Review: Chasing Evil by Robert Hilland and John Edward

Chasing Evil - Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice by Robert Hilland, John Edward and Natasha Stoynoff might end up being my favourite audiobook of 2026, although we still have a few months before the end of the year.

Written from the first-person perspective of Robert (Bob) Hilland, Chasing Evil is largely about his career as an FBI Agent. In the late 1990s, Hilland was working on the cold case of serial killer John Smith when he noticed the rise of John Edward's popularity as a psychic on the radio.

A resolute skeptic convinced of Smith's guilt but desperate for new leads on the case, Hilland reached out and made an appointment to see psychic medium John Edward. The year was 1998, and he took along a number of items belonging to a missing woman from the case and threw in some control items from female colleagues as a test of sorts. At the end of the meeting, Hilland's entire world view had shifted. John Edward identified the control items immediately and communicated information that he couldn't possibly have known, making Bob a believer in the spirit world in a matter of hours.

John agreed to work with Bob on the condition that his involvement was off the books and completely off the record. This surprised Hilland - thinking John would want to capitalise on the involvement to boost his reputation and profile - but readily agreed. We're told that this reluctance of Edward's came from a fear of disappointing or embarrassing his father who worked in the NYPD and who had asked him not to work with Police.

Reading a book about their collaboration naturally made me wonder how they went from keeping John's involvement secret to his agreement to be the subject and co-author of this book, but unfortunately this change was never explained. In the face of this glaring omission I can only assume John felt more comfortable for his work with the FBI to become public following his father's death, but this is pure supposition.

Hilland worked on a number of cases in his career but it's fair to say John Smith was his white whale, and was responsible for multiple deaths and disappearances. Chasing Evil was published in 2025, and I had to exercise a huge amount of self discipline and restraint not to look up the cases he was investigating to find out what happened. Instead, I waited for Hilland to tell me as the book unfolded and ended up listening at additional times during the day in order to hasten the process.

The audiobook is narrated by Hilland and Edward and early on there seemed to be a lot of sound effects added - creepy music, the sound of writing on a whiteboard - but thankfully these featured less and less as the audiobook went on. Co-author and collaborator Natasha Stoynoff helped to bring both of their experiences together in the book which felt cohesive and flowed exceptionally well.

Throughout his career, John's psychic ability helped Bob find bodies, make arrests and close cases. They worked so closely together that after 25 years they became as close as brothers. It was a touching relationship developed over a shared interest in fighting against evil and I got the sense they chased evil together; making the title entirely appropriate.

I read and enjoyed Crossing Over by John Edward in 2011 and have seen him perform live in Melbourne several times. I eventually stopped going or reading any more of his books because I found his delivery style a little arrogant. He's so confident in his gift, and he receives and delivers his information so quickly that he often comes across to me as insensitive. With so many people wanting readings and so many spirits hounding him to be heard, I imagine the pressure to be something akin to being an author in a signing line with a massive queue and a tonne of fans on his side of the desk pushing and shoving for his attention. In an environment like this he's unlikely to stop and pause and have meaningful interactions with a select few people, but prioritise quantity over quality but the end result can seem a little uncaring. Not long after finishing this book I saw that John Edward is returning to Melbourne in December and after reading this book and admiring his work again, it felt like the perfect time to go and see him. I can't wait.

Chasing Evil by Robert Hilland and John Edward is highly recommended for fans of true crime, skeptics and believers alike and I loved it!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Atlas of Paranormal Places by Evelyn Hollow

Atlas of Paranormal Places - A Journey to the World's Most Supernatural Places by Evelyn Hollow is broken down into the following chapters: Haunted Places, Witchcraft, Sacred Sites, Myths & Legends, Strange Nature, and finally Cryptids & Creatures.

There's only one place listed for Australia, and I thought it would be the Devil's Pool, Babinda Boulders in Queensland but it's not. I'd never heard of Wycliffe Well in the Northern Territory but it's included in this atlas for its connection to UFO sightings, spies and ancient spiritual worship.

The atlas includes several locations familiar to this reader like the Catacombs in Paris, the Winchester Mystery House in California USA, Pendle Hill in Lancashire England, the Hanging Coffins of Sagada in the Philippines, Aokigahara Forest in Japan and the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan.

