ClareR (6067 KP) rated The Road Trip in Books
Aug 4, 2021
I just love the way that O’Leary writes characters: in this book they’re funny, flawed and feel like genuine, real people. There are those with mental health problems, dysfunctional families and strong sibling relationships.
We see the contrast of the carefree student on holiday, and the way that real life has a habit of sticking its oar in - and not always in a good way.
The road trip element was hilarious though. Deliciously awkward, thanks to Addie, Dylan and Dylan’s friend Marcus, with the devil-may-care attitude of Addie’s sister, Debs. And than there’s Rodney (I’l leave him right here - I don’t want to spoil THIS character for you!).
This book is a little darker in places in comparison to her other books, but I absolutely loved every page. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Beth O’Leary. Oh, and you should definitely read this book!!
Many thanks to Quercus for my copy via NetGalley.
We follow Debbie as she embarks on her first taste of adulthood. She’s eighteen and starting university. She lives in a little village on a dairy farm that her family owns and has no idea how it works being in the city most of the time. From the start of this book she is quite naive and you can tell that she’s not really had to step foot out of the comfort of the village she grew up in.
When she finally makes it into Dublin and to her new university she bumps into a girl named Xanthe who she makes friends with and spends most of her time with when she’s not at home or in class.
The book explores the mental health of many of the characters and does it very delicately, without judgement.
I couldn’t put it down and read it in a couple of hours. It was such a pleasant book. And I loved how the chapters were so short and the characters were just so loveable!
Thank you to Louise Nealon and Readers First for allowing me to read this wonderful book for free!
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated Trust Me, I'm A (Junior) Doctor in Books
Oct 26, 2020
I found this to be a very easy read, demolishing the pages in a day (ok, I was sat round a pool with beer on tap, but still...) It was a well written and thought provoking account with recurring appearances of his housemates and colleagues. It humanises the role of a doctor and the struggles of long shifts balanced with maintaining a social life, family responsibility and just trying to exist.
Pemberton details how the NHS operates, and the trials and frustrations of a Junior doctor launched into frustrating, physically, mentally and emotionally draining role in medicine.
Reading this gave me a new found admiration for those on the front line working round the clock, whilst combating the very real frustrations of red tape, senior doctors and mental health.
I would recommend to any reader who enjoys this genre!
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Create your own calm: A Journal for Quieting Anxiety in Books
Jan 26, 2021
The first thing that caught my eye was quotes written in watercolour! I have a weakness for beautiful quotes and watercolour art, and this journal has that on every second page! Also, this journal is a very well designed tool to write down your thoughts. There are plenty of prompts to guide you, and it makes you delve deep into yourself and your mind.
So, to conclude, even though I didn’t get the chance to actually fill in the journal, I really liked the way it is designed. The colours and the art are soothing and inspiring, and I liked that there are so many prompts to help with everyday and life fears and things that make people anxious.
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