The word Bedlam became part of common usage as a slang word for chaos, anarchy and mess, but was originally a well known hospital for those suffering from mental illness. It was established in 1247 and existed at different sites til the 1930's. It's history is the history of the treatment for people who were …
Continue reading Bedlam: London And Its Mad by Catharine Arnold
I could not put this book down. I read it in two sittings. I'm not the kind of person who reads loads of true crime or serial killer stories, perhaps for the obvious reason that they are so tragic and sad, and also quite terrifying. So why is this book different? Robert Graysmith was a …
I don't often review non-fiction books for you guys here, so I thought it was a good time to share this one with you. It's called Nathaniel's Nutmeg, which is a bit of a misnomer, as the Nathaniel in question, although quite heroic, is not the main focus of the book. The book is about …
This year, in November, I set myself the task of writing a book. It had been germinating in my mind for a while, and I needed to get it down on paper. The story itself has aspects of Victorian Englands obsession with death and greiving, and the phenomenon of Spiritualism that rose up in that …
Continue reading Lily Dale: The Town That Talks To The Dead by Christine Wicker
I loved this book. Loved loved loved it. I think it's because it's so honest and heartbreaking. Wild is the memoir of a 26 year old woman whose life falls apart, and to find herself, she hikes the PCT trail from California to Oregon alone. Four years before the hike, Cheryl lost her mother to …
