Starting this graphic novel I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was initially wary because I knew it had been translated from Italian. I always worry I’m going to miss key elements in translated works but Carla Roncalli De Montorio has done a wonderful job.
Beginning with Matteo’s train trip to his home town after three years in Milan with his boyfriend, he is certain he will not be welcomed into his father’s home. Returning with no money, job or relationship, he lands on his Nan’s doorstep, greeted by his pregnant cousin Sara. Matteo is surprised to see his aunts A, B and C are now living with his Nan. He also meets Odina, his Nan’s caregiver and Francesco, his Nan’s nurse.
Through interactions with his family, Odina and Francesco, Matteo begins to learn to deal with his problems rather than running away from them. His individual family members, some more accepting of him than others, teach him about love, support, strength and what the generations can learn from one another.
I certainly didn’t expect to cry while reading something with so few words. I guess that tells you something about how powerful this story is. Flavia Biondi, who incidentally has done a brilliant job conveying the story both in words and images, created a cast of complex characters who I came to love more because of their flaws, not despite them.
The analogy of people being apples and our family being a tree was just beautiful. Exploring themes of love, loss, grief, sexuality, homophobia and acceptance, this graphic novel’s depth pleasantly surprised me.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
After three years in Milan, Matteo returns home to the provincial country town where he was born and from which he had fled. Coming out as a young gay man in a provincial country town had led to ugly clashes with his conservative father, and the urban metropolis of Milan had been a welcome change from the stifling small town life of his childhood and the anger and bewilderment of some members of his family. But now, Matteo finds himself with little choice but to return home, with no money, no job, and an uncertain future, like so many other young people of his millennial generation. Afraid of encountering his estranged father, he instead takes refuge with his extended family, at a house shared by his grandmother, three aunts, and his very pregnant cousin. As he tries to rebuild his life, reconnecting with the women of his family and old hometown friends, he warily confronts a few truths about the other generations of his family – from their bigotry to their love, and tolerance, and acceptance – and a few truths about himself, including his fears of confrontation and commitment.
N.B. Horrificent is totally a word (at least it is in my world and it’s my review so you’re in my world now whether you like it or not) and should be imagined as a unique blend of horrific and magnificent.
Halloween Carnival Volume 3 is the third of five volumes of short stories being released in time for Halloween. While I promise you I know how to count I didn’t feel like reading something the length of a novella when I started Volume 2 and then got sucked into these stories.
The Way Lost by Kelley Armstrong – 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
I absolutely loved this story. It was short but grabbed me from the first sentence – “Every Halloween, one child in Franklin lost his way and never came home.” Children in Franklin know not to go near the forest on Halloween night. Dale, however, can’t help himself. He watches at the edge of the forest, hoping to solve the mystery of how Franklin’s children lose their way, a mystery no one talks about. The creepy atmosphere in this story and the enticing dread had me wanting to sit by the edge of the forest to dare myself to uncover what was really happening to the children of this town. I need to read more by this author!
La Calavera by Kate Maruyama – 🎃🎃🎃🎃
Trish works hard on her calavera for this year’s Día de los Muertos Festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. She attended each year with her roommate of five years, Jasmine (pronounced Yasmeen). On the day of the Festival Trish receives a phone call at work from Hector, who is supposed to still be in jail. This is a tale of binge-watching, waffles, family, obsession and letting go. I worked out how this story was going to play out fairly early but I still really enjoyed it.
The Devil’s Due by Michael McBride – 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
Building the initial dread into full blown panic and then hovering around desperation for the rest of the story, this one blew me away. Taking place in Pine Springs, Colorado, this town was founded in 1867 and has a long history of prosperity. Huddled in their ranch on the evening of 30 October, Thom and Tammy silently wait, hoping against hope that this isn’t their year. Their daughter and son are asleep upstairs, unaware of the danger that infiltrates their postcard perfect community this night every year. This year there’s a bloody handprint on the Martin’s door and soon the mayor and chief of police will be coming to collect Thom so he can do his duty. I’m going to be checking out this author’s other work for sure.
