The Rules of Acting

The Rules of Acting

How to Survive and Thrive in the World of Hams , Luvvies , Thesps , Turns , Twirlies , Hoofers and West-End Wendies..........

By Michael Simkins

I've always wanted to be able to act , but in reality I can only ever be myself so that's a little bit of a problem straight away . I've always been impressed by people who can credibly become another person as I find it difficult o even be myself.


RADA trained Michaels Simkins lifts the lid on the acting world , and gives his advice to any aspiring actor through a selection of humorous anecdotes about the life , work and tribulations of an actor. Along the way there are insights from such luminaries as Sir Ralph Richardson , Terry Scott and Kenneth Williams . Think the life of the actor is glamorous ? , then read the account of the actor  , the pig and the 'cock-sock'.


This was a really fun and amusing book , and kept me giggling throughout  , and even made me wish that I decided to take up acting :)


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Holy Shift !

Holy Shift !

365 Daily Meditations From a Course In Miracles

by Robert Holden

A Course In Miracles is a well established self-study course in self-help and psychology . It has been translated into 22 languages and is studied throughout the world . The course is designed to be studied every day of the year , hence its 365 lessons , and is composed of a text and a workbook . What the course aims to do is to provide you with a sense of enlightenment and inner peace through contemplation and forgiveness.




The full course can be a large volume in itself (the Kindle version alone is 1380 pages) , and the premise of this book , Holy Shift , is to provide you with a condensed version which still conveys a similar message . This book is ideal for anyone who is interested in A Course of Miracles and is looking for more information , but can also be used as a companion volume to the main course as a kind of summary.




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A Different Kettle of Fish

A Different Kettle of Fish

A Day in the Life of a Physics Student With Autism

by Michael Barton





This book really strikes a chord with me . I am autistic myself and can struggle with idiom sometimes , and it usually leads to confusion. The cover of this book sums it all up - to my autistic mind I see a drawing of two kettles of fish and wonder why there is such a thing . Then I realise it is there to illustrate an idiom that I don't quite understand . However - to a neurotypical mind , they would probably look at the illustration and see the allusion straight away and be amused at the joke that would take me some time to get .


This is a brilliant book which uses situations and illustrations to highlight occurrences that tend to confuse the autistic mind , and by so doing enables neurotypicals to understand what it can be like to be autistic . Often people get frustrated when I don't understand typical everyday situations , but I'm living in a world that constantly throws confusion at me that I struggle to get by . At times , reading the book I would think "and...?" as I was reading from an autistic perspective and the author was just highlighting the kind of things that happen to me all the time , but when I  try to see how a neurotypical would look at that situation , then I fully understand the point that he is trying to convey.


This is a great book , but one that I would strongly advise for neurotypical people to understand the autistic mind and just what it can be like to have autism .


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Haunted Stuff

Haunted Stuff

by Stacey Graham

The thing that really drew me into this book was the cool cover , and because I had recently watched the film 'The Conjuring' , in which a possessed doll features heavily . The book is basically a study of objects which are purportedly 'possessed' , and gives us tales of dolls with lives of their own and even gives us help in buying and collecting them.


I'll not spoil any of the tales for you by telling you the stories now , but this book makes for an interesting and at times unsettling read . After a few pages you will be asking yourself questions like - did that teddy bear just move ? I could have sworn that doll was sitting on the living room shelf and not staring away at me in my bedroom . Also , you will think twice about that bargain you have found in the antiques shop or flea market.


It is great to see a book like this on the market , as living objects are guaranteed to raise the creepy stakes and the stories in the book leave you feeling decidedly uneasy .


Brilliant stuff , and this book is due to be published on August 8th.


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Clairvoyance For Beginners

Clairvoyance For Beginners

by Alexandra Chauran

We normally think of clairvoyance , mediumship and psychic ability as something which other people have an innate ability for , but this book attempts to show us that we can all be clairvoyant albeit with a little practice and determination .


Whilst I cannot guarantee that you will be a fully-fledged clairvoyant or psychic after reading this book's contents , the book definitely provides you with a solid foundation on which to build . Breathing and visualisation exercises are the mainstay of the book , and help you to become more relaxed and attuned to your environment , thereby becoming more sensitive to what is going on . You learn the importance of keeping a dream diary and how to regularly check it to look for patterns which you can interpret .


This is a most enjoyable little book and even if you do not gain any psychic ability by the end of it , you will definitely develop a greater sense of inner peace and relaxation.


This book is due for release on July 8th.


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Teach Yourself : Get Started In Creative Writing

by Stephen May , Jodie Daber

Personally I find it easier to communicate in writing than I can verbally , that is one part of me being autistic I suppose , and so I am always trying to work at improving the quality of my writing as much as I can .


This is a great little book , as from the very beginning it inspires you to get out your pen and a notepad and start putting your ideas down . For me  , one of the best things about the book is that it will have a paragraph which gets you thinking and follows it up a with a creative writing exercise so you can get your ideas down . I really liked the chapter on poetry , and after the guidance in the book I managed to put together a half decent sonnet in about an hour - something I never considered doing before reading this book . It certainly brought out the creative side in me.


This is a new edition of the book , but has not changed radically since the earlier editions - the main  difference I noted was the icons used throughout the book , but this is a must read for anybody who is interested in creative writing or has a book hidden in them somewhere that needs to be unleashed.


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Bang In The Middle

A Journey To The Heart of the Midlands

by Robert Shore





I  am a Scotsman myself , but lived for several years in Staffordshire and the West Midlands . My wife is a proud Brummie and my eldest daughter was born in Wolverhampton , I went to university there and spent some of the best years of my life in the Midlands , so this book was always going to be of interest to me .


Robert Shore sets off around on a journey of the Midlands to discover what it means to be a Midlander in the 21st century , and the result is highly amusing and entertaining . Personally I preferred the second half of the book as in that part he travels around all of the places I know so well . Along the way , he looks at the importance of the Midlands in areas as diverse as the world of heavy metal (rock luminaries such as Ozzy Osbourne , Slash and Lemmy are all proud Midlanders) and curry , in which he samples the delicacies of Birmingham's 'curry mile'.


A travel writer along the likes of Bill Bryson , this is a cracker of a little book :)


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