My blog is about the books I'm reading, the independent bookstores I visit, the author and book events I attend, and any bookish related things I come across in the months and years to come!
I listened to the unabridged audio version of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. This was my last read for August 2025. I really enjoyed the LA Theatre Works production of Macbeth with its full cast dramatization of this play.
The fact is, I wasn't planning to read anything written by William Shakespeare this year. However, after comprising a list of literary villains for an upcoming meme I will be posting, I decided to read Macbeth because of Lady Macbeth.
As with all of Shakespeare's plays, there is a lot to chew in terms of the various themes presented in his plays. Macbeth's central theme "is the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and how it leads to moral and psychological corruption, ultimately causing the downfall of individuals and the destruction of social order."
I also found it interesting to ponder the thought of fate vs free will with regards to the prophecies set forth by the three witches at the start of Macbeth. The witches introduce the idea of destiny. However, it's Macbeth that acts on the ideas set forth by the witches and we see the consequences of his actions.
The following is the publisher's summary for Macbeth by William Shakespeare from Chirp's website:
Infamously known as the cursed Scottish play, Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. When General Macbeth is foretold by three witches that he will one day be King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth convinces him to get rid of anyone who could stand in his way – including committing regicide. As Macbeth ascends to the throne through bloody murder, he becomes a tyrant consumed by fear and paranoia.
I am giving Macbeth by William Shakespeare a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.
In my quest to learn more about menopause, I chose to listen to the unabridged audio version of Menopause Confidential by Tara Allmen, MD, which is well narrated by the author.
Dr. Tara Allmen MD gives women a very comprehensive look at perimenopause and menopause as well as other women's health issues/tests one can/should expect in midlife and beyond. Topics like colonoscopies and the latest information on pap smears and pelvic exams, mammograms, ultrasounds, and so on, that added more value and understanding when it comes to aging when women hit midlife and beyond. The primary focus, of course, for this book is perimenopause and menopause.
I loved the wide variety of topics discussed in Menopause Confidential by the author and the chapters that focused on specific topics that I felt were pertinent for a better understanding of women's health as I move forward from middle age into old age.
I also loved that Dr. Tara Allmen MD read her own book! She made listening to her book so much fun. I found myself enjoying the knowledge she shared in her book about women's health to be less scary or intimidating. Menopause is sort of a scary topic if you ask me. The author made her book about menopause extremely accessible to the average reader (nothing overly scientific or complicated) and also a very engaging read.
I was also very pleased that Dr. Tara Allmen MD discussed bioidentical hormones in one of her chapters!!
Although, I enjoyed Menopause Confidential by Tara Allmen, MD even more than Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts, I still felt that it wasn't a perfect read. It was originally published back in September 2016. Although, I felt like it contained relevant information, I'm sure there is the possibly that there's newer information out there regarding perimenopause and menopause.
Also, Menopause Confidential does elude to the fact that there isn't a one size fits all solution for treating perimenopause and menopause. The same is also eluded to in Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts as well. So, there seems to be a bit of trial and error in finding what best works for you in terms of treating both perimenopause and menopause. However, with that said, I feel like there are more detailed treatment options given in Menopause Confidential for one to explore and discuss with their medical doctor.
Watch the following book trailer for Menopause Confidential... It's short, to the point, and features the author talking about her book!!
Below is the publisher's summary for Menopause Confidential by Tara Allmen, MD from Chirp's website:
An authoritative guide to understanding and navigating the hormonal changes and health issues women experience in midlife and beyond, from one of the leading medical experts in the field.
The physical changes that occur after women turn forty are unavoidable—and can be unnerving. Menopause affects every aspect of life—from sex and sleep to mood and mental clarity to weight and body temperature. While there are a number of resources available, many are confusing and contradictory. Now, Manhattan gynecologist Dr. Tara Allmen, an experienced, nationally board-certified menopause practitioner and the recipient of the 2015 Doctor’s Choice National Award for Obstetrics & Gynecology, shares her knowledge to help women be their happiest and healthiest, and turn this challenging time into an exciting one.