A Thousand Rooms of Darkness by Taylor Grant – 🎃🎃🎃🎃
Anne has phasmophobia (fear of ghosts) and samhainophobia (fear of Halloween), and with good reason. Panic attacks and phobias have contributed to the breakdown of Anne’s previous relationships so she is understandably terrified of telling the new love of her life, Evan, of her crippling fears. But this year her haunting starts early. I enjoyed the buildup to Halloween and the increased fear Anne faces. I loved the initial twist but the final wrap up felt a tad rushed.
The Last Night of October by Greg Chapman – 🎃🎃🎃
Gerald sits in his wheelchair, oxygen mask affixed trying to deliver its breath to his emphysema affected lungs, watching the front door. He keeps watch every Halloween night until dawn, waiting for it to come. It comes every Halloween without fail. This Halloween Gerald can’t avoid it. This novella started with such promise but I found a key component of the story implausible. It jarred me out of the lovely flow I was in and I never got my momentum back.
While I had no problems with the crossroads and what the boys found there I didn’t believe that Martha could so easily convince Gerald to kill his friend. They were best friends and yes, I understand they were kids and terrified, but even if that was always going to be the outcome I would have expected a longer exchange between the three characters before the murder occurred.
My favourites in this collection were The Way Lost and The Devil’s Due. I think The Devil’s Due may have won in the photo finish but both stories had me taking note of who wrote them so I can explore their work further.
The overall theme that runs through these stories is that things are not always what they seem and while I’d expect this in Halloween tales, there’s bloodshed in each of them. While I’ve only read two of the five volumes so far I much preferred this one overall than Volume 1. I loved that even after working out that all of these stories had elements where things were not as they seemed, there were still some where I didn’t pick up on the twist until after it happened.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Hydra for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Kelley Armstrong, Kate Maruyama, Michael McBride, Taylor Grant, and Greg Chapman unleash the unsettled spirits of the past in five frightening stories collected by celebrated editor, author, and horror guru Brian James Freeman.
THE WAY LOST by Kelley Armstrong The kids in Franklin don’t ask questions. Each Halloween, one of them disappears into the forest. Dale promised his mother he’d never go into the woods alone. But the kids in Franklin also lie.
LA CALAVERA by Kate Maruyama The Día de los Muertos Festival at the Hollywood Cemetery used to be ours. Now, without Jasmine, it’s only right that I go one last time in her honour – before I let her go for good …
THE DEVIL’S DUE by Michael McBride Pine Springs, Colorado, has prospered for generations by honoring its traditions and its promises. Then one man refuses to do his civic duty – and the price he must pay is fatally steep.
A THOUSAND ROOMS OF DARKNESS by Taylor Grant Samhainophobia: an irrational fear of Halloween. Phasmophobia: an irrational fear of ghosts. For Anne, these terrors are more rational than she knows.
THE LAST NIGHT OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman Every year, one little boy wearing a grotesque Frankenstein mask comes knocking at Gerald’s door. Gerald has always managed to avoid him … until this year.
Confession time: All Spot books are automatically ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. I grew up reading about Spot. I still love Spot. My mother loves Spot. I made a Spot birthday cake for her 50th.
So, now that you know I’m completely biased, let me tell you something I didn’t know about Spot. His grandfather is a fireman! Grandpa is adorable in this board book and there’s also an adorable brown bear fireman. Outside the fire station a cat is having a lovely nap until Spot has some fun with the siren.
Fun fact: Cats don’t appreciate getting woken up by sirens.
Like all Spot books, there aren’t a lot of words but there’s still a nice little story, the illustrations are sweet and colourful, and the whole book is basically cute overload.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Spot’s visiting Grandpa at the fire station, where he decides he wants to be a fireman too! Grandpa gives him his very own fireman’s helmet and they set to work.
Cheeky Spot slides down the pole, climbs the ladder, soaks Grandpa with the hose and finally sounds the noisy siren. Spot thinks he’s a very good fireman, but Grandpa may not be so sure!
⭐️ – Inventions with cool names like Tea-Mendous and Swirly-Spagsonic that look like something Doc Brown would make. Remember that wonderful contraption he made to feed Einstein?
