Review: Senior Moments

Title: Senior Moments

Author: Angus Fitzsimons

Publisher: 27th October 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 220 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, nonfiction, humour

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

Senior Moments is the go-to Christmas gift for all thoughtless children and shrewd seniors.

Have you had a Senior Moment yet? Maybe you know someone who's had a few? Check this list to know for sure:

You can remember being told the King was dead (George, not Elvis).

You still say 'colour television', and you watch television on a television.

Your home phone rings and you answer it. (And you still have a phone, not a 'landline'.)

You boast about 'doing it' three times a night and that's just getting up to pee.

You realise that your wardrobe has become ironic. You're not back in fashion, but you're hip. (And ironically, you now have an artificial hip).

 

If you answered 'yes' to one or more of the above, congratulations! You are officially a Senior and this book is here to guide you through your best years (i.e. the past). Stroll, or maybe shuffle, down Nostalgia Avenue and bask in the glory of growing old disgracefully.

(If you are a Young Person, this is the easiest Senior gift idea ever. You're welcome!)

My Thoughts

‘As a Senior you will have noticed that among the many ways Modern Life is disappointing is the disappearance of ... familiar staples of yesteryear. What happened to them?  ... (for example) ... Women Called ‘Peg’: Used to be everywhere, now vanished. Laundry Pegs are the sole reminder that they used to flourish amongst us.’

Senior Moments is a by-product from the successful theatrical version of the same name. Comedy writer, Angus Fitzsimons, took some of the love and laughter from his live show which stars the likes of Max Gillies and John Wood. This show first premiered in 2016 and has continued on through sold-out national tours across Australia since. Seeing as we cannot presently enjoy a live show, this book brings much light relief to our isolated COVID days.

Filled with a long list of topical issues for Seniors this book could be viewed as part instructional guide on how to not only survive but thrive in the Senior years. Some of the great one liners (obviously from the show) are now penned in this tome with many useful tips and tricks on how to be a Senior. Chapters include everything from surviving major events such as Christmas and birthday parties, to exercise and moments in the supermarket. There are even a couple of ‘Senior Moments Quizzes’  or memory tests to see how you are faring. So be prepared!

‘After your Physio Session, you will nod at various stretches shown to you on pieces of paper which you promise you will do at home. Seniors do many things at home - mainly napping and gardening - but no Senior in history has ever followed instructions from a Physio.’

It is also a nostalgic trip with various famous people and key events from days of old reminisced about. From what may have been on TV such as Colombo or Murder She Wrote to musical icons from a range of styles across the decades. If you are looking for a good giggle or maybe ideas on how to grow old disgracefully, look no further than Senior Moments. It is sure to bring a smirk to the faces of anyone over the half century age bracket. 

‘Remember to remain on your guard and stick to ‘I don't remember’ if they ask you any leading questions like: ‘Did you make me use a dummy?’ (Make them! They used to suck your thumb like a vampire after you dipped it into two fingers of Scotch and then they went out like a light. Tell no one.)’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Nala's World

Title: Nala's World

Author: Dean Nicholson

Publisher: 1st October 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 258 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: nonfiction, travel, autobiography, animals

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world Dean Nicholson reveals the full story of his life-changing friendship with rescue cat Nala and their inspiring adventures together on a bike journey around the world.

When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn't bargained on the lessons he'd learn from his unlikely companion.

Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn't leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health.

Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond - both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers - and still counting!

Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala's inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.

My Thoughts

I had always been good at fixing and building stuff, but I hadn’t built much of a life for myself ... I felt that by hitting the road and spending time in another part of the world, I might somehow find myself. Or, at least, find a way of being myself. Someone said to me once that I hit the road to find a road. That seemed about right.’

I have been an avid follower of Dean and Nala since they were featured by The Dodo video. Every morning I need my ‘Dean and Nala’ fix to get me through the day. Being both a lover of travel and cats, there was just so much to enjoy about his Instagram account. Could there really be any more to share than what we had seen across social media? There certainly was and this highly anticipated book lived up to expectations. 

I was super excited to read this book. It provided so much more detail and insight into the journey of Dean and Nala since they first met. Through reading this, Dean has grown in my esteem tremendously so with the integrity and honesty he has displayed throughout this epic adventure. The way he truthfully details his own personal growth and the love he has for Nala - and indeed the entire animal kingdom - is inspiring. 

