I did a little dance in Eason's when I saw this book on the shelves, semi-unmindful of the stares of some po-faced northerners. Yeah...well they're just missing out... it's the second installment of irish girlie extraordinaire giséle scanlon's "the goddess guide" which is full of hints & tips of the feminine pursuasion. It is girlier than a pink haired girlie girl in a laura ashley dress with chloé shoes ;].
Even the inside cover is cute;
Anyone who can natter on for pages & pages about the merits of parisian macaroons, with passions as diverse as stephen fry & the mighty boosh, milky tea and parsinups gets my vote.
My magical bunny even stopped by for some reading/eating material;
This book’s saving grace are the interviews with various celebrities in the fashion and arts world. Otherwise it is more or less a catalogue of mostly expensive things. I also didn’t like the writer’s tone as she comes across as somewhat smug. And don’t get me started on Snailey. I found the whole “goddess experience” mildly irritating to be honest, although it did make me think of my own micro pleasures. So that’s a definite plus for this book. My advice is to dip into it occasionally.
I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this book-- it may have been the gorgeous cover that drew me in. It sounds like it could be some sort of pampering book, and the blurbs seemed to support that... What it ended up being was diverting travel ramblings and ruminations on life, liberally sprinkled with shop names and useful tips on various things. For me this was not a book to be read straight through, but instead picked at and gone back into. it seems to work better that way-- though I did almost miss that somewhere there is, apparently, a dim sum that serves char siu bao with venison, instead of pork. The book is beautifully put together. It has weight, glossy pages, and whimsical modern illustrations. This would probably be a great gift for someone interested in fashion, or luxury shopping trips to certain European centers.
Cute, interesting little book. Definitely a bit dated - obnoxiously late 2000s but not in a bad way. It seemed more like a travel guide than anything else, centred around London, Paris, New York, Berlin and sometimes Dublin. Most of the recommendations were pricey - £475 for a stapler. Also a lot of pages about things that could've fit on two sides, and absolutely riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. When she mentioned her editor my eyes near fell out of their sockets because I find it hard to believe that this book was even proofread let alone edited.
I have to admit I bought this book for its cover!!! Sometimes I do this :S. The book arrived and it was very heavy, filled with tons of pages on how a lady creates “goddess experiences” in her food, exercise, shopping, outing and lifestyle habits. To be honest, the idea of the book is nice. Each page is also filled with beautiful illustrations. My main take on this book was that it was cluttered in some pages with content and information. They were not easy on the eye and so made the reading experience unpleasant. I ordered my copy from @asos
Gisele is a wonderful artist and storyteller, describing each place, person or experience that makes her happy. In her quest to find happiness, she learns that the people she interviewed often said luxury is not about materialism but things such as time or even a type of food. With travel tips to places such as London, Paris, New York, Dublin, Sydney, Berlin and more, get excited over the places you want to visit. Gisele shares her favourite haunts and secret spots for food, vintage finds, beauty, books and even home ware. The Irish writer who lives in London met Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith, two legends in fashion. If you want to watch videos of her travels you can find them online. Entertaining and informative, The Goddess Experience is about knowing what works and trying them out.
This contains much more information than the first Goddess Guide and is a beautiful book for the bedside table.
However, Scanlon has a strange half pally half condenscending tone that really came to the forefront in this one. She was really getting on my nerves by the end of it. And someone should tell her that her friendship with her plasticine snail has to stop - its quite silly.
I saw this book while a woman browsing it. It was calling me to browse...and without thinking much I bought this book because of it artistic and graphic design. But when I started reading it...I really falling in love and want more.... Gisele please produce more book....!!!