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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Stories That Bind Us in Books
Feb 24, 2021
This was my first time reading a book by Susie Finkbeiner, and I had no idea what I was walking into when I opened up her book. It with so much bittersweetness, and about finding joy in the everyday moments. Susie Finkbeiner took the bad things that happen and made them into a blessing in disguise. This book came out at the perfect time for the world today, it deals with loss, racism, and mental health. It takes those themes and shows God’s love through them in such a good way. A very heart-warming story filled with great life lessons and a great example of faith lived out. The synopsis does not do this book justice. Readers of historical fiction will enjoy this journey down memory lane.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the compelling story, the great characters, and the themes discussed within this book. The only thing that could have made it better was something that happened at the beginning of the book (I am NOT going to give a spoiler) but you will understand when you read it.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the compelling story, the great characters, and the themes discussed within this book. The only thing that could have made it better was something that happened at the beginning of the book (I am NOT going to give a spoiler) but you will understand when you read it.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Somewhere Close to Happy in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this book is Lizzie, a young woman who is dealing with mental health issues every single day. Her life changes, after she receives a letter from her childhood friend/sweetheart Roman. He was her best friend/boyfriend during her teenage years, who helped her to go through many difficult situations. But one day, he just disappeared. Now Lizzie, with the help of her best friend, trying to find Roman to find out, why he left her when she needed him the most.
This novel has very complex characters, and I really liked the way the author developed them throughout the pages. I liked Lizzie a lot, she is very strong, even though she doesn’t realise it sometimes. She is willing to go out of her comfort zones on multiple occasions, in order to find Roman. I really enjoyed the multiple timelines in this novel as well, we not only follow the search but also have an amazing insight into Lizzie’s past.
The author played with the narrative very smartly and creatively. The narrative is always changing, and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. That made this book a true page-turner. All I wanted was for Lizzie to find Roman, and all the “near misses” were driving me insane!
This novel has very complex characters, and I really liked the way the author developed them throughout the pages. I liked Lizzie a lot, she is very strong, even though she doesn’t realise it sometimes. She is willing to go out of her comfort zones on multiple occasions, in order to find Roman. I really enjoyed the multiple timelines in this novel as well, we not only follow the search but also have an amazing insight into Lizzie’s past.
The author played with the narrative very smartly and creatively. The narrative is always changing, and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. That made this book a true page-turner. All I wanted was for Lizzie to find Roman, and all the “near misses” were driving me insane!
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated Corrupt Bodies: Death and Dirty Dealing in a London Morgue in Books
Oct 28, 2020
Dirty dealings in the industry of the deceased
Where do I start with the review on this one? It took me less than a day to read, I was hooked from the first moment, well written with respectful humour. It gave a fascinating insight into the industry and the impacts on the mental health of people working in this sector. It was detailed without being boring or overly graphic, it was honest and frank.
Everett shines light on the disgraceful activities going on behind the scenes in the funeral industry around the London area in the 1980s, from theft attributed to the mortuary staff, overlooked by the police working there, to scams and cons with funeral directors, and the difficulties Everett had when raising these with the superiors.
Everett also provides an insight into how he entered the industry, his fascination with the deceased leading him to his role, and how his position and dedication to the industry impacted his personal life.
It was an eye opener to the behind the scenes views that generally don't have light shined upon them. For individuals that enjoy reading this real life accounts of different industries, I would certainly recommend a read of this one.
Everett shines light on the disgraceful activities going on behind the scenes in the funeral industry around the London area in the 1980s, from theft attributed to the mortuary staff, overlooked by the police working there, to scams and cons with funeral directors, and the difficulties Everett had when raising these with the superiors.
Everett also provides an insight into how he entered the industry, his fascination with the deceased leading him to his role, and how his position and dedication to the industry impacted his personal life.
It was an eye opener to the behind the scenes views that generally don't have light shined upon them. For individuals that enjoy reading this real life accounts of different industries, I would certainly recommend a read of this one.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Island in Books
Jan 30, 2021
This is a book written for the Young Adult market ... I have to confess that I am a few years past what I would call a young adult ... well, quite a few actually ... but nevertheless I really enjoyed this story and I know I would have loved it when I was a teenager.