‘Nala had splayed herself out next to me, as content as could be, soaking up the last rays of the sun and without a care in the world. I looked at her and shook my head. In some ways, I envied her. She had no work responsibilities. No bills to pay, no possessions, no pressures. Lucky her. I’ve always felt that the more people have, the more they have to worry about. Life should be about the simple pleasures. Moments like this. Sunsets, sunrises over     deserted beaches. A couple of beers with friends. It doesn’t have to be complicated.’

To think about how much this man’s life has changed through the meeting of this sweet kitty is mind blowing. To then have Dean take this uncalled for fame and turn into promoting and supporting needy charities is highly commendable. His passion for the environment and animal rescue is inspiring and he has used all that has fallen into his lap for the promotion of positive change. Who does not want to read about that? 

Nala’s World is an exceptional memoir by Dean  - a travelogue, a cat story, a pedestal for the promotion of the environment and animal welfare - all tied together with a personal growth story of this lively Scottish soul. Dean and Nala, and indeed the range of people who cross their paths, take large leaps in restoring one’s faith in humanity. I am so excited to continue to witness their journey through social media and hope that there might be future instalments to read once COVID allows it to be so. 

‘At another time, in different circumstances, I might have felt disappointed or frustrated to be doubling back on myself. But I didn't feel that way at all. For a start, if the past few months had proven anything it was that my journey around the world wasn’t going to look like anyone else’s. It wasn’t going to run in a straight line or conform to some well-trodden path. I was travelling in Nala's worlds after all. And as long as I had her beside me, that was fine. We’d look after each other.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness

Title: Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness

Author: Bill Bailey

Publisher: 13th October 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 213 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, nonfiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

What makes us happy? Is there a knack to it? Is it the joy of playing a round of crazy golf, or of just being in a forest?

In this beautiful and uplifting book, Bill Bailey explores all this and more while delving into the nature of happiness, all in his own, remarkable, way.

From paddle-boarding down the Thames in a Santa hat, to wild swimming in a glacial river and cooking sausages on a campfire, Bill revels in the exhilaration of the outdoors, as well as the quieter pleasures of letter-writing, or of simple reflection.

Packed with wisdom and humour, and with delightful illustrations by the comedian himself, Bill Bailey aims for the heart of pure joy and contentment - and how we can all achieve it.

My Thoughts

‘We ve all been forced to spend more time with ourselves, in the company of our own thoughts. And I’m thinking that maybe a little more self-awareness and personal reflection is something that we could retain when we come through this. It won’t necessarily lead to InstaMag happiness, but it’s good training for long term contentment.’

Our pandemic world 2020 has seen many places around the world in isolation/lockdown and a complete rethinking of what makes us happy. I was therefore totally onboard with funny man Bill Bailey offering his take on what this might look like in these COVID days. Here you will find a most relatable compilation of obviously funny, yet personal and somewhat reflective thoughts on what makes us happy. 

‘As I write this on a late May evening, trees are featuring heavily in my lockdown sensory enjoyment. In so-called normal times, there would be many more layers to my neighbourhood soundtrack, a deal more cars’ engines roaring, television chatter, dogs barking, and the evening burble of conversation and laughter from outside the pub on the corner. Tonight, I’ve heard nothing except the sound of the wind in the trees.’

Firstly I have to comment on the book itself. A sensational little hard back that just looks (front cover mugshot and all) inviting. All the sketches (very cute) included are by Bill himself and add that relatable touch to it. Touch ... the paper (so earthy and tactile) and the layout make it so readable ... just what we are after to regain that sense of normality.

The book itself is divided into short chapters or essays covering topics from nature and simplicity, to golf and paddle boarding. His manner is easy going, not preachy at all but rather telling a story that then ties in beautifully with his theme of happiness. Whether it be the relationship with your pet or cycling through a forest, Bill gives a most achievable guide to happiness in this crazy COVID world. 

‘In my dealings with happiness, I find it helps to be easily pleased, I am a simple soul for whom simple pleasures bring ample rewards. Removing the peel from a satsuma in one piece, making the perfect cup of tea and finding one last oatcake in the packet will elicit from me a clenched fist pump of victory.’

The key here is in its simplicity, that in the face of this massive worldwide wellness industry, Bill offers respite and moments of contentment that, in truth, result in happiness from the everyday. I recommend a moment of respite as you delve into Bill Bailey’s remarkable guide to happiness.

