Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2269 KP) rated The Deep End in Books
Aug 14, 2019
I’m glad I Jumped into this Series
Ellison Russell is devoted to her teenage daughter, Grace, and her art. She and her husband are still living together, but that is only because they have decided to wait to get divorced until Grace is out of the house. Part of Ellison’s routine is a swim at dawn in the country club’s pool. On this particular June morning in 1974, she swims into a dead body in the pool. Worse yet, when the police arrive and pull the body out of the pool, she recognizes the victim as Madeline Harper, her husband’s mistress. Ellison knows that she makes a pretty compelling suspect in the woman’s murder, as does her husband. She knows she is innocent and she believes that her husband may be an adulterer, but he isn’t a killer. However, the fact that he’s suddenly left town for parts unknown doesn’t make him appear innocent. Can Ellison figure out what really happened to Madeline?
I’ve been hearing about this series for years, but I kept putting off starting it. I wish I’d read it sooner. The plot starts out right away and gives us plenty of action and twists along the way. I never saw the solution coming until Ellison figured it out either. The main characters are all strong and help pull us into the world, although I do wish that we had a little more context for some of the supporting players. I was also bothered by Ellison’s love life; it just felt inappropriate for this book. I’m sure in future books I will be fine with what is set up here. The subject matter does stray to the edges of cozies, but I thought how things were handled here was fine and it didn’t bother me. I greatly enjoyed the humor in the book, mostly coming from Ellison’s narration on things. Yet it is perfectly balances with some of the more serious elements of the plot. I can see why this series has so many fans, and I’m already one of them. Now, to find time to visit Ellison again.
I’ve been hearing about this series for years, but I kept putting off starting it. I wish I’d read it sooner. The plot starts out right away and gives us plenty of action and twists along the way. I never saw the solution coming until Ellison figured it out either. The main characters are all strong and help pull us into the world, although I do wish that we had a little more context for some of the supporting players. I was also bothered by Ellison’s love life; it just felt inappropriate for this book. I’m sure in future books I will be fine with what is set up here. The subject matter does stray to the edges of cozies, but I thought how things were handled here was fine and it didn’t bother me. I greatly enjoyed the humor in the book, mostly coming from Ellison’s narration on things. Yet it is perfectly balances with some of the more serious elements of the plot. I can see why this series has so many fans, and I’m already one of them. Now, to find time to visit Ellison again.
ClareR (5779 KP) rated Frankissstein in Books
Aug 6, 2019
A novel with a lot to think about!
I feel a sense of satisfaction having finished this book. I loved it, and I can really see why it has made the Booker Prize longlist (2019).
It is set in two different timelines. The first begins in 1816 with Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley (actually, before they were married), Lord Byron, Mary’s stepsister and Byron’s lover, Claire Clairmont and Polidori, Byron’s doctor. During a particularly wet two weeks on Lake Geneva, Byron sets them all the task of writing a horror story. And so Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is born.
In the modern day, we follow Ry Shelley, a transgender doctor, Victor Stein (a ‘mad’ scientist), Ron Lord (a very successful sexbot producer), Clare (a staunch Christian, who seems to be working undercover in the most unlikely places!) and Polly Dory (a journalist for Vanity Fair. Do you see what she did here? It took me a couple of ‘chapters’, sadly! This is the Frankenstein of the modern age. Where Mary Shelley was terrified at the idea of creating a living man from parts of the dead, Victor Stein in the present day wants to preserve the brains and thoughts of the dead - and it’s equally terrifying.
Mary Shelley and Ry Shelley are very similar (the same, but in different times?) characters, even though they are in two very different times. Mary is at the mercy of her female body - she falls pregnant and loses two babies before she has the third who survives. Ry is trying to change his body from female to male so that he has control over it. But society has very fixed ideas about these characters in both timelines.
It’s a very current book with mention of Brexit and Trump, but I think it will hold up well in the future because it is so well written, and it has a lot to say about society and gender.
I thoroughly enjoyed it - and now I’m going to go and find more books in Jeanette Wintersons back catalogue!
Many thanks to Penguin Random House/ Jonathan Cape and NetGalley for a copy of this book (which I actually went and bought as well - it needs to be sat on my bookshelf!)
It is set in two different timelines. The first begins in 1816 with Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley (actually, before they were married), Lord Byron, Mary’s stepsister and Byron’s lover, Claire Clairmont and Polidori, Byron’s doctor. During a particularly wet two weeks on Lake Geneva, Byron sets them all the task of writing a horror story. And so Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is born.
In the modern day, we follow Ry Shelley, a transgender doctor, Victor Stein (a ‘mad’ scientist), Ron Lord (a very successful sexbot producer), Clare (a staunch Christian, who seems to be working undercover in the most unlikely places!) and Polly Dory (a journalist for Vanity Fair. Do you see what she did here? It took me a couple of ‘chapters’, sadly! This is the Frankenstein of the modern age. Where Mary Shelley was terrified at the idea of creating a living man from parts of the dead, Victor Stein in the present day wants to preserve the brains and thoughts of the dead - and it’s equally terrifying.
