The book also comes with seven MP3s that you can download for free from the related website. It’s split into three parts, with eleven chapters in total, and in the first part of the book each chapter is composed of a preamble/explanation, followed by several exercises to try. The later sections of the book are more focused on exercises.

The tone is very friendly and engaging, and it’s easy to read. However, the preambles did not sit very well with me in places. The main problem I have with the introductory sections is that the author discusses various topics within the field of quantum physics, extrapolates them to subjects that are not related to quantum physics and then presents the secondary subjects as ‘scientific fact’ and on occasion ‘proof’. I’m not sure what the point of this is, although talking about ‘the universe’ might be a round about way of talking about God or maybe getting your mind into a sort of ‘prayer state’ without freaking out atheists.

Anyway, that aside, I’ve had a very good look at the exercises and I genuinely think many of them might work well for most people. I don’t think they would work for the reasons claimed (quantum physics et al), more likely because they harness the human mind, and the human mind is indeed a very powerful and incredible thing. It’s a case of throw it at the wall and see what sticks with you, the individual: you can go for examining your personal values and beliefs, improving your concentration, trying creative visualisation, using relaxation and meditation techniques, consciously steering your mood and thoughts gently into a more positive direction, learning to let go of certain  things, setting goals and priorities, and so on.

My best guess is that this book would cheer most people up and make you count your blessings if you were feeling a bit ‘blah’, and it would help you to feel more focused, in control and motivated in your work and personal life. There is something practical and useful in this book for almost everyone, but only if you are okay with picking and choosing.

However, as it talks about manifesting (as in ‘your past thoughts are what’s caused every event in your life’) I’d suggest trying a different book if you’re suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, the after-effects of childhood abuse, debilitating genetic illness, or moderate to severe anxiety or depression where sensations of guilt are a prominent feature.

The book design has garnered much attention, and I also have to agree that it’s very handsome indeed. Lots of attractive illustrations, fold-out pages, and plenty of room for your own notes and drawings.

To sum up: a good-looking self-help book that those of a cosmic bent are very likely to enjoy. If you have a friend like that it would be a nice gift for them. I can’t recommend it more widely because of the pseudoscience.

Instructions for happiness and success by Susie Pearl is published by Quadrille and has an RRP of £12.99. It’s currently available on Amazon for £7.53.

One thing I should definitely mention from the off is that the book focuses on natural spa destinations. By ‘natural’ I mean mineral water springs, thermal springs, clays and muds, salt caves and the like, rather than spa hotels that could have been built at any random location and had the facilities added afterwards. That’s why, for example, the two British choices are centred around Bath Spa and the Lake District. There are also a few additions that include local ingredients such as seaweed, grapes and chocolate (seriously, check out the Sacher spa, it’s real and everything).

There are plenty of photos of the spas and nearby towns and countryside, and I particularly like the way they’ve included a few sightseeing options for each destination. After all, once you’ve finished with the pampering it would be a shame to miss the landmarks.

The natural spa centres themselves range from the basic to the high tech; some are hippy heaven, others are luxurious and still others are quasi-medical. The reviews quickly give you a very good idea of what you’d be getting yourself into, and outline the treatments and therapies for which each spa is famous. A guideline price is also included for popular treatments, which is helpful if you’re watching the Euros.

If I had one small complaint, it would be that I’d like to have seen a few more pictures of treatment rooms in individual spas and clinics. However, you can get round this by looking at the spa websites which are mentioned along with their other contact details.

To sum up: an interesting, unique guide to natural spas with a wide range of styles and price brackets included. It’s an ideal jumping-off point if you’re about to start researching a European spa break, and it would make an attractive gift for any globetrotting beauty fan.

The Spa Lover’s Guide to Europe by Sarah Woods has an RRP of £14.99. It’s currently available on Amazon for £7.50.

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COMPETITION TIME: We have one copy of this rather attractive tome to give away. If you’d like to win yourself a copy of the Spa Lover’s Guide to Europe, just leave a message saying ‘Spa me!” in the comments below to go into the prize draw.

T&Cs: UK entrants only, winner picked using random.org. No cash alternative. Only one entry per person please – multiple entries will be disqualified. Competition closes at noon on Wednesday 23rd November 2011.

The first one is Auberge du Chocolat: The secrets of fine chocolate making, by Anne Scott. This book really is something else, and it would make a perfect Christmas gift for a foodie friend, partner or relative.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to melt, temper and work with chocolate, this book shows you how. It will also give you the confidence to create all the classic fillings, and work with interesting new flavour combinations. The author has a real can-do approach, so after reading you’re left feeling like you could just get on with it and make some really special treats, either for your own consumption or giving as quality gifts.