‘In this book, I am not telling you how to live your life. I just want to share with you a few accounts of fortuitous moments and remarkable times when I experienced something which felt to me like happiness. They might strike a chord; they might just make you smile.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Inner Self: The joy of discovering who we really are

Title: The Inner Self: The joy of discovering who we really are

Author: Hugh Mackay

Publisher: 11th August 2020 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: nonfiction, self help

My Rating: 4.5 crowns

Synopsis:

The Inner Self is a book about the ways we hide from the truth about ourselves and the psychological freedom we enjoy when we finally face that most searching question of all: 'Who am I, really?'

Hugh Mackay explores our 'top 20' hiding places - from addiction to materialism, nostalgia to victimhood. He explains how it is our fear of love's demands that drive us into hiding.

He argues that love is our highest ideal, the richest source of life's meaning and purpose, and the key to our emotional security, personal serenity and confidence.

Yet Mackay exposes the great paradox of human nature, that while love brings out our best, we don't always want our best brought forward.

Powerfully written and drawing on a lifetime of research, The Inner Self is a work of extraordinary insight by one of Australia's most respected psychologists.

My Thoughts

‘Happiness seems such a natural goal of life; a no-brainer. Shouldn’t we all try to maximise our happiness? ‘

I first read a Hugh MacKay book in the 1990s and it has stayed with me over these many years. So I was thrilled to take a look into his new book, The Inner Self: The joy of discovering who we really are. Hugh is one of Australia’s most well respected social psychologists and bestselling authors. In this volume he takes all his years of social research to highlight how we are ‘hiding’ from our real self.

‘Spending too long in hiding increases the risk that we will live a half-life of inauthenticity, never reaching our full potential, and wondering why we feel permanently unsatisfied.’

Hugh delivers a rich explanation of how in presenting what is essentially our socially constructed identity, we hide from our real self. It is a fascinating investigation into the contrast between our inner self versus our social self. The masks we all put on to face everything from our fears to our everyday obligations.

‘Think of all those things as masks we wear – the faces we need to put on to play our various roles. If you’re a partner and a parent, then you know that you must act differently in those different roles. But you’re still you.’

Hugh presents research on what he considers to be our ‘Top 20’ hiding places including things such as addictions, busyness, social media and materialism just to name a few. What he wants his readers to question is, ‘Who am I?’  If you feel that how you are perceived is not the real you, then he hopes that this book will help shed some light on the discrepancy - an insight into the problems associated with pretending to be someone you are not. 

‘Almost always, the sense of a gap between who I am and who I want to be is a response to an opening up of our inner sense of self.’

Hugh wants his readers to appreciate the great relief to be had from reaching an understanding that there is real freedom to be gained from coming out of these hiding places and unveiling your authentic self. Many will appreciate that we need to listen more to our inner voice and less to the image we more often than not project to the world. Live the life we all really want, moving away from the life we are currently hiding behind. 

‘Nature has its seasons, and so does every life. To be attentive and responsive to them all is healthier than to yearn for one rather than another.’

This book is easy to read with little jargon and loads of real life examples for people to relate to. After all these years and all the many books Hugh has written in between, I am happy to have reflected upon some real gems of advice that are to be found within these pages. 

‘Wouldn’t you rather confront the things you don’t like about yourself, or that don’t ring true for you, and do some work on them? The alternative is to live in a permanently defensive state of mind.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Older and Wider - A Survivor’s Guide to the Menopause

Title: Older and Wider - A Survivor’s Guide to the Menopause

Author: Jenny Eclair

Publisher: 2nd July 2020 by Quercus Books

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: nonfiction, Health, Mind & Body

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

'The menopause is a weird one, as a woman you know that the likelihood of it happening to you is pretty inevitable, but no-one really tells you what to expect.'

So says Jenny Eclair, who, with her trademark humour, will share her experience of what can be a difficult time for many women, from the emotional side of life - missing the woman you were, the empty nest, mood swings - to the health aspects of the menopause, starring the hot flush and also periods (lack of), weight problems, insomnia and other issues. Upbeat and honest, Jenny shares her new-found hobbies, the joy of pets and how to make the best of the different but still-fabulous you.

My Thoughts

‘... she accidentally catches sight of what looks suspiciously like her mum standing just three feet away. Only her mum lives two hundred miles up the M6. Once she realizes that she is, in fact, staring at her own reflection and that she has turned into the doppelganger of her mother in her furious fifties, the truth of what is happening will hit her. Of course, this is it.’