Written in her effervescent yet assured voice, Menopause Confidential provides simple strategies and cutting-edge information on:
hormonal changes and the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause;
the health risks associated with midlife—from cutting through the conflicting opinions and advice about health screenings (Do I really need a colonoscopy? How often should I get a mammogram?) to common medical conditions, such as osteoporosis;
various remedies, both allopathic and natural, to combat symptoms and empower women to make the best choices for their individual needs;
practical tips and resources for mitigating the effects of menopause.
Fifty-one-year-old Dr. Allmen knows firsthand what women are going through, and shares stories of her own personal travails and solutions. Women can’t turn back the clock, but they can take control of their health and flourish in midlife. Menopause Confidential encourages them to be informed, be proactive, and be their greatest selves.
I am giving Menopause Confidential by Tara Allmen, MD a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
I'm all in on learning more about various women's health issues.
My current health topic to learn more about is perimenopause/menopause
as I'm currently in the thick of things for this health topic.
I've already read and reviewedDare I Say It by Naomi Watts, which was the first book I've read about menopause. Click on the above link to read my review of Naomi Watts's book.
I'm looking to explore other books regarding the topic of menopause.
In the article, Courtney Shapiro wrote the following:
"For decades, it was taboo to talk about menopause, let alone celebrate this phase of life. Now, women are much more candid about their experiences and looking for new ways to educate themselves. For that reason, publishers are coming out with scores of menopause books. Penned by gynecologists, real women, holistic health experts and even celebrities (hello, Naomi Watts!), these titles separate myth from reality and dive deep into what really happens during menopause—and what you can do to make it easier. With so many books to choose from, we’ve rounded up our favorites of the newest books—including several coming out later this year. Keep scrolling for our complete list of menopause nonfiction books."
I've already read one of the books mentioned in Courtney Shapiro's
article. I've added others to my ever growing reading wishlist.
Click on above link to rad the full article from Women's World.
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
I have a collection of tarot decks. Some I love, some I don't, and others I feel indifferent about. Below is a list of my ten favorite tarot decks to date.
It is also worth noting that I love the artwork found on tarot cards/decks. However, I've yet to learn how to read tarot cards.
Maybe, just maybe, one of these days, I'll get around to learning how to read tarot cards.
1. Morgan-Greer Tarot Deck by Bill F. Greer
What do I love about this tarot deck? It's based on the structure of the Rider-Waite tarot deck. This makes the Morgan-Greer Tarot Deck a great beginner tarot deck.
This tarot deck has a fabulous 1970s vintage look to it. I love the dark, rich, bold and saturated colors used in this deck!! I also love the matte finish and no borders on these tarot cards. The backside of these tarot cards display white stars, which is a fun look.
What do I dislike about this tarot deck? The tarot cards come inside a tuck box. Additionally, this tarot deck has the usual little white booklet included inside, which doesn't feature anything extraordinary. Otherwise, I love this deck and feel like it's a wonderful starter deck for new tarot readers.
2. Tattoo Tarot: Ink & Intuition by Diana McMahon-Collis
I love this Marseille tarot deck! This tarot deck is enclosed inside a sturdy, two piece box. I love the artwork, bold, rich colors, and the sturdy cardstock with matte finish. There is a small booklet that comes with this tarot deck, which contains a bit more information than you'd find in the typical 'little white booklet' included with other tarot decks.
3. Tarot del Toro: A Tarot Deck and Guidebook Inspired by the World of Guillermo del Toro by Tomas Hijo
This is another fun Marseille tarot deck!! I love the artwork and darker imagery. I love that this tarot deck comes inside a sturdy, two piece box with nice artwork on the exterior od said box. The tarot cards in this deck are standard sized tarot cards with a matte finish and nice border. A nice, but small paperback book comes with this deck that gives tarot spread suggestions.
