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Calm in the Storm: Stress Management and Relaxation
Health & Fitness and Lifestyle
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Reduce, manage, and learn about stress in your life with Calm in the Storm. This easy to use app,...
Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won't Save Black America
Book
A challenge to the cultural tradition of corporal punishment in Black homes and its connections to...
Psychology social sciences parenting
All Things New
Book
From the author of PARALLEL and FREE TO FALL comes a novel about brokenness and beauty and the...
Young Adult mental health
Wildsky
9.5
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Grace Allen had always been a big fish growing up in a very small pond. Of course, just about any...
Mental Health Depression Lesbian Romance
ClareR (5779 KP) rated A Passage North in Books
Jun 21, 2022
A Passage North is a book rich in the description of a journey from the capital of Sri Lanka (Colombo) to the Northern Province, which is still affected by the Civil War.
Krishnan is on his way to the funeral of his grandmothers carer and companion. She had returned to visit her daughter in the North, and had died after tripping, falling down a well and breaking her neck. However, after we learn some of her background, there is some doubt that it’s actually accident. Rani had suffered a great deal during the war, and had been left with mental health problems. Krishnan thinks about how her losses affected her life.
Krishnan has experienced loss as well. His father during the war, and the breakup of a significant relationship that he had whilst studying in India.
There’s no dialogue in this novel, it’s all Krishnan’s thoughts about his past and present and Rani’s past. When I started reading, I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy this. But I was happily mistaken. I’ve never been to Sri Lanka, but it sounds beautiful. The funeral was moving and was a reminder of the deaths of many, many innocents during the civil war, and also those who survived them.
This is a powerful novel, that I still think about after reading it.
Krishnan is on his way to the funeral of his grandmothers carer and companion. She had returned to visit her daughter in the North, and had died after tripping, falling down a well and breaking her neck. However, after we learn some of her background, there is some doubt that it’s actually accident. Rani had suffered a great deal during the war, and had been left with mental health problems. Krishnan thinks about how her losses affected her life.
Krishnan has experienced loss as well. His father during the war, and the breakup of a significant relationship that he had whilst studying in India.
There’s no dialogue in this novel, it’s all Krishnan’s thoughts about his past and present and Rani’s past. When I started reading, I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy this. But I was happily mistaken. I’ve never been to Sri Lanka, but it sounds beautiful. The funeral was moving and was a reminder of the deaths of many, many innocents during the civil war, and also those who survived them.
This is a powerful novel, that I still think about after reading it.
Pacifica for Stress & Anxiety
Health & Fitness and Medical
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Stress, anxiety, and depression can get in the way of you living your life. Pacifica gives you...
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!
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Nails (2017) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you’re looking for a film packed with clichés and continuity issues, I recommend Nails – an Irish film currently available on Netflix. I ended up watching it yesterday with my sister-in-law and while it isn’t absolutely awful, it was definitely something I won’t be watching again.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Darius the Great is Not Okay in Books
Dec 25, 2018
This novel got a lot of hype before and after its release - and it deserves it. It has great minority representation, from Persian (and bi-racial!) to Zoroastrian and Baha'i, to clinical depression and male friendship. You could also read gay and/or asexual into it, but that's not explicitly mentioned. Romantic love is just never addressed; perhaps because the story just doesn't involve it, but you could definitely read the main character as ace.
Darius is a great main character. He's funny, self-deprecating, and complex. He has clinical depression, is medicated for it, and can sometimes tell when it's the depression making him think a certain way, but sometimes he can't. He's biracial, visiting Iran and his mother's Persian family for the first time, and adjusting to Persian social norms and traditions while trying not to lose sight of his American life. His connection with his father is tenuous and fraught with miscommunication, and lot of the book is spent wrestling with that relationship. His new friend, Sohrab, is a great foil to that, as his father is completely absent from his life, having been arrested and thrown in jail prior to the start of the story, largely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and being part of a minority religion.
There are so many small things touched on this book - suspicion at customs when flying through, bullying at school for being Persian, not speaking his family's language because his mother didn't teach it to him (and feeling cut off because of it) - all little things that a lot of immigrant children deal with.
