Interview with Faye Hayden, author of Bedtime Stories for Mothers and Others
Faye Hayden, author of Bedtime Stories for Mothers and Others was very kind to answer some questions for me and to include some very interesting book recommendations! Before jumping into the interview, please check out Faye's book Bedtime Stories for Mothers and Others:
Review from Book Depository: Life is no Fairy Tale! Mine certainly isn't, and let's be honest I doubt anyone's is really, not all the time! Not even those sparkly people you see on the cover of glossy magazines or your fabulous friends on Social Media, with picture perfect lives. Just like them, we all airbrush out the imperfections of life when we can. This book is a warts and all look at the things that make life, well, life! Humorous observations and tales, chronicling the ups and downs that have often pushed me to the brink of insanity and back again.
(All links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Bedtime Stories for Mothers and Others: Volume 1: The Ten Year Challenge - Real Life Short Stories about Autism, Special Needs, Miscarriage, Diet, Rugby told with humour.
Buy On:
Book Depository €8.96
Amazon UK £7.99
Amazon US $9.49
Q. Do you have a favourite smart thinking book (and why that book)?
Cornflakes for Dinner by Aidan Comerford. This book was a gift from my best freind last Christmas. It got me out of a very deep emotional hole, and allowed me to try and find some humour in the every day challenges of life. Particulalry dealing with my son's Autism diagnosis. This book is hilarious, sad and unputdownable. The author very graciously entertained my efforts at being funny and was the starting point for my own writing.
Corn Flakes for Dinner: A Heartbreaking Comedy About Family Life
Review From Book Depository: Corn Flakes for Dinner is about what happens when expectations don't meet reality and, dreams crushed, you carry on and discover that even the darkest of clouds can reveal a silver lining. A hilarious, poignant memoir about ordinary magic, Corn Flakes for Dinner is a masterclass in navigating life's toughest challenges and rediscovering the joy in every day.
Buy On:
Book Depository €10.96 Waterstones £12.99 Amazon UK £12.99 Amazon US $15.46(All links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Q. What's the most recent smart thinking book you've read (and how would you rate it)?
A Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome by Tony Attwood. This book does exactly what it says on the tin and gives a very comprehensive guide to Aspergers, which is part of the Autism Spectrum. My son was diagnosed in 2018 and I had a million questions and a million sources to find the answers, which very quickly led to obsession and an overwhelming amount of, often conflicting, information. This book helped me to regain control of my thirst for knowledge on this subject and was a sanity saver.
The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome
Review From Book Depository: In this wise and witty invitation to Buddhist meditation, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong. Drawing from contemporary research on meditation and mindfulness and from his experience as a teacher and practitioner of Buddhism, Nichtern describes in fresh language the basic existential experience that gives rise to spiritual seeking--and its potentially dangerous counterpart, spiritual materialism.
Buy On:
Book Depository €20.13 Waterstones £19.99 Amazon UK £17.99 Amazon US $17.25(All links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Q. Do you have a favourite childhood book?
I have loads but Matilda by Roald Dahl is the stand out, Who doesn't love Matilda and Miss Honey? I went to see the stage show in Liverpool with my Mum when I was 10 and was delighted to do the same for my own children last year when it came to Dublin. Young and old, we were mesmerised in equal measure.
Matilda
Review From Book Depository: From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG! Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she's just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It'll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!
Buy On:
Book Depository €7.68 Waterstones £5.99 Amazon UK £3.99 Amazon US $7.99(All links earn commission from purchases that help fund this site. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Q. Do you prefer reading on paper, Kindle or listening to an audiobook?
Paper definitely. My friend is trying to convert me to Audio books, but in the car is my 'Dermot and Dave' time, and I can't miss them. I just cannot get into kindle at all, it isn't an option for me. Much to my husband's annoyance, I insist on "wasting" our luggage allowance on heavy books when we go on holidays - it could be worse, I could pack 10 pairs of shoes for a 3 days break. I think he just wants to save the allowance for low cost, high quality wine on the return leg of the trip!
Q. Do you have a favourite bookshop (and why that shop)?
The Reading Room in Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim. I'm a huge believer in shopping local. Orlagh the owner, knows us all really well and always picks out the perfect book. Especially for my 13 year old daughter. She steers me in the right direction, when my choices go awry. She also re-introduced my daughter to her love of reading after a brief affair with her phone! I often go in with lists of weird and wonderful Smart Thinking Books particularly on the subject of Special Education of Behaviour. She never bats an eyelid and gets in whatever I need. Plus, she was the first place to stock my own book, so I am eternally grateful.
Thanks and Diolch Yn Fawr to Faye for some great answers and interesting book recommendtions!
Please don't forget to check out her book Bedtime Stories for Mothers and Others.
Daryl
Image Copyrights: Faye Hayden (Bedtime Stories for Mothers and Others), Gill (Cornflakes For Dinner), Jessica Kingsley Publishers (The Complete Guide To Aspergers Syndrome), Penguin Books Ltd (Matilda)
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