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Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Alice in the Looking Glass: A Mother and Daughter's Experience of Anorexia in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I'm probably more obsessed with ED books than is healthy, but it's so reassuring to read other people's experiences that are similar to my own. This book was absolutely fantastic - not only did it help me see that I'm not alone or abnormal, but I was also able to read a mother's point of view on the experience. I understand now how awful it must have been for my own mother during my inpatient hospital stay and the initial battle of getting a diagnosis.
I found it interesting that they gave Jo (the mother)'s perspective first, instead of Alice herself. We learn about what she witnesses before we find out exactly what Alice was actually thinking and feeling.
They don't include weights or numbers in this, which is tremendously helpful. Like Jo says, this is a competitive illness, and even parents seem to want to compete in having the "most poorly" child. But it's so triggering for other people to read about how much weight someone lost, and it's not really relevant. Weight loss is just a side affect of the illness, and not the main issue itself.
The reality is addressed so honestly in this book, all the feelings and experiences that we may be ashamed to admit are written in black and white. It made me feel a lot less guilty about things that I've felt, knowing other people have felt the same way, too. And the recovery aspect was not unrealistically easy or happy; Alice is not completely recovered even at the end of the book, but is managing her illness. That is how most of us will live for a long time, if not for the rest of our lives. But Alice expresses how she is so much happier "managing" her anorexia than she was when she was suffering years ago. It gives hope - even if you don't fully recover, life can be good.
I really loved this book. I'd urge anyone with a loved one who is suffering from an eating disorder (or has one themselves) to read this, as it would really help seeing both perspectives on the journey. 5 stars.
I found it interesting that they gave Jo (the mother)'s perspective first, instead of Alice herself. We learn about what she witnesses before we find out exactly what Alice was actually thinking and feeling.
They don't include weights or numbers in this, which is tremendously helpful. Like Jo says, this is a competitive illness, and even parents seem to want to compete in having the "most poorly" child. But it's so triggering for other people to read about how much weight someone lost, and it's not really relevant. Weight loss is just a side affect of the illness, and not the main issue itself.
The reality is addressed so honestly in this book, all the feelings and experiences that we may be ashamed to admit are written in black and white. It made me feel a lot less guilty about things that I've felt, knowing other people have felt the same way, too. And the recovery aspect was not unrealistically easy or happy; Alice is not completely recovered even at the end of the book, but is managing her illness. That is how most of us will live for a long time, if not for the rest of our lives. But Alice expresses how she is so much happier "managing" her anorexia than she was when she was suffering years ago. It gives hope - even if you don't fully recover, life can be good.
I really loved this book. I'd urge anyone with a loved one who is suffering from an eating disorder (or has one themselves) to read this, as it would really help seeing both perspectives on the journey. 5 stars.
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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Die For Me (Killing Eve #3) in Books
Jan 20, 2022
As with the previous book, we pick up exactly where we left off with Eve and Villanelle. On the run and trying to stay undetected, Villanelle takes Eve to her country of birth in a shipping container, and when they land in Russia it is far from smooth.
We follow Eve and Villanelle as they try to remain hidden from the Twelve’s all seeing eyes while trying to figure out what their next move should be. I really started to hope and wonder if they could manage to start a new and happy life together as things seemed to slot into place. But, obviously, things were never going to be that simple when it came to these characters. Throughout this book, Eve starts to become more and more like Villanelle, probably because she is in survival mode, the only difference being that she does feel some guilt over what is happening. I sort of saw the twist at the end of the book coming, but also didn’t want to believe that it would happen as I wanted everything to work out nicely for them.
This book, unlike the others, is all written from Eve’s point of view. This means that we get a lot more insight into Eve’s feelings and her struggle to understand Villanelle and her behaviours towards her. You can see that Eve loves Villanelle despite everything while Villanelle seems to behave in ways that will intentionally hurt Eve and then uses her diagnosis as a psychopath to excuse her behaviour. The good thing is that Eve repeatedly tells her that she can’t use it as an excuse, but at the same time she still lets Villanelle get away with the behaviour.
Overall, I would give this final instalment 4.5 stars as I really enjoyed it and didn’t put it down until I had read the very last word. I wish that there were more books coming as I have found this series really good reads (despite them being about a psychopath assassin!) and although I love them, I think the TV series is a great adaptation of them, even if they have gone in slightly different directions. I will miss Eve and Villanelle immensely now that I have finished the series.
