Daily prompt from WordPress

What do you listen to while you work?

Depends on the work.

When I go into the office at Neurospace to do my 5 hours a week for Faraway, I usually listen to a podcast or audio book on the bus, amd walking to the building. Sometimes I can continue to listen to my podcast or audio book, but most of the time I can’t.

At home I listen to quiet classical music or nothing at all I’ve I’m trying to read a book. I need quiet to be able to focus.

If I’m writing I’ll have music on in the background, maybe a bit of Halestorm or Reckless Love. Just something jn the background to stimulate me. I usually end up tuning out once I get into a monotropic flow state anyway.

If I’m writing reviews or working on Faraway work from home, I’ll often have a podcast or audio book playing or I’ll have something on the telly that doesn’t require too much processing but is enough to stimulate my brain and block out any noise from the neighbours.

If I’m crocheting or sewing and the pattern is fairly simple, I’ll put something more demanding of my processing on, like a series or film I hafdmt watched yet. I can’t just sit and watch something with empty hands; it makes me anxious to sit still, and crocheting helps with my anxiety.

What podcast do I listen to? A short list of my favourites:

  • Small Town Murder
  • The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret
  • Behind The Bastards
  • Stranger Times
  • Unsolicited Fatties Talk Back
  • Maintenance Phase
  • If Books Could Kill
  • No Such Thing As A Fish
  • Writing about Dragons and shit

And now I’m off to eat fake-sausage tortellini amd continue reading ‘Unladylike Lessons In Love’ by Amita Murray, which I will be reviewing next week.

Review: Rhinos Don’t Cry, by Mark Grist and Chris Jevons

Information about the Book
Title: Rhinos Don’t Cry
Author: Mark Grist
Illustrator: Chris Jevons
Release Date: 20th July2023
Genre: Picture Book
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
 

Blurb

Milo’s a rhino.
He likes to do all sorts of rhino-y things . . .
He likes writing and climbing
and banister-sliding
and mountain bike riding,
he paints and he sings.

Milo just loves being a rhino – but there’s one small problem . . . rhinos don’t cry.

At least that’s what Spike-O Mcree, his movie-star hero, always says. But when Milo meets Spike-O face to face, he finds out that not only is crying OK, it’s also very brave!

This energetic and engaging rhyming story is the first in a series of books highlighting the importance of children expressing their feelings.

Continue reading “Review: Rhinos Don’t Cry, by Mark Grist and Chris Jevons”

Review: Heal your Body and Mind with Yin Yoga, by Miranda Mattig Kumar

Format: 202 pages, Paperback
Published: March 1, 2023 by Quadrant Books
ISBN: 9781739864545 (ISBN10: 1739864549)
Language: English

BLURB

This new book by Yin Yoga expert Miranda Kumar helps achieve deep relaxation in an overstimulated world through the power of Yin Yoga.

This simple, well-designed, and fully colour illustrated guidebook is a detailed handbook to practising Yin Yoga relaxation techniques with ease, and its many benefits are provided by comprehensive Yin Yoga illustrations, diagrams and additional interactive online exercise sessions available via our YouTube channel, which can be easily accessed by QR codes through your mobile phone.

Stress, pain, anxiety is all a result of our fast-paced and sometimes impersonal and unforgiving society. If you add a lack of physical activity, recurring ailments like back, hip, or shoulder pain may affect your quality of life. It is important to understand how essential it is to adopt regular movement and activity that helps to reintegrate the mind-body connection. You will then begin to experience the benefit of that integration in your daily life through better sleep and enhanced mood. That is why Yin, a Yoga discipline, can be beneficial to young and old, male, and female alike and is easily accessible to everyone.

Practising Yin Yoga postures which are maintained for several minutes allows the mind to calm and reconnect. You will also discover a particular meditation or creative visualization that works well for you to integrate your mind, body, and spirit. See more at www.yin-yoga.pro

Continue reading “Review: Heal your Body and Mind with Yin Yoga, by Miranda Mattig Kumar”

Review: Whisperwood, by Alex Woodroe

● Genre – Fiction > Dark Fantasy > Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology
● ISBN hardcover – 9781787588431
● ISBN paperback – 9781787588424
● ISBN ebook – 9781787588448
● Pricing [USD] $26.95 (HC) / $16.95 (PB) / $4.99 (EB)
● Releases July 11 2023
● Published by Flame Tree Press
● Distributed by Simon & Schuster
 

SYNOPSIS

A must-read dark fantasy debut for fans of “The Witcher”, woodland survival guides, the gruesome original Grimm Brothers stories, and dark folklore from around the world…

A journey into the wild woods with a character who just needs a break—and the terrible things that stare back at her.

When curious nomad Anna hears about Whisperwood, a town that’s not on any maps, that nobody goes to, and nobody comes from, she sees an opportunity to hide from her violent witch-hunting ex.

But not everything is peaceful in the isolated community. A vanishing town, a gruesome funeral rite, an emergency field surgery—these surprises and more test Anna’s resolve.

Prevented from leaving the frontier settlement by folk magic she doesn’t understand, Anna lends helping hands everywhere she can, but quickly finds that investigating the forest too closely could end up being the last thing she does.

Continue reading “Review: Whisperwood, by Alex Woodroe”

Blog tour calendar: Whisperwood, by Alex Woodroe

11 July  Autumnal Reading (IG) @autumnal_reading Much To Do About Writing @amloughrey
12 JulyChapman’s Chapters & Pages (IG) @chapmanschaptersandpages Bookshine And Readbows @bookshineblog
13 JulyEverything Is Better With Dragons @BetterDragons
14 July  The Witchy Storyteller (IG) @the_witchy_storyteller Dem’s Book Den (IG) @dems_book_den
17 July The Vampire’s Library (IG) @thevampireslibrary Vik Reads Books (IG) @vik_reads_books
18 JulyCalm Stitch Read (IG) @calmstitchread Mai’s Musings @maitaylor01
19 JulyThe Books She Reads (IG) @the_books_she_reads Book A Holic 17 (IG) @book_a_holic_17 Penfold Layla (IG) @penfoldlayla
20 JulyBooks by Bindu @booksbybindu Silky Book Lover Fun (IG) @silkybookloverfun
21 July Marie Sinadjan @marienettist Bibliophileverse (IG) @bibliophileverse Stacey Hammond (IG) @staceywh_17