Finding myself at the start of this journey, I was keen to read what I could to educate myself. Jenny (an English comedian, author and actor) has written a comprehensive A-Z of well researched information (she clearly states she is not a doctor) on menopause. Considering half of the world’s population will experience this, it was refreshing to find a book that was informative, relatable and funny - able to shine some light into an otherwise taboo subject. 

‘We only get one go at life, and considering the menopause can drag on for a decade of your allotted time on this planet (plus an extra couple of years for the peri-menopause) it would be a shame to waste that time by being permanently down. So, with that in mind, let’s put a positive spin on the menopause...’

This is a book everyone should read - female/male, young/old - as a book such as this is long overdue. There are some serious discussions, however being written by a comedian, there is much fun and laughter as Jenny brings her hysterical interpretation to some of the facts, fads and fascinations. She is most candid in sharing her own experiences and this is really helpful to those of us who, let’s be honest, have no idea. Her down to earth approach makes it relatable and accessible from an understanding of what can occur and how to try and stay on top of things. 

‘One of the most interesting revelations about the menopause is that, for many of us women, it’s a time of discovering who we really are, what we really like and what we really can’t be bothered with.’

The range of issues is truly comprehensive and I just love Jenny’s fun, yet no nonsense approach. She makes a lot of sense. Physical, social and emotional concerns are all here from HRT to mood swings to taking up a new hobby. It was a relief to read and realise that there are many women who feel exactly like you do - we just don’t talk about it. Apart from the humour and information, what I truly appreciated was Jenny’s insight into finding the silver lining on this otherwise grey cloud. The glass needs to be viewed as half full as women of this age can find themselves liberated from the confines of society's images and expectations and instead embrace just happily being themselves. 

‘We might as well start pleasing ourselves at this stage in our lives and that’s why it’s really important to know what makes us tick more happily as time goes by.’

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for its funny yet wise offerings. There is just so much here that it will keep you coming back as a guide and reference to the many helpful ideas suggested. Jenny’s honesty helps put things into perspective from practical ideas to confirmation that this is really just the beginning. 

‘The menopause is a definite chapter in your life. Not only does it mark the end of the young you, it also heralds in the dawn of a new you and what this new you is going to be is very much your decision to make.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Details

Title: The Details on Love, Death and Reading

Author: Tegan Bennett Daylight

Publisher: 8th July 2020 by Simon & Schuster (Australia)

Pages: 200 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: non fiction, biography and memoir

My Rating: 2.5 cups

Synopsis:

A book about the connections we form with literature and each other

Tegan Bennett Daylight has led a life in books - as a writer, a teacher and a critic, but first and foremost as a reader. In this deeply insightful and intimate work, Daylight describes how her reading has nourished her life, and how life has informed her reading. In both, she shows us that it's the small points of connection - the details - that really matter: what we notice when someone close to us dies, when we give birth, when we make friends. In life's disasters and delights, the details are what we can share and compare and carry with us.

Daylight writes with invigorating candour and compassion about her mother's last days; her own experiences of childbearing and its aftermath (in her celebrated essay ‘Vagina'); her long admiration of Helen Garner and George Saunders; and her great loves and friendships. Each chapter is a revelation, and a celebration of how books offer not an escape from ‘real life' but a richer engagement with the business of living.

The result is a work that will truly deepen your relationship with books, and with other readers. The delight is in the details.

My Thoughts

‘A great book changes with you.’

I am so undecided on this book. Initially I was attracted by two things. Firstly the cover: that seemingly 1970s style vibe from the subject herself (could easily have been me) to the sepia tinge common of that era. Secondly, the synopsis speaks to all bibliophiles. Yet by the conclusion I was just not sold on it in many ways. Don’t get me wrong, Tegan has many worthwhile offerings here for contemplation but I found there was no flow to the book and I was not onboard with all she had to say. Yet, that can be a good thing right ... to push your boundaries?  Thus my overall indecision on the complexity that is this book. 

‘Literature isn’t, for me, a classroom, it is right at the centre of my life. I don’t ‘learn’ from it. It isn’t ‘good for me’. It isn’t work or study or a hobby. It is me. I think in lines from books I’ve read. It’s alive in me all the time, I’m helpless, it runs through me like a torrent.’

Tegan is a wonderful writer. Her prose is eloquent yet rugged with her insights into reading and writing evident for all. From her own life and career, to her reflections on other authors, she offers clear and insightful ideas. She expresses her great loves and great concerns when it comes to reading and writing. With a great variance in chapter topics there is something for everyone from family to famous authors. Her understanding on the technique of writing and her advice to her tertiary students demonstrates her great love of literature. She delves into great depth on particular authors  such as Saunders. 

‘If you are a reader like I am you will have become closely acquainted with more than one body of work. There’s something particular in the reading of one author’s entire oeuvre. Easy with Austen; less so with Dickens. I have read every book written by Jane Austen, Tim Winton, Helen Garner, David Malouf, Charlotte Wood, Jonathan Franzen, Kazuo Ishiguro, Alice Munro, James Wood, Alan Hollinghurst and George Saunders. In this way you enter into a lifelong conversation with the author. You watch their material change, their attitudes to it shifting. You learn how to read them.’

What I struggled with was the seemingly random selection of chapters and topics. It’s not that I expected a sequential tale but I found it to be disjointed overall in its approach. The common theme of reading was not strong enough to gel it all together in my opinion. Also being a teacher myself, I could relate to some of the aspects Tegan shone a light. However, I disagreed with other things, for example, her summation of young adult literature.

‘When I stood in front of a class I felt an excited kinship, and a sense of my enormous luck–to be there, right now, amongst young people, as their reading and writing took shape. I still feel lucky, because it’s a privilege to be next to young people at any stage of their lives. But sometimes, when I read their writing, I want to set up a howl of desolation. Their flimsy words scud across an empty landscape, a landscape unpopulated by all the books that came before. There’s no weight, there’s no texture, there’s no echo, there’s no depth.’

All up this is an interesting read for lovers of literature. Here you will find one reader/writer’s thoughts on the impact of a life of reading and how it holds your hand as you journey through life together.  

‘I want them to notice what a powerful tool literature is, to understand that it helps us to know ourselves and the society we live in. I want them to discover that if they learn to handle language they might not feel as though they’re worth nothing, have nothing to say.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Phosphorescence

Title: Phosphorescence

Author: Julia Baird

Publisher: 23rd March 2020 by Harper Collins Australia

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: biography, memoir, nonfiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A beautiful, intimate and inspiring investigation into how we can find and nurture within ourselves that essential quality of internal happiness - the 'light within' that Julia Baird calls 'phosphorescence' - which will sustain us even through the darkest times.

Over the last decade, we have become better at knowing what brings us contentment, well-being and joy. We know, for example, that there are a few core truths to science of happiness. We know that being kind and altruistic makes us happy, that turning off devices, talking to people, forging relationships, living with meaning and delving into the concerns of others offer our best chance at achieving happiness. But how do we retain happiness? It often slips out of our hands as quickly as we find it. So, when we are exposed to, or learn, good things, how do we continue to burn with them?

And more than that, when our world goes dark, when we're overwhelmed by illness or heartbreak, loss or pain, how do we survive, stay alive or even bloom? In the muck and grit of a daily existence full of disappointments and a disturbing lack of control over many of the things that matter most - finite relationships, fragile health, fraying economies, a planet in peril - how do we find, nurture and carry our own inner, living light - a light to ward off the darkness?

Absorbing, achingly beautiful, inspiring and deeply moving, Julia Baird has written exactly the book we need for these times.

My Thoughts

The release of this book could not be more well timed with all that is currently going on in the world. Here author Julia Baird sheds light on seeking enjoyment through the little things in life,  purposefully recognising moments of awe that will assist in providing a move to mindfulness and acknowledgment of our place in the universe. She claims this book to be a ‘salve’ by finding the small things that keep one afloat in times of hardship, by seeking the comforts that keep you going.

‘... the answers to the question that inspired this book —how do we endure when suffering becomes unbearable and our obstacles seem monstrous? How do we continue to glow when the lights turn out? —are there, right in front of us, all the time. All we can do really is keep placing one foot on the earth, then the other, to seek out ancient paths and forests, certain in the knowledge that others have endured before us.’

Ask the right questions: 

‘instead of how do we stay happy, should we ask how do we survive, stay alive or even bloom when the world goes dark’

Take note of those special moments:

‘... we need to reach for those tiny drops of stillness. And they can fall throughout our day, in snatched or carved-out moments, even in the midst of working, commuting, loving.’

This book is a timely reminder to stay grounded even in uncertainty, positivity within brings a calm without. Take stock, take note, be reassured in the fact that little things can bring a lasting and positive impact to one’s life. Things to sustain you in moments of darkness.

‘... we have the ability to find, nurture and carry our own inner, living light —a light to ward off the darkness. This is not about burning brightly, but yielding simple phosphorescence —being luminous at temperatures below incandescence, quietly glowing without combusting.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.