This book is The Famous Five on steroids; although there are six of them and no dog! Full of action, thrills and tension but it also explores many of the issues that young people have to face growing up such as mental health, death, grief and relationships but it does so with ease and with sympathy and understanding.
The characters were really well developed and although not all of them I particularly liked, they all felt right somehow. The setting was perfect and so well described that my hair frizzed due to the humidity! The pace was good and the writing style was easy to read so much so that I raced through quite quickly.
This is a great thriller for people of any age even though it is primarily aimed at young adults and I want to thank HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
This book is The Famous Five on steroids; although there are six of them and no dog! Full of action, thrills and tension but it also explores many of the issues that young people have to face growing up such as mental health, death, grief and relationships but it does so with ease and with sympathy and understanding.
The characters were really well developed and although not all of them I particularly liked, they all felt right somehow. The setting was perfect and so well described that my hair frizzed due to the humidity! The pace was good and the writing style was easy to read so much so that I raced through quite quickly.
This is a great thriller for people of any age even though it is primarily aimed at young adults and I want to thank HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
You Will Get Through This Night
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A practical guide to taking control of your mental health for today, tomorrow, and the days after,...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated White Petals in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
First her father died, then her Nana, and to top it all off her mother has been placed in a psychiatric hospital. Life for Emmeline Rose has not been easy but the unfortunate circumstances are going to lead her to the discovery of a secret gift. In this young adult novel, <i>White Petals</i>, Maria Grace creates a heartwarming tale of grief, friendship and fantasy.
Fourteen-year-old Em has been placed in a children’s home whilst her mother recovers from a psychotic breakdown. Here she begins to make friends with some of the other children, however she finds herself being bullied at school. Yet, what she cannot understand is why she gets a painful ringing in her ears whenever the school bully is around. But when her mother starts explaining mind-boggling things about their family, things start to make more sense.
The novel is a first person narrative therefore everything is shown from Em’s point of view. This, however, results in the story sounding like a young teenager has written it, which can be rather annoying. On the other hand, this aspect helps relate to the intended target audience.
The biggest issue with <i>White Petals</i> is the way mental illness is described. Phrases such as “off her tree”, “crazy”, “psycho” and “nutter” are frequently used throughout the narrative. Mental health stigma is a growing problem that many charities and organizations are challenging. Although many teenagers may genuinely think this way due to a lack of understanding, there is no attempt in this book to contradict these beliefs and educate the reader.
Overall I personally do not think this book is anything special, however many teenagers may enjoy the humour some of the characters bring to the story. Each chapter is headed by illustrations that were the result of a competition held in Wales for eleven to eighteen year olds. Despite certain misgivings, the story was still interesting to read.
First her father died, then her Nana, and to top it all off her mother has been placed in a psychiatric hospital. Life for Emmeline Rose has not been easy but the unfortunate circumstances are going to lead her to the discovery of a secret gift. In this young adult novel, <i>White Petals</i>, Maria Grace creates a heartwarming tale of grief, friendship and fantasy.
Fourteen-year-old Em has been placed in a children’s home whilst her mother recovers from a psychotic breakdown. Here she begins to make friends with some of the other children, however she finds herself being bullied at school. Yet, what she cannot understand is why she gets a painful ringing in her ears whenever the school bully is around. But when her mother starts explaining mind-boggling things about their family, things start to make more sense.
The novel is a first person narrative therefore everything is shown from Em’s point of view. This, however, results in the story sounding like a young teenager has written it, which can be rather annoying. On the other hand, this aspect helps relate to the intended target audience.
The biggest issue with <i>White Petals</i> is the way mental illness is described. Phrases such as “off her tree”, “crazy”, “psycho” and “nutter” are frequently used throughout the narrative. Mental health stigma is a growing problem that many charities and organizations are challenging. Although many teenagers may genuinely think this way due to a lack of understanding, there is no attempt in this book to contradict these beliefs and educate the reader.
