A good read, but best enjoyed over time. This is definitely a book where you're meant to read a little, ruminate a little, and then read a little more after applying what you've already read to your life. If you try to read this cover to cover you'll likely find yourself getting a bit frustrated (I did until I took a step back and slowed down). If you're willing to take the slow route I think you'll get a lot out of this book. With a variety of things included, there's a bit of something for everyone, whether you prefer poetry or prose. A great reminder that a little kindness added to the world can go a long way, because you never know when your world will suddenly change forever, and that kindness someone else shares could brighten your day.

This book is not what I expected, and I have taken my time in reading it, picking it up with the seasons - in essence I have still bits to read. However I find the author inspirational and its a lovely book beautifully written with some precious gems inside to find.

Like her previous book, Acts f Kindness from your Armchair, I found this to be bland, shallow, uninteresting. I had hoped that a second book by this author would be better, but I was disappointed. I will not chose to read anything else she has written/may write.

This is a nice collection of Christian poems and encouragement that anyone can incorporate into their day to day life to lift their spirits. I like the poetry and the reference to the seasons. It was a sweet enjoyable respite from life.
There is much to reflect on here and great food for thought .
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

My opinion is my own. I highly recommend this collection for all who need encouragement and enjoy poetry of the season.

While I really wanted to enjoy this book, I didn't really get a lot out of it. It's a compilation of poetry by the author with little inspirational takeaways for the day, divided into the four seasons. I wasn't a big fan of the poems and the essays seemed rather rambling. I'm sure it will be a great book for others, it just wasn't a great fit for me.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

Soul Murmurs by Anita Neilson
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

248 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing / O-Books
Release Date: July 26, 2019

Spirituality (Christian), Self-Help, Poetry, Chronic Illness, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia

The book is full of poems, articles and a short story. There are also exercises the author recommends readers complete one a day. The book is written starting with Spring, goes through the seasons and ends with Winter. I enjoyed the book and thought the exercises were thoughtful and insightful. There are a few references to other religions, but it is mainly Christian because of the many references to Lord and Jesus.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Soul Murmurs.

In sync with the seasons, each section took me out of the moment. I became fully immersed in each emotionally expressive and lyrical line and sorrow-ridden memories.

With a clear goal and flawless execution, this deeply personal narrative is infused with passion and pain.

Highly recommended for lovers of spirit-infused poetic memoirs.

This is a beautiful enriching book of poems and musings spaced across the different seasons that was a delight to read. There are poems for everyone in here and I liked the added advantage of the audios available for some of them which was an added bonus.

Soul Murmurs by Anita Neilson is a collection of the author's musings, essays, poems, and anecdotal tales. The book is broken into 4 sections by seasons of the earth and the human experience. Always earnest, it discusses the benefits of mindfulness and having a spiritual experience whether through Eastern religion or Christianity. It is a glimpse of this woman's life journey, and I thank her for sharing it with us.

Many thanks too to NetGalley and O-books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Soul murmurs is a very inspirational book containing a collection of poems with spiritual wisdom in them.

Although I read the whole book to be able to properly review it, I feel that this is a book to be read slowly. Maybe that one at your nightstand that gets read a bit here and there, when inspiration is needed or sought. I will definitely go back to this book, in a slower manner, to be able to reflect on the passages and the spiritual messages. So I highly recommend taking your time reading Soul Murmurs.

The way the author shares her personal experiences, makes it feel so authentic. She mentioned suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, which I can only imagine how difficult and challenging it can be. Yet the author shares how the power of meditation had an effect on herself.

Not only inspirational but also very uplifting to see someone that besides life's challenges can still find meaning and power in such practices. Makes me look inside myself to reflect on how the same practices could affect my own life.

The four seasons in which this book is divided, emphasizes the importance of pacing out your reading. But as I mentioned, I couldn't let myself review a book without reading it cover to cover.

The wide variety of poems will provide different feelings. Some might resonate with you, and some might not. But the main message I found throughout the book is to do positive things for others.
One idea suggested by the author simply touched my heart. This suggestion is to send a letter or a postcard to a sick child. This and other acts of kindness, which I feel are such a lovely and sentimental thing to do.

I know that I will start to sound like a broken record, yet I can't say enough how inspirational this book is. I recommend this book to anyone that is spiritual or is looking to awaken spirituality within. Is not a book I would recommend to people preferring not to read about spiritualism with a touch of religion.

*Disclaimer: I received an advanced digital copy of this book with the purpose of reviewing it.

I really enjoyed this soulful collection of essays, poems, affirmations, and other Wisdom. This is definitely a book not to read all in one sitting, but to dip into a little bit at a time. I love that it is organized by the seasons And I started with summer because that is the season I am in right now in New England. What I liked best was sent after each poem, essay, story… Etc. there was a short suggestion for how to bring the particular wisdom into one’s life today. This book could easily be used in a group discussion setting, or an individual pondering the wisdom and then writing in their journal.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This writer's awakening occurred after a long illness - ME with fibromyalgia, meaning the loss of a much-loved job - rendered the writer as no longer able to work. She had to give up her demanding job as a teacher and relinquish much of her driven, competitive lifestyle in order to get in touch with her more spiritual being.
The language at times seems a little New Agey - getting in touch with the Self, etc but then we do have to start somewhere.
There are poetic writings - following the seasons and the cycles of the moon - are designed to help others as they meditate and smell the roses, as opposed to just rushing somewhere, impatient with slow, old, bumbling idiots who gets in the way.
Ahem.....
The meditational writings are interspersed with commentary from the writer as well as some installments from a short story about a middle-aged man who is also seeking his way out of the woods....
Neilson suggests that one way to move beyond loss, depression and isolation could be to help someone, or someone's, who are also suffering. Indeed, she offers practical advice on how this might be done The internet for example, has sites such as More loverletters.com, where individuals may write letters to sick children - perhaps to other forgotten people too. The writer stresses that it is important that there should never be any expectation of reward, though perhaps this should go without saying....
This short book is the fruit of one person's journey. As said, the New Age jargon jars a little with me occasionally, but there is plenty to like if you too have felt the need to get beyond the treadmill of life.

There are many uplifting pieces of prose/poetry in this collection that will speak to a wide variety of people. For instance, I'm a secular humanist who is just exploring the concept of non-religious spirituality. My wife is a highly spiritual, non-religious person who has a lifelong connection with her spirituality. Both of us enjoyed several entries and plan to dip in and out of this book throughout the seasons to see what else each of us can glean from it.

Recommended for those who want a bit of inspiration from time to time. This book will be best enjoyed with that type of leisurely reading experience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I am very much aware that reading a book such as 'Soul Murmurs' from cover to cover for review purposes does it no favours. This is a book to pick up, enjoy a section, put it down and let the ideas continue to inspire you before picking it up again.

Anita Neilson's life has been turned upside down through ill health, as she suffers from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. She is very open and honest about her experience and in some ways this book is the fruit of the time she has spent learning to cope with pain and to live in a body which will no longer do the things she may wish to do. However, she has discovered the power of meditation, of seeking calm in this busy world and that the imagination is our gateway to any experience, whether or not one's body can follow along.

The book is divided into four sections, following the seasons. It contains prose as well as poetry. The author explains the background to many of the poems and includes articles she has written on health issues. It also includes suggestions of things you could go and do today, which are linked to the themes of the writing - for example sending a card to a child who is unwell as a way of giving and helping others from your home.

One or two of the poems really touched me and I guess everyone will find some nuggets which speak to them. I also enjoyed reading the inspiration for the poetry. I always find it interesting when a writer, artist or musician share the personal experience which sparked the creative process, even though the audience may take something completely different from the work.

I did find the book rather disjointed, but wonder if that was due to reading it on a Kindle so the layout was a bit random. To me it felt a bit odd getting absorbed in some poetry and then suddenly reading an article about living with chronic fatigue and then coming across part of a short story, which played out across the sections of the book. Personally I would have enjoyed reading the prose at the start of each section, including any inspiration for the poetry, and then let the poetry stand alone in the rest of the section. However, I do acknowledge that I was reading the book from cover to cover rather than dipping in, so the fault may be mine as a reader.

If you are looking for a book which will provide some inspirational ideas I would certainly recommend this.

My thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a book full of poetry, essays and a short story. It is divided into the four seasons. There is a strong religious element to the book which I didn’t mind. Although I could appreciate the poetry, it wasn’t to my taste. I much preferred reading the essays. The main message in this book is to do positive things for other people. One of the ideas is to send a postcard to a sick child. I think that this is a lovely idea and I will definitely be doing this with my daughter in the school holidays.