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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Secret Midwife in Books
Aug 6, 2023
I find books about the Holocaust difficult to review and rate because anything that highlights and keeps the memory alive of all those who perished under that despicable regime is deserving of 5 stars from me and The Secret Midwife is no different.
Although a work of fiction, the author bases her characters on real people who went through the horrors of World War II some of whom miraculously survived when millions of others did not.
The Secret Midwife focuses on the stories of Emelia and Aleksy. Emelia is a midwife who risks her life supporting ALL women regardless of race or religion to give birth safely. Aleksy is a doctor who tries to save his town during occupation. Unfortunately, both were discovered and transported to the hell-hole that was Auschwitz however, they continued to try and care and help their fellow prisoners despite having no resources or equipment and the ongoing risk of immediate selection and execution.
As you can imagine, this is an emotional, harrowing and heart-breaking story but it's also one of bravery and how, despite the ongoing threats, some people did everything they could to help ease the suffering of those around them and whilst Emelia, Aleksy and some of the other characters aren't real people, they and their story will stay with me for some time.
Highly recommended to those of you who enjoy reading historical fiction; this is a must read and I have to thank Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Secret Midwife.
Although a work of fiction, the author bases her characters on real people who went through the horrors of World War II some of whom miraculously survived when millions of others did not.
The Secret Midwife focuses on the stories of Emelia and Aleksy. Emelia is a midwife who risks her life supporting ALL women regardless of race or religion to give birth safely. Aleksy is a doctor who tries to save his town during occupation. Unfortunately, both were discovered and transported to the hell-hole that was Auschwitz however, they continued to try and care and help their fellow prisoners despite having no resources or equipment and the ongoing risk of immediate selection and execution.
As you can imagine, this is an emotional, harrowing and heart-breaking story but it's also one of bravery and how, despite the ongoing threats, some people did everything they could to help ease the suffering of those around them and whilst Emelia, Aleksy and some of the other characters aren't real people, they and their story will stay with me for some time.
Highly recommended to those of you who enjoy reading historical fiction; this is a must read and I have to thank Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Secret Midwife.
A Code of Knights and Deception (Swords of Time #1)
Book
She thought it was real. She was wrong. When Sophia wakes up in 15th-century England, she expects...
Historical Time Travel Romance
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Reign of the Fallen in Books
Mar 22, 2018
Reign of the Fallen has a pretty interesting premise - there are a few different school of magic in this world, and our main character is a necromancer. (One of the side characters is a Beast Master, and another is a Healer. We also see Weather Mages.) Necromancers, far from being the mysterious evil mages we see in most fantasy, are revered and noble in this world; they bring souls back from the Deadlands, when they can, so they can continue "living" in the real world. "Living" is a loose term - they must make sure they are completely covered at all times - if a living person sees any of their flesh, they turn - immediately - into terrifying monsters that hunt and kill both the living and the Dead. And the more they kill, the more powerful they become. Thankfully, people are very, very careful, and so Shades are very rare! .....or they were. Now that someone has started to purposefully make them, shit's hitting the fan.
Odessa and her friends - three other Necromancers, a Healer, a Beast Master, and a Princess - set out to solve this mystery and take out the shades wreaking havoc on the kingdom. Entwined in that plot is the near-breaking of Odessa's spirit when one of her friends dies, and the recovery from that, as well as romances with people of both genders. Yay for bisexual representation! (One of her Necromancer friends is also in a homosexual relationship with the Healer, and it's all perfectly normal. I love seeing so many fantasy YA books these days not treating that as something special or other. Yay for culture changing! Maybe someday it won't even be so out-of-the-ordinary that I'll feel the need to point it out!)
The book had a few technical problems - a few scenes where I was confused how a character had gotten someplace when I thought they were somewhere else, some confusion in how a scene was described - but those could be overlooked with how wonderful the rest of the book was.