It was also nice to see the inclusion of Scotland's Bannockburn House in this collection as it was featured in the filming of the fantastic Outlander series.

However my favourite discovery of the book was that of Burg Eltz in Germany. Describing this twelfth century medieval German castle as a fairytale castle is an understatement. The home of the Eltz family for more than 800 years, it contains the ghost of a young woman who defended her home from an unwanted suitor and paid for her bravery with her life. Burg Eltz is one of the most wondrous castles I've ever seen and the photos on their website showcases the stunning grandeur of its architecture.

True to its name, the Atlas of Paranormal Places includes a world map at at the beginning of the book with each of the locations marked. Then each separate entry features a map page indicating the specific location of the place being described. My hardback edition borrowed from the library contained suitably themed end papers although I wish there were more photos included.

The Atlas of Paranormal Places - A Journey to the World's Most Supernatural Places by Evelyn Hollow enables the inquisitive reader to journey to paranormal places and explore geographic curiosities around the world, all from the safety of home.

And if you like the sound of this, you might also enjoy reading the Atlas of Improbable Places - A Journey to the World's Most Unusual Corners by Travis Elborough.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: What to Expect When You're Dead by Robert Garland

When the Pope died in April 2025 and his body was put on display for members of the church and the public to pay their respects, I was reminded how jarring it is to today's sensibilities and thought it was a good time to listen to What to Expect When You're Dead - An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife by Robert Garland.

Covering the time period in history 100,000 BC - 400 AD, this audiobook references ancient texts, artworks and archaeology at a level I was largely unfamiliar with. However I did enjoy some of the content, including this quote taken from Greek Playwright Aristophanes (446 BC - 386 BC):

"In Aristophanes Frogs, anyone who has harmed a guest, failed to pay a boy for his sexual favours, struck his mother, punched his father or sworn a false oath is consigned to a sewer full of turds." Chapter 5 Heaven and Hell

The beliefs of many ancient civilisations and religions were offered, in addition to their thoughts on the afterlife, how best to lay the dead to rest and how to honour their ancestors.

As a youngster I was interested in the history of Egypt, the pyramids and of course the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. I was simultaneously disturbed by the fact mummified remains were once desecrated by grave robbers and disturbed in the 'modern era' by archaeologists, with artefacts removed to be sold to private collectors or displayed in museums. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that I relished the legend of the curse of Tutankhamun and enjoyed hearing more about Egyptian curses here:

"Thieves certainly weren't deterred by the stiff penalties they incurred if apprehended, death by impaling being a common punishment. Nor by the curses that the deceased promised to rain down on those who broke into their tombs. A typical Egyptian curse reads as follows: As for anyone who shall violate my corpse in the necropolis or shall damage my image in my chamber, the ka (spirit or soul) of Ra (sun god) shall abhor him. He shall not bequeath his goods to his children nor shall he be restful in life, nor shall he receive water in the necropolis. His ba (personality and soul) shall be destroyed forever.' " Chapter 8, Where to Deposit the Remains

Scary stuff! The book includes beliefs and practices from a range of ancient cultures and traditions, including Early Christian, Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Mesopotamian, Roman and Zoroastrian. I'll admit I was in very unfamiliar territory here, however this did help to clarify that my interest in death rituals is anchored in Western culture closer to my own time. I've shared my interest in the mourning etiquette of the Victorian era in other reviews and have the current books on my virtual TBR to read at some stage in the future:

• Fashionable Mourning Jewellery, Clothing and Customs by Mary Brett
• Mourning Art & Jewellery by Maureen Delorme
• Death in the Victorian Family by Pat Gallant
• Childhood & Death in Victorian England by Sarah Seaton

Narrated by Zeb Soanes, What to Expect When You're Dead - An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife by Robert Garland is recommended for dedicated non fiction readers with an interest in ancient history and ancient civilisations from 100,000 BC - 400 AD. I thought that was me but it turns out that it isn't.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

There are so many classics I still haven't read and thankfully my bookish buddy Veronica from The Burgeoning Bookshelf bravely agreed to tackle Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe with me recently. We were both reading the Penguin clothbound edition and when I encountered a sentence 21 lines long within the first six pages - and looking further ahead saw zero chapter breaks - I knew I was in for a challenging read.

