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Mirror, Mirror
"Stories are powerful things. Books are powerful things. This is why people burn and ban them... books and stories contain ideas, and ideas are bulletproof."
We are all surrounded by stories. Whether you know it or not, we are all storytellers. From books, film and television to the way we convey daily information, stories shape the way we communicate and view the world around us.
With warmth and personal insight, A B Endacott explores the ways in which the stories we read, write and consume tell us something about our collective humanity and gives us the opportunity to step beyond ourselves and the limitations of our single lived experience.
Drawing on a broad range of stories from mythology to Disney films, the reader is encouraged to question how storytelling is vital to our understanding of who we are, and the power they have to transform our world view.
We are all surrounded by stories. Whether you know it or not, we are all storytellers. From books, film and television to the way we convey daily information, stories shape the way we communicate and view the world around us.
With warmth and personal insight, A B Endacott explores the ways in which the stories we read, write and consume tell us something about our collective humanity and gives us the opportunity to step beyond ourselves and the limitations of our single lived experience.
Drawing on a broad range of stories from mythology to Disney films, the reader is encouraged to question how storytelling is vital to our understanding of who we are, and the power they have to transform our world view.
90 pages, Paperback
Published December 7, 2020
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
A.B. Endacott
9 books43 followersAlice Jane Boer-Endacott was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, amid a home filled with books and cats. From her earliest days as a bored young child she has always used her imagination to escape the drudgery of reality by creating works of fiction. Her first manuscript was a gripping saga involving a ghost horse creatively named Ghost, written at the tender age of nine.
After procrastinating assignments during her Masters degree in Executive Management and Corporate Anthropology, and discovering that she had accidentally written three novels, in a not-so-shocking-twist, she decided to become an author.
Her first book, QUEENDOM OF THE SEVEN LAKES, was written at a time when she was playing Dragon Age Inquisition (and is thus living proof that computer games are socially valuable activities). Alice’s hobbies include eating, reading, writing, woodworking, and having deeply analytical discourses about contemporary media with her three cats.
Queendom of the Seven Lakes can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077GTFNG6
Its sequel, King of the Seven Lakes, is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB35CD3/
And the standalone novel (set in the same world), The Ruthless Land, is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DK57KX2/
After procrastinating assignments during her Masters degree in Executive Management and Corporate Anthropology, and discovering that she had accidentally written three novels, in a not-so-shocking-twist, she decided to become an author.
Her first book, QUEENDOM OF THE SEVEN LAKES, was written at a time when she was playing Dragon Age Inquisition (and is thus living proof that computer games are socially valuable activities). Alice’s hobbies include eating, reading, writing, woodworking, and having deeply analytical discourses about contemporary media with her three cats.
Queendom of the Seven Lakes can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077GTFNG6
Its sequel, King of the Seven Lakes, is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB35CD3/
And the standalone novel (set in the same world), The Ruthless Land, is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DK57KX2/
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 4, 2020
This book did so much more for than I was expecting it too, and I had high hopes. Alice writes with a unique charm and humour making for an easy and thought-provoking read. I found this book powerful in the moments where it did make me question my own reading habits, including what message am I sending and what can we do better. Highly recommend this book to everyone (especially as it is such a quick read). Excited to read the next installments in this mini series.
December 4, 2020
I loved this deep dive into the reasons we tell and share stories.
Alice expertly weaves past and current day fairytales with the rationale behind why they remain popular.
This book has many ah-ha moments and it will make you reminiscent of your childhood (if like me you grew up on a diet of stories and Disney animation)
Thank you so much Alice x
Alice expertly weaves past and current day fairytales with the rationale behind why they remain popular.
This book has many ah-ha moments and it will make you reminiscent of your childhood (if like me you grew up on a diet of stories and Disney animation)
Thank you so much Alice x
December 4, 2020
So this was actually really thought provoking, but easily accessible - something I’ve always struggled with when it comes to books that explore ideas.
I was expecting to read a chapter or so per day, but steamed right through it within the hour. It did (slightly uncomfortably), make me think about my own choices in reading and telling my own stories. Certainly, it’s a tiny but powerful read I’ll mull over for a while.
I was expecting to read a chapter or so per day, but steamed right through it within the hour. It did (slightly uncomfortably), make me think about my own choices in reading and telling my own stories. Certainly, it’s a tiny but powerful read I’ll mull over for a while.
December 8, 2020
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It's magic in its purest form
There is no denying that I adore Alice and her work, but finishing this book made me love her brilliance even more.
For a mini, I was pleasantly surprised at how often I paused to ponder and agree with the points that were made. This thought-provoking book leaves you with a unique way of looking at fairy tales, their history, creation and their evolution
After finishing this book, I was left pondering my own reading and writing habits and began to plan, how I can do better. And feeling any emotion at the end of a book, is one of the most holy signs of a damn good read.
Wrapping this up in few words: I loved it. You will to.
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It's magic in its purest form
There is no denying that I adore Alice and her work, but finishing this book made me love her brilliance even more.
