Fixing your financial attitude! No. 1 in a 'LMK' series: 'Books and Money'.

It may be true that money can't buy love or happiness, but 'lack of' money can sure be a bummer.

Given that in my 'real life' I work in the finance industry, I decided I should have a good look at books about money.

I wanted to answer a few questions for myself, with the most prominent one being;

Can reading a book really improve your financial situation?

I really hope that the answer is yes! Otherwise I feel my faith in the power of books will be somewhat shaken..... and we don't want that!

In an attempt to approach this topic logically, I am starting out with books that deal with money and the mind. By my way of thinking, if your brain is not on board, no book about budgeting will be of any help at all!

While researching money and the mind I came across hundreds of books dealing with 'the law of attraction', you know, books with titles like 'Powerful affirmations to call money into your life' and 'Automatic Wealth; The attraction factor' (by the way one of those titles is real and one I made up....).

Now, I know that everyone from your next door neighbour to Oprah ('The Secret' anyone?) is a fan of these books, but me, not so much. They smack too much of a 'get rich with no effort' approach and while I really wish 'the law' were true, I think the reality is not quite so sweet and simple.

So here is a little list of books that do require you to work on your mindset, without promising instant money!

Two Great books on 'Money and the Mind'......

'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill; This book is a classic for a reason! Some of the examples may be dated but the advice is not :)

'The Nine Steps to Financial Freedom' By Suze Orman; While some of this may sound a little hockey, Suze cuts to the chase in terms of how our thoughts and well being impact on our financial freedom. This guide also contains great practical financial advice as well. Well worth the effort.

and one more for fun!

Now, for those of you who want to give 'The Law of Attraction' a try here is one for you :)

'Happy Money' By Laina Buenostar; For only 99 cents from Amazon, even I am going to give this one a go.... and I'll happily eat my words if it works. Of course I'll be eating them from the spa bath in a seven star resort somewhere....


Happy Reading!

The Memory Child: Unsettling and Upsetting

Right from the outset it is clear that something is a little 'off' about the situation new mother 'Diane' finds herself in.

Seemingly abandoned by her (up until this point at least) wonderfully attentive husband Brian, molly coddled by her live in Nanny and avoided by everyone else; Diane's only joy comes from her almost suffocating love for her newborn daughter, Claire.

Only feeling comfort when holding or looking at Claire, Diane's unease with the other relationships in her life escalates to near panic levels.

Holmes reveals her plot as a winding country road reveals the landscape. Each corner presenting a puzzle piece of insights into the past and present lives of Diane and Brian.

While the twists and turns may be designed to confuse and puzzle, I was sure from very early on that the destination of this particular literary journey was not going to be a 'happy place'.

'The Memory Child' travels difficult terrain, dealing with postpartum psychosis, abortion and death.
Steena Holmes handles her subject matter with great care and while we may not always 'like' Diane, I am sure many of us can relate to her and in the final analysis, her pain.

'The Memory Child' is best read when something 'light and fluffy' will not do and a serious read is required.
Though for those already feeling a little grey and bleak... maybe bookmark this one for later and check out my 'Life Kick- Starters' instead:)

As always, may your reading opportunities be frequent and long!

Fifty shades of GRRRRRRRR!

Hi all! Just a quick rant today, primarily because as is my way, I can't keep my mouth shut on this topic anymore!

What has got me fired up? Well in a phrase, Mummy Porn (and no, I am not referring to the erotic Egyption, bandage wearing undead!), the cheekily named explosion of saucy 'literature' aimed squarely at the e -reading female populace of the world.

Since these books somehow move me beyond the ability to speak I have drawn the following informative diagram explaining the source of my angst.

Obviously a career in art is just around the corner.....

Well, I feel better now! Hope the feeling is mutual :)

'The Bloodletter's Daughter': Real History can enthrall too!

For Game of Thrones addicts like myself, it is sometimes easy to forget that 'actual' history can be as bloody, magical and lascivious as the imagined.

The truth is, Game of Thrones has all but ruined me for reading about our real world. I have been avoiding historical fiction thinking it would be flat and boring when compared with the world created by Mr Martin. As usual, when I pre judge books (and in this case whole genres) I was wrong (I have been wrong a lot in this blog).

So what is special about  'The Bloodletter's Daughter', by Linda Lafferty?

 In a word, the amazing reality that is history.

How our world has changed! This change is especially apparent when compared with the microcosm that was 17th century Bohemia.

Case in point, our heroine, sixteen year old Marketa (a real life historical figure).

Raised to a life of dual roles, both which would be unthinkable in today's polite society.
Marketa works as her fathers assistant, holding the catching bowl for her father as he drains patients of blood, by knife and leech. Marketa is fascinated by the process of healing, in this case by removing the 'bad humours' from the blood of the afflicted.
More controversially by modern standards, Marketa also works in her mothers 'Bath house'. Marketa helps the inhabitants of her small town stay fresh, clean and sweet smelling and when we meet her, on the brink of helping them with their sexual satisfaction as well (very Bohemian).

Her double life throws her in the path of the King's illegitimate son, Don Julius (also a real historical figure) who is by any estimation, violently insane. With a history of rape and violence, the King banishes Julius to the castle in Marketa's small town for treatment and healing.

What happens next between the bastard prince and the humble Marketa is a matter of historical record and is as tragic as it is true.

