Two people meet in the Art Institute by chance. Prior to their encounter, he is a doctoral student who manages his destructive thoughts with compulsive calculations about time travel; she is a bipolar counterfeit artist, undergoing court-ordered psychotherapy. By the end of the story, these things will still be true. But this is not aContinue reading “December Book Club: Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake”
Tag Archives: mental health
Author interview | Neal Shusterman explores All Better Now and a virus of happiness
We sit down with Neal Shusterman to discuss his latest Young Adult novel, All Better Now, which speculates on what could happen if there was another pandemic, but this time, of a virus that brings contentment to its recoverees. We have a lot to talk about including what a happiness virus would really entail, andContinue reading “Author interview | Neal Shusterman explores All Better Now and a virus of happiness”
Review: Hour of the Heart – what can one-hour therapy sessions offer?
What does ‘the father of group therapy’ do at the age of 90, when he is still advising patients in the therapy sessions that have been his life’s work, and yet must face his increasing frailties and even his own mortality? Rather than melt into retirement, Dr Yalom develops another revolutionary approach. In Hour of theContinue reading “Review: Hour of the Heart – what can one-hour therapy sessions offer?”
Review: The Paperbark Tree Committee
Twelve-year-old Art and his younger brother Hilary are great friends, best friends. When they move to the city from a small rural town, Art struggles to fit in. His dad is too busy to give him much attention, but his stepmum is always ready to listen. And there’s the paperbark tree. Art and Hilary holdContinue reading “Review: The Paperbark Tree Committee”
Eat Your Heart Out: A Foodie Rom-Com with an Unfortunate Villain
Chloe Bridgers, Australian food blogger in Paris, has landed an interview to write the tell-all memoir of controversial celebrity chef Carla Duris. The only catch? To nab the role, she has to compete against a group of cut-throat, world-class food writers during a weekend-long job interview at the Duris family villa on the glistening CôteContinue reading “Eat Your Heart Out: A Foodie Rom-Com with an Unfortunate Villain”
Never, Not Ever: A quintessential teenage romance with a psychological layer
Tilly navigates grief over her grandmother’s death, family lies, and unreciprocated love on her sixteenth birthday. “Never, Not Ever” explores teenage identity and emotional growth through challenges and family dynamics.
Tell Me Lies leans on tired tropes around psychology
Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career. On a warm spring morning Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand as the train approaches. That’sContinue reading “Tell Me Lies leans on tired tropes around psychology”
Review: This Is Not a Sad Book (But It’s OK to Feel Sad)
This Is Not A Sad Book is truly not a sad book! It’s actually a practical, compassionate guide full of strategies and ideas to support yourself or someone else through grief, loss and hard times. In some parts you might even find yourself smiling. Most importantly of all – the stories, tips and advice in theseContinue reading “Review: This Is Not a Sad Book (But It’s OK to Feel Sad)”
Review: The quiet emotional force of The Burrow
Amy, Jin and Lucie are leading isolated lives in their partially renovated, inner city home. They are not happy, but they are also terrified of change. When they buy a pet rabbit for Lucie, and then Amy’s mother, Pauline, comes to stay, the family is forced to confront long-buried secrets. Will opening their hearts toContinue reading “Review: The quiet emotional force of The Burrow”
Review: loneliness, mental health, and something else in Beatrix & Fred
Emily Spurr’s Beatrix & Fred follows two lonely individuals as their lives entwined in unexpected ways. If this sounds really vague to you, that’s because this book’s premise is best discovered on your own. Topics include perimenopause, mental health, loneliness and belonging. Review Weird premise, touching execution Beatrix is a loner with a genuine attachmentContinue reading “Review: loneliness, mental health, and something else in Beatrix & Fred”
Novel Feelings 