For a mini, I was pleasantly surprised at how often I paused to ponder and agree with the points that were made. This thought-provoking book leaves you with a unique way of looking at fairy tales, their history, creation and their evolution
After finishing this book, I was left pondering my own reading and writing habits and began to plan, how I can do better. And feeling any emotion at the end of a book, is one of the most holy signs of a damn good read.
Wrapping this up in few words: I loved it. You will to.
January 28, 2021
This book is a fantastic read! I feel like I’ve sat down at a cafe with the author and we’re having a coffee and a great conversation about life and how aspects of it impact us and our thoughts. The writing is amazing and for a non-fiction book I was totally engrossed. I’ve come away from reading this thinking about what I read and the messages they convey to me. I highly recommend picking up this book and then going and picking up some of the books mentioned, I know I will be!
January 10, 2021
3.5 stars.
This was quite interesting, and reminded me of my uni days. (Clearly I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, academic or not.)
This was quite interesting, and reminded me of my uni days. (Clearly I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, academic or not.)
February 6, 2021
- thanks to Kat from @debut.books for my #gifted copy - Kat, you are sunshine ❤️
I didn't know essays were my thing until I had to read a considerable number of them for Uni and until I had to write my own. Fortunately, I fell in love with the genre, and I learned how to experience it and appreciate it. Now I feel utterly honoured to had been trusted to review Alice's outstanding collection of essays.
I don't know Alice personally, but her sense of humour transpired in her writing. Her sentences are embedded in humour while maintaining intelligent arguments that got me exclaiming 'yes, yes, exactly this, yes!' more often than not while reading. Alice explores fascinating concepts such as the intricacies of storytelling: why do we tell stories, how much they can influence our lives, and how certain narratives get ingrained in our brains forever. Alice's develops her ideas with brilliance, through professional yet compelling writing, and explores concepts that affect our daily lives, especially to us readers, reviewers and bookstagrammers.
In addition, it is no secret that I work for a children's publisher here in Australia, and that I work closely with companies like Disney daily. Because of this, I have a very personal interest in discussing how Disney's retellings and original stories affect our lives, especially the effect they have on generations like mine: generations that have been influenced since early childhood by them. Therefore, I was ecstatic reading Alice's essay on this topic and nailing every single argument. Doubtlessly, I need to sit down and have a coffee with this brilliant writer because her brain is undoubtedly worth picking.
Ultimately, I have to admit that every single time I pick a book, I'm expecting to find what Alice provided in Mirror, Mirror: solid writing, thought-provoking topics and the pleasure to be inspired by someone else's insights. So, I have nothing left to say but a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to both Alice and Kat.
Overall, Mirror, Mirror is a must-read. An insightful collection of essays that reflect on the power of stories written by a talented author whose ideas I will carry with me for a very long time. I urge everyone to read it - no regrets assured!
I didn't know essays were my thing until I had to read a considerable number of them for Uni and until I had to write my own. Fortunately, I fell in love with the genre, and I learned how to experience it and appreciate it. Now I feel utterly honoured to had been trusted to review Alice's outstanding collection of essays.
I don't know Alice personally, but her sense of humour transpired in her writing. Her sentences are embedded in humour while maintaining intelligent arguments that got me exclaiming 'yes, yes, exactly this, yes!' more often than not while reading. Alice explores fascinating concepts such as the intricacies of storytelling: why do we tell stories, how much they can influence our lives, and how certain narratives get ingrained in our brains forever. Alice's develops her ideas with brilliance, through professional yet compelling writing, and explores concepts that affect our daily lives, especially to us readers, reviewers and bookstagrammers.
In addition, it is no secret that I work for a children's publisher here in Australia, and that I work closely with companies like Disney daily. Because of this, I have a very personal interest in discussing how Disney's retellings and original stories affect our lives, especially the effect they have on generations like mine: generations that have been influenced since early childhood by them. Therefore, I was ecstatic reading Alice's essay on this topic and nailing every single argument. Doubtlessly, I need to sit down and have a coffee with this brilliant writer because her brain is undoubtedly worth picking.
Ultimately, I have to admit that every single time I pick a book, I'm expecting to find what Alice provided in Mirror, Mirror: solid writing, thought-provoking topics and the pleasure to be inspired by someone else's insights. So, I have nothing left to say but a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to both Alice and Kat.
Overall, Mirror, Mirror is a must-read. An insightful collection of essays that reflect on the power of stories written by a talented author whose ideas I will carry with me for a very long time. I urge everyone to read it - no regrets assured!
April 5, 2021
Mirror Mirror is an insightful essay, effectively evoking the importance of stories and storytelling to human interaction and the construction of societal standards and norms. Storytelling is something primal, an ever present force in human history, but one that is frequently overlooked and under-appreciated
While Mirror Mirror provides much food for thought, it is but a starting point in an absolutely fascinating field of inquiry. I hope that the author AB Endacott has the opportunity to continue this work as understanding the phenomenon outlined in this brief book is more pertinent than ever in an era dominated by a media landscape dominated by a few conglomerates.
While Mirror Mirror provides much food for thought, it is but a starting point in an absolutely fascinating field of inquiry. I hope that the author AB Endacott has the opportunity to continue this work as understanding the phenomenon outlined in this brief book is more pertinent than ever in an era dominated by a media landscape dominated by a few conglomerates.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews