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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Ruin Season in Books
Sep 23, 2023
136 of 235
Kindle
The Ruin Season
By Kristopher Triana
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jake Leonard has more than his share of troubles. He’s close to 40 now and suffers from bipolar disorder and the painful memories of the psychotic episodes that derailed his life.
Living in the rural south, Jake spends his days breaking horses and his nights training dogs in solitude. His 19-year-old girlfriend, Nikki, is the daughter of the local sheriff, and she’s just getting worse with drugs and alcohol. Jake does his best to persuade her to ease up on them, but things go from bad to worse when Nikki has a breakdown and gets involved in heroin and low-budget porn.
After a friend’s funeral, Jake reconnects with his ex-wife Michelle. He’s never stopped loving her, but she’s remarried with a young daughter.
Soon, chaos unfolds like a pocketknife, and as Jake’s dark history is revealed, he finds himself spinning toward the inner demons he’s worked so hard to escape.
This was one of those that you have to keep reading a lot of it got home bipolar is such a horrible illness. It was a whole rollercoaster of how life can change so quickly and our decisions have a dramatic effect, especially those made when not of a clear mind.
Kindle
The Ruin Season
By Kristopher Triana
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jake Leonard has more than his share of troubles. He’s close to 40 now and suffers from bipolar disorder and the painful memories of the psychotic episodes that derailed his life.
Living in the rural south, Jake spends his days breaking horses and his nights training dogs in solitude. His 19-year-old girlfriend, Nikki, is the daughter of the local sheriff, and she’s just getting worse with drugs and alcohol. Jake does his best to persuade her to ease up on them, but things go from bad to worse when Nikki has a breakdown and gets involved in heroin and low-budget porn.
After a friend’s funeral, Jake reconnects with his ex-wife Michelle. He’s never stopped loving her, but she’s remarried with a young daughter.
Soon, chaos unfolds like a pocketknife, and as Jake’s dark history is revealed, he finds himself spinning toward the inner demons he’s worked so hard to escape.
This was one of those that you have to keep reading a lot of it got home bipolar is such a horrible illness. It was a whole rollercoaster of how life can change so quickly and our decisions have a dramatic effect, especially those made when not of a clear mind.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated Misled in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo’s Book Diary enjoyed C.J. Spammer’s debut novel “Misled” and recommends this as a 5 star read.
I found this an emotional novel. Very gripping. I couldn’t put it down once I started – unfortunately I started reading just before going to bed and I was then up most of the night because even after I had finished the characters and the story stayed with me.
A fantastic book that takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey through the struggles of Sara who is affected by Bipolar Disorder in alternating chapters of now and then – then, being when it all went wrong.
I would like to thank CJ Spammer for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
I found this an emotional novel. Very gripping. I couldn’t put it down once I started – unfortunately I started reading just before going to bed and I was then up most of the night because even after I had finished the characters and the story stayed with me.
A fantastic book that takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey through the struggles of Sara who is affected by Bipolar Disorder in alternating chapters of now and then – then, being when it all went wrong.
I would like to thank CJ Spammer for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Everything Here Is Beautiful in Books
Mar 2, 2018
A wonderful and tragic exploration of mental health
This is a beautifully written, tragic tale of love, loss and mental health.
Following the story of sisters Miranda and Lucia, born to Chinese parents and living in America, the elder of the two siblings attempts to shelter her sister Lucia as she is seen to suffer from a form of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Miranda is responsible and organised, while her sister is a free spirit, but she seems to have no control over her fate and protecting her from her demons.
It is a wonderful exploration into mental health, and how it affects all communities, and the effect it has on the people around them. It's sometimes heartbreaking knowing what could end up happening to Lucia when there is no safety net or support network to help her through her episodes. An unexpected gem.
Following the story of sisters Miranda and Lucia, born to Chinese parents and living in America, the elder of the two siblings attempts to shelter her sister Lucia as she is seen to suffer from a form of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Miranda is responsible and organised, while her sister is a free spirit, but she seems to have no control over her fate and protecting her from her demons.
It is a wonderful exploration into mental health, and how it affects all communities, and the effect it has on the people around them. It's sometimes heartbreaking knowing what could end up happening to Lucia when there is no safety net or support network to help her through her episodes. An unexpected gem.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Good Luck of Right Now in Books
May 28, 2017
Inspirational
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Play Book comes an inspirational tale about a thirty nine year old man who has lived with his mother his whole life. The Good Luck of Right Now is about how Bartholomew Neil copes with life after the death of his mother. Bartholomew is a very awkward man who has no idea how to cope on his own and so is assigned a grief counselor, Wendy, to help him come to terms with his new situation. Due to his mother’s movie obsessions, this story is told through pretend letters written to famous Hollywood actor, Richard Gere, who is also someone Bartholomew admires greatly.
Matthew Quick’s novel entertains the reader through the mishmash of characters from a cat-obsessed man who is convinced aliens exist, to Bartholomew’s obscure friendship with a bipolar priest. As well as being entertaining this novel explores the rhythm of the universe leaving the reader questioning the credibility of fate and wondering about religion and philosophy.