Mary Shelley and Ry Shelley are very similar (the same, but in different times?) characters, even though they are in two very different times. Mary is at the mercy of her female body - she falls pregnant and loses two babies before she has the third who survives. Ry is trying to change his body from female to male so that he has control over it. But society has very fixed ideas about these characters in both timelines.
It’s a very current book with mention of Brexit and Trump, but I think it will hold up well in the future because it is so well written, and it has a lot to say about society and gender.
I thoroughly enjoyed it - and now I’m going to go and find more books in Jeanette Wintersons back catalogue!
Many thanks to Penguin Random House/ Jonathan Cape and NetGalley for a copy of this book (which I actually went and bought as well - it needs to be sat on my bookshelf!)
Reproductive and Urinary Anatomy Atlas: Essential Reference for Students and Healthcare Professionals
Medical and Education
App
Reproductive and Urinary Anatomy Atlas is a quick visual reference on male and female reproductive...
Being Wagner: The Triumph of the Will
Book
Simon Callow plunges headlong into Wagner's world to discover what it was like to be Wagner, and to...
Two Hours: The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon
Book
WINNER OF THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 2016 Two Hours by Ed Caesar - the...
MAGENTA French<>Greek
Reference and Travel
App
The French-Greek & Greek-French dictionary helps you translate words, phrases and idioms from and...
Sekhmet: Transformation in the Belly of the Goddess
Nicki Scully, Normandi Ellis and Hank Wesselman
Book
A shamanic ritual with the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet to bring about alchemical transformation at the...
Robert Fry
Jane Neal, Anthony Fry, Alfred Kornfeld and Anne Langmann
Book
The paintings and etchings of Robert Fry (b. 1980, London) confront viewers with an engaging...
Cuerpos Plegables: Anatomias de la Excepcion en Espana y en America Latina (Siglos XVI-XVIII)
Book
Este libro explora la atraccion de los "Siglos de oro" por lo monstruoso. Varios trabajos recientes...
I chose this book because I have a keen interest in healthy eating. I’m not a major healthy eater (I’m the wrong size and shape for that) but I try to make good food choices, I like cooking from scratch, and i’m interested in the science of food. ‘Eat yourself healthy’ also appealed to me as it didn’t come across as a standard diet and weight loss book, this seemed to just be focusing more on the whole health of your body.
This is a really informative book, Megan Rossi knows her stuff and relays that information in a straight forward and understandable way. The book is also interactive, as you can follow links (if you have the e-book version, hardcopy readers will just have to do it the old fashioned way and type in the web address) to take different types of self assessments. So you can learn where you are within mind and body at the moment of reading, and take re-assessments along the way to track your journey.
Of course this wouldn’t be a complete healthy eating book if it didn’t contain some recipes, so of course it does. There are some ‘interesting’ recipes within, not all to my taste, and some contain ingredients way beyond my standard shopping list but they could be worth a try. (The sautéed Brussel sprouts and tenderstem broccoli with pesto and wild rice sounds tempting)
My top take away from ‘Eat yourself healthy’ is the suggestion for gut goodness bowls. Rossi provides you with various ingredients divided into columns like ‘Fibre Base’ ‘Fermented Flavours’ ‘Healthy fats’ and ‘Dress and Coat’. You then essentially mix and match ingredients from these columns to create your own gut goodness bowl. I think its a great idea, you know you’re making healthy choices, and with just a few ingredients you can create a whole variety of different choices.
On the whole ‘Eat Yourself Healthy’ is a useful and informative book, not exactly ground-breaking in the science and diet department but still a great source of information.
This is a really informative book, Megan Rossi knows her stuff and relays that information in a straight forward and understandable way. The book is also interactive, as you can follow links (if you have the e-book version, hardcopy readers will just have to do it the old fashioned way and type in the web address) to take different types of self assessments. So you can learn where you are within mind and body at the moment of reading, and take re-assessments along the way to track your journey.
Of course this wouldn’t be a complete healthy eating book if it didn’t contain some recipes, so of course it does. There are some ‘interesting’ recipes within, not all to my taste, and some contain ingredients way beyond my standard shopping list but they could be worth a try. (The sautéed Brussel sprouts and tenderstem broccoli with pesto and wild rice sounds tempting)
My top take away from ‘Eat yourself healthy’ is the suggestion for gut goodness bowls. Rossi provides you with various ingredients divided into columns like ‘Fibre Base’ ‘Fermented Flavours’ ‘Healthy fats’ and ‘Dress and Coat’. You then essentially mix and match ingredients from these columns to create your own gut goodness bowl. I think its a great idea, you know you’re making healthy choices, and with just a few ingredients you can create a whole variety of different choices.
On the whole ‘Eat Yourself Healthy’ is a useful and informative book, not exactly ground-breaking in the science and diet department but still a great source of information.