The essence of successful therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the patient, a dance of growing trust and understanding. It is an intimate, messy, often surprising and sometimes confusing business -but when it works, it’s life-changing.

In The Talking Cure, psychotherapists Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship bring us nine inspiring stories of transformation.

They introduce us to their clients, fictional amalgams of real-life cases, and reveal how the art of talking and listening helps us to understand deep-seated issues that profoundly influence who we are in the world and how we see ourselves in relation to others. We come to understand that the transformative power of the therapeutic relationship can be replicated in our everyday lives by the simple practice of paying attention and being present with those we love.

Whether you have experienced therapy (or are tempted to try it), or you are just intrigued by the possibilities of a little-understood but transformative process, this wise and compassionate book will deepen your sense of what it is to be open to connection – and your appreciation that to be human is to be a little bit mad.

The Talking Cure by Professor Gillian Straker and Dr Jacqui Winship brings together eight common struggles brought to therapists.

In each chapter, we meet a different patient with a very different issue that they’re struggling with, and Gillian and Jacqui track their progress and break down their struggles for the reader. Whilst each story in this book is fictional — for confidentiality reasons — the patients are an amalgamation of real patients that exist in the world.

Each hidden struggle in the book is something that is commonly experienced by people within — and outside — of a therapist’s office, including difficult children, closed-off boyfriends, spouses shaken by an unexpected affair, people-pleasers, and more.

It’s quite surprising to recognise yourself in some of these patients. You find yourself genuinely fascinated to see some of your own behaviour in these fictional people, and you can’t help but glimpse the checklist at the end of each chapter to see how much of that ‘category’ you might fit into.

“Meredith had spent so much time thinking about Jade, and imagining her needs and wishes, that her capacity to observe and see her daughter’s actual needs and wishes was impaired. Jade had become a creation of Meredith’s own making.”

Insightful and interesting, The Talking Cure will entice many adult readers interested in learning more about psychology of humans. Don’t try to diagnose yourself with this book though. As I’ve mentioned, the stories in each of the chapters are fictitious and the checklists are merely there as a guide, so take this experience with a grain of salt.

“As I sat in the room with Charlene I experienced her loneliness. Yet even as she was sharing her distress, I felt strangely unmoved. I didn’t feel invited into her world. I felt spoken at rather than spoken to; it seemed to me that I was being asked to bear witness to a story Charlene was telling, but I was prohibited from participating in a dialogue with her.”

Admittedly, The Talking Cure feels a little formulaic after a while. You meet the patient, the psychiatrist reflects on what the ‘struggle’ is and what its effect is, the psychiatrist asks about their childhood and determines that their relationship with their parents and/or siblings explains how they are now, the psychiatrist asks questions to make the patient realise this on their own, and then there’s a checklist for readers to follow. It’s obviously part of the process, but to be completely honest, I was a bit bored by the 5th or 6th chapter.

Additionally, I found Gillian and Jacqui to be incredibly cold in their exchange with the patients (or at least their documented exchange), and truthfully, I never felt that I warmed to either of them throughout the book. There’s something removed about reading these stories, where you never really feel like you’re ‘there’. You feel like a fly on the wall, and sometimes it’s not that interesting.

I’d recommend this book to adult readers who are genuinely interested in the psychology of the human experience, but if you need a little guidance or help with your life, I don’t think this is the first book you should pick up in your journey.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Talking Cure: Normal people, their hidden struggles and the life-changing power of therapy
Professor Gillian Straker and Dr Jacqui Winship
June 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Sydney Dogs & Cats Home is unique in its ability and commitment to find that ‘one in a million’ owner for animals in their care, as well as that ‘one in a million’ pet for people looking to adopt.

In Lost but Found, you will meet forty special dogs who have spent time at the Home. Their stories reveal how the dogs came to be lost, how and why they were in the shelter, and the love and care they received while there and in their new forever homes.

Fully illustrated and with both before- and after-adoption photography from award-winning pet photographer Peter Sharp of Tame & Wild Studio, this touching collection of precious pups will warm the hearts of animal lovers near and far.

All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.

Lost but Found by Peter Sharp is an incredible compilation of 40 dogs who have been lost then found thanks to Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

This book is a gorgeous little package for readers — small, glossy and packed with stories of so many different types of dogs who have experienced different beginnings, and a resulting adoption.

Another day, another dog book that’s made me tear up on public transport.

This book sheds a light on the importance of finding the right dog for your family environment, and it encourages people to adopt rather than buy new puppies. There are so many dogs that need loving homes — of all ages — and they’re all worth a chance.

“Mimosa was picked up as a stray with no microchip or any other form of identification. A routine vet check revealed that this lovely girl had already birthed multiple litters of puppies and was no suffering from heart worm disease.”

