Book Review | Live Like a Goddess by Jean Menzies – the book I didn’t know I needed.

Posted January 7, 2024 by Emma in 2023 Books, 2024 Books, 5 Stars, Book Review, Bookish Post, UKYA, YA / 1 Comment

Hello my lovely readers. Today is the first book review of 2024 and this book was my last read of 2023. I’m excited to share this book that completely empowered and inspired me for the new year ahead.

Book Review | Live Like a Goddess by Jean Menzies – the book I didn’t know I needed.Live Like A Goddess: Legendary Life Lessons for the New Year by Jean Menzies
Published by Wren & Rook on September 28, 2023
Genres: Non-Fiction, UKYA, Young Adult Fiction
Amazon | Waterstones
Goodreads

A gift for the young goddess in your life - with life lessons for living confidently, courageously and fearlessly.
Cultures around the world celebrate tales and myths of daring and brave goddesses. These legendary ladies were tenacious, smart and strong. Meet...
· Osun, the Yoruba goddess of love who refuses to be dismissed because of her gender and stands up to those who believe women are less important than men
· Rhiannon, the Welsh queen of fairies who won't let anyone make decisions for her and instead follows her heart
· Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and death who doesn't give into pressure, sets boundaries and is comfortable with being a single independent woman
From demanding respect and recognising unhealthy relationships, to standing your ground, helping others and using words instead of violence, these rich and sometimes forgotten female stories of the ancient past teach girls and young women everything they need to know, so they can be just as fierce and fearless in the future.

What a wonderful, inspiring and empowering book. You know when you pick something up and you read it at the right time. Well that’s what happened with book. This was such a surprise of a book and I hadn’t really realised that it was Non-Fiction as well. YA doesn’t have many in this genre and I simply adored it.

Live Like a Goddess: Legendary Life Lessons this New Year is truly beautiful inside and out. The illustrations by Taylor Dolan of the book really make it unique and stand out. Jean Menzies has written a book to celebrate the stories of mythical women, goddesses, facing different challenges big or small across religions, cultures to learn how we can navigate our own life, help overcome obstacles and decisions that seem like the universe is against when sometimes we just need another way of thinking.

I tabbed quite a few goddesses throughout history and legend that really resonated with me:

  • Hina – a deity across Polynesian cultures – your entitlement to dream and shoot for the stars
  • Rhiannon – noblewoman in the Otherworld in Welsh mythology – create your own choices
  • Ame-No-Uzume – Shinto goddess of the dawn – to learn to enjoy yourself
  • Artemis – greek goddess of the hunt – taking your own path

I loved the modern interpretation that Jean added to these legendary women across mythology and cultures and how we can learn from there stories! She really puts life in perspective and the needed encouragement that you can do this, you can dream and be who you want to be.

This is the perfect YA Coffee Table Read, pick it up at any time and be uplifted and inspired to tackle the next step in your life. I know it’s something I will pick up often to remind me of that. 

Thank you to Team Bkmrk/Wren & Rook for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

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