⭐️ – Lovely Grandpa who is so encouraging and adorable, and who doesn’t believe in giving up.
⭐️ – Crow with heaps of character who helps teach our girl inventor perseverance, empathy and teamwork.
⭐️ – Beautiful story told in rhymes and quirky, fun illustrations that make you smile.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Izabelle Gizmo just loves to invent, but her inventions never seem to work the way she wants them to. And that makes her really CROSS! When she finds a crow with a broken wing she just has to help. But will she be able to put her frustrations to one side and help her new friend to fly again?
🐼 This is a sweet picture book that teaches that it’s great to be able to do things for yourself but sometimes you need help and that’s okay. 🐼
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Chengdu can do many things all by himself. He can get down from his branch, and he can look for breakfast. Chengdu can jump, he can push, and he can pull. He can climb, he can stretch, and he can swing. But sometimes even the most capable young panda could use a little help. Independent-minded toddlers will love following along as the determined Chengdu reaches for his goal of some tasty leaves. The gentle text is a delight to hear read aloud, and a variety of fold-out pages add to the fun.
Florence Frizzball is having a bad hair day life. Her curly, unruly hair is the bane of her existence. She longs to have straight, flat hair like her brother, who doesn’t have to worry about hair that can’t be tamed. After a trip to Lovely Locks Florence has the hair of her dreams but is she really Florence without her frizzball? Sometimes it takes a change to appreciate those qualities, physical or otherwise, that make you unique.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Florence’s curly-whirly, wild and crazy hair couldn’t be more different from her brother Ben’s sleek and shiny do. She begs her mum to let a hairdresser try and tame it, but when she gets the restyle she’s after, will Florence be happy with the outcome?
Claire Freedman’s rhyming text and Jane Massey’s gorgeous illustrations perfectly combine to create laugh-out-loud moments and deliver an important message about being comfortable in your own skin.
Where to start. Oh, I know! K.C. Tansley, puh-lease let me read book 3 ASAP! Without sounding too desperate, I’m The Girl Who Desperately Needs to Read Book 3! Right. So now that I’ve gotten that bit out of the way, let me tell you about book 2.
I am extraordinarily grateful that I had The Girl Who Saved Ghosts on hand when I finished reading The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts. While book 1 introduces us to some of our cast of characters, past, present and future, book 2 focuses more on Kat and Evan’s friendship, with a delicious side order of Toria and Alistair’s eternal love. ❤️
Disclaimer: As some of you already know, romance and I both pretend the other doesn’t exist and we’re happy that way, so for me to be wanting to read more about this couple is either a sign we’ve entered The Twilight Zone or it’s an awesome book.
Book 2 also introduces us to Kat’s two aunts on her unknown father’s side, Vivian and Jacqueline, who certainly got their fair share of the personality gene. Vivian is the lovely, caring, encouraging aunt and Jacqueline is, well, quite snippy (but with good reason) and does have a beating heart beneath her grimaces. We spend a fair amount of time at Dumbarton, safe haven for the Langley family. Vivian and Jacqueline are the guardians of Dumbarton and as such cannot leave, although seriously, why would they want to?!
Dumbarton is such an amazing place and has such yummy breakfasts that I don’t know why you’d ever leave. We’re talking “a plate of bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, French toast, and a fruit cup”, with coffee and orange juice to wash it down. If you’re still tempted to leave allow me to invite you on a tour of the super secret underground heart of the house that has some pretty cool features including a library of spells. And if you’re still not convinced, Dumbarton is the only place in the world where you are completely safe from all of the nasties, including the Dark One, who’s trying to destroy you. What? You’re staying? Awesome choice!
While at Dumbarton we get some of the goss on Maximillian, Kat’s absent father, and his sister, Shannon. We also go on a trip back in time to early nineteenth century Vienna where we catch up with more of the ancestors. I loved the newold alive people in the past but ghosts in the present characters in Vienna. The danger ramps up for Kat and Evan in this book, and Kat is more hopeful of the possibility of finally meeting her elusive father.
