the idea of considering what you are reading thus allowing the themes, as you read them, to perform their own sense of literary magic. I have a few books which I keep in my arsenal of books to treasure and without doubt, ikigai & other Japanese words to live by is one of those hidden treasures which everyone should have on their special book shelves.

Ikigai is warm and gentle, thought provoking and enlightening and a real oasis of calm in a sometimes deeply troubled world.

About the Authors

Enlightening definitions are provided by Mari Fujimoto, Director of Japanese Studies at Queens College, New York while Tokyo resident and Japanophile, David Buchler complements these with meditations on important themes in Japanese culture. The book also features traditional Haiku & imagery by internationally acclaimed landscape photographer, Michael Kenna. 

Twitter @modernbooks


Amazon UK

Blog Tour ~ Literary Landscapes

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of the Literary Landscapes Blog Tour

Charting the Worlds of Classic Literature

Literary Landscapes: the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction

General editor John Sutherland

Published 25 October, £25 hardback Modern Books 

My thanks to the publishers and Alison Menzies for my invitation to be part of this Blog Tour

Literary Landscapes draws together those well-loved authors who are synonymous with a place and time, celebrating Hardy’s Wessex, Joyce’s Dublin and Du Maurier’s Cornwall. It comes right up to date with recent bestsellers, such as Eleanor Catton’s Booker Prize winning The Luminaries, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City and Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend. Its charm lies in the way these favourites are interspersed with the unfamiliar, providing much to explore.

Led by John Sutherland, a team of specialist literary critics have contributed individual essays on over 70 literary novels where landscape is as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognized. Entries are beautifully illustrated with archive material, original artworks, maps and photographs. International in breadth and scope, Literary Landscapes is an enchanting read that book lovers will not be able to resist dipping into.

I'm delighted to be able to share this tantalising excerpt from one of my all time favourite books:

Monroeville, Alabama, USA 

Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Margaret Oakes

“The sole location of the characters we meet in To Kill a Mockingbird is southern rural Alabama, in the fictional town and county of Maycomb. Approximately 70 miles north of Mobile, Maycomb looks like many rural southern towns. Southern Alabama is flat, pine forested, and not generally the home of the large plantations associated with the Deep South; those locations tend to be in northern Alabama, a wealthier area mentally distant and somewhat questionable to those living nearer the Gulf. Maycomb County residents farm smaller plots or depend on the Tombigbee or Alabama Rivers for their livelihood in fishing or transport. The main physical feature of this environment is the weather, and that factor affects its inhabitants deeply.

Corporeal ennui caused by climate is a constant in life in the southeastern American states: engulfing heat, brain-fogging humidity, the slow drone of cicadas, and the overwhelming nature of semi-tropical vegetation that grows so quickly and profusely that battling it eventually becomes pointless.

Maycomb is described as ‘tired’, the dirt streets turning to ‘red slop’ in the rain, even the shade of the oaks is ‘sweltering’. Over time people can become immobilized in body, unlikely to move briskly and with energy without becoming fatigued and enervated. Clothing and people wilt by midday and movement is slow: people ‘ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of stores around it, took their time about everything’.”

Website

Twitter @modernbooks #LiteraryLandscapes

If you would like to win a copy of this fabulous Literary journey. Follow @modernbooks and tweet your own favourite #LiteraryLandscape for a chance to win a copy of Literary Landscapes.