Tag: Self-Help

Black History Is Your History by Taylor Cassidy

What I would give to have been as confident a teenager as Taylor Cassidy! As this book progresses, it becomes clear that good parenting played a huge role in raising such a well-adjusted, intellectually curious, boundlessly creative person who, in turn, wants to shine a bright, warm light for others to follow and be inspired …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/10/27/black-history-is-your-history-by-taylor-cassidy/

What Happens After? by Diane Namm & Laura Jager

I really needed to read this terrific book, on the heels of Lauren Munoz’ absolutely devastating (to me) YA mystery Very Dangerous Things, which triggered yet another round of grief over a long-ago loss that I’m still trying to grapple with. The nice thing about What Happens After? is that it doesn’t try to dive …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/08/26/what-happens-after-by-diane-namm-laura-jager/

Captains Wanted by Andres Schabelman

What an odd and interesting metaphysical novel! Told primarily in the second person, this tale of magical realism flits between fantasy, science fiction and the everyday as it explores what it means to truly be in charge of your own life. The “you” addressed in this novel is the frustrated, fake-it-till-you-make-it everyperson (tho tends to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/04/17/captains-wanted-by-andres-schabelman/

Shadow Work For Hot Messes by Mandi Em

subtitled Transform From Chaos To Clarity By Embracing Your Authentic Self. This book took me forever to read, and that’s a good thing. Despite being slender, with plenty of white space for readers to fill in with their own thoughts and responses to the prompts, it’s a very meaty volume for anyone genuinely interested in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/12/17/shadow-work-for-hot-messes-by-mandi-em/

Sitting On A Rock by Gary L Brinderson

Oh poetry, thou fickle siren, luring thousands of writers into your gentle-seeming embrace only to let them flounder on the sharp rocks of skill that underpin you. So here’s the deal, dear readers. Poetry is about image and emotion. Back in the day, it also used to be about form and rhyme. For better or …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/10/30/sitting-on-a-rock-by-gary-l-brinderson/

Mindful With Me: Connecting With Your Child Through Daily Mindfulness by Sarah Dennehy

with charming illustrations throughout by Natalie Garber Martin. My middle child has a problem: sometimes when he gets frustrated, even over the most seemingly innocuous of things, he’ll have a crying, screaming, snot-filled emotional meltdown in absolutely no proportion to the triggering incident. This doesn’t happen to either of my other children, who tend to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/12/mindful-with-me-connecting-with-your-child-through-daily-mindfulness-by-sarah-dennehy/

The Little Witch’s Oracle Deck by Ariel Kusby & Olga Baumert

subtitled Symbols, Spells, and Rituals for the Young Witch. While I’ve tried to slow down in my acquisition of Tarot and Oracle decks (I mean, really, how many does a person actually need?)(and don’t ask me how many I have, I’ve stubbornly stopped counting,) I was so pleased when this oracle deck, aimed at young …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/04/the-little-witchs-oracle-deck-by-ariel-kusby-olga-baumert/

Let’s Hang Out by Chris Duffy

subtitled Making (and Keeping) Friends, Acquaintances, and Other Nonromantic Relationships. Jeez, who couldn’t use a guide like this? Alright, if I’m being perfectly honest: me, as I’ve never really had trouble making and keeping friends. Sure, I’ve had spectacular blow ups with best friends, but that was usually their faults, and I’m pretty good at …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/06/26/lets-hang-out-by-chris-duffy/

You’re Not The Only One F*cking Up by Lane Moore

subtitled Breaking the Endless Cycle of Dating Mistakes. When I picked up this book for review, I did not realize that it would become incredibly relevant to my personal life. Everything happens for a reason, and I was genuinely pleased to get a little guidance as I navigate a chaotic (and frankly exhausting!) new-again world. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/02/09/youre-not-the-only-one-fcking-up-by-lane-moore/

Pokémon Oracle by KJM

an Unofficial Trading Card Divination system. I was wandering around one of my local bookstores, People’s Book in downtown Takoma Park, browsing while I waited for a free Tarot reading when I spotted this zine nestled amidst other esoterica. People’s Book, btw, is the only local store I know with an entire zine section, so …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/11/17/pokemon-oracle-by-kjm/