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Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated In the Midst of Life in Books
Feb 7, 2019
When I picked up this book to read, it was because I wanted something far removed from what I would normally turn to. Usually I'm very much a 'chick-lit' reader. But I've been finding these magazine/tabloid style novels all follow the same formula and are so predictable. Time for something new.
I hadn't previously heard of Jennifer Worth but was aware of Call the Midwife, although I hadn't read it or seen the series.
These memoirs show what a full and rewarding life Jennifer has lived. A simple and loving life, but she made quite an impact. The way Jennifer can recall so many interesting characters, people and tales from over the years during her nursing career just goes to show how much she cared. Plus the fact that she obviously inspired her nieces to follow her footsteps in the career path.
She talks about her experiences with life and death and how procedures, and perhaps opinions, have changed in her lifetime.
It often gave a very detail and graphic insight to health problems and what occurs in the lead up to end of life as we know it. I have had health issues myself, so to me this didn't come across as too out of the ordinary or gruesome but I can understand that it might be quite horrific to others.
In reading this book I feel more of a sense of calm of what I will one day face. We all will die. This is a fact. Whether it comes about from some unfortunate accident or illness or simply 'growing old' we will all one day breathe our last breath.
It gives new incentive to make the most of life and those we share it with.
I had always seen death as something terrifying. I felt that dying was a personal event and that the individual should be allowed privacy. I felt this gave the most dignity. But I now believe I was wrong. You repeatedly hear how having a loved one there can bring on a sense of calm and peace. It is a very spiritual, and almost intimate time, that helps both the one who is passing and the people left behind.
I would recommend this book to everyone who works in the medical field. I have seen time and time again the heartless doctors Jennifer talks about but the caring nurses and assistants who brighten your day.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has had medical issues. It gives a sense of calm about death when you know your life expectancy isn't quite as long as you had hoped.
I would recommend this book to those with depression or suicidal feelings. I have been suffering myself for the past year but reading this helped me see that others are suffering more than myself.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a heart and soul. It is a very touching read.
I hadn't previously heard of Jennifer Worth but was aware of Call the Midwife, although I hadn't read it or seen the series.
These memoirs show what a full and rewarding life Jennifer has lived. A simple and loving life, but she made quite an impact. The way Jennifer can recall so many interesting characters, people and tales from over the years during her nursing career just goes to show how much she cared. Plus the fact that she obviously inspired her nieces to follow her footsteps in the career path.
She talks about her experiences with life and death and how procedures, and perhaps opinions, have changed in her lifetime.
It often gave a very detail and graphic insight to health problems and what occurs in the lead up to end of life as we know it. I have had health issues myself, so to me this didn't come across as too out of the ordinary or gruesome but I can understand that it might be quite horrific to others.
In reading this book I feel more of a sense of calm of what I will one day face. We all will die. This is a fact. Whether it comes about from some unfortunate accident or illness or simply 'growing old' we will all one day breathe our last breath.
It gives new incentive to make the most of life and those we share it with.
I had always seen death as something terrifying. I felt that dying was a personal event and that the individual should be allowed privacy. I felt this gave the most dignity. But I now believe I was wrong. You repeatedly hear how having a loved one there can bring on a sense of calm and peace. It is a very spiritual, and almost intimate time, that helps both the one who is passing and the people left behind.
I would recommend this book to everyone who works in the medical field. I have seen time and time again the heartless doctors Jennifer talks about but the caring nurses and assistants who brighten your day.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has had medical issues. It gives a sense of calm about death when you know your life expectancy isn't quite as long as you had hoped.
I would recommend this book to those with depression or suicidal feelings. I have been suffering myself for the past year but reading this helped me see that others are suffering more than myself.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a heart and soul. It is a very touching read.
Edith Cavell: Nurse, Martyr, Heroine
Book
Edith Cavell was born in 1865, daughter of a Norfolk vicar, and shot in Brussels on 12 October 1915...
Extreme Cluster Truck Driving 3D Full
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Run for your life! Stop means death, so forget about it! This place is crazed as you are! Jump from...
Who Fears Death
4.0
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In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways; yet in one region genocide between...
SW
Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death
8.0
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Book
We all watched Terri Schiavo die. The controversy around her case dominated the headlines and talk...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2672 KP) rated Smile Beach Murder in Books
May 26, 2022
Murder at the Lighthouse
After being laid off from her job as a reporter, Callie Padget has returned home to Cattail Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and landed a job at the local bookstore. She is forced to face a tragedy from her past when a friend falls from the island’s lighthouse almost on the anniversary of her own mother’s tragic death at the lighthouse. Callie doesn’t buy the official police ruling of suicide, especially since the victim had just found the first clue to a treasure hunt. Can Callie figure out what really happened? Is the treasure hunt related to the death?
Despite the vacation island setting, this book does have a bit of a more serious tone thanks to Callie’s own past and how the current death impacts some of the characters. It’s a delicate balance that this book handles well. I quickly came to love the characters, and I can only see that love growing as the series progresses. The plot has a bit of a relaxed pace, but it does get us to a logical conclusion. I loved the setting; I can see myself spending a week on the island on vacation. I also appreciated how this book used all the senses to bring the setting to life. This book would be fun on a vacation, but if you are looking for a virtual vacation, you’ll be extra glad you picked this one up.