The book features full-page, high-res images of each dog and most entries also feature some candids photos of the dog since being adopted by its new owner.

Most of these dogs had horrible starts. They were abandoned, left behind or found in terrible conditions in dense bushland. But the entries shy away from focusing too heavily on the dog’s earlier state, and instead spends more of the page real estate talking about their adoption.

Each dog’s present owner has written a first-person reflection on what it was like to adopt their dog, and it’s a really beautiful and tender addition to each entry.

“Dorothy had a serious case of demodectic mange and a terrible skin infection. She had lost almost her entire coat of fur and nearly every centimetre of her body was red raw, inflamed and covered in scabs, and there was a strong odour emanating from her infected skin. She was also extremely underweight.”

For those who are unfamiliar, the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is Sydney’s only charity pound and community facility. The Home, which began in 1946, takes care of Sydney’s lost, abandoned and neglected pets. Each year, they help over 3000 animals and they service multiple council areas across Sydney.

The only thing I’d change about this book is that I’d suggest removing the interviews with the animals. I think children would be the main audience for these sections of the book, but I don’t see them picking up this kind of book. I think the main audience of Lost but Found are adult dog lovers, and adults who have adopted or rescued animals in the past. The interviews are sweet, but a little corny.

Recommended for dog lovers, and adults who have adopted or rescued dogs. A heartfelt and heartwarming compilation of really beautiful adoption stories.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lost but Found: Rescue Dogs and their Stories of Adoption
Peter Sharp
November 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Heartwarming stories of dogs that survived – and thrived – against the odds.

It’s no secret that dogs have indomitable spirits, that they’re tireless workers and have boundless energy. But it’s when everything seems hopeless that their grit and determination really shines through. Whether sick or injured, lost or abandoned, recovering from cruelty or neglect, it’s the underdogs of the world who have the most to teach us.

Dogs like Jake the bulldog, who was found unresponsive in a burning house but was revived by puppy CPR and now serves as a mascot for the fire crew that saved his life; Guy the beagle, discovered alone in the woods, desperately underweight, only to be adopted by Meghan Markle and become a four-legged part of the royal family; and Maggie, blinded by eye infections and shot 17 times, but still living her life with such relentless positivity that she provides support to stressed-out students and aged-care residents.

Miracle Mutts shares the stories of miraculous dogs like these, dogs who conquered seemingly insurmountable odds, dogs whose futures seemed bleak, dogs that weren’t expected to make it – but triumphed and thrived in the face of incredible adversity.

Miracle Mutts by Laura Greaves is the most uplifting, inspiring book for dog lovers — so many good doggos feature within these pages, so many resilient and determined young pups who experienced a catastrophic incident but turned it around and lived a happy and healthy life.

Another day, another dog book that made me tear up on public transport.

Miracle Mutts tells the story of 15 dogs who escaped possible death, from burns survivor Fergus to amputee Kali to a gorgeous greyhound called Millie whose front paw was mangled and almost completely cut off.

The dogs in the book aren’t just from Australia — Laura shines a spotlight on dogs from other locations such as Bali and Sri Lanka, and gives an insight into what life is like for dogs in those places and the limitations that they have simply because proper health and care is not always available.

“Ann’s mind raced with possibilities. What if the torrential rain had washed away his scent and he couldn’t retrace his steps? What if he’d been injured in the inclement weather? Charlie was registered and microchipped, but what if someone had picked him up and spirited him away?”

Exhaustive research and interviews have gone into this book — Laura speaks with multiple people who were involved in each dog’s journey to find out as much about what happened as possible.

In some of the chapters, the stories don’t just involve the dogs’ struggle, but their owners too. Some families experience heartache and are mourning family members, and their dogs play a vital role in helping their owner overcome grief and loss.

Your heart breaks in some parts of the book — there’s a pregnant dog who was sleeping in a field in Sri Lanka when a harvester machine accidentally drove over her and severed three of her legs. She lay bleeding for half a day before anyone found her, and then it was another half day to get her to veterinary help. Miraculously, the dog lived.

“To the man’s horror, Oscar did exactly that, launching himself over the balustrade and plummeting at least 15 metres to the ground below. Why did he do it? Nobody can say for sure, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected given his breed’s high prey drive and proficiency as escapologists.”

Readers will enjoy the story of how Meghan Markle adopted her dog, choosing him from a rescue centre many years before she married Prince Harry. Readers will also love the story of Jake, who was caught in a fire when he was a puppy and was rescued by a fire-fighter who later adopted him.

Recommended for dog lovers, and readers looking for something heartwarming. It’s hard to read this and not feel uplifted or inspired. What a joyous book of stories.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Miracle Mutts
Laura Greaves
November 2019
Penguin Random House