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ClareR (5686 KP) rated Hold Back the Night in Books
Jul 7, 2024
I’m still reeling from this book, and I read it about a month ago.
Hold Back the Night is set in 3 timelines:
1959, Annie and Ruth are training to be psychiatric nurses in an institution that believes they’re at the forefront of treatment. They learn to speed-shave and dress male patients, hold down women receiving ECT, and take part in conversion therapy for some male patients. “Conversion therapy” sounds pretty harmless, doesn’t it? In reality it wasn’t.
1983, Annie is widowed and bringing up her daughter, Rosie, alone. She meets a young man who is ill, and his friend. She learns that he has been evicted because he has HIV. Annie offers them a home and nursing care. Soon her home becomes a haven for infected, homeless, shunned boys. I think in the back of her mind, she knows she’s trying to make amends for her part in the conversion therapies she took part in.
Which brings us to the third timeline in 2020, and Covid.
There are some parallels to be drawn (uncertainty, fear), but this timeline wraps everything up together, and Annie faces up to her part in 1959.
I loved this book, and the way the timelines wove together really helped me to understand Annie and her reasons for doing just what she did - rightly or wrongly.
Definitely one of my books of the year.
Hold Back the Night is set in 3 timelines:
1959, Annie and Ruth are training to be psychiatric nurses in an institution that believes they’re at the forefront of treatment. They learn to speed-shave and dress male patients, hold down women receiving ECT, and take part in conversion therapy for some male patients. “Conversion therapy” sounds pretty harmless, doesn’t it? In reality it wasn’t.
1983, Annie is widowed and bringing up her daughter, Rosie, alone. She meets a young man who is ill, and his friend. She learns that he has been evicted because he has HIV. Annie offers them a home and nursing care. Soon her home becomes a haven for infected, homeless, shunned boys. I think in the back of her mind, she knows she’s trying to make amends for her part in the conversion therapies she took part in.
Which brings us to the third timeline in 2020, and Covid.
There are some parallels to be drawn (uncertainty, fear), but this timeline wraps everything up together, and Annie faces up to her part in 1959.
I loved this book, and the way the timelines wove together really helped me to understand Annie and her reasons for doing just what she did - rightly or wrongly.
Definitely one of my books of the year.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated My Brilliant Friend in Books
Jul 27, 2017
Well written but repetitive and boring
I heard a lot of high praise for this series but I have to admit I was quite disappointed. The lives of the two protagonists Lena and Lila just seemed so shallow and contrived based around the confines of poverty. While it started off remotely interesting, it was far too long to keep up. Their friendship is a constant battle between love and rivalry - which could have been summed up in half the time. And their constant need for male affection was rather aggravating. It has the same premise like Zadie Smith in terms of writing but that's it.
meg (46 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Apr 19, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book was a really enjoyable read. There are a lot of references to 80s pop culture and need culture, which I'm not a big fan of, but I still really enjoyed reading. My major complaint is a major spoiler. The premise is that everyone is competing to inherit a virtual reality universe essentially. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but for a video game. There are a few main characters, and the main female is faster and smarter than the male who ends up winning, which I found frustrating. The book could have ended better if the female lead won, in my opinion. The ending was still good though.
Squirtsmum (0 KP) rated Complicated in Books
Feb 3, 2018
Kristen Ashley is the best
I have read many books by Kristen Ashley and loved them all and complicated doesn’t disappoint from the very beginning this book had me hooked it contains lots of action and excitement keeping you glued to the book I couldn’t put it down didn’t want it to end and I am hoping that will be a beginning of a new series . So if you like a strong Alpha Male with a Strong sassy heroine with lots of action and adventure then this book is most definitely for you give it a try it won’t disappoint.
Karlaalyy (10 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why - Season 2 in TV
Jul 14, 2018
Exceptional realisation of male rape (2 more)
Tackles hard issues
Helps young people deal with suicide
One of the best shows I’ve ever seen and one I’ll show my future children
This show teaches you it’s okay not to be okay. It shows you that life goes on, it shows you how to cope with grief, it enables people to be more sympathetic. This is one of the best, most touching shows I’ve ever seen. As someone with a parent who has tried to commit suicide what I don’t think the shows done has made people idealise suicide if anything it shows people the effects suicide causes.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated How to Stop Time in Books
Sep 30, 2018
This is my first read by Matt Haig. HOW TO STOP TIME is unique, deep, sometimes long-winded, sad, desperate and interesting. It has a past-present approach to story telling that worked very well.
The protagonist, Tom doesn’t age, at least not normally. He’s met Shakespeare, he’s loved but he’s lost so deeply and he remembers so much. This is a tale of such longing and of the inertia of existing for so long. It’s tragic, not particularly uplifting or depressing but it left me somewhat sad.
I particularly enjoyed the original storyline but I struggled occasionally with the pacing.
The audio narration, male single POV was very good.
The protagonist, Tom doesn’t age, at least not normally. He’s met Shakespeare, he’s loved but he’s lost so deeply and he remembers so much. This is a tale of such longing and of the inertia of existing for so long. It’s tragic, not particularly uplifting or depressing but it left me somewhat sad.
I particularly enjoyed the original storyline but I struggled occasionally with the pacing.
The audio narration, male single POV was very good.
Allison Knapp (118 KP) rated Imagine Me & You (2006) in Movies
Jan 20, 2019
Charming performances by Piper Parabo (Coyote Ugly), Lena Heady, and Anthony Michael Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (2 more)
A LGBTQ movie before the time of legal gay marriage
Witty humor and inspiring chemistry
A film just slightly ahead of its time
Contains spoilers, click to show
A woman falls in love with another woman at her wedding reception. As they try their best to fight their love, it becomes so much clearer that despite her husband is a good man, he doesn't hold her whole heart, proving that love can be found in the most unexpected ways.
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