Smashbomb

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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Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated For, Lost Thoughts by Ballad in Music

Jun 17, 2019

Ballad is a rising singer-songwriter from Luanda, Angola. Not too long ago, he released a groovy contemporary R&B tune, entitled, “If”, produced by Jay Muse.

“‘If’ is the first track on my ‘For, Lost Thoughts’ EP, which touches on the themes of joy, love, depression, and acceptance. Also, ‘If’ represents joy.” – Ballad

‘If’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with contemporary R&B and neo-soul elements.

The likable tune is featured on Ballad’s latest EP, entitled, “For, Lost Thoughts”. Also, you can get acquainted with the artist’s music by streaming his project via Spotify.

“This felt like therapy for me, like I needed to get out all of these emotions that life has taken me through.”

Ballad’s soulful sound is reminiscent of Maxwell and Prince, all wrapped up in one. Also, his music has amassed over 200K streams online.

His “For, Lost Thoughts” EP is his most personal project to date because it’s laced with vulnerability. Also, every word uttered from Ballad tells a story, his story.

The 5-track project highlights a transitioning period in Ballad’s life where he ultimately learned some of his biggest lessons in love. Also, it includes his “Wondering” single, which is dedicated to love lost.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/ballad-if/

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ClareR (5916 KP) rated Keep Clear: My Adventures With Aspergers in Books

Oct 29, 2019

An honest account of Aspergers.

Keep Clear was such an interesting, informative and frank book. It gives a look into the life of Tom Cutler as he receives his Aspergers diagnosis. Immediately, he realises why he has always struggled in social situations and why people consider him to be rude and inappropriate. He then goes on to tell the story of his life and how Aspergers influenced it.

I really enjoyed this book as it gave me a lot to think about. It wasn’t all scientific based information - although that was there too. The anecdotes were sad at times, particularly his loneliness and depression when he started at university, but there was also great humour and the ability to laugh at himself.

Actually, I think there are a lot of people out there who could do with reading this. It explains so well that ‘high functioning’ doesn’t mean ‘easily able to cope’, that those with Aspergers need as much consideration as anyone else on the autism spectrum.

I will definitely be using what I’ve learnt in this book at work, as well as in everyday life. Thanks to the Pigeonhole for introducing me to such a great book, and to Tom for reading along with us and answering questions.