The Self-Help Shelf

Jane's Jam: Inspiration to Create Your Super Awesome Life
Jane Enright
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647422813, $14.95, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Janes-Jam-Inspiration-Create-Awesome/dp/1647422817

Synopsis: Life puts us all through change; some might even say life is chan= ge. In the blink of an eye, the unexpected can happen. Your life can sudden=
ly be toast -- butter side down, full of icky stuff you don't want anywhere=
near you. Conversely, you can also land butter side up, with wonderful opp= ortunities you never could have imagined.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder to all of us that change can change its=
mind anytime. Now more than ever, it is important to keep perspective and = remember that our life is what we create.

Positive thoughts have a good effect on us. They can support us to become h= appier, heathier, and add value to our entire lives -- especially during ti= mes of great uncertainty. Maintaining a positive mindset can attract more b= rightness into your life, so you can successfully navigate those curveballs=
out of left field and move forward, not backward, while life plays out.

"Jane's Jam: Inspiration to Create Your Super Awesome Life" by Jane Enright=
is not a compendium of self-help jargon; rather it is 'edutainment' for th=
e soul, offering powerful, uniquely inspiring, and humorous OMG-playbook ap= proach to overcoming adversity and living your best life, looking on the br= ight side, bouncing back from the unthinkable, and intentionally create a s= uper awesome life -- no matter what the situation.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Jane's Jam: Inspiration to Create Your S= uper Awesome Life" by Jane Enright offers exceptional insight, motivating i= llustrations, and a 'real world effective' DIY instruction guide for dealin=
g with unexpected adversity of any and all kinds. While also available for = personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49), "Jane's Ja= me" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community lib= rary Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.

Editorial Note: An inspiring and humorous thought leader, author, and speak= er, Canada-based Jane Enright (www.janeenrightauthor.com) is a former kinde= rgarten teacher, strategic planner, and university lecturer, as well as the=
founder of My Super Awesome Life Inc. Jane can be found on LinkedIn and In= stagram, Facebook and Pinterest and www.mysuperawesomelife.com.

The Happy Clam
Rosemary A. Schmidt
Gainline Press
www.gainline.com
9780970852823, $14.95, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Clam-Rosemary-Schmidt/dp/0970852827

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Happy Clam" author Roseemary Schmidt=
picks up where her last book left off. If "Go Forward, Support!" was all a= bout staying a child as long as possible, then "The Happy Clam" is all abou=
t being an adult.

Started many years ago and finished in 2020, with the world on the brink of=
a global pandemic, the message of "The Happy Clam" is one of hope and happ= iness -- perhaps needed now more so than ever before.

"The Happy Clam" scales the realms of happiness (physical, intellectual, em= otional, relational, spiritual) bringing together findings from across the = fields of psychology and philosophy, with practical advice on how to apply = them and be happier.

It turns out there are a thousand little things we can do to invite a littl=
e more happiness into our lives, to nudge the needle a tick or two, but onl=
y a few things that really make a difference.

Why "The Happy Clam" as a title? Just as clams are filter feeders, taking i=
n nourishment from what's in the passing current, Rose has taken in all the=
bits and bytes of daily news, research, and experience, and stitched them = together to create a delicately crafted mosaic rich in hope and inspiration=
.. "The Happy Clam" also shares deeply personal experiences, with both humor=
and gravity in the face of loss, along with serving up some favorite famil=
y recipes.

Critique: More than just another motivational self-help oriented memoir, "T=
he Happy Clam" is particularly inspirational with real life illustrations, = observations, and insights that reads with the storytelling style of a memo= rable novels. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a = digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), "The Happy Clam" is an especially and = unreservedly recommended addition to community library Biography/Memoir/Sel= f-Help collections.

Editorial Note: Rosemary Schmidt is a writer, sometimes poet, philosopher, = publisher, blogger, and retired rugby player. Rose first started writing a = weekly column while in her senior year at the University of Dayton when the=
editorial staff of the Flyer News took a chance on her. Rose's first book = (Go Forward, Support! Rugby and the Meaning of Life) was a philosophical co= ntemplation of how the lessons of rugby apply equally well to life, and was=
published in 2003. Rose picked up the pen again in 2014 when she started h=
er blog (Rosebuds Blog), covering the range of human experience, from art a=
nd music to science and psychology.

The Farewell Tour
Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, INHC
Viva Editions
2246 Sixth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-2219
http://vivaeditions.com
9781632280756, $18.95, PB, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Tour-Jessica-Cording-INHC/dp/1632280752

Synopsis: When her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jessica Cor= ding's family turned their lives upside down to care for him during what he=
coined his "Farewell Tour" -- a nod to his career in the music business. B=
ut when your loved ones need you most, who's taking care of the caregivers?

Through the lens of this heartbreaking and intimate journey, with the publi= cation of "The Farewell Tour: A Caregiver's Guide to Stress Management, San=
e Nutrition, and Better Sleep", Cording offers a funny, heartwarming, and u= nique approach to end-of-life care or caring for someone with ongoing needs=
..

Cording seamlessly blends her own expertise as a dietitian and health coach=
with humor and personal anecdotes while featuring interviews from other we= llness professionals, world-renowned musicians, and music industry professi= onals.

"The Farewell Tour" includes a playlist based off of songs Cording and her = father were each listening to during his Farewell Tour, with suggested list= ening for each chapter. Cording reminds you it's okay to laugh, it's okay t=
o date (if you want to), and it's imperative to take care of yourself along=
the way.

Whether you're feeling burned out or isolated, whether dealing with termina=
l illness or ongoing needs, "The Farewell Tour" is an invaluable guide to n= avigating the burdens of caregiving that often go unspoken.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, "The Farewell Tour: A Caregiver's Gui=
de to Stress Management, Sane Nutrition, and Better Sleep" is as inspiring =
as it is informative, encouraging, and inherently interesting. Unreservedly=
recommended reading for anyone with a caregiver's responsibility for the t= erminally ill, "The Farewell Tour: A Caregiver's Guide to Stress Management=
, Sane Nutrition, and Better Sleep" is an ideal addition to personal, profe= ssional, community, and academic library Stress Management & Motivational S= elf-Help collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "T=
he Farewell Tour: A Caregiver's Guide to Stress Management, Sane Nutrition,=
and Better Sleep" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.9= 9).

Editorial Note: Jessica Cording (https://jessicacordingnutrition.com) is a = registered dietitian, health coach, and author with a passion for helping p= eople simplify their wellness routine and build sustainable healthy habits.=
Through her writing, consulting, public speaking, and counseling, she work=
s with individuals, corporations, and the media to help make drama-free hea= lthy living approachable and enjoyable. She is also the author of The Littl=
e Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety. J= essica also runs the Drama-Free Healthy Living podcast and has recorded gui= ded meditations for Simple Habit. Additionally, she has created educational=
content for CARAVAN Wellness. Cording is a part of the mindbodygreen Colle= ctive and a frequent contributor to media outlets such as Forbes, SHAPE, an=
d more.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

--- MBSE BBS v1.0.8 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/280.2@fidonet)