Overall I personally do not think this book is anything special, however many teenagers may enjoy the humour some of the characters bring to the story. Each chapter is headed by illustrations that were the result of a competition held in Wales for eleven to eighteen year olds. Despite certain misgivings, the story was still interesting to read.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Key in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I really like reading books which has an interesting setting, and what could be more intriguing than a mental hospital in 60ies. That was what kindled my interest to read this book. There is always something sinister behind those closed doors…
This novel didn’t disappoint me with the originality of its characters. I loved this wide variety of amusing characters with different states of mind. The main characters in this novel were Ellen, Amy and Sarah. Amy was a patient in the hospital where Ellen was working. And Sarah was the person from the present, investigating, what happened in Ambergate all those years ago. I absolutely adored Ellen and Amy’s story in this novel. It was very indulging, absolutely absorbing and heartbreaking. I adored Ellen’s kindness and the constant fight for making patient’s lives better. I really enjoyed reading multiple perspectives in this novel, I think it opened up the characters wonderfully.
It is obvious from the blurb, that narrative was switching between past and present events, bringing different stories and different findings, and Hughes has done amazing transitions between these parts. I really liked that author was telling multiple stories in this novel, constantly bringing in turns and twists to keep the reader entertained and hooked. K. Hughes touched really sensitive topics in this novel, such as mental health, loss in a family, teenage homelessness, family relationships, disability and many more.
The writing style of this novel was absolutely beautiful and the whole book very well rounded up. It has pleasant short chapters and the pages just flew through my fingers. I really liked the way author ended this book. I think it was very deserved and heartwarming finish to the story, and I appreciate that author kept it realistic. So, to conclude, this is a very intriguing and full of surprises story, with plenty of original characters, which kept me hooked, and I savoured this book till the last page. I do strongly recommend it and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
This novel didn’t disappoint me with the originality of its characters. I loved this wide variety of amusing characters with different states of mind. The main characters in this novel were Ellen, Amy and Sarah. Amy was a patient in the hospital where Ellen was working. And Sarah was the person from the present, investigating, what happened in Ambergate all those years ago. I absolutely adored Ellen and Amy’s story in this novel. It was very indulging, absolutely absorbing and heartbreaking. I adored Ellen’s kindness and the constant fight for making patient’s lives better. I really enjoyed reading multiple perspectives in this novel, I think it opened up the characters wonderfully.
It is obvious from the blurb, that narrative was switching between past and present events, bringing different stories and different findings, and Hughes has done amazing transitions between these parts. I really liked that author was telling multiple stories in this novel, constantly bringing in turns and twists to keep the reader entertained and hooked. K. Hughes touched really sensitive topics in this novel, such as mental health, loss in a family, teenage homelessness, family relationships, disability and many more.
The writing style of this novel was absolutely beautiful and the whole book very well rounded up. It has pleasant short chapters and the pages just flew through my fingers. I really liked the way author ended this book. I think it was very deserved and heartwarming finish to the story, and I appreciate that author kept it realistic. So, to conclude, this is a very intriguing and full of surprises story, with plenty of original characters, which kept me hooked, and I savoured this book till the last page. I do strongly recommend it and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Start Where You are: A Journal for Self-Exploration in Books
May 30, 2017
Helpful and creative
Start Where You Are is a “self-help” journal put together by an American artist, Meera Lee Patel.It is a book that causes you to think and contemplate about your day, behaviour, life and dreams.
Meera Lee has used her self-taught artistic talents to produce beautiful, hand-rendered typographic compositions for every page of the book. She has selected appropriate quotations that relate to a task she has set the reader on the facing page.
Most of the tasks throughout the book require the reader to think carefully and write down their answers. Each instruction is to help people sort through their true feelings and put their thoughts into some kind of order. For example: “What is something you wish you could leave behind?”
Although Start Where You Are has not (yet) be medically approved by mental health professionals, it contains a lot of deep, meaningful, assignments that can help you to learn more about your own insecurities, anxieties and depression. Meera Lee admits in her introduction that it took her a long time to be comfortable with her own life and spent a lot of time waiting for the future to arrive, but not really knowing how to get there. She discovered that in order to move forward she needed to find out who she really was, what was important to her, and what she wanted out of life. Meera Lee confesses that this is no easy task and warns that some questions within the book will be harder than others – but ultimately Start Where You Are will reveal your true personality, hopes and dreams, and convince you that life is not all doom and gloom.