While we haven’t been given that much information about the Dark One yet, we did get to know a ‘villain’ in greater depth and I loved this person. You’ve gotta love a good villain and I especially like ones that are relatable, the ones where you can put yourself in their shoes and see how it would’ve been possible for you to make the same choices they did.
That’s one standout for me in books 1 and 2 of this series. The characters are substantial, not just your leads, but pretty much everyone. You learn their history, what makes them tick, why they made certain life changing decisions. Each of the four families have rich histories that all contribute to their combined mythology. Each step of the way I was piecing more of the overall puzzle together and I was given enough information to chew on so while I know there’s more to come, I don’t feel short changed by what I learned in this book.
And now for my Time Travel Conundrum. Please don’t click that spoiler button unless you are prepared for some spoilage and some possibly scary insights into the way my brain operates. In the first book, Kat took the Radcliffe rubies from the past and gave them back to the present day heir. In this book, Kat is supposed to go back in time to take the Kingsley dagger from Percy and give it to the present day heir. In the next book, we’re going to hopefully find the Mallory bracelet. These family amulets have been missing for generations. So my question is, would they have been missing in the first place if Kat didn’t time travel to the past to steal them?
I know that when this series comes to an end (hopefully after many more instalments) that I’m going to need to reread them. I’m already anticipating revisiting The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts to read it in the context of what I now know after finishing this book. I can only imagine that anticipation growing stronger as the series marches on.
Toria remains my favourite character and I was thrilled to get the chance to find out more about her human life and ghost life. I missed Morgan and Professor Astor’s continual presence and hope to see them with larger roles in future books. I also hope Kat has some of her blood in storage at Dumbarton. If she keeps doing spells that require her blood, at the rate she’s going she’ll be in need of a transfusion fairly soon. 😜
This book has taken me practically forever to finish (15 days) but it wasn’t for lack of enjoyment, obviously. I was so interested in learning more about the history of the four families and how everything was going to play out that I didn’t want to miss a thing. Each time I didn’t have prime reading conditions I’d reluctantly put this book aside and move on to something else until the stars aligned and I knew I’d get the most out of the experience. These are the kind of books that I come to the end of, sigh and say to whoever will listen, “That was so much fun!”
If you enjoy magic, time travel, ghosts, family legacies, loyalty to the death, friendships, the threat of the Big Bad lurking, or breakfast, then I highly recommend this series. I’d prefer you to start with book 1 so you know who’s who in the ghostie zoo, but if you don’t mind jumping in at the deep end and look forward to hearing me very politely telling you that I told you so, then start with book 2.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Beckett Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
She tried to ignore them. Now she might risk everything to save them.
After a summer spent in a haunted castle – a summer in which she traveled through time to solve a murder mystery – Kat is looking forward to a totally normal senior year at McTernan Academy. Then the ghost of a little girl appears and begs Kat for help, and more unquiet apparitions follow. All of them are terrified by the Dark One, and it soon becomes clear that that this evil force wants Kat dead.
Searching for help, Kat leaves school for the ancestral home she’s only just discovered. Her friend Evan, whose family is joined to her own by an arcane history, accompanies her. With the assistance of her eccentric great aunts and a loyal family ghost, Kat soon learns that she and Evan can only fix the present by traveling into the past.
As Kat and Evan make their way through nineteenth-century Vienna, the Dark One stalks them, and Kat must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to save a ghost.
I was so excited about this book but unfortunately I’m in the minority here and couldn’t make it past 36%. There were too many obvious nods to other books so I ended up feeling like I was reading a list of the author’s favourite things. Amongst others, it was as if I were rereading Roald Dahl, Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and possibly rewatching a Gilmore Girls episode, but all mashed up and distorted.
I keep going back to it and can’t move on from where I left it. If I ever manage to finish this one I’ll update my review and will grovel to the author for forgiveness if I wind up loving it. At this point though, I just can’t try any more.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Books, Australia for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Once Upon a Blurb
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.
But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.
It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart, an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests, or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.
This is one of the most powerful books you will ever have the privilege of holding in your hands. I would recommend The Last Veterans of World War II to absolutely everyone, regardless of your personal views on war, life experience or the genre you usually read. This book is simply too important for you to miss out on.