The way in which Bartholomew views the world and his reasons for writing unsent letters to Richard Gere during this difficult period of his life suggest that he his somewhere on the autism scale. Quick explores mental health issues as well as this beginning with the priest with bipolar and again later in the book when Bartholomew becomes friends with a pair of siblings, Max and Elizabeth.
At times humorous and at others thoughtful, The Good Luck of Right Now is a really interesting novel to read. It is easy to understand Bartholomew’s thought processes and he is a very lovable character. One part of the story I personally did not like, however, was the amount of swearing the character Max does. Although this emphasizes Max’s mental state and is not intended to be an insult, it did get a bit tiresome reading a swear word within every sentence he spoke.
Overall this book is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed The Silver Linings Play Book. In fact, The Good Luck of Right Now may even be the better book!
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Play Book comes an inspirational tale about a thirty nine year old man who has lived with his mother his whole life. The Good Luck of Right Now is about how Bartholomew Neil copes with life after the death of his mother. Bartholomew is a very awkward man who has no idea how to cope on his own and so is assigned a grief counselor, Wendy, to help him come to terms with his new situation. Due to his mother’s movie obsessions, this story is told through pretend letters written to famous Hollywood actor, Richard Gere, who is also someone Bartholomew admires greatly.
Matthew Quick’s novel entertains the reader through the mishmash of characters from a cat-obsessed man who is convinced aliens exist, to Bartholomew’s obscure friendship with a bipolar priest. As well as being entertaining this novel explores the rhythm of the universe leaving the reader questioning the credibility of fate and wondering about religion and philosophy.
The way in which Bartholomew views the world and his reasons for writing unsent letters to Richard Gere during this difficult period of his life suggest that he his somewhere on the autism scale. Quick explores mental health issues as well as this beginning with the priest with bipolar and again later in the book when Bartholomew becomes friends with a pair of siblings, Max and Elizabeth.
At times humorous and at others thoughtful, The Good Luck of Right Now is a really interesting novel to read. It is easy to understand Bartholomew’s thought processes and he is a very lovable character. One part of the story I personally did not like, however, was the amount of swearing the character Max does. Although this emphasizes Max’s mental state and is not intended to be an insult, it did get a bit tiresome reading a swear word within every sentence he spoke.
Overall this book is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed The Silver Linings Play Book. In fact, The Good Luck of Right Now may even be the better book!
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated And Then You Were Gone in Books
Feb 8, 2019 (Updated Mar 26, 2019)
Meh.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Meh.
I'm a huge fan of psychological thrillers, which this is billed as, but I just couldn't get into this one. I didn't find any of the characters very likable, including Emily, and the story took FOREVER to develop - to the point of dragging. I really felt like I was slogging through mud trying to get through this book. The author practically beats us over the head with the fact that Emily is bipolar. WE GET IT. Also, for someone who was "under suspicion" for murder, she had an awful lot of freedom, no? Even Cal, who I wanted to like, was flat and one-dimensional. I found myself not caring whether Paolo was alive or not (though, from fairly early in the story, I was 100% sure he was indeed alive), because he hadn't been interesting enough to keep my attention.
The pace didn't pick up at all until the last third of the story, if that. Even the "big reveal" was like "well, yeah, ok that's what I thought." A disappointing read.
I'm a huge fan of psychological thrillers, which this is billed as, but I just couldn't get into this one. I didn't find any of the characters very likable, including Emily, and the story took FOREVER to develop - to the point of dragging. I really felt like I was slogging through mud trying to get through this book. The author practically beats us over the head with the fact that Emily is bipolar. WE GET IT. Also, for someone who was "under suspicion" for murder, she had an awful lot of freedom, no? Even Cal, who I wanted to like, was flat and one-dimensional. I found myself not caring whether Paolo was alive or not (though, from fairly early in the story, I was 100% sure he was indeed alive), because he hadn't been interesting enough to keep my attention.
The pace didn't pick up at all until the last third of the story, if that. Even the "big reveal" was like "well, yeah, ok that's what I thought." A disappointing read.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Lost Connections in Books
Mar 19, 2018
Sentiment is worthy but not cohesive
Johann Hari has delved into the world of depression and psychiatry, revealing his own battles with the condition and attempting to debunk approaches towards mental health. His intentions are worthy as it is a dense topic of discussion, and absolutely essential, but unfortunately Hari only focuses on one side.
His views on overprescription are completely accurate as many mental health professionals have a tendency to equate behaviour as a science, therefore looking towards traditional methods of treatment. However, his views that depression is totally reactive to environment is incorrect as many with other serious conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar, would have "endogenous" depression ie. where something goes wrong in the brain.
Much of this book concentrates on the disconnection from vital human requirements such as neighbourliness, professional fulfillment, acknowledgement of trauma and so on. His approach suggests that reconnecting may help the malaise. While I agree with half of his argument, others may find it oversimplified. But no doubt we do need a more compassionate attitude towards mental health.