4. Yarn Tarot: For Crocheters, Knitters, Spinners, and Weavers by Katie Ponder
I am a knitter, so the Yarn Tarot Deck is very fitting for me to have in my tarot collection. If you're a crocheter, knitter, weaver, or spinner and are into tarot, then this deck for you.
The Yarn Tarot deck comes in a two piece, sturdy box and small, hardback book to help one read the tarot cards. The cards for the Yarn Tarot are standard sized with a matte finish and they also have a boarder on them.
5. Squid Cake Marseille Tarot by Jess Rollar
I absolutely adore the Squid Cake Marseille deck!! It's another Marseille deck filled with the color pink in each and every image. These tarot cards even have pink edges on them.
This tarot deck is smaller than your usual tarot deck, which I like. I really like the artwork for this tarot deck. The tarot cards come with a two piece, sturdy box and an instructional booklet. I like the cardstock for this deck as well.
6. The Phantomwise Tarot by Erin Morgenstern
Calling all Erin Morgenstern fans!!! This black and white tarot deck is for you. Again this tarot deck comes in a study box with a nice instructional booklet, The tarot cards are standard sized with matte finish and texture to them. I love the artwork for this deck. You'll find rabbits and other animals incorporated in the imagery used in for this deck.
7. Tarot of the Divine: A Deck and Guidebook Inspired by Deities, Folklore, and Fairy Tales from Around the World: Tarot Cards by Yoshi Yoshitani
This is another lovely tarot deck!! This tarot deck comes with a nice, full color, paperback book for tarot readers to review. The deck and booklet are held inside a sturdy box. The tarot deck itself is standard sized with a matte finish and texture on the deck itself. The artwork is very colorful and fun. I like the unique theme for this tarot deck.
8. Legrande Circus & Sideshow Tarot by John Lee
I love this circus and sideshow themed tarot deck!! It's so much fun. This tarot deck comes in a very colorful, two piece, sturdy box. These tarot cards have a nice weight/thickness to them with a matte finish and white border. I like the artwork. The deck comes with an instructional booklet.
9. Tarot Disassembled by Jennifer Cooper Steidley (Indie Deck - Etsy Seller)
This tarot deck is so unique, fun, and extremely colorful!! It comes inside a sturdy box with a magnetic closure. This tarot deck is a standard tarot deck size, with matte finish. Each card feels super silky smooth to the touch. The edges of these cards are a red color.
I'd say this tarot deck is more for an advanced tarot reader... And because this tarot deck is independently published, it is more expensive than your average tarot deck. But this tarot deck is well worth the price if you like specialty tarot decks and also like to support indie artists.
10. Madam Clara Sees All Fortune Teller Tarot Card Deck by MotelGiftShop (Beginner Indie Deck - Etsy Seller)
This is another specialty tarot deck made for the beginner tarot reader. Because it is independently published, it's more expensive than your typical tarot deck.
I really like this tarot deck due to its artwork and basic phrases on the front of each card to help the newbie tarot reader learn to read tarot cards more quickly.
This tarot deck is the standard tarot size with a black boarder. The tarot deck itself is enclosed with a sturdy box with magnetic closure and also comes with a small, paper booklet to help facilitate tarot readings. The box and deck also come with a padded cloth bag to store the tarot deck when not in use. This tarot deck has gold edges.
My only complaint about this particular tarot deck is that the cardstock is on the thinner side. For the price one pays for this deck, I think the cardstock should be thicker to hold up over the long haul for giving readings.
Any tarot readers out there? Do you have a favorite tarot deck you like working with when you do tarot readings? Do you have any sage advice on how to best learn to read tarot cards? Lastly, do you have any tarot book recommendations? Let me know in the comment section below!!
This is such a heartwarming story of one man's reading journey from 1962-2023, Dan Pelzer read 3,599 books! Most of the books were ones he checked out from the public library.
Currently, I am going through the perimenopause/menopause transition. Ugh, MENOPAUSE is not my favorite word! Some people don't like turning a certain age, but quite frankly, facing menopause is more scary than when I turned 50 years old.