Aside from the cultural things the book addresses, there's also the mental health aspect. Both Darius and his father have clinical depression, and there's stigma attached to having the diagnosis, and to taking pills for it. We see how their mental states affects their relationship with each other and with the rest of their family, and it's quite powerful. The author talks about having clinical depression in an afterword, and includes some resources that helped him. This is an #ownvoices novel in more ways than one, and it really shows. Excellent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Darius is a great main character. He's funny, self-deprecating, and complex. He has clinical depression, is medicated for it, and can sometimes tell when it's the depression making him think a certain way, but sometimes he can't. He's biracial, visiting Iran and his mother's Persian family for the first time, and adjusting to Persian social norms and traditions while trying not to lose sight of his American life. His connection with his father is tenuous and fraught with miscommunication, and lot of the book is spent wrestling with that relationship. His new friend, Sohrab, is a great foil to that, as his father is completely absent from his life, having been arrested and thrown in jail prior to the start of the story, largely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and being part of a minority religion.
There are so many small things touched on this book - suspicion at customs when flying through, bullying at school for being Persian, not speaking his family's language because his mother didn't teach it to him (and feeling cut off because of it) - all little things that a lot of immigrant children deal with.
Aside from the cultural things the book addresses, there's also the mental health aspect. Both Darius and his father have clinical depression, and there's stigma attached to having the diagnosis, and to taking pills for it. We see how their mental states affects their relationship with each other and with the rest of their family, and it's quite powerful. The author talks about having clinical depression in an afterword, and includes some resources that helped him. This is an #ownvoices novel in more ways than one, and it really shows. Excellent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Midge (525 KP) rated Before She Knew Him in Books
Mar 18, 2019
An Exceptional Psychological Thriller!
This exceptional psychological thriller from Peter Swanson (author of ‘The Kind Worth Killing’), is an absolute masterpiece!
Henrietta ‘Hen’ Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have dinner one evening with their new neighbours, Matt and Mira Dolamore, at their suburban Boston home. Following dinner, on a tour of their house, Hen notices a fencing trophy in Matt’s study that she believes was won by Dustin Miller, a college student who was murdered two years previous and who attended the high school where Matt is a history Professor. Matt claims that the trophy was bought in a sale, but Hen, who is obsessed with Dustin’s case, suspects that Matt killed Dustin. However, the next day when she visits Mira, the trophy has vanished, thereby reinforcing her suspicions. But Hen gets little support from the Police or her husband because of her history of mental health problems. An unlikely bond then develops between Hen and Matt, whose traumatic childhood adds tonnes of emotional interest to Peter Swanson’s superb narrative. Lots of twists and turns and an edge-of-your-seat plot keep the suspense in “Before She Knew Him” really high until the fulfilling and dramatic conclusion.
This brilliant psychological novel is a fabulous page-turner and a definite winner.
{Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins UK/William Morrow and Peter Swanson for a free copy and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Henrietta ‘Hen’ Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have dinner one evening with their new neighbours, Matt and Mira Dolamore, at their suburban Boston home. Following dinner, on a tour of their house, Hen notices a fencing trophy in Matt’s study that she believes was won by Dustin Miller, a college student who was murdered two years previous and who attended the high school where Matt is a history Professor. Matt claims that the trophy was bought in a sale, but Hen, who is obsessed with Dustin’s case, suspects that Matt killed Dustin. However, the next day when she visits Mira, the trophy has vanished, thereby reinforcing her suspicions. But Hen gets little support from the Police or her husband because of her history of mental health problems. An unlikely bond then develops between Hen and Matt, whose traumatic childhood adds tonnes of emotional interest to Peter Swanson’s superb narrative. Lots of twists and turns and an edge-of-your-seat plot keep the suspense in “Before She Knew Him” really high until the fulfilling and dramatic conclusion.
This brilliant psychological novel is a fabulous page-turner and a definite winner.
{Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins UK/William Morrow and Peter Swanson for a free copy and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}