Richard Bell’s photography is beyond stunning. The black and white portraits of the American veterans as they are today are some of the most extraordinary portraits I’ve ever seen. The lighting is just gorgeous and unlike the forced poses and toothy grins you see so often with this type of photography, the expressions captured are natural, as if taken during conversation. There’s an honesty and depth to these images that captures the joy, sorrow, wisdom, grace, heartache, humour and character of the veterans. I don’t know enough adjectives to adequately describe the way they made me feel.
On the opposite page of each full page portrait you’ll find text accompanied by a smaller image of the veteran’s hand/s holding a photograph of themselves taken around the time of their service, most times in uniform. There’s something about the juxtaposition between the young man or woman in the photo and the elderly hand holding it that made me really emotional. It’s such a simple yet beautiful way of connecting each person through time.
If this book had been filled with photographs alone, the quality and evocative nature of them would have been enough for this to be a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book. However, there’s more to this book. Each entry tells you the veteran’s name, current age, details about the branch they served in and where, along with a portion of the veteran’s story told to the author while he interviewed them.
It feels so wrong to be giving a star rating to peoples’ wartime experiences so my rating will be based solely on the photography in this remarkable book. While I won’t tell you anything about the experiences shared in this book as my words can’t do them justice, I will tell you that I was consistently moved by the integrity, humility and bravery of those interviewed. I learned about so many aspects of the war that I was previously unaware of. One of the quotes that I know will linger with me is by Ben Skardon, who served in the Army and is a Bataan Death March survivor:
“Nothing else is on my conscience that I know about, except why I’m the only one of my friends that made it back.”
The Last Veterans of World War II is one of those books that part of you doesn’t want to read because gut wrenching is not an adequate descriptor for the horrors these veterans have experienced. Yet you must read books like this because being an ostrich does not work in this situation. We must never forget and we need to continue to honour the heroism and sacrifice of these men and women.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd. for the opportunity to read this book.
Finally, but most importantly, to the ladies and gentlemen featured in this book along with other past and present service members, I am honoured to have read some of your stories and I thank you for your service.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Chronicling the many faces of the WWII effort, these contemporary black-and-white portraits of the longest surviving veterans remind us that the war comprised a collection of Americans from all walks of life. Their penetrating gaze captures the ethos of the endeavour of war. Intimate memories offer glimpses into the horrifying, and at times awe-inspiring, reality of war. The faces of these veterans, from all branches, are juxtaposed with images of their youthful selves and serve as a visual representation of the expanse of their life experiences. Appealing to the families of soldiers, academics, history buffs, and veterans of other wars, this collection is a testament to the spirit of patriotism and strength of a collective American effort.
Not to brag or anything but my platinum Introvert membership card was recently upgraded to diamond status by scoring 100% on Jenn Granneman’s signs I may be an introvert. You’re more than welcome to join our club. We meet in a quiet coffee shop that’s closed to the general public during our meeting once every blue moon when all three of the people of our offshoot of the organisation hasn’t already had too many meetings or been peopled out that week. Actually, you’re more likely to find us at home reading or Netflix and chilling (although chances are we are really binge watching and relaxing) and texting you.
Famous introverts are listed in this book and include J.K. Rowling, Felicia Day, Audrey Hepburn, Dr Seuss, Ernest Hemingway and Steve Wozniak, so if you’ve ever had introvert shame, throw it off and know you’re in excellent company. If you’re not sure if you are an introvert, some of the following may be signs that you are:
“You do your best thinking when you’re alone”
“You often feel lonelier in a crowd than when you’re alone”
“You’re better at writing your thoughts than speaking them”
“You avoid small talk whenever possible”.
If you’re not an introvert yourself then I’m sure you know one. We’re the blur you see escaping social events after our social meter maxes out. We’re the ones who will be incredibly passionate and talk with you at length if you’ve managed to navigate your way through the labyrinth, cross the disintegrating rope bridge suspended above the lava lake and scale the mountain past the dragons to reach our inner core of trust. If you’ll failed to make your way into our inner friendship sanctum then we will most likely struggle to provide a coherent one word answer to your questions. Or maybe that’s just me??