We follow Eve and Villanelle as they try to remain hidden from the Twelve’s all seeing eyes while trying to figure out what their next move should be. I really started to hope and wonder if they could manage to start a new and happy life together as things seemed to slot into place. But, obviously, things were never going to be that simple when it came to these characters. Throughout this book, Eve starts to become more and more like Villanelle, probably because she is in survival mode, the only difference being that she does feel some guilt over what is happening. I sort of saw the twist at the end of the book coming, but also didn’t want to believe that it would happen as I wanted everything to work out nicely for them.
This book, unlike the others, is all written from Eve’s point of view. This means that we get a lot more insight into Eve’s feelings and her struggle to understand Villanelle and her behaviours towards her. You can see that Eve loves Villanelle despite everything while Villanelle seems to behave in ways that will intentionally hurt Eve and then uses her diagnosis as a psychopath to excuse her behaviour. The good thing is that Eve repeatedly tells her that she can’t use it as an excuse, but at the same time she still lets Villanelle get away with the behaviour.
Overall, I would give this final instalment 4.5 stars as I really enjoyed it and didn’t put it down until I had read the very last word. I wish that there were more books coming as I have found this series really good reads (despite them being about a psychopath assassin!) and although I love them, I think the TV series is a great adaptation of them, even if they have gone in slightly different directions. I will miss Eve and Villanelle immensely now that I have finished the series.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Windswept & Interesting in Books
Aug 12, 2022
143 of 230
Book
Windswept and Interesting
By Billy Connolly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life.
Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds.
Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musician - a 'rambling man' - with a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart.
As a young comedian Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken - willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness too. His startling, hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal.
It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming too - for over 50 years, in fact - until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's Disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings... and writing.
I grew up watching Billy my dad absolutely loved him. The only swearing we were allowed to watch. I have always loved him the one comedian that I took from my childhood and kept watching. I discovered so much in this book that I never knew and you have to admire him. He went through so much but never seems bitter, he never really flaunts his fame in this book and plays a lot down. Such an amazing insight into his life and a really good read.
Book
Windswept and Interesting
By Billy Connolly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life.
Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds.
Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musician - a 'rambling man' - with a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart.
As a young comedian Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken - willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness too. His startling, hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal.
It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming too - for over 50 years, in fact - until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's Disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings... and writing.
I grew up watching Billy my dad absolutely loved him. The only swearing we were allowed to watch. I have always loved him the one comedian that I took from my childhood and kept watching. I discovered so much in this book that I never knew and you have to admire him. He went through so much but never seems bitter, he never really flaunts his fame in this book and plays a lot down. Such an amazing insight into his life and a really good read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel is set in London in a society where Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is on the rise. Ritalin is a drug that is used to calm children/teens with ADHD, however there is a new wonder drug Concentr8 which has the same desired effects but better and cheaper
The concentr8 program has been abandoned! as a result London is in chaos with riots, looting, and fires.
The novel starts off with 5 teenagers Blaze, Troy, Femi, Lee and Karen, on a whim they to decide to kidnap an employee from the Mayors offices and tie him to a radiator, but they don't really know why. It just happens.
I hadn't heard much about this book or the author when I requested it and the synopsis intrigued me or maybe it was the blinding yellow of the book that drew me in (who knows).
I really didn't like the writing style of this book, every chapter was told by a different person and because they were so short, I had to go back to remind myself who the narrator was. I have never seen writing like this before either, the words are mashed together, eg <b>"It's like all your lifeyou knowwhat's fantasyand whats solid..."</b> It is
like this throughout the book and I had to make sure what i was reading as could be confusing at times.There are lack of comma's, full stops and pretty appalling grammar with thick London accents.
So I researched ADHD and some of the symptoms are impulsiveness, little or no sense of danger, excessive talking, unable to concentrate, short attention span and many more. Which does come across in the characters.
This is one of the mental health issues that hasn't really be discussed in books that much and I was looking forward to it being touched upon. There are also excerpts in every chapter that has been taken from real life twitter accounts, magazines and other sources regarding Ritalin.
The book is very thought-provoking about ADHD, medications that are used, their side effects and diagnosis.
If you are interested in Mental Health and diverse books then have a look.
I personally didn't enjoy this book but made myself finish it (DNF is a rarity)
This novel is set in London in a society where Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is on the rise. Ritalin is a drug that is used to calm children/teens with ADHD, however there is a new wonder drug Concentr8 which has the same desired effects but better and cheaper
The concentr8 program has been abandoned! as a result London is in chaos with riots, looting, and fires.