Published more than 300 years ago in 1719, this review is going to contain plot developments so if you're precious about having the plot of Robinson Crusoe spoiled you should give this review a miss. This book is about Robinson Crusoe and his adventures after being shipwrecked on an island. We get a surprising amount of backstory before the eventual shipwrecking but we're told on the title page that Crusoe spends 28 years alone on an un-inhabited island so how's that for a 300 year old spoiler from the author?

As a character, I wasn't a fan of Crusoe at all and I found him selfish and self-serving. The novel contains much internal reflection and thoughts about God and purpose and you could argue it was a spiritual story of sorts, although lacking a conclusion.

"Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony, that there was scarce any condition in the world so miserable, but there was something negative or something positive to be thankful for in it; and let this stand as a direction from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this world, that we may always find in it something to comfort our selves from, and to set in the description of good and evil, on the credit side of the accompt." Page 54

Crusoe has a good attitude in this regard and the ability to see the silver lining is an important life lesson still being learned today. There's also a heavy focus on gratitude, as this quote attests:

"It put me upon reflecting, how little repining there would be among mankind, at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition with those that are worse, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their murmurings and complainings." Page 132

Naturally we have many sayings to this effect (the grass is always greener, there's always someone worse off than you, a bird in the hand etc.) but 300 years ago, I wonder if this sentiment was as well known as it is today.

However, I was most entertained when Crusoe was being industrious on the island. Scavenging everything he could from the shipwreck, he sets up a camp with defences, plans out his rations, ingeniously cultivates food sources and builds and makes almost anything. In the time he was alone, he dries grapes for raisins each season, builds pens for wild goats, sows corn and barley, weaves baskets and makes clothes, furniture and more.

The scariest part of the book by far was when Crusoe saw a footprint in the sand that wasn't his own. He was terrified and for the next two years worked to increase his defences while continuing to monitor his surroundings in fear.

Eventually we learn the footprint belongs to visiting 'savages' as Crusoe calls them - and again the reader needs to remember this was written 300 years ago - and he witnesses them killing and eating human prisoners. Embarking on a plan to rescue a prisoner was a grand idea, until Crusoe shares his ultimate purpose is not for a companion but to make one his slave.

"Besides, I fancied myself able to manage one, nay, two or three savages, if I had them so as to make them entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should direct them, and to prevent their being able at any time to do me any hurt." Page 158

I found this abhorrent and was grinding my teeth in anger when Crusoe succeeds. He calls his freed captive Friday - for the day he was rescued - which I found terribly insulting. With all of that religious reflection, why didn't he choose to call the man Providence, Faith or Adam? He teaches Friday english and tells him his name is Master (eye roll). Friday is grateful to Crusoe for saving his life and swears fealty - in effect - for life.

Other similar rescues occur after this point, including Friday's father. Their reunion was an emotional moment, but he and a Spaniard return to the mainland in a canoe to rescue fellow Spaniards and plan to return to Crusoe's island and share in the plentiful provisions. In that time, a mutinied ship arrives, a battle of weapons and wits takes place, and Crusoe becomes the captain of sorts.

Without any hesitation, Crusoe decides to leave the island for good, completely setting aside his previous plan with Friday's father. I was infuriated that Crusoe has no qualms abandoning his previous agreement, instead believing a letter will suffice. He also doesn't acknowledge any reluctance by Friday to leave the island before his father has returned, knowing they may never see each other again.

When Crusoe reaches society, there was plenty about his business dealings but I was interested to hear how Friday was adjusting to the culture shock. Crusoe goes on to have a family, but did Friday want to return home or have a family of his own?

Alas we never find out because the protagonist is too selfish to care, taking pains to provide for a loyal old woman from his earlier life as a young man yet completely dismissive of his year's long companion. There's also no reflecting on God after his 'salvation' either. He just goes back to business and his affairs, ugh!