No boring and flat read this! With romance, magic (via the local 'cunning woman), friendship, love, betrayal and a young girl's rapid transition to maturity,  'The Bloodletter's Daughter', is a rich and vibrant read. Is there any better way to learn about history than through a expertly told story such as this.

I think I will add some more novels from this genre on to my 'to read' list!

If you would like to read  'The Bloodletter's Daughter', it is available for purchase from Amazon.com via the following link.

 'The Bloodletter's Daughter', By Linda Lafferty

Extinction Point: A Chilling Apocalyptic view well worth your reading time!

What if the end of mankind's dominance on earth was as swift, brutal and unstoppable as our own world rule?

What if you were left to observe the end of the world, alone and surrounded by new and frightening creatures that spawn and mature seemingly in the slow blink of an earth day?

Such is plight of Emily Baxter, she has survived act one; the red rain that took the lives of everyone she knew (and seemingly the lives of every other living creature).

Question is, will she survive the aftermath?

This is the premise for Paul Antony Jones' post apocalyptic series, which begins with the red, blood like rain in book one, Extinction Point, heralding the beginning of the end for mankind.

Like any good series, Extinction Point, raises many intriguing questions; with What the? and Why? being key among these.

Jones' writes his book from the perspective of his resolute heroine, Emily. Her view-point can seem transactional at times (i.e. did this, had to do that to survive) , oddly enough this adds to the success of the story telling rather that distracting from it. Emily's observations gradually reveal the scope of what is happening, adding to the realism of one person struggling to survive in an unrecognisable world.

Emily heads north on her stolen (but who really cares, right?) bike, following the advice of the only other human voice she has heard since the apparent extinction of every other living soul. Jacob is a scientist, based in the cold north of Canada, who believes that the cold dramatically reduces the success of the red rain and the creatures it has spawned.

The real adventure starts here in book two, 'Revelations'; as more people get involved in Emily's story (all be it not many more) the emotional impact ramps up dramatically. Many readers will relate to at least one or two of the characters and their fates. After reading one plotline, I was left so sad I spent the night staring at the dark ceiling of my bedroom feeling something akin to grief.

Over the course of the three books, Jones does supply us with the answers to the key questions. Some of these seem a little preachy and trite (environmental damage by humans etc), perhaps reducing the final impact of the series.

This aside however, I loved this trilogy. The end of the world has never seemed so real, so relentless and so very very frightening!

If you would like to experience the end, the Extinction Point series is available for purchase through Amazon.com via the following link.

Extinction Point; by Paul Antony Jones.

For reviews similar to this, explore the 'Post Apocalyptic' tab at the top of 'Little Miss Kindle'.

'Mud Vein': Wordy Weaponry by Tarryn Fisher

'I am a writer and words are my weapon.'

-Tarryn Fisher

Tarryn Fisher's desire to use her words as weapons is evident in nearly every page of her gut wrenching tour de force, 'Mud Vein', and for this reason (and others), I found it very difficult to review.

Chief among my difficulties is the 'spoiler' problem. I really, really don't want to give too much away. 

'Mud Vein' is a book that needs discovering page by page,  on a personal level. Rest assured however, what I need to tell you, I will.

Things to know before reading 'Mud Vein'.

1) Fisher has set out to provoke and where possible upset her readers. She wants readers (women in particular) to recognise themselves in her heroine's plight. I think Fisher would be quite happy to know her readers lay awake at night (preferably sobbing) after reading her latest book!

2)'Mud Vein' contains strong adult themes, including kidnap and rape (though these events, surprisingly are not related), so I would not recommend it for younger readers.

My thoughts, after reading 'Mud Vein'

The phrase 'page turner' is a cliche for a reason, sometimes you cannot but help keep turning the pages regardless of time or responsibility. Mud Vein kept me turning pages long into the night and I read it from cover to cover in one day. (Frozen dinners for my family that night!)

The central character, Senna, is an author with a shell that is tougher than concrete. Senna tries her best to distance herself from the world at large and she should be unlikeable; somehow however her brutal and honest approach does not distance either the reader or other characters. 

The best and most compelling sections in the book revolve around the frankly odd kidnap setup, where Senna awakes to find herself in a cabin surrounded by snow with no memory of how she got there. The writing during these scenes is tight, believable and emotional. Fisher does not EVER forget to be real about her characters state of mind, thus the characters react in ways that are apt for people who are locked in a cabin in the middle of an Alaskan wilderness (oops I keep letting plot lines slip!). 

There is no jarring happiness or lingering looks in front of a roaring fire. Terror, despair and anger are the order of the day.

There is a strong element of mystery in the plot as well, who is behind the kidnapping and why? Fisher does not create an easy guess here and I will say all my assumptions behind the 'who and why' were wrong. In this case, I enjoyed being wrong! 

I would recommend reading this book for its sheer originality, I have not read a book quite like this before and while I did not personally have any emotional revelations, I believed in those that the characters had.

While this book would definitely NOT be everyones cup of tea, (especially if you like your books gentle and refined), it was mine!

Mud Vein is available for purchase through Amazon.com via the following link:

'Mud Vein'

Similar reviews can be accessed through the links below:

'Thrillers'

Tarryn Fishers Website: http://www.tarrynfisher.com/