The plot was wrapped up very nicely by the end of the book, so I don't know if there will be a sequel or not, but I really enjoyed the world and would definitely read one if she writes it!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Odessa and her friends - three other Necromancers, a Healer, a Beast Master, and a Princess - set out to solve this mystery and take out the shades wreaking havoc on the kingdom. Entwined in that plot is the near-breaking of Odessa's spirit when one of her friends dies, and the recovery from that, as well as romances with people of both genders. Yay for bisexual representation! (One of her Necromancer friends is also in a homosexual relationship with the Healer, and it's all perfectly normal. I love seeing so many fantasy YA books these days not treating that as something special or other. Yay for culture changing! Maybe someday it won't even be so out-of-the-ordinary that I'll feel the need to point it out!)
The book had a few technical problems - a few scenes where I was confused how a character had gotten someplace when I thought they were somewhere else, some confusion in how a scene was described - but those could be overlooked with how wonderful the rest of the book was.
The plot was wrapped up very nicely by the end of the book, so I don't know if there will be a sequel or not, but I really enjoyed the world and would definitely read one if she writes it!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
A story for all of you - lovers of the magical. Book that gonna feed you starvation for magic. With every page you will go deep into the Caraval's magic and secrets. But don't forget:
"Before you fully enter into our world, you must remember it’s all a game. What happens beyond this gate may frighten or excite you, but don’t let any of it trick you. We will try to convince you it’s real, but all of it is a performance."
Meet Scarlett and Tella Dragna - two sisters living in an island, governed by their father, who shows up to be such a cunt. He punishes them without any mercy. Beat and torture them and even kill a man to teach them a lesson. But Scarlett found their only way out from this bloody island- she gonna marry to a governor. Although it is an arranged marriage she can see clearly the situation and to understand that this is the only salvation for her and her sister. But life has other plans for them. When they received three tickets for the annual Caraval show, Tella kidnapped her, with the help of mysterious sails man, to the mysterious show’s island. And then the game began.
The Caraval is ruled by a man called Legend. Nobody saw his face, nobody knows his name. He is only known for his passion for games. Although his games can draw people to madness, everybody wants to play. And this year award is so tempting that nobody can resist. Who doesn’t want to get a wish come true?
It’s a magical book that took me away from reality for couple hours. But it’s not fully developed. There is not a built world, just some islands in the middle of somewhere. No world named, or government, nothing. This came as drawback for me, I missed the illusion that actually this world does exists. Another shortage for me is that the characters are not fully developed as well. I liked the way that Scar describes her feelings in colours, but there is almost nothing personal to learn about her. The major thing in the book is the Game. In some points I believed that everything that happened is true. All decisions are life treating. I’ve got lost between the pages, absorbed by the magic. I probably forgot that “it’s only a game”.
"Before you fully enter into our world, you must remember it’s all a game. What happens beyond this gate may frighten or excite you, but don’t let any of it trick you. We will try to convince you it’s real, but all of it is a performance."
Meet Scarlett and Tella Dragna - two sisters living in an island, governed by their father, who shows up to be such a cunt. He punishes them without any mercy. Beat and torture them and even kill a man to teach them a lesson. But Scarlett found their only way out from this bloody island- she gonna marry to a governor. Although it is an arranged marriage she can see clearly the situation and to understand that this is the only salvation for her and her sister. But life has other plans for them. When they received three tickets for the annual Caraval show, Tella kidnapped her, with the help of mysterious sails man, to the mysterious show’s island. And then the game began.
The Caraval is ruled by a man called Legend. Nobody saw his face, nobody knows his name. He is only known for his passion for games. Although his games can draw people to madness, everybody wants to play. And this year award is so tempting that nobody can resist. Who doesn’t want to get a wish come true?
It’s a magical book that took me away from reality for couple hours. But it’s not fully developed. There is not a built world, just some islands in the middle of somewhere. No world named, or government, nothing. This came as drawback for me, I missed the illusion that actually this world does exists. Another shortage for me is that the characters are not fully developed as well. I liked the way that Scar describes her feelings in colours, but there is almost nothing personal to learn about her. The major thing in the book is the Game. In some points I believed that everything that happened is true. All decisions are life treating. I’ve got lost between the pages, absorbed by the magic. I probably forgot that “it’s only a game”.
