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All That Remains: A Life in Death
All That Remains: A Life in Death
Sue Black | 2019 | Medical & Veterinary, Mind, Body & Spiritual, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
9
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pros:
▪ Descriptive
▪ Very fascinating
▪ Surprisingly life-affirming
Cons:
▪ Could be a possible military/trauma PTSD trigger
What an incredible book. When I first picked