Picture Book Library Haul

Before visiting with my niece, I like to stock up on "new" books from the library. It is fun to have a bunch of books we have not read before and can discover together. Last time I got a surprise bundle where the Librarian chooses 15 books for you. This time I decided to choose …

Songs for Depression

Sometimes when I am feeling down I want to listen to songs that are sad. Not the best choice but one I often make anyway. Here are my favourite songs to listen to during a down mood: Fine on the Outside by Priscilla Ahn, from When Marnie Was HereIf I Die Young by The Band …

How This Video Game Explains My Spoon Theory for Depression

My newest mental health article has been published on The Mighty at https://themighty.com/2021/03/depression-spoon-theory-batteries-chibi-robo/ Chibi-Robo I will repost it here as well: I often hear talk of spoon theory as a way to explain the challenges of chronic illness. People argue whether mental illnesses also use spoons. One day as I was struggling after using all …

Favourite Books of 2020

I am super behind in my book recording so it is almost March and I am just now creating a list of my favourite books of 2020! This is a short list of some of the books I read and loved in 2020. Not all of them were written in 2020 (some are actually quite …

The Anxiety of treating Anxiety (Mental Health Day)

I wasn’t going to write today. My depression is telling me, “Why bother?” and I want to just crawl into bed. But I am always searching for someone who feels the way I do and maybe if I put some of my fears of treatment out into the world, someone will have a moment where …

My To Be Read Pile

Currently my to be read (TBR) pile is towering high on my bedroom floor. I have stubbed my toes on it more than once in the last week. These books are just my newest ones (mostly all from Christmas presents) and does not include the many many more on my TBR shelf or the handful …

Best First Lines (in Books)

The first line of a book is important to catching the readers attention, making them want to continue and setting the tone for the story. I personally like when stories start off with something funny. Here are my top 5 favourite first lines: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld "The early summer sky was the color of …

Inside Out Book Tag

This is a tag that I saw around a long time ago but I have finally finished writing my own. Better late than never! Joy  Which book brings you the most joy?  The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot is always my go to audiobook to listen to when I need something light. Fear The …

Bravery Beads for Mental Illness

My bravery beads show my journey with mental illness This story was first published on Medium: https://medium.com/@emmaoswald/bravery-beads-shouldnt-be-just-for-kids-57413bf93b5f I first encountered “Bravery Beads” when my nephew was hospitalized as a toddler. He would receive a bead for every procedure, poke, set back and triumph. During his 4 month stay in the hospital he received enough beads to …