Having finished it, I'm shocked Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe has been recommended reading for children and students over the years. The internal reflections are dull and the cannibalism and murders make it way too violent for young readers. If the book started with his shipwreck and focussed purely on his labours, then it would be one hell of an adventure. Alas, we have this story instead and I didn't enjoy it.

Thanks to Veronica for the buddy read and the encouragement to get through this. It's now off my list, woohoo! (I'm publishing this review on a Friday in tribute to an exploited and overlooked character).

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Cuddy by Benjamin Myers

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers is an historical fiction novel told in a blend of writing styles, including: narrative prose, quotes from historical reference books, poetry, diary entries and even a play. Anticipating a novel about the life of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne told in a fictional first person point of view, Cuddy was an unexpected story.

Born in 634 AD in Northumbria (modern day Scotland), Cuthbert had been a monk, a prior and a bishop and was a hermit at the time of his death in 687 AD. Beloved in life, many came to pray at his grave at Lindisfarne and were healed. Deciding to elevate his remains as relics on the anniversary of his death, his body was found intact - hadn't decomposed - and he was declared a saint. Pilgrims visited the shrine for decades until Viking raids threatened the area.

Cuthbert's body was transferred to a coffin and transported by a dedicated group of worshippers seeking a safe resting place for their beloved saint. On the move until the year 995, a site was finally chosen and a series of churches were built to house St Cuthbert's remains. Construction of Durham Cathedral commenced in 1093 and still houses the Shrine of St Cuthbert today.

Pieced together from the non fiction quotes in the book, I share all of this because it's a fascinating slice of history and if you're still reading, it means you agree. Myers has created characters from each of these periods of Cuthbert's history in the wildly different formats mentioned above.

We hear from Cuthbert (affectionately known as Cuddy) early in the book but he's already close to death:

"Well now. You should have been here a candle or two ago. The scenes of despair amongst the monks at my final days of retreat to this bluff in the foaming ocean was quite the picture." Page 7

I love that phrase, 'a candle or two ago.' In Book I we join the religious folk in 995 AD carrying Cuthbert's remains and an orphan girl who has visions regarding his final resting place.

In Book II we jump to the year 1346 and through the eyes of the fletcher's wife, meet a stonemason engaged in building the great Durham Cathedral. The work of the mason and the history of the stone - then and now centuries later - was beautifully written:

"In the stone is yesterday's sun and the stories it has seen, not only of wandering holy folk and the fiery Norse, not only old white churches and milkmaids, galloping Frenchmen and the green men that took to the trees but other details not always pressed to the page by monks. Everything the stone has borne silent witness to is held within it now...... Rainstorms and quarrymen, Picts, plague pits and paupers, hawkers and jesters, skirling new life and coughing old death, archers and anglers, devils and angels, sunrises and sunsets, courting couples sitting on stone walls watching snowfall, villeins and franklin and wandering freemen, nets of cuttlefish and pails of crabs, sores and scabs, bed-bound mothers and gaoled fathers, babies - a thousand wailing babies - and church bells, cabbage soup and nettles and worms and sacks and jam and garlic and knives and deer and murder and toll gates and caravans and soothsayers and plums and coffin-makers and lepers and laughter and ice and logs and oats and sex and sin and Cuddy and Jesus and God." Page 237

I know that was a long quote, but it perfectly captures the awe and wonder I feel when gazing at a Cathedral built more than 1000 years ago and I want to be able to revisit these words again, even if I no longer have the book.

Leaving those characters behind to leap forward a few centuries, the Interlude was based on a haunting and shocking account of history. In 1650, Durham Cathedral was used as a prison by Oliver Cromwell to house 3,000 Scottish prisoners of war. Suffering in the cold without food or water, the prisoners destroyed the pews and burned the timber in order to keep warm. Devastatingly, 1,700 soldiers died from battle injuries, dehydration and starvation and were buried in mass graves nearby.

This is a disturbing chapter of history I knew nothing about but certainly won't forget, as the author has created a macabre play for the Interlude, whereby several soldiers being held captive engage in dialogue with eachother and the cathedral. Yes, you read that right.

It was a relief to reach Book III covering the period in 1827 when an arrogant Professor from Oxford travels to the Cathedral to oversee the disinterment of the saint in order to verify his remains are uncorrupted. Diary entries tell this tale and the character is haunted by his complicity and fears for his sanity. I felt the author's outrage at the desecration and believe the character met a satisfying fate. 

