Coping with the Horroffice: How to tame your working day - Heena Pattni

• Do you have an impossible boss? 

• Do you have an overflowing in-tray? 

• Do you struggle with difficult work colleagues? 

If any of these situations ring a bell with you, then Coping with the Horroffice might just help. 

Inside you'll find tried and tested, easy to implement tools and strategies to help you deal with things like: 

• how to deal with difficult people – and their agendas 

• how to deal with self-doubt and lack of confidence 

• how to successfully manage excessive workloads 

• and much, much more… 

Helping you cope with tough workplace situations, this guide will help you navigate your working day, reclaim your power, increase your confidence and improve your working day. 

From setting goals and creating a supportive work life balance to building self-confidence and learning techniques such as mindfulness and gratitude, as you work through this novel business coaching book it should guide you back to happiness and success in your career as you reclaim your sanity, serenity and sense of humour. 

In fact, this book might be the one thing stopping you from going crazy, quitting your job or dreaming of murdering your boss. 

So take the chance to change things forever – pull up a chair and join Heena Pattni at the first ever Coping with the Horroffice meeting today.

What did I think?

It's been a while since I've read a self-help book and even then I usually read them, try out a few of their recommended exercises then forget about them and go back to my old ways.  This is definitely not the case with Coping with the Horroffice - I have picked up hints and tips that have helped me immediately and will come in useful for however many working years I have left.

It's set out in such a fun way; a meeting agenda that held my interest throughout, unlike many meetings I've been to.  Before the meeting gets started we get to see a list of the attendees;

Sam – the inept office junior

Vera – the office long-termer

Neil –the know-it-all

Edna –the ideas thief

Tracey –the tattle-tale rumour-monger

Patsy – the passive-aggressive martyr

Dick – the overbearing, fire-breathing dragon boss 

I'm sure many of us who work in an office will recognise our colleagues (and ourselves) from the descriptions of each person.  So from the very start, I recognised myself from Heena Pattni's excellent interpretation of each office character.  Ok, I'll share it with you - I'm Patsy, the passive-aggressive martyr; nearly always first into the office and last to leave with an in-tray resembling the Eiffel Tower.

Thanks to Coping with the Horroffice, I have now set myself clear goals and targets for many things including my latest project of clearing my inbox.  After having 2 weeks off sick in May (not with stress, I might add), my inbox had become so overgrown that I was worrying about what I hadn't read and what wood I couldn't see for the trees.  Thankfully, I read Coping with the Horroffice at just the right time as Heena Pattni advised an 'email cull' - going through emails and unsubscribing from all the many things we have been subscribed to throughout the years.  At the same time, I set myself a target of clearing 200 emails per day - either dealing with them or filing them - thereby reducing my stress as I saw my inbox reduce from almost 2,000 emails to 900 emails in just one week.

For this virtual mentoring alone, I have awarded 5 stars.  There are other tips within the book that I know I will refer to and use for many years to come.  Do yourself a favour and read Coping with the Horroffice - it really will change your life.  

I received this e-book from BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.

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Watching Edie - Camilla Way

THERE ARE SOME FRIENDS YOU'LL NEVER FORGET ... NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY

BEFORE

Edie is the friend that Heather has always craved. But one night, it goes terrifyingly wrong. And what started as an innocent friendship ends in two lives being destroyed.

AFTER

Sixteen years later, Edie is still rebuilding her life. But Heather isn’t ready to let her forget so easily. It’s no coincidence that she shows up when Edie needs her most.

NOW

Edie or Heather?

Heather or Edie?

Someone has to pay for what happened, but who will it be?

What did I think?

Watching Edie is goosebumpy creepy!  When Heather wangles her way back into Edie's life it reminded me of that 90's film, Single White Female.  As the story flips back and forth between Before and After, you can't read fast enough to find out 'what went on in the past?' 

Before: Edie is the popular girl at school and Heather can't believe her luck when Edie chooses to befriend her.  Heather is the unpopular, studious fat girl - every class seems to have one (of course, it was me in my class).  I couldn't help but wonder whether Edie had an agenda for making friends with Heather but she did seem to genuinely care for her.  Then something devastating happens that fractures their friendship...but as with all good novels, we have to wait until the end to find out what happened.

After: Edie is pregnant and alone when suddenly Heather gets back in touch with her.  Edie seems reluctant to speak to her but Heather won't take no for an answer.  When Edie has no option but to accept Heather's help, the psychological fun really starts.  Just how far will Heather go to get back in Edie's life?  Is she here to help or is she out for revenge?