Despite the vacation island setting, this book does have a bit of a more serious tone thanks to Callie’s own past and how the current death impacts some of the characters. It’s a delicate balance that this book handles well. I quickly came to love the characters, and I can only see that love growing as the series progresses. The plot has a bit of a relaxed pace, but it does get us to a logical conclusion. I loved the setting; I can see myself spending a week on the island on vacation. I also appreciated how this book used all the senses to bring the setting to life. This book would be fun on a vacation, but if you are looking for a virtual vacation, you’ll be extra glad you picked this one up.
It's Not Raining, Daddy, it's Happy
Book
Ben Brooks-Dutton's wife - the great love of his life - was knocked down and killed by a car as he...
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated All That Remains: A Life in Death in Books
Apr 7, 2019
Pros:
▪ Descriptive
▪ Very fascinating
▪ Surprisingly life-affirming
Cons:
▪ Could be a possible military/trauma PTSD trigger
What an incredible book. When I first picked this up I was sceptical about reading it right now, I thought this was going to be a dark, depressing read about death. It certainly is about death but surprisingly not in a dark or depressing way.
I've been suffering with a bereavement since November after my best friend was killed in a road accident, hit by a drunk driver. I have been struggling quite a bit with this and there doesn't seem to be any support for people struggling with bereavement, there is one local charity that provides free counselling but I'm currently on a 16+ week waiting list before they can even assess me to see if they can help me.
So you can see why I was hesitant to read this, however, after reading some reviews on it i took the risk and dived in. I'm glad I did.
I found this actually very refreshing and life-affirming, it's made me see life and death in a different way and I feel like it's helped me cope a little better whilst I wait for counselling.
The chapter about the authors personal experience with bereavements was nice to be reminded that everyone deals with grief in their own ways, even if it may seem odd to others.
I really enjoyed reading the scientific parts of this book aswell, as detailed as some of it was it was actually really interesting. It was also nice to learn about all the different options available now days for what happens to our bodies. Donating your body to a medical school is one option I wasn't even aware of.
The epilogue was a tear jerker, I admit I struggled to read through those last pages. It was very personal to Blacks family and very detailed about her wishes when her time comes.
I highly respect Black for making such a personal memoir published.
This was an emotional, uplifting, scientific memoir that I highly recommend.
▪ Descriptive
▪ Very fascinating
▪ Surprisingly life-affirming
Cons:
▪ Could be a possible military/trauma PTSD trigger
What an incredible book. When I first picked this up I was sceptical about reading it right now, I thought this was going to be a dark, depressing read about death. It certainly is about death but surprisingly not in a dark or depressing way.
I've been suffering with a bereavement since November after my best friend was killed in a road accident, hit by a drunk driver. I have been struggling quite a bit with this and there doesn't seem to be any support for people struggling with bereavement, there is one local charity that provides free counselling but I'm currently on a 16+ week waiting list before they can even assess me to see if they can help me.
So you can see why I was hesitant to read this, however, after reading some reviews on it i took the risk and dived in. I'm glad I did.
I found this actually very refreshing and life-affirming, it's made me see life and death in a different way and I feel like it's helped me cope a little better whilst I wait for counselling.
The chapter about the authors personal experience with bereavements was nice to be reminded that everyone deals with grief in their own ways, even if it may seem odd to others.
I really enjoyed reading the scientific parts of this book aswell, as detailed as some of it was it was actually really interesting. It was also nice to learn about all the different options available now days for what happens to our bodies. Donating your body to a medical school is one option I wasn't even aware of.
The epilogue was a tear jerker, I admit I struggled to read through those last pages. It was very personal to Blacks family and very detailed about her wishes when her time comes.
I highly respect Black for making such a personal memoir published.
This was an emotional, uplifting, scientific memoir that I highly recommend.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Noise of Time in Books
Oct 9, 2017 (Updated Oct 9, 2017)
Historical fiction at its very best
There is a huge amount of non-fiction elements of this bleak novel about one of Russia's most noted composers and musicians Dmitri Shostakovich, who fought inner demons for the majority of his life due to the immense pressures and threats posed by the Soviet Union.
From his complex relationships with women, to the government, the artist was forced to live a life of paranoia, after many of his fellow composers and musicologists mysteriously disappeared following talks with the "Power" at the Big House. There were many moments where it resembled Room 101 from George Orwell's 1984, and the oppressive atmosphere that Shostakovich had to live through.
In the end, Julian Barnes explains that agreeing to Stalin's and Khrushchev's demands had been the ultimate downfall to his health. and in many ways it was a fate worse than death. It is grim and tragic to think about such an important composer in history being treated in such way.
From his complex relationships with women, to the government, the artist was forced to live a life of paranoia, after many of his fellow composers and musicologists mysteriously disappeared following talks with the "Power" at the Big House. There were many moments where it resembled Room 101 from George Orwell's 1984, and the oppressive atmosphere that Shostakovich had to live through.
In the end, Julian Barnes explains that agreeing to Stalin's and Khrushchev's demands had been the ultimate downfall to his health. and in many ways it was a fate worse than death. It is grim and tragic to think about such an important composer in history being treated in such way.