Book IV brings us to 2019 and it was perhaps an unnecessarily long tale to deliver the reader to Durham Cathedral and the tomb of St Cuthbert.

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers seemed to me to be the story behind the building of Durham Cathedral over time told through the lives of a handful of individuals:

"My story, and that of Fletcher Bullard, just one story in a thousand million stories that combine to define a place, concludes thusly:" Page 263

While brief, each serves as a complete story and while the reader may be reluctant to leave a character or point in time, their stories reach a natural conclusion of sorts.

A word on the layout as there were several techniques that were used - presumably - to impress but which I found slightly irritating. In one case, a character's visions were presented in one continuous paragraph with font that slowly reduced in size until it was barely readable by the end. Elsewhere, poetry was presented with varying alignment choices that left me cold, with just one word or sometimes even one letter per line. I guess you could say that while I enjoyed the mashup of writing styles within Cuddy, the unconventional layout choices fell short of the mark.

The descriptions of the cathedral from characters across time were incredible, with the 2019 character of Michael describing the vast edifice before him as enrapturing. It certainly had me pausing at certain times in the novel to research a fact or take a virtual tour of the cathedral and I'd love to visit in person one day, even just to see the sanctuary knocker.

"The face of the Sanctuary Knocker then, is that of the lonely miscreant, the damned, the doomed, the cursed, the blasted, the blighted, the bedevilled, the fated; he who shall live their life seeking God's eternal forgiveness alone." Page 197

Now that I've finished reading Cuddy, I believe it to be the complex history of Durham Cathedral rather than the story of a saint. This unique blend of fact and fiction and multiple writing styles felt original and is recommended for fans of Ken Follett and his series beginning with The Pillars of the Earth.

Prologue AD 687
Book I Saint Cuddy AD 995
Book II The Mason's Mark AD 1346
Interlude The Stone Speaks AD 1650
Book III The Corpse in the Cathedral AD 1827
Book IV Daft Lad AD 2019

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: 12 Rules for Life - An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

Incorporating psychology; psychoanalysis; neuroscience; philosophy; ancient and modern literature; history; mythology; religious texts; poetry; current affairs; cases from his work as a clinical psychologist and stories of his life growing up, 12 Rules For Life - An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson is a difficult book to define.

Listening on audiobook to his distinctly Canadian voice, I was educated and inspired. I had some existing thoughts reaffirmed and challenged from a new viewpoint, and my mind opened to new ideas and concepts. Peterson is quick to explain:

"I'm not for a moment claiming, however, that I am entirely correct or complete in my thinking. Being is far more complicated than one person can know and I don't have the whole story. I'm simply offering the best I can manage." Overture

The best he can manage is a whole lot more than I have been managing and I enjoyed his perspectives immensely. You might assume the 12 rules of the title could be distilled into bullet points to save the reader some 15+ hours of reading time. Perhaps you're even hoping I'll do that here, but unfortunately you'd be wrong. Peterson's content isn't so easily summarised, Rule 12 is entitled Pet A Cat When You Encounter One on the Street for example.

Beginning with the behaviour of lobsters to introduce natural hierarchy and relate it back to humans was fascinating. The first two rules (Rule 1: Stand up Straight with Your Shoulders Back and Rule 2: Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible for Helping) were immediately inspiring and motivated me to take a chance on applying for something.

"You need to consider the future and think, what might my life look like if I were caring for myself properly? What career would challenge me and render me productive and helpful so that I could shoulder my share of the load and enjoy the consequences. What should I be doing when I have some freedom to improve my health, expand my knowledge and strengthen my body. You need to know where you are so you can start to chart your course." Rule 2 Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible for Helping

The author touches on all fields of study mentioned above, but the key quote I want to remember and come back to again because it inspired me to tackle a long neglected issue arrived in Rule 4: Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday, Not to Who Someone Else is Today and it goes like this:

"Ask yourself: is there one thing that exists in disarray in your life or your situation that you could, and would, set straight? Could you, and would you, fix that one thing that announces itself humbly in need of repair? Could you do it now? Imagine that you are someone with whom you must negotiate. Imagine further that you are lazy, touchy, resentful and hard to get along with. With that attitude, it’s not going to be easy to get you moving. You might have to use a little charm and playfulness. “Excuse me,” you might say to yourself, without irony or sarcasm. “I’m trying to reduce some of the unnecessary suffering around here. I could use some help.” Keep the derision at bay. “I’m wondering if there is anything that you would be willing to do? I’d be very grateful for your service.” Ask honestly and with humility. That’s no simple matter." Rule 4: Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday, Not to Who Someone Else is Today

As well as being educational, Peterson also makes me laugh. His story about taking the spoon back from his son and babysitting a neighbour's child had me chuckling. It's not often that I have two five star reading experiences back to back, but 12 Rules For Life - An Antidote to Chaos is the third five star book I read in a row last month.

Jordan B. Peterson is engaging and I always come away from reading his work having learned something new. He also practices what he preaches - Rule 8 is Tell the Truth or At Least Don't Lie - and causes a sensation online when discussing hot topics from time to time. Acknowledging his sometimes polarising nature, I recently enjoyed his in depth interview with Elon Musk which you can watch in full for free here.

It's likely 12 Rules for Life - An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson is now one of my favourite self help books of all time and I'm still letting it percolate in my mind, but already have plans to read his next book Beyond Order - 12 More Rules For Life.

The author's overall message is to encourage and inspire all of mankind to strive and improve themselves and continue to evolve. While plenty of people in the world don't want to do that, or believe they don't need to do that, I don't know anyone - Peterson included - who wouldn't benefit from doing precisely that.

Highly recommended!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Journey by James Norbury

* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *

The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon is a charming book written and illustrated by the talented artist James Norbury. It's the sequel to the international bestseller Big Panda and Tiny Dragon published in 2021, and while I've only read a sample from that book (freely available on the publisher's website), I was easily able to slide in with the characters as they embarked on their journey without the feeling I'd missed an important backstory.

A seemingly simple tale, our two protagonists, Big Panda and Tiny Dragon - delightfully depicted on the cover - embark on an adventure together, but things don't go to plan. As they encounter set backs and face difficult and challenging situations, Big Panda shares his wisdom with Tiny Dragon and the attentive reader:

'Problems should not stop us,' said Big Panda. 'They are simply nature's way of letting us know we need to explore a different path.' Page 22

The Journey is about so many things, including overcoming obstacles, generating hope and seeking happiness wherever we are. Achieving spiritual fulfilment, facing fear and adversity, seeing opportunities in setbacks, and having the courage to embrace change are also key elements of the tale. Other themes included gratitude, acceptance, resilience, mindfulness and above all, friendship.

At times, I did find myself wondering whether the author was trying to cram too many reflections and lessons into the book, with Big Panda seeming to espouse elements of Buddhist philosophy on one page and Hallmark sentiments on another.

While the book overall is a warm, feel-good read, sometimes the dialogue or mini life lessons felt contrived:

'But if making the change was easy, it probably wouldn't make very much difference. Great change requires great effort.' Pages 52-53

Big Panda is the Mr Miyagi of the book, full of wisdom, with Tiny Dragon eager to learn from his experience. Perhaps it's just me, but characters like Big Panda or Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, are very appealing. Maybe it's something to do with their size and majesty and the effectiveness of the writing, but it makes me want to sit at the feet of Aslan or Big Panda and ask my own questions off script. I wonder what they would say...

'This raft is a little like us,' said Big Panda. 'Where it's been doesn't have to determine where it's going.' Page 60

It's not just Big Panda who always knows what to do, Tiny Dragon also has some revelations to share towards the end of their journey:

'I still feel some sadness at the loss of my friends, my home and, of course, my tea set, but I think maybe I am learning to be more accepting of things.' Page 141

I think you'll agree we can all try harder to be more accepting of things. I know I can, and it's a constant battle of self improvement for most of us as we try to 'do better' each day.

The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury will appeal to readers of all ages and backgrounds who will each find something different to celebrate within the pages. Young readers who have faced recent adversity in the floods, will especially relate to the plight of Tiny Dragon; who reminded me a little of Pickett, Newt Scamander's little pet in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Beautifully presented in a hardback edition with gold foiling and silk bookmark ribbon, The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury will make a heartwarming gift at Christmas.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker

Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker was a mildly entertaining and interesting book, the kind of which is soon forgotten, but enjoyed while it lasted. The author is clear at the start of the book that he doesn't intend to cover hauntings, whether they be haunted locations or haunted objects, which I thought was fair enough.

The book is perfect for the audiobook format and is divided into categories, with each object given its own chapter. Each object is covered in a brief 5-8 minutes on audiobook, or a few pages in print format.

In the chapter entitled Cursed Under Glass, we learn about the infamous Hope Diamond and Otzi the Iceman, whose mummified remains were discovered more than 5,000 years after his death.

I enjoyed learning about rune stones in Cursed in the Graveyard, which only served to reinforce my thoughts on disturbing tombs or burial sites for purposes of research or grave-robbing.

Cursed in the Attic introduced me to the case of The Crying Boy Paintings - which I'd somehow never read about - The Baleroy Chair of Death and The Basano Vase.

In the chapter entitled Cursed in Stone, one of the topics was The Amber Room and I recall interviewing author William F. Brown about it back in 2012 as well as doing a few hours of Googling on the topic. In fact, this entire book elicits frequent Googling as the reader is inspired to look at the physical object being described and read a little further than Ocker's offerings.

The Business of Cursed Objects chapter included Annabelle the Doll and the Warren Collection, and all manner of haunted and travelling museums. The Curse in the Machine included James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder and The Prague Orloj (a magnificent medieval astronomical clock in Prague) among other items of interest including chain emails, which I thought was a bit of a stretch.

In his chapter Why Aren't These Objects Cursed, the author makes a good point when wondering why objects like the Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull and the Skin Book of James Allen don't have a reputation for being cursed.

Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker was easy to digest with each cursed artefact covered in a short chapter, including information on where the item is (if the location is known) and how many deaths have been attributed to it.

Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker was akin to stumbling upon a random documentary while channel surfing and being sucked right in. It's only when I surfaced at the end of the book that I felt as though that might have been a waste of time, given I'd done most of the research myself in all that Googling. At the time however, I was happy for the bite size curse snacks delivered up by Ocker.

Published in 2020, Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker is a light read recommended for those interested in history, social history, archaeology, the paranormal and of course curses. Even if you're a skeptic, there are plenty of facts, geography and history to sink your teeth into and some ripper stories.

I'm interested to know if you believe in curses, bad juju or karmic consequences, so let me know in the comments below.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: John Safran Vs The Occult by John Safran

The last book for 2021 helped me achieve my reading goals, given that I needed one more book by an Australian male author in order to complete my Aussie Author reading challenge. (See what else I read here).

In John Safran Vs The Occult, Australian satirist John Safran explores his interest in religion, expanding his research to include witchcraft, black magic, satanism and the occult.

If you're expecting to learn more about what these practices are and their brief history, this isn't that book. Rather, Safran researches and then investigates current cases and crimes specifically attributed to witchcraft, black magic, satanism and the occult and takes the reader along for the experience. This makes for an individual case perspective rather than an analysis of these practices as a whole.

Written before the pandemic and published in 2019, Safran travels to Los Angeles, Texas and Vanuatu, and even meets a Muslim woman seeking an Islamic exorcism in his hometown of Melbourne.

Originally published as an Audible Original, Safran's unassuming personality and genuine interest in people and their beliefs enables him to get locals to open up and talk to him. I'll admit I got lost in the sea of people in Vanuatu and the myriad ways in which they were connected to the case, but hearing directly from the people being interviewed via excerpts was definitely a highlight. Safran's interview techniques build trust and rapport and listening to the stories it's clear the interviewees trust Safran to represent them honestly and with respect.

John Safran Vs The Occult is a solid introduction to the author's research style, varied fields of interest and unique delivery. As always, Safran manages to find the lighter moments and there are many chuckles along the way.

For more, you can check out my review of Murder In Mississippi by John Safran or check out my Google Hangout with him in 2013.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★