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Jenna Folarin's avatar

Looking forward to adding a few of these to my TBR list - I loved Matrescence, a must read books for all mums! Like you say it's so helpful because it states the facts and zooms out and let's us look at the bigger picture. Helps us to move away from self-blame and cultivate self compassion instead ❤️

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Anna McNuff's avatar

Ah so glad it's a helpful list for you Jenna. And I hear you on Matrescence - it cultivating self compassion is bang on!

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Katie F-T's avatar

Just finished Matrescence... Mind blown! I can't stop telling people about it

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Anna McNuff's avatar

I know, right? They need to give a copy out in the 6-week check up to every new mumma.

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Laurel's avatar

I'm so glad you enjoyed Braving It! It made my day to hear that the recommendation was well recieved! I've found once you start reading good nonfiction, especially memoirs, it's so hard to go back to fiction. I've added Stolen Focus (I'm a secondary teacher, maybe I can use the info in class), Enchantment, and Paddling North to my To Read list. Looking forward to checking them out. My recent nonfiction faves are: Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks, he writes about his life, loss, and how he became a writer mixed in with stories about taking a trip around the world with his brother. Dogtripping by David Rosenfelt, a story about the author deciding to move from California to Maine with his wife and 25 rescue dogs (the chaos!), and how he got into rescuing all those dogs. Neither of these were laugh out loud funny, but there were amusing parts. Three Weeks also had me crying, no sobbing in the car, at parts and remembering the loss of my dad in 2023.

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Anna McNuff's avatar

Oh Laurel I loved it SO MUCH, thank you. I'm not sure I would have ever found it had you not recommended it. Stolen Focus would be so goof for teenagers - the world they're navigating is INSANE for brains that are still developing so fast.

Thanks for the new suggestions... off to check them out. Three Weeks sounds cathartic and M=maybe Dogtripping would give me some added persepctive on my own chaos...? 😃

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Sue Roberts's avatar

Tom Dymond Hooked on the Horizon and Wrongs of Passage. Lovely language and just interesting, even to a totally non sailor . Nothing do with M

motherhood, sorry, but maybe just escapist! Sue

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Anna McNuff's avatar

Ah thanks Sue I LOVE books that are nothing to do with motherhood. I always take the view that I just happen to be a mother but there is SO MUCH beyond that to read about and do in the world. I'll check it out. ❤️

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Natasha Cross's avatar

Thanks Anna I also loved Matrescence and I'll check some of the others out!

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Anna McNuff's avatar

Ah so glad you've read that Tash. It eases the load, just a smidge.

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Michelle Roberge's avatar

Thanks Anna-I’m always looking for new books to read!

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Anna McNuff's avatar

De Nada Michelle, I really enjoyed pulling this together for you all.

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Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent's avatar

Thanks Anna. I loved Hari's The Lost Connections, and have been meaning to read this one too. Big love to you wonderwoman xxx

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Anna McNuff's avatar

Oooooh thank you. I didn't even know about that one. he mentions some other book... about drugs I think, but not that one. Off to check it out. Sending vibes across the border to you. It's baltic in the shire today! 🥶 xxx

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Fran's avatar

Thanks for the book recommendations! I enjoyed Hidden Nature by Alys Fowler.

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Anna McNuff's avatar

Ooooh thanks Fran. Off to take a look at that one! 🦋 🌳 Books glorious boooooks!

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Sue Roberts's avatar

This book is quite old and practical but totally kept me sane and made me laugh when I had my first child and was all at sea. How Not to be Perfect Mother by Libby Purves. I have followed the title to the letter and loved every minute! Sue

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