Needless to say, I've stuck my head in the sand when it comes to reading up on menopause, until now that is. I've very recently started doing research online, attending virtual webinars/seminars, and watching YouTube videos about menopause. After I continue doing a bit more research, I'll be setting up an appointment(s), on how to treat symptoms of perimenopause/menopause with a specialist.
I wish women would talk more about perimenopause/menopause with each other and share their experiences going through this life changing event. Honestly, it's like the previous generations were completely mum about the topic of menopause as if it was a dirty word/secret. Thank goodness, more women are opening up and talking about menopause and their own personal experiences with menopause.
Normally, I wouldn't make a nonfiction book written by a celebrity my first choice as a book to read about menopause. I'd rather read books or articles about menopause written by medical experts. That aside, I decided to listen to Naomi Watts's book about menopause as it was on sale for a fraction of the cost via one of Chirp's limited time deals. Another factor for reading Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause is that it was recently published on January 21, 2025, and it also has received good reviews and high ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads.
As far as Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause goes, I was impressed on several levels with this book. It's well written and well organized with very specific topics for each chapter. Each chapter ends with the key take away points discussed earlier in the chapter. I like the diverse range of topics about menopause discussed in this book. Naomi Watts also talks about her personal journey with menopause and how she has handled it. Ms. Watts appears to have done her research and cites medical experts and literature throughout her book. Even though Namoi Watts is a celebrity and not a medical expert, I think as a celebrity, she can attract an audience that might otherwise not read a book about menopause.
As much as I really enjoyed listening to Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause, it wasn't perfect. I wish more was discussed about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) vs. the little that was discussed about it under the umbrella topic of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I'm personally not a big proponent of HRT as a method of choice for managing hormonal changes during perimenopause/menopause. I'm leaning more towards BHRT instead, which is why I wish there was more discussed specifically on this topic. I'm not a medical expert/doctor/researcher and still need to do more to learn more about HRT vs. BHRT.
Two factoids I learned while reading Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause, the word perimenopause didn't appear in our lexicon until the 1930s and the word menopause was coined in 1821 by French physician Charles-Pierre-Louis de Gardanne.
Above is an NPR interview featuring Naomi Watts discussing her book, Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause. The interview itself is about 9 minutes in length, that's if you're interested in hearing a snippet of what Ms. Watts's menopause book has to offer.
Below is the publisher's summary for Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts from Chirp's website:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A frank, funny and informative guide to menopause and aging by beloved actress Naomi Watts, one of the leading voices in menopause awareness—with a foreword by Mary Claire Haver, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause
At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just completed filming King Kong and was trying to start a family when she was told that she was on the brink of menopause. It is estimated that seventy-five million women in the United States are currently dealing with menopause symptoms (dry itchy skin, raging hormones, night sweats), and yet the very word “menopause” continues to be associated with stigma and confusion. With so little information, many women feel unprepared, ashamed, and deeply alone when the time comes.
This is the book Naomi Watts wishes she had when she first started experiencing symptoms. Like sitting down over coffee and having an intimate chat with your girlfriend, Dare I Say It blends funny and poignant stories from Naomi and her friends with advice from doctors, hormone experts, and nutritionists to take the secrecy and shame out of menopause and aging. Answering questions such as: What’s hormone therapy and should I be on it? Will I ever sleep again? Will I get myself back? What happened to my libido? Do I need eighteen serums for my aging skin? Whose body is this anyway? Who am I now? Naomi Watts shares the most up-to-date research on how to manage menopause symptoms and tackle the physical and emotional challenges we encounter as we age.
Irreverent, bold, and reassuring, Dare I Say It is the companion every woman needs to embrace the best version of herself as she moves into what can be the most powerful and satisfying period of her life.
I am giving Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.
P. S. I always find it difficult rating and reviewing nonfiction books about diet, health, and exercise as I'm not a medical doctor or a medical researcher. I only base my book reviews and ratings on how well I feel the information is presented and whether I feel what has been written contains useful information for myself.