His views on overprescription are completely accurate as many mental health professionals have a tendency to equate behaviour as a science, therefore looking towards traditional methods of treatment. However, his views that depression is totally reactive to environment is incorrect as many with other serious conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar, would have "endogenous" depression ie. where something goes wrong in the brain.
Much of this book concentrates on the disconnection from vital human requirements such as neighbourliness, professional fulfillment, acknowledgement of trauma and so on. His approach suggests that reconnecting may help the malaise. While I agree with half of his argument, others may find it oversimplified. But no doubt we do need a more compassionate attitude towards mental health.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel in TV
Mar 1, 2021
The only reason I'm rating this a two, is because it made me actually laugh out loud. The fact that the documentary makers thought it was a good idea to prominently feature these 'internet sleuths', instead of real journalists (sorry not sorry), is BAFFLING.
The internet sleuths were all CUCKOO for COCO Puffs. It was certainly amusing, but it was a major misstep. Where were the real journalists? It was just a car wreck. All of those people might as well have been wearing tinfoil hats on camera.
Towards the end, I was actually offended by the fact these sleuths kept insisting that her cause of death wasn't partially due to her mental illness. Apparently, they're sleuths, but they don't know anyone with bipolar disorder, and decided not to google it? It was disgusting to me. Had they presented the facts re the victims medication, etc, I could have solved it immediately.
This could have easily been an hour and a half. All of the conjecture was annoying, and, quite frankly, insulting to the victim. If I was her family, I'd hit Netflix with a lawsuit for this twaddle.
The internet sleuths were all CUCKOO for COCO Puffs. It was certainly amusing, but it was a major misstep. Where were the real journalists? It was just a car wreck. All of those people might as well have been wearing tinfoil hats on camera.
Towards the end, I was actually offended by the fact these sleuths kept insisting that her cause of death wasn't partially due to her mental illness. Apparently, they're sleuths, but they don't know anyone with bipolar disorder, and decided not to google it? It was disgusting to me. Had they presented the facts re the victims medication, etc, I could have solved it immediately.
This could have easily been an hour and a half. All of the conjecture was annoying, and, quite frankly, insulting to the victim. If I was her family, I'd hit Netflix with a lawsuit for this twaddle.
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated A Note Of Madness in Books
Feb 9, 2019
Mental health awareness (1 more)
Likeable chapters
This novel was the authors debut, for a debut novel it's well written and flows fairly well. The portrayal of bipolar disorder / manic depression is realistically unsettling. It really shows how damaging a misdiagnosis could be and the serious effect of being dismissed. To avoid spoilers I'm not going to say if this story ends with a happy or an unfortunate end. I will advise you NOT to read this if you suffer from a mental illness and are triggered easily, this could be a serious trigger.
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Following on, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really appreciate the mental health awareness in it which is a rare find in a book, I found this a hard one to score higher than 7/10. This is solely due to the fact that the chapters are long, ranging on average at about 25+ pages. This made it difficult to stay focused and I found myself having to read back a couple of pages to recap. This is completely my own problem as I enjoy shorter chapters and I really dislike stopping half way through a chapter.
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Overall I 100% recommend this book. It's very underrated and deserves more awareness
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Following on, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really appreciate the mental health awareness in it which is a rare find in a book, I found this a hard one to score higher than 7/10. This is solely due to the fact that the chapters are long, ranging on average at about 25+ pages. This made it difficult to stay focused and I found myself having to read back a couple of pages to recap. This is completely my own problem as I enjoy shorter chapters and I really dislike stopping half way through a chapter.
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Overall I 100% recommend this book. It's very underrated and deserves more awareness
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated The Silver Linings Playbook in Books
May 30, 2019
There's a great story in here somewhere (just look at the movie) but unfortunately, for me, it's undercut by the voice of the protagonist. Pat has just been released from an involuntary stay at a mental institution, sure, but mental illness does not equate to mental simplicity. Throughout the entire narration, Pat is portrayed as childlike. His comprehension of the goings-on surrounding his release and recovery is naive, it's cursory, and woefully incomplete. Pat is recovering from a pretty severe psychotic break, and likely suffers from bipolar disorder, neither of which I'd think would cause the stunted mental capacity that he appears to exhibit.
There are flashes of good in there, such as <spoiler>when Pat, (knowing he's been away for years) still refers to his stay in the facility as "just a few months." With firm evidence in hand, his brain simply ignores it.</spoiler>
In many other places though, Pat seems to be written in a way that screams "Look how mentally deranged I am," rather than giving us a more real, grounded recovery from a psychotic episode. I never get the sense of the tortured and confused existence that Pat purports to feel, I just see the caricature he is presented as, and the entire narrative suffers as a result.
There are flashes of good in there, such as <spoiler>when Pat, (knowing he's been away for years) still refers to his stay in the facility as "just a few months." With firm evidence in hand, his brain simply ignores it.</spoiler>
In many other places though, Pat seems to be written in a way that screams "Look how mentally deranged I am," rather than giving us a more real, grounded recovery from a psychotic episode. I never get the sense of the tortured and confused existence that Pat purports to feel, I just see the caricature he is presented as, and the entire narrative suffers as a result.
