Category: Nonfiction

Cover for Madame Restell by Jennifer Wright

Review: Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist by Jennifer Wright

February 9, 2024

TW: discussions of abortions, rape, sexual harassment/coercion in the workplace, alcoholism, homelessness, starvation, abandonment of children, death of children, drug overdose (including in children), sex work, death of husband, incest, child kidnapping, incarceration, racism, lynching, the Civil War, torture, death of family members, suicide.  “Restell was a businesswoman, a scofflaw, an immigrant, and an abortionist. … More Review: Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist by Jennifer Wright

Cover for The Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling

Review: The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World by Shelley Emling

December 19, 2023

This was a wonderful look at Mary Anning and her life discovering dinosaurs. At twelve, she discovered the first dinosaur skeleton, an ichthyosaur, and then spent the rest of her life hunting fossils and making many incredible finds. She found the first complete plesiosaurus skeleton, found the first fossil of a dimorphodon (a pterodactyl), and … More Review: The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World by Shelley Emling

Cover for Plague-Busters! by Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal

Review: Plague-Busters!: Medicine’s Battles with History’s Deadliest Diseases by Lindsey Fitzharris

December 14, 2023

Medical Historian and author Lindsey Fitzharris is back and talking about plagues, but geared towards children. This book takes a look at six of history’s most deadliest plagues and how the world dealt with them. Each chapter explores a different disease, its symptoms, the history of finding a cure, and ends with a section on … More Review: Plague-Busters!: Medicine’s Battles with History’s Deadliest Diseases by Lindsey Fitzharris

Cover for People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn

Review: People Love Dead Jews: Reports From a Haunted Present by Dara Horn

October 12, 2023

CW: antisemitism, genocide, violence, gun violence, gore I picked this book up because of the title, and I am very glad I did. This was a heavy topic, but a very important and powerful read. First, I am not Jewish but I try to read books on this topic to better understand Jewish history and … More Review: People Love Dead Jews: Reports From a Haunted Present by Dara Horn

Cover for The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft by Fire Lyte

Review: The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft: Seeking an Intentional Magical Path by Fire Lyte

October 5, 2023

“True learning is an uncomfortable process that requires you to break down your preconceived notions, your implicit biases, and move away from your comfort zone.” I picked this book up because the title caught my attention. I was extremely interested in seeing what this book was about since it discusses dabbling and seeking an intentional … More Review: The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft: Seeking an Intentional Magical Path by Fire Lyte

Cover for Spirits, Seers & Seances by Steele Alexandra Douris

ARC Review: Spirits, Seers and Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic and the Supernatural by Steele Alexandra Douris

September 8, 2023

This book was a wonderful look at Victorian spiritualism, magic, and the supernatural. Douris explores the history of spiritualism, séances, automatic writing, cartomancy, spirit photography, and many other things. Douris also provides information on the history of supernaturals, superstitions, magic, and Halloween and Christmas celebrations. Not only is this book filled with a wonderful look … More ARC Review: Spirits, Seers and Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic and the Supernatural by Steele Alexandra Douris

Cover for Empress of the Nile by Lynne Olson

Review: Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson

June 30, 2023

As someone who has read quite a lot of books on ancient Egypt, I was extremely surprised that I had never heard of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt before I saw this book. Christiane was a remarkable woman with an extremely rich career. Her extraordinary contributions to Egyptology, the Louvre, and the world are astounding.  “You don’t get … More Review: Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson

Cover for Tarot Magick by Lindsay Squire

ARC Review: The Witch of the Forest’s Guide to Tarot Magick by Lindsay Squire

June 13, 2023

This is one of the best tarot books I have read. This was a beautifully illustrated and wonderfully organized book that breaks down a tarot deck and the many ways you can interpret the cards. In this book, Squire provides information on the Major and Minor arcana by providing information about the ruling planet, zodiac … More ARC Review: The Witch of the Forest’s Guide to Tarot Magick by Lindsay Squire

Cover for The Complete Guide to Runes by Wayne Brekke

ARC Review: The Complete Guide to Runes: An Essential Reference for Runelore, Meanings, Divination, and Magic by Wayne Brekke

June 6, 2023

As someone who has never read a book about runes, this was a wonderful beginners book. This book goes over the history of runes, their use in divination, how to cast runes, and ways to apply them in your everyday life. While this is a lot of information for a newbie, Brekke does a wonderful … More ARC Review: The Complete Guide to Runes: An Essential Reference for Runelore, Meanings, Divination, and Magic by Wayne Brekke

Cover for The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland

Review: The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland

May 18, 2023

Trigger Warnings: graphic death; genocide; torture; physical abuse; starvation; PTSD; survivor’s guilt; infanticide; cheating; alcohol use; paranoia; abusive relationship; suicide of a child; cancer;  “Information is necessary, to be sure, but it is never sufficient. Information must also be believed…Only when information is combined with belief does it become knowledge, and only knowledge leads to … More Review: The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland

Cover for Your Tarot Toolkit by Ru-Lee Story

ARC Review: Your Tarot Toolkit: Simple Activities for Your Daily Practice by Ru-Lee Story

February 7, 2023

This is an informative and wonderfully written guide to Tarot. This book breaks each card down by giving a general overview of the card, and then providing affirmations, reflections and activities. The activities within this book are perfect because a lot of them are writing based or simple activities that are easier to fit into … More ARC Review: Your Tarot Toolkit: Simple Activities for Your Daily Practice by Ru-Lee Story

Cover for The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris

ARC Review: The Facemaker: One Surgeon’s Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I by Lindsey Fitzharris

June 7, 2022

The Facemaker tells the story of pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Delf Gillies, who dedicated his life to reconstructing the faces of injured soldiers in his care during World War I. After reading The Butchering Art, Fizharris’ first book, I knew that I would want to read any future books that she wrote. This book surpassed … More ARC Review: The Facemaker: One Surgeon’s Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I by Lindsey Fitzharris