There are separate sections on decorating and presenting your chocolates, dairy-free chocolates, and making choc treats with kids. If you follow the instructions you should definitely be able to create professional looking gourmet chocolates at home after reading, if you just take your time and don’t rush. Photographs are plentiful, and mouth-wateringly attractive.

Auberge du Chocolat by Anne Scott is published by New Holland and has an RRP of £16.99. It’s currently on offer at Amazon for £8.99, with free super saver delivery.

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Our second book is Natural Soap, by Melinda Cross. It focuses on traditional soapmaking techniques and has a strong emphasis on natural ingredients. The author began making soap as a hobby, and then became a professional supplier of natural soaps and toiletries.

It begins with a through explanation of the basics of natural soapmaking, and describes the properties of all the ingredients that can be used to make it. You won’t find any bright colours, artificial perfumes, or melt and pour in here, but that’s really all part of the charm – and the products look luxurious. The largest part of the book is given over to a whole range of different soapmaking projects, including bar soaps, liquid soaps, and scrub soaps, each with presentation and wrapping tips.

As an added bonus there are also recipes for shampoos, shaving soap, bath melts, and an impressive range of creams and lotions at the back of the book. To top it all off, there’s a section about turning your hobby into a small business – this is concise and direct, and gives you a realistic idea of what is necessary if you want to be successful.

Natural Soap by Melinda Coss has an RRP of £8.99. At the time of writing this review it’s available on Amazon for £5.03, and qualifies for free super saver delivery.

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COMPETITION TIME: If you would like to win a hardback copy of Auberge du Chocolat, just leave a ‘yes please!’ message in the comments section below. We’ll pick a winner at random from all the comments at lunch time next Friday.

Good luck everyone!

T&Cs: UK entrants only please, winner picked using random.org. No cash alternative. Only one entry per person please – multiple entries will be disqualified. Competition closes at noon on Friday 18 November 2011.

The best part of More To Life Than Shoes is given over to interviews with all kinds of different women who have set up successful businesses or made other achievements – these are as diverse as climbing Everest, or becoming the Speaker of the House of Commons. Some of the interviews are extended, others are tiny quotes and soundbites, and the authors provide handy commentary, bullet points and summary boxes throughout to pick out the most important points and maintain the narrative thread.

The book’s divided into different sections about reconnecting with what you’re passionate about, finding your spark, presenting yourself well, working in male-dominated arenas, starting up your own business, flexible working, and being brave. There’s also a useful ‘toolkit’ section at the back of the book that contains all kinds of interesting resources.

One of the most interesting things to emerge from the interviews is that many of these high-flying women describe themselves as shy, or non-confrontational, or less than confident. While some of this might be ‘aww shucks’ stuff, most of it seems quite genuine, and it’s quite heart-warming to see that most of these women have struggled with self-doubt and other problems and managed to overcome them.

There’s none of the awful ‘Yes! You can have it all! If only you believe in this enough!’ motivational BS that simultaneously sells and sinks other books in this genre either, which is quite a relief. It’s more realistic and measured, and a fair amount of time and space is devoted to the difficulties of juggling projects, work duties, interests, partners and kids.

If I have one tiny criticism, I’d have to say that the text about not interviewing Thatcher could have been left out as it doesn’t seem to add much. However, this is a very small niggle and other people might like it.

To sum up: A lively, inspiring book for women who are stuck in a career or personal rut and don’t know where to go next. While it won’t hold your hand and help you write out that business plan, it will get you fired up and feeling hopeful and positive again – it’s up to you to take it from there.

More To Life Than Shoes: How to Kick-Start Your Career and Change Your Life has an RRP of £8.99, and you can currently pick up a copy of it on Amazon for £5.79.

He’s the clever clogs behind the dishes at the Michelin-starred Maze. The premise of the book is that you can have fine dining for a fiver per head, by which he means a light-ish two-course meal (starter and main, or main and dessert) without drinks.

Without a doubt this is dinner party food, or a hearty lunch for foodies, and the recipes are all to serve four people. It’s easy enough to scale the portions up or down too. In order for it to truly be a meal for a fiver you have to have quite a few store cupboard staples already otherwise you’ll be buying in extra ingredients that can cost a fair bit for a whole bottle or packet.