Watching Edie is written with so much suspense that the pages flit by effortlessly.  I loved how Before was written in the voice of Heather and After written in the voice of Edie - seeing the story from both sides with very unique voices.  It's so brilliant but creepy and I'd love to see Watching Edie made into a film.

I received this e-book from the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Find Her (DD Warren Book 8) - Lisa Gardner

I ESCAPED

My name is Flora Dane and I was kidnapped from a beach on spring break. I spent 472 days with my captor before I was found.

I SURVIVED

I spent the last five years trying to reacquaint myself with the rhythms of my life. But everything is different. I've had to learn how to protect myself in this dangerous new world.

I'M RECKLESS

There are other predators out there and I'll do anything to stop them. Am I a victim or a vigilante? Detective D. D. Warren doesn't know. Sometimes neither do I.

When another girl disappears, I know I have to FIND HER, whatever it takes, even if it means putting myself in danger...

Escaped kidnap victim Flora Dane has once again disappeared. Has the self-proclaimed vigilante become a victim? Or is something far more sinister at play? D.D. will have to race against the clock if she is going to Find Her.

What did I think?

Along with many other people, I do have a fear of being buried alive, so when Find Her starts with a girl waking up inside a wooden coffin, I almost broke out into a sweat.  I wasn't sure if I could read it but, although it is quite frequently mentioned, it doesn't dwell on it too much so I managed to regulate my breathing and get on with the book.

What is so clever about this book is that it takes quite a few chapters for you to realise just who the main character is.  She is not identified and named as Florence (Flora) Dane until the police find her with her hands tied, standing over the dead body of her latest abductor.  An abductor who seems to have links to other missing women and coincidentally (or not) Flora was once kidnapped and held captive herself, leading to the question 'is Flora a victim or vigilante?'  Then Flora goes missing again, so it's up to D.D. Warren to work out just what the devil is going on and lead the hunt for the mystery man who is abducting these women.

Lisa Gardner is always good value for money.  I don't think I've read a book of hers that I didn't enjoy.  There are always going to be some better than others and Find Her definitely falls into the better category.  It draws you in from the start as you experience every terrifying moment of being held captive in a confined space.  Both Flora's and her family's emotions were explored in the aftermath of her disappearance and it was frightening, and totally believable, how her assailant really got inside Flora's head.

Find Her is a top psychological thriller with a heart pounding storyline that really puts the reader in the shoes of an abductee.  It punched me in the gut to get my attention at the start then proceeded to wring my heart out with the emotion I felt for the missing women.

I received this book from the publisher, Headline, in exchange for an honest review.

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Time to Say Goodbye - S.D. Robertson

HOW DO YOU LEAVE THE PERSON YOU LOVE THE MOST?

Will Curtis's six-year-old daughter, Ella, knows her father will never leave her. After all, he promised her so when her mother died. And he's going to do everything he can to keep his word.

What Will doesn't know is that the promise he made to his little girl might be harder to keep than he imagined. When he's faced with an impossible decision, Will finds that the most obvious choice might not be the right one.

But the future is full of unexpected surprises. And father and daughter are about to embark on an unforgettable journey together . . .

What did I think?

When I cried at the first chapter I think I got a good idea of the emotions I might experience when reading Time to Say Goodbye.  So I prepared myself by settling down with my packet of tissues and my kindle.  I did shed a few tears in between but I think my heart was fit to burst when I got to the end.  What a lovely book leaving us to consider how much we love those close to us and how we want to stay with them forever but unfortunately we all have an expiry date.

Ella is just 6 years old when she hears the devastating news that her father, Will, has been killed in a road accident.  Ella had already lost her mother who died shortly after giving birth - so you can see why I had no control over the tears freely flowing from my eyes in chapter one.  As the family come to terms with their loss, Will finds himself stuck in an in-between world where his family can't see or hear him but he can see and hear them.  Cue my unruly tears again as Will can see his family's pain but is absolutely powerless to comfort them.  With the help of his spirit guide, he finds a way to communicate with Ella and I couldn't contain the smile that spread across my face when Ella first realises Will is still with her.

Will has to make a devastating choice; stay with Ella where only she can see him or cross over to the other side where he can be reunited with his dearly departed wife.  What a choice to have to make; a choice that is made so much more difficult as events transpire.

