Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables
illustrated by Arthur Rackham

The Moral Of The Story Is...!

This is a book that has been sitting on my book shelf for some time now, and back in 2013 I began going through these stories as part of the Moral Of The Story challenge that I never actually got around to finishing.

Contained within these stories are a number of classic characters that have a familiarity about them, such as 'The Man', 'The Old Woman', 'The Fisher' and 'The Woodman'. However there are also a great many more characters in these stories that are animals of one sort or another, such as foxes, wolves, horses and mice. It is through these simplistic and uncomplicated character and animal archetypes that these stories are able to be understood for what they are without the complications that more complex human interactions can bring, giving the moral to each story a more powerful impact.

Aesop's Fables is a collection of 285 fables that are, if not actually written by Aesop himself, than are Aesop like enough to be attributed to him. As there are some who may argue the authorship of these fables the point is not who wrote these fables but the moral of these fables themselves. Although old in their origin, and at times dated in their context, the morals these stories offer are timeless as each has the potential to offer wisdom as well as whimsy to those who take the time to read them. These are stories not only to entertain both the young and old, but also to give one something to think about.

 

Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables

 

On sale: 08 September 1992
Price (AU): can be found Free online
ISBN: 9780517171981
Recommended age: all ages
In a word: Fables
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Dreaming Tree

The Dreaming Tree by Jo Oliver

A Place to Sit, Watch and Dream!

From the high branches of an ancient oak tree there is much to see, and amongst green leafy branches the landscape of this unique country stretches out ready to be explored. Between the dawning of the sun and the rising of the moon, the sun comes out to shine on the dry red-sand deserts, the green forests and the clear blue seas, that are home to so many wondrous animals and the numerous children who call this playground, their country, home.

The Dreaming Tree is a visual snapshot of growing up in Australia, beautifully brought to life through free verse poetry with the occasional rhyme. The accompanying imagery is soft and airy, expressing a landscape that is alive and textured, making you want to reach out and touch it, despite the smooth, soft pages. The large formate and descriptive language present a beautiful book not only for the young but for lovers of poetry of all ages.

Jo Oliver @ New Frontier Publishing
Jo Oliver @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 February 2016
Price (AU): $24.99
ISBN: 9781925059489
Recommended age: 6+
In a word: Australia
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Mists of Avalon Oracle

Mists of Avalon Oracle by Rose Inserra
cards illustrated by Nadia Turner

Finding a way through the Mists!

Through these cards it is hoped that a deeper and more meaningful connection to the ancient Goddess and the Otherworld realm will be formed. Here it it said that this Otherworld place is Avalon, combining the realm of the Divine, the enchanted Faerie realm and the Isle of Avalon itself. But whether you agree that all three realms are one and the same or three separate realms, all have strong links to Glastonbury, "our modern-day Avalon".

Mists of Avalon Oracle is a walk-through of the many sacred sites, myths and legends associated with Glastonbury and its surrounding areas. The guidebook separates the cards into three sections, the Landscapes of Avalon, the Mysteries of Avalon and the Guides of Avalon. The Landscapes portray a feel of wonder and enchantment. The Mysteries have beautifully rich artwork that conveys a depth of feeling and magical influence. But it is within the artwork of the Guides of Avalon that we are able to observe the unique characteristics of each individual, revealing their wisdom to those ready to listen.

(CLICK HERE FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THIS DECK)

Nadia Turner Webpage
Nadia Turner - Wayward Harper
Rose Inserra Webpage
Rose Inserra @ Rockpool Publishing

(includes 36 Cards + 128p Booklet)
On sale: 01 December 2019
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9781925682052
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Avalon
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Forest Fae Messages

Forest Fae Messages by Nadia Turner

"Curious Messages Of Enchantment"

Within this mini deck you are introduced to new and distinctive Fae creatures who are ready to offer you their words of inspiration, encouragement and insight. These are creatures who live on the threshold between our world and theirs, inviting us to cross the boundaries and glimpse into the magical world of the forest to learn from its wisdom.

Forest Fae Messages is a deck filled with positive and affirming messages accompanied by unique Fae creatures that are a wondrous blend of both the natural world and the fantastical, beautifully brought to life by Australian artist Nadia Turner. It really is such a lovely deck to own and explore, or would make a wonderful gift for both adults and children.

(CLICK HERE FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THIS DECK)

Nadia Turner Webpage
Nadia Turner - Wayward Harper
Nadia Turner @ Rockpool Publishing

(includes 40 Cards)
On sale: 07 April 2021
Price (AU): $14.99
ISBN: 9781925946192
Recommended age: all ages
In a word: Fae
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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I'm Back!

After several years away I have decided to start reviewing books again. Some of you who have been here previously will notice a few changes, mostly in the looks/colours of this blog, as I want to freshen it up a bit and also simplify it. It just felt a bit too busy with all its pages and links. You may also notice that some pages that were once available are now gone. The pages for the 'Reading Group Guides', the 'Fun Extras', and 'Giveaways' have been removed, mostly because these pages linked to other websites that no longer offer the content I had linked to. Almost all the reading guides and the extra downloads, like bookmarks and colouring pages, had been taken down from the webpages I linked to or the actual websites for these no longer existed.

There will also be a bit of a change in book genres I review, not that my taste has changed a great deal over the past few years, but like many people at the moment, I can not afford to be purchasing a bunch of new books to review. So I will be 'shopping my shelves' so to speak as I review many of my older books that I just never found the time to get to before. Hopefully there will be the odd newer title in amongst the older more classic books I own. But I guess we shall see. 

Along with the book reviews, I will occasionally be reviewing Tarot and Oracle decks. Over the past couple of years my interest in Tarot and Oracle has grown, so reviews for these will be included here but also on my Practicing Magic blog where I can explore these decks in more detail.

Reviews won't be as often as they were previously, once a week is a bit much for me now with everything else going on, but I hope to post reviews a couple of times a month. Though I'm sure there will be some months where it is more and some months where it is less. I think previously I was reviewing books so often that it was no longer a fun and enjoyable experience but it instead became a bit of a chore. I was constantly worrying about the books I needed to read or should be reading and felt overwhelmed by the pressure I was placing on myself to get every book read and reviewed. Now, after such a long break, I am ready to start reviewing again for the pleasure of reading and sharing my reviews without placing pressure on myself to read every book.

So, it is nice to be back and I hope you enjoy my reviews.