It also helps if you live near a decent fishmonger or butcher, as there are many ingredients that work out great value for money and are very tasty indeed, but you’re unlikely to get them from the average supermarket. Likewise, some of the flavourings would be best purchased from an Indian grocery shop, or a Chinese or Thai supermarket.

The book also relies on seasonal foods, things that are at their best and also hopefully cheaper because they’re plentiful. I’d say that you’d need to be a fairly confident cook to tackle some of the dishes, intermediate to advanced level mainly, but you’d be able to make some real show-stoppers.

It’s the chef-y touches that really make this book, including the ‘plating up’ directions. It’s all designed to look beautiful when you serve it up, and each recipe is accompanied by a full page colour photo. The desserts are stunning.

If I’m going to be niggly, some of the chef-yness is also a slight drawback at times as the home cook cannot haggle for trade discounts on ingredients and loses out on economies of scale. One example is the creation of a pudding that’s entirely made from staple ingredients, which then has ’15g of fresh coconut’ shaved over the top of it – fine of you’re making 20 in a restaurant kitchen, not within budget for the average home cook as it’s impossible to buy this amount on its own. This is where experience and ability to improvise comes in handy, as a little grated chocolate or sprinkle of toasted dessicated coconut could be possible substitutes.

In summary: a very beautiful cookbook with fresh, innovative recipes and seasonal ingredients. Not one for beginners, but definitely a book to consider if you’d like to shake up your romantic dinner repertoire or try something new when you’re feeding your foodie friends. Worth it for the desserts alone.

Gourmet food for a fiver by Jason Atherton is published by Quadrille Ltd and has an RRP of £14.99. It’s currently available from Amazon priced £7.70 and qualifies for free Super Saver delivery.

However, just about every gym, football club and sub-standard hotel has now tacked on a ‘spa’, often charging premium prices for slapdash services and offering up crappy levels of ambience. They all have glossy PR and websites, and it’s very easy to make an expensive mistake. Well here at www.pennygolightly.com we hate expensive mistakes with a passion.

How do you sort the wheat from the chaff? That’s a tricky one. You can go for your own potentially expensive trial and error, you can ask around, or you can find yourself some reliable expert reviews.

I have to say that I’ve found the Good Spa Spies to be pretty reliable. This latest edition of their spa guide is not a comprehensive listing of every UK spa, it saves you a lot of time and bother by only listing the best ones. They have ‘bubble’ ratings, similar to stars, and only the 4-bubble (would go again) and 5-bubble (we want to move in and never leave) establishments are included here.

My personal visits to certain British spas all tally with their ratings, and I particularly like how they provide plenty of information about the style and type of spa, locations, treatments and products, prices, food and atmosphere. It’s pretty comprehensive but presented in a concise way. They also pull no punches about weak spots, including tired décor and lack of privacy.

If you’re a regular spa user, or you’re thinking about dipping a toe in the water for the first time, this book could save you a lot of heartache. Alongside the reviews there’s also a glossary of all kinds of treatments (it’s presented in an uncritical fashion, so I’d recommend further research if you’re looking for efficacy rather than just general pampering), plus handy regional maps.

To sum up: a trustworthy guide to the pick of the best British spas, full of useful information. Could save you a small fortune, or just save your skin.

The latest edition of The best spas in Britain by the Good Spa Spies, published by the good spa guide, has an RRP of £18.95. It’s currently available from Amazon priced £12.32, including free delivery.

What do you need to know about it? Well, for starters, it’s gorgeous. Beautifully laid out, full of appealing photography and quirky illustrations, and clearly brimming with enthusiasm for the best of our British ingredients. It would make a great gift, or you could treat yourself if you’re hankering after some inspiration.

The bottom line with Hix’s cooking is flavour and quality, but bargain hunters will also like many of his thrifty, and often sustainable, ideas. There’s a lot of information here about foraging food for free, and getting the full use out of meat, fish and vegetables to minimise waste. I also like his comments about when it’s worth paying more for certain ingredients and when it definitely isn’t.

It isn’t too gardening-focused, but home-growing fans will find all kinds of passing information about different kinds of fruit, herbs and veg to inspire their kitchen garden planning. It includes mentions of the main cropping seasons, but there isn’t much about planting or good things for small gardens.

One of the most useful features of British Seasonal Food is that each of the monthly chapters focuses on a tiny handful of ingredients that are at their best. There are several recipes based around each ingredient, ranging from the very simple to the showy, which shows you how to use up plentiful supplies and make the most of a glut. This includes preserves, and soups and other meals that can be frozen.