Time to Say Goodbye is an absolute treasure and a stunning debut; an extraordinary, emotional story that is bursting with so much love that I felt as if it was prompting me to tell my own family how much I love them.  Something we don't do often enough, as we do take time for granted.  You never know how much time you have left so live every day as if it's your last and love your family with all your heart - those still with us and those who may be watching over our shoulder.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Avon, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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BLOG TOUR: The Unseeing - Anna Mazzola

Set in London in 1837, Anna Mazzola's THE UNSEEING is the story of Sarah Gale, a seamstress and mother, sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown on the eve of her wedding. Perfect for any reader of Sarah Waters or Antonia Hodgson.

After Sarah petitions for mercy, Edmund Fleetwood is appointed to investigate and consider whether justice has been done. Idealistic, but struggling with his own demons, Edmund is determined to seek out the truth. Yet Sarah refuses to help him, neither lying nor adding anything to the evidence gathered in court. Edmund knows she's hiding something, but needs to discover just why she's maintaining her silence. For how can it be that someone would willingly go to their own death?

What did I think?

It's really hard to believe that this is a debut novel; there is not a word out of place and as debuts go, it really is something of a masterpiece.  From the very first page, with an actual extract from the Morning Post dated 1836, I had a real sense of time and place as I was completely immersed in the Victorian era.

We meet Sarah Gale as she is transported to prison after being convicted of the murder of Hannah Brown.  Hannah was due to marry James Greenacre, the same man with whom Sarah had previously been living as his common-law wife.  It was alleged that Sarah Gale and James Greenacre killed and dismembered Hannah Brown; a crime for which the punishment is hanging.

Edmund Fleetwood takes up Sarah's case when she petitions for mercy.  Sarah gives very little away and Edmund finds it increasingly difficult to help her, but he is determined to find out the truth as this high profile case will be a massive boost to his reputation.  As he digs into the case he finds inconsistencies and witnesses who have been missed but, as time goes on, we begin to question whether he wants to find out the truth or simply find evidence to exonerate Sarah.

Like pieces of a jigsaw, the puzzle slots together over the course of the book.  I wasn't surprised to find out that Anna Mazzola works in criminal law, as all the evidence is meticulously laid out for us.  We are given such a keen sense of the period, with vividly described sights and sounds, that I never once forgot that I was reading about Victorian London.  I really have to give a special mention to something that really impressed me - Anna Mazzola has managed to write an authentic historical novel without one modern day swearword in sight.  I often read historical novels where the f-word is used and it feels so out of place for the period.  So thank you, Anna, for keeping it real.

A superb debut, based on a true story, The Unseeing is a captivating, authentic and realistic literary masterpiece.  From it's wonderful dark, gothic cover to the disturbing tale within, this was an absolute delight to read.  I could quite happily have remained ensconced within its pages in the Victorian era as I have to admit that I was hugely disappointed to return to my 21st century reality.  

In the spirit of keeping it real, you can read the transcript of the Edgeware Road Murder trial here and James Greenacre's entry in the Newgate Calendar here.  This was a lovely extra touch from Anna Mazzola to be found in the Historical Note.

I received this book from the publisher, Tinder Press, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

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BLOG TOUR: Falling Suns - J.A. Corrigan

Today, as part of the Falling Suns Blog Tour, I have a fabulous guest post by Julie-Ann Corrigan.  If you missed it, you can read my review of this outstanding debut here.

Falling Suns – institutional corruption and phone/computer hacking

Thank you for having me on your blog, Michelle. I thought I would talk about the above themes in my novel, Falling Suns, today.

The initial inspiration for my book was to show a mother in the first days following the disappearance of her child, seven-year-old Joe. Rachel’s worry soon turns to grief when Joe’s body is found. Her grief and angst is tied up with her own guilt, thinking – and wrongly so – that it is her fault Joe left the family home unaccompanied.

As is the case in many abduction/disappearance cases, the perpetrator of the crime is someone known to the family – Rachel’s cousin – her father’s brother’s son. Once I’d decided on the perpetrator’s identity I set about planning another thread in the novel, because although it is Rachel’s story I knew that it was important to include Joe’s murderer in the narrative. I didn’t want to write a straight forward ‘Who did it’ storyline, but more of a ‘Why did he do it?’

How would I do this, and set up the rest of the tale?