The novel starts off with 5 teenagers Blaze, Troy, Femi, Lee and Karen, on a whim they to decide to kidnap an employee from the Mayors offices and tie him to a radiator, but they don't really know why. It just happens.
I hadn't heard much about this book or the author when I requested it and the synopsis intrigued me or maybe it was the blinding yellow of the book that drew me in (who knows).
I really didn't like the writing style of this book, every chapter was told by a different person and because they were so short, I had to go back to remind myself who the narrator was. I have never seen writing like this before either, the words are mashed together, eg <b>"It's like all your lifeyou knowwhat's fantasyand whats solid..."</b> It is
like this throughout the book and I had to make sure what i was reading as could be confusing at times.There are lack of comma's, full stops and pretty appalling grammar with thick London accents.
So I researched ADHD and some of the symptoms are impulsiveness, little or no sense of danger, excessive talking, unable to concentrate, short attention span and many more. Which does come across in the characters.
This is one of the mental health issues that hasn't really be discussed in books that much and I was looking forward to it being touched upon. There are also excerpts in every chapter that has been taken from real life twitter accounts, magazines and other sources regarding Ritalin.
The book is very thought-provoking about ADHD, medications that are used, their side effects and diagnosis.
If you are interested in Mental Health and diverse books then have a look.
I personally didn't enjoy this book but made myself finish it (DNF is a rarity)
Becs (244 KP) rated My Favorite Half-Night Stand in Books
Dec 8, 2019
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
Trigger Warnings: catfishing, loss of a loved one, talk of cancer and diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, questionable comments on physical appearance
Review:
When I first read this back in July, I rated it 5 out of 5 stars. But after much thinking, I’m dropping my rating down to 3 out of 5 stars. I don’t really remember much of it but after rereading the synopsis, I realized that there were things that I didn’t like. I found the story to be a bit of a bore and extremely unbelievable at most parts.
The whole premise of the book follows a group of close-knit friends that work together, trying to find dates for an event. They all download a dating app and make accounts. But the four men of the group had a bit of trouble making their accounts so Millie, the main character, rewrites them.
First off, the event that this group of friends were trying to find dates for never even happened. So that was a bit of a let down! The internet lingo use was also really weird. It was like these characters didn’t know how to use the lingo even though they are only supposed to be 30 something, which isn’t much older than I am currently.
Millie also makes an account and the men think it’s a bore. So Millie makes a fake account that is a bit more realistic to who she is. But, she doesn’t put her real name on the account. When she ends up getting matched with Reid, she decides to send him a message that basically was catfishing herself. This goes on through the entirety of the novel.
Reading Millie’s actions seem apologetically at first due to her troublesome past, which she doesn’t ever talk about to her friends. But on her fake account, she thinks it’s okay to talk about it with Reid. “Because it’s not like it’s her.” This was really disgusting to read through the entire book. She’s basically lying to one of her best friends even though everything she says is the truth, it’s just under a different name. Overall, Reid was the only redeeming character of the entire book and the rest was just meh.
Trigger Warnings: catfishing, loss of a loved one, talk of cancer and diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, questionable comments on physical appearance
Review:
When I first read this back in July, I rated it 5 out of 5 stars. But after much thinking, I’m dropping my rating down to 3 out of 5 stars. I don’t really remember much of it but after rereading the synopsis, I realized that there were things that I didn’t like. I found the story to be a bit of a bore and extremely unbelievable at most parts.
The whole premise of the book follows a group of close-knit friends that work together, trying to find dates for an event. They all download a dating app and make accounts. But the four men of the group had a bit of trouble making their accounts so Millie, the main character, rewrites them.
First off, the event that this group of friends were trying to find dates for never even happened. So that was a bit of a let down! The internet lingo use was also really weird. It was like these characters didn’t know how to use the lingo even though they are only supposed to be 30 something, which isn’t much older than I am currently.
Millie also makes an account and the men think it’s a bore. So Millie makes a fake account that is a bit more realistic to who she is. But, she doesn’t put her real name on the account. When she ends up getting matched with Reid, she decides to send him a message that basically was catfishing herself. This goes on through the entirety of the novel.
Reading Millie’s actions seem apologetically at first due to her troublesome past, which she doesn’t ever talk about to her friends. But on her fake account, she thinks it’s okay to talk about it with Reid. “Because it’s not like it’s her.” This was really disgusting to read through the entire book. She’s basically lying to one of her best friends even though everything she says is the truth, it’s just under a different name. Overall, Reid was the only redeeming character of the entire book and the rest was just meh.
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