Unusually, I can’t find anything to be particularly critical about. So, to sum up: an elegant, engaging book full of handy information and enticing recipes.

The paperback edition of British Seasonal Food by Mark Hix is available from the 4^th of March 2011, published by Quadrille, with an RRP of £14.99. It’s currently available to pre-order from Amazon for £9.74, including free delivery.

This has been created by the bargainous lady behind The Lean Times blog, and it’s a handy document to help you beat the coming VAT increase and combat rising food prices.

It contains all sorts of information about which foods and other goods have VAT added to their prices, and you might be surprised at how complicated some of the government VAT rules are. For example, I learned that ordinary fruit juice does have VAT added to its price, but the gooey treat of millionaire’s shortbread does not. Slightly strange, and very counter-intuitive to say the least, but it does reflect the slightly disturbing power of the UK food lobby to influence government policy.

The book is about keeping general household costs down too, so there are clever ideas for saving on clothing and cleaning bills, items to stockpile or buy in bulk, and little treats that are worth spending the extra money on.

There are some really tasty looking recipes too, including chocolate sorbet, gnocchi and home made granola bars. These are all affected by VAT and/or ingredient shortages if you buy them ready-made, so you can save some cash and enjoy some additive free goodness too.

The cost of the ebook is a teeny weeny £2.50, and if you followed most of the tips in it this would probably pay for itself in less than one average weekly household grocery shop. If you get one now, before the VAT increase it will also help you stockpile a few things before the prices go up.

The Even LEANER Times Ahead (And How To Survive Them) ebook is available to download from The Lean Times website, priced £2.50.

The book contains lots and lots of pictures to go with the instructions, which is very helpful, and all the hairdressing jargon is properly explained. There’s a handy chapter about essential equipment, followed by eleven distinctive styles to try out, from the simple to the very complex and dated between the early 1940s and the late sixties.

Each style has photographs of classic ‘dos’ on movie stars and other media figures such as Rita Hayworth, Jackie O and Dietrich, but what’s great is that they’ve also included the modern versions to give an up-to-date twist, so you’ll see pictures of Gwen Stefani and the cast of Mad Men too. That makes some of the looks softer and more workable in everyday life.

The design and layout of the book are really pretty, and I think this would make it ideal to give as a gift as well as to buy as a little treat for yourself.

If I had one criticism, it would be that the book doesn’t include the brand names of reliable styling products. It would help first-timers a lot if they got the right hairspray, gel, or setting lotion as it can make a real difference to the end result. Potential buyers should also be warned that most of these styles work best on long or mid-length hair, so if yours is short then you might want to grow it a bit.

To sum up: An attractively-produced book with clear instructions and lots of helpful and inspiring pictures. Probably most suitable for beginners or someone with a little styling experience.

Style Me Vintage by Belinda Hay is published by Anova books and has a RRP of £9.99. It is currently available from Amazon for £7.47.

Junk-Box Jewellery uses found objects as its starting materials, and turns them into unique pieces of jewellery. The premise is that you can start being creative with a minimum of tools/outlay and not too much experience, which is an empowering idea, and one that’s very appealing.

The author comes across as keen and friendly, and is very natural and non-patronising. You can really feel the enthusiasm, and get a good idea of her adaptability – everything’s about making the most of what you already have.

There are sections on tool kits, places to find and buy materials, specific suggestions about wires and findings (very useful, as any jewellery-maker knows), presenting or selling your work, and the 25 actual projects themselves. The jewellery ranges from simple earrings to wedding day tiaras, and includes vintage beads and pebbles that wash up on the beach.

My only real criticism is that wire-cutting tools are referred to as ‘snips’ throughout the book, instead of cutters. If you went to buy snips (a tool used in areas of the textiles industry) you would end up buying the wrong thing, and that’s never a good idea when sharp implements are involved. Other minor niggles are that the good-quality illustrations aren’t numbered, which would have been a great help to match the step-by-step instructions, and files aren’t mentioned in the equipment list, even though they are used in the third project onwards.

As someone who has made jewellery before, I’d say that the book isn’t quite right for absolute beginners, but it’s ideal for someone who already has  a tiny bit of experience. It’s great for getting some interesting and unusual new ideas for projects, and it’s also easy to see how you could adapt all of them to suit your own individual taste. The home business section at the end is really nicely written too, in case anyone was thinking about setting up a financial sideline.

Junk-Box Jewellery is published by A & C Black with an RRP of £14.99. You can currently buy it from Amazon for £12.74.