I began researching psychiatric hospitals in the UK and dug deep to find inspiration. I also researched Death Row in the USA and read voluminously the psychological profiles on the prisoners marked for execution. Finally I knew I had the second thread to my novel, and also how I would weave in the two storylines – Joe’s abduction and murder, and the ‘story’ of the murderer, his background and profile. At this point I’d already begun writing, and it was easy to see how I could mix the narrative of Rachel with that of Michael Hemmings.

Once I began writing Michael Hemmings and the institution in which he is incarcerated, and after long chats with my friend – a criminal lawyer who himself sits on mental health tribunal panels – I began to plan the plotline of institutional corruption. I used the outcome of the exposé to move the plot forward, which ultimately sees Hemmings nominated to be moved to a less secure step-down unit.

Although there are limited scenes set within the psychiatric hospital and step-down unit, I felt they were imperative to the tone of the novel. It is here, as well as flashbacks from Rachel concerning her childhood, where the reader (and the writer) really gets to know Michael Hemmings.

I was determined to ensure the veracity of events within Littleworth Psychiatric hospital. The corruption that occurs within its walls is based very loosely on fact, although ultimately this is a work of my own imagination, and the characters and setting are fictional.

At the time of writing the first draft of the novel the news seemed to be full of reports regarding Jimmy Savile and other high profile paedophiles. I do believe that at the time I was influenced by these reports, and together with other facts that I’d unearthed, I felt that the Littleworth storyline was in keeping with the truths emerging regarding the ‘burying and hiding’ of information away from the public.

There are other areas of the novel that touch upon corruption – within the police force and concerning Jonathan’s phone and computer hacking. In both cases I attempted to handle the scenarios with care and finesse, trying not to evoke too much of a clichéd situation.

Regarding the hacking – again at the time of writing the first draft – there was much news coverage about both of these activities. It occurred to me that there was a time in journalism when a good journalist could well be left behind in ‘getting their story’ if they didn’t use the same techniques at gleaning information as some of their colleagues. I felt that Jonathan could well be one of those journalists. Also … he’s very good at it!

I hope that the themes I’ve touched upon in my novel resonate with the reader and never become didactic. It is a work of fiction, a story, and I hope my readers enjoy it as such.

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Falling Suns - J.A. Corrigan

Ex-DI Rachel’s small son is missing. Then his body is discovered. Her cousin Michael is found guilty of his murder and incarcerated in a secure psychiatric unit. 

Four years later, now divorced and back in the police force, Rachel discovers that Michael is being released to a less secure step-down unit, with his freedom a likely eventuality. Unable to cope with this, she decides upon revenge, assuming a new identity to hunt him down and kill him. However, as she closes in on her target, her friend Jonathan, a journalist, uncovers some unnerving information about her mother and others in her family and begins to suspect that Rachel’s perception of the truth might not be as accurate as she thinks – that she might be about to murder the wrong man…

What did I think?

Falling Suns is an outstanding debut from J.A. Corrigan.  It has clearly been meticulously researched and it allows the reader to step into the shoes (and the mind) of a grieving mother.

Rachel is an ex police officer, married to Liam with a young son, Joe.  One day Joe gets dropped off at home and disappears after appearing to enter the house.  Joe flees the house in distress and runs into an adult family member.  Someone who Joe recognises and feels safe with, his mother's cousin, Michael Hemmings.  As we investigate and discover what happens next, I experienced so many emotions; from fear for what Joe went through, pain for Rachel and Liam and oddly, sympathy for Michael.  What did Joe see that caused him to flee the house?  Why did Michael abduct him and did Michael actually kill Joe?

More disturbingly, to what lengths will Rachel go to get her revenge?  Just as the target is within her sights, new information is discovered that rocks Rachel to her very core.  As she reflects on her own childhood, we discover that history has repeated itself with a young child seeing things they should not see.  

As the story unfolds, we discover the twisted history of the Hemmings family.  Who better to uncover these dark, disturbing family secrets than journalist, Jonathan Waters?  Jonathan is Rachel's friend and has secretly harboured feelings for her for a long time.  He uncovers more than he bargained for and, after a few bumps and twists, can finally give Rachel the peace that she deserves.

Falling Suns is an exceptional debut, at times disturbing but completely enthralling.  J.A. Corrigan has given the reader a front row seat as one family's dirty laundry is hung completely out to dry.  Addictively compelling reading, my eyes were superglued to every single page until the last word was read.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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