Jenn’s message to the world is that it’s okay to be an introvert. I’ve personally celebrated my introvertismintrovertness superstar introvert powers for many years, despite the extrovert evangelists surrounding me telling me I wasn’t good enough, chatty enough, smiley enough, basically any kind of enough. Seriously, they were actual evangelists, pastors even, who loved to tell me in great detail how much I sucked because I didn’t fit their mould. Needless to say, they’re happily hanging out in their mould and I broke away from their abuse abuse (yep, claiming it for what it was) and I’ve never been more at peace with myself than I am now. I definitely don’t see horns on every extrovert’s head. This is just an example of what doesn’t work if you’re an extrovert trying not so subtly to convert an introvert.
In The Secret Lives of Introverts Jenn Granneman takes us on a journey into the minds of introverts everywhere and shines a light on what makes us tick; in our mind, in the workplace, as lovers and friends. We learn that we are even different to extroverts on a neurochemical level. Common misconceptions are myth busted, our strengths are celebrated, and we’re taught how to turn our weaknesses into attributes that work for, not against, us. Yet this book isn’t just aimed at introverts. There are specific sections throughout the book that explain to extroverts why we behave in ways that often baffle them and how they can champion and understand us.
I’m one of those people who practically hiss when labels are thrown about but in this book the introvert/extrovert labels are used to explain, not condemn, and it’s made clear that we all sit along a spectrum. No one is completely one or the other. Carl Jung is quoted in the book as saying,
“Such a person would be in a lunatic asylum.”
My main complaint with this book was that I got sick of hearing about Introvert, Dear, the author’s blog/online publishing platform. I would have much preferred for there to be a disclaimer at the beginning of the book saying that all quotes, mentions of articles and surveys were from this source unless otherwise stated.
Instead it sometimes felt like I was going to read somewhere on each page, “in an Introvert, Dear article” and it started to bug me so much that it got to a point where I wondered whether it would have been more useful for me to visit there to pick and choose articles and areas of interest rather than read the book. I got over my annoyance and decided to make it a game instead, like Where’s Wally? except it was Where’s Introvert, Dear? Perhaps I should have made a rule that allowed me to have a piece of chocolate each time I found the magic words … 🍫🍫🍫
I found there were some chapters that didn’t relate to me or no longer do and it seemed sometimes that the book was aimed at people who are working or in a serious relationship for the first time. However, even the chapters that didn’t personally apply to me still held my interest. I’m a sucker for books referenced in other books so I loved that and now have a list of follow up reads to explore.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
An introvert guide and manifesto for all the quiet ones – and the people who love them.
Is there a hidden part of you that no one else sees? Do you have a vivid inner world of thoughts and emotions that your peers and loved ones can’t seem to access? Have you ever been told you’re too “quiet,” “shy,” “boring,” or “awkward”? Are your habits and comfort zones questioned by a society that doesn’t seem to get the real you? If so, you might be an introvert.
On behalf of those who have long been misunderstood, rejected, or ignored, fellow introvert Jenn Granneman writes a compassionate vindication – exploring, discovering, and celebrating the secret inner world of introverts that, only until recently, has begun to peek out and emerge into the larger social narrative. Drawing from scientific research, in-depth interviews with experts and other introverts, and her personal story, Granneman reveals the clockwork behind the introvert’s mind – and why so many people get it wrong initially.
Whether you are a bona fide introvert, an extrovert anxious to learn how we tick, or a curious ambivert, these revelations will answer the questions you’ve always had:
• What’s going on when introverts go quiet? • What do introvert lovers need to flourish in a relationship? • How can introverts find their own brand of fulfillment in the workplace? • Do introverts really have a lot to say – and how do we draw it out? • How can introverts mine their rich inner worlds of creativity and insight? • Why might introverts party on a Friday night but stay home alone all Saturday? • How can introverts speak out to defend their needs?
With other myths debunked and truths revealed, The Secret Lives of Introverts is an empowering manifesto that guides you toward owning your introversion by working with your nature, rather than against it, in a world where you deserve to be heard.
Schizanthus Nerd 