There is no right or wrong way to complete this book. It is not a course or a linear activity, therefore there is no need to complete the pages in order. Some pages may feel too difficult, which is not a problem – the book’s purpose is not to cause stress – you can skip that task and come back to it when you are ready.
I have found Start Where You Are very interesting so far. I particularly enjoy reading the quotes included in the fantastic artwork. They are all positive and inspiring, showing the brighter side of life. As an artist, I have decided to also use this book as a way of practising my art skills. Recently art journal photographs that have appeared on Pinterest have been inspiring me to make my own. Instead of starting with a blank book I am using Meera Lee’s publication instead. On each page I complete the task given, but instead of merely writing my answers down, I display them in some sort of typographic or illustrative composition. So not only is Start Where You Are benefitting my mental health and thought processes, it is helping to improve my art skills too.
I highly recommend Start Where You Are for everyone feeling a little lost and unsure about the future. Whether you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder or are going through a low period of your life, this book is perfect for you to help pick yourself up again. But please remember this is not a form of therapy and is not going to “fix” you. It will either be a bit of fun or something insightful depending on how you approach it.
Meera Lee has used her self-taught artistic talents to produce beautiful, hand-rendered typographic compositions for every page of the book. She has selected appropriate quotations that relate to a task she has set the reader on the facing page.
Most of the tasks throughout the book require the reader to think carefully and write down their answers. Each instruction is to help people sort through their true feelings and put their thoughts into some kind of order. For example: “What is something you wish you could leave behind?”
Although Start Where You Are has not (yet) be medically approved by mental health professionals, it contains a lot of deep, meaningful, assignments that can help you to learn more about your own insecurities, anxieties and depression. Meera Lee admits in her introduction that it took her a long time to be comfortable with her own life and spent a lot of time waiting for the future to arrive, but not really knowing how to get there. She discovered that in order to move forward she needed to find out who she really was, what was important to her, and what she wanted out of life. Meera Lee confesses that this is no easy task and warns that some questions within the book will be harder than others – but ultimately Start Where You Are will reveal your true personality, hopes and dreams, and convince you that life is not all doom and gloom.
There is no right or wrong way to complete this book. It is not a course or a linear activity, therefore there is no need to complete the pages in order. Some pages may feel too difficult, which is not a problem – the book’s purpose is not to cause stress – you can skip that task and come back to it when you are ready.
I have found Start Where You Are very interesting so far. I particularly enjoy reading the quotes included in the fantastic artwork. They are all positive and inspiring, showing the brighter side of life. As an artist, I have decided to also use this book as a way of practising my art skills. Recently art journal photographs that have appeared on Pinterest have been inspiring me to make my own. Instead of starting with a blank book I am using Meera Lee’s publication instead. On each page I complete the task given, but instead of merely writing my answers down, I display them in some sort of typographic or illustrative composition. So not only is Start Where You Are benefitting my mental health and thought processes, it is helping to improve my art skills too.
I highly recommend Start Where You Are for everyone feeling a little lost and unsure about the future. Whether you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder or are going through a low period of your life, this book is perfect for you to help pick yourself up again. But please remember this is not a form of therapy and is not going to “fix” you. It will either be a bit of fun or something insightful depending on how you approach it.
Louise (64 KP) rated Stealing Snow in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
*This may contain spoilers*
This is another author where I have not read any of their work until now. Danielle Page is the author of ‘Dorothy must Die’ trilogy. I was anticipating this for all the wrong reasons, I thought this was a Snow White retelling which it is sadly not.
The main protagonist of this book is called Snow….obviously this is giving me the Snow White retelling vibes and that she names her medication after the seven dwarves. I forgot to mention Snow is currently detained in an asylum for young adults with mental health issues. The reason for her being there is pretty vague,sure she has anger issues and she bites but does that really mean she has to be incarcerated from the age of six! I was getting another vibe at this point – Alice in wonderland/through the looking-glass as she supposedly tried to walk through a mirror. At this point I was confused as to what the retelling actually was, was it Snow White? Alice in Wonderland?