Chloë McTaggart (48 KP) rated The Circle in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Circle is Eggers 10th fictional work and through dystopian world building, goes to highlight some of the key modern day issues - specifically those surrounding technology and social media. Unlike other dystopian novels Eggers sets about showing the ‘positive’ side of what could be, ficionally speaking, as opposed to novels such as The Handmaids Tale and Divergence and such books that set themselves in a destroyed-dystopia.
Despite being set in a dystopian world full of technology we currently only see on the Syfy channel, it somehow clings to our ideas of reality and what is possible. By doing this, it soon offers a dangerous look at what technology may become as it highlights the impact it already has on our lives. The protagonist, Mae, lands a job at a technology company named “The Circle” which is comparable to brands and companies such as Apple, Google and Samsung. Eggers takes the ideas of the main technological companies of the twenty first century and rolls them into one; producing an unstoppable powerhouse of sharing, transparency and sociability overseen by a trinity of male bosses that we never really connect to. While Eggers sets the scene, and development of society, through his use of The Circle as an interdimensional power house, he fails to develop a relatable character in his protagonist.
From the start of the book the protagonist, Mae, comes across as weak and unmotivated with some parts of the novel serving almost as a pity party for her. If she’s not complaining, she’s raving about ex-boyfriends or how hard a life she has as though she’s the only one in the world that matters - though I suppose to Eggers she is the most important. Through this self pity, the reader struggles to find a point of contact with Mae; she offers no escape from the real world and instead becomes a motivation to stop reading the novel.
However, despite the lack of character development, the novel does raise relevant questions concerning technology and social media. In the film adaptation, it serves to show us just how much of an impact we can have on others without realising it; and how even when we do realise it the popularity or reward is too enticing to stop.
Despite being set in a dystopian world full of technology we currently only see on the Syfy channel, it somehow clings to our ideas of reality and what is possible. By doing this, it soon offers a dangerous look at what technology may become as it highlights the impact it already has on our lives. The protagonist, Mae, lands a job at a technology company named “The Circle” which is comparable to brands and companies such as Apple, Google and Samsung. Eggers takes the ideas of the main technological companies of the twenty first century and rolls them into one; producing an unstoppable powerhouse of sharing, transparency and sociability overseen by a trinity of male bosses that we never really connect to. While Eggers sets the scene, and development of society, through his use of The Circle as an interdimensional power house, he fails to develop a relatable character in his protagonist.
From the start of the book the protagonist, Mae, comes across as weak and unmotivated with some parts of the novel serving almost as a pity party for her. If she’s not complaining, she’s raving about ex-boyfriends or how hard a life she has as though she’s the only one in the world that matters - though I suppose to Eggers she is the most important. Through this self pity, the reader struggles to find a point of contact with Mae; she offers no escape from the real world and instead becomes a motivation to stop reading the novel.
However, despite the lack of character development, the novel does raise relevant questions concerning technology and social media. In the film adaptation, it serves to show us just how much of an impact we can have on others without realising it; and how even when we do realise it the popularity or reward is too enticing to stop.
Leading Across New Borders: How to Succeed as the Center Shifts
Ernest Gundling, Christie Caldwell and Karen Cvitkovich
Book
An insightful, real-world look at the skills today's global leadership demands Leading Across...
Fasting the Mind: Spiritual Exercises for Psychic Detox
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Stop planning, stop comparing, stop competing, stop thinking, and just breathe deeply for a minute...
NCIS: Hidden Crimes
Games
6.0
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App
Time to find your first clue, probie! Join Gibbs, Abby and other NCIS agents to investigate crimes...
The International Business Environment
Leslie Hamilton and Philip Webster
10.0
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Will the expansion of the Chinese economy result in job losses in the USA? How can a natural...
China's Quest: The History of the Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China
Book
From its founding 65 years ago, the People's Republic of China has evolved from an important yet...