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/LpX8q87YmnD20/giphy.gif"; width="400" height="200" alt="description"/>
Snow is not a very relatable character, she is young, she is naive and she falls in love with every boy that makes conversation with her…no word of a lie! She is in love with Bale who is also in the mental institution (His reason for being there is more believable) When she finds herself in the alternative world known as Algid she meets two other boys that are there to help her but obviously her hormones run away with her and starts swooning over the both of them whilst still loving Bane (That being the reason she is in Algid)
Obviously, when Snow gets to the alternative world she find out she is the chosen one and part of a prophecy. Snow being Snow who is really sarcastic and narrow-minded doesn’t care about the prophecy and only wants to find Bale. Her powers are to control Snow and she has to learn how to use these said powers….which just happen.
I am not a massive reader of fantasy novels but the world building in this was non-existent and when there was it was like it was an afterthought.I had no real idea of what Algid looked like other than it was covered in snow.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/U6P3UehEHUoPm/giphy.gif"; width="400" height="200" alt="description"/>
I wasn’t particularly fond of the writing style and the amount of times that ‘I need to find Bale’ or some 20 other ways this could be written really got on my nerves,it was like we forgot why she was there every few pages.
So to wrap this up in a nutshell,this is a mash-up of retellings but mostly snow queen/frozen, the way that mental health was interpreted was very poor and would have loved it to have been more realistic. The characters were very unrelatable and the world building was lacking.
I will be not continuing on with this series, however don’t let this review stop you from reading it, this after all is just my opinion.
I rated this 1.5 out of 5 stars
*This may contain spoilers*
This is another author where I have not read any of their work until now. Danielle Page is the author of ‘Dorothy must Die’ trilogy. I was anticipating this for all the wrong reasons, I thought this was a Snow White retelling which it is sadly not.
The main protagonist of this book is called Snow….obviously this is giving me the Snow White retelling vibes and that she names her medication after the seven dwarves. I forgot to mention Snow is currently detained in an asylum for young adults with mental health issues. The reason for her being there is pretty vague,sure she has anger issues and she bites but does that really mean she has to be incarcerated from the age of six! I was getting another vibe at this point – Alice in wonderland/through the looking-glass as she supposedly tried to walk through a mirror. At this point I was confused as to what the retelling actually was, was it Snow White? Alice in Wonderland?
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/LpX8q87YmnD20/giphy.gif"; width="400" height="200" alt="description"/>
Snow is not a very relatable character, she is young, she is naive and she falls in love with every boy that makes conversation with her…no word of a lie! She is in love with Bale who is also in the mental institution (His reason for being there is more believable) When she finds herself in the alternative world known as Algid she meets two other boys that are there to help her but obviously her hormones run away with her and starts swooning over the both of them whilst still loving Bane (That being the reason she is in Algid)
Obviously, when Snow gets to the alternative world she find out she is the chosen one and part of a prophecy. Snow being Snow who is really sarcastic and narrow-minded doesn’t care about the prophecy and only wants to find Bale. Her powers are to control Snow and she has to learn how to use these said powers….which just happen.
I am not a massive reader of fantasy novels but the world building in this was non-existent and when there was it was like it was an afterthought.I had no real idea of what Algid looked like other than it was covered in snow.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/U6P3UehEHUoPm/giphy.gif"; width="400" height="200" alt="description"/>
I wasn’t particularly fond of the writing style and the amount of times that ‘I need to find Bale’ or some 20 other ways this could be written really got on my nerves,it was like we forgot why she was there every few pages.
So to wrap this up in a nutshell,this is a mash-up of retellings but mostly snow queen/frozen, the way that mental health was interpreted was very poor and would have loved it to have been more realistic. The characters were very unrelatable and the world building was lacking.
I will be not continuing on with this series, however don’t let this review stop you from reading it, this after all is just my opinion.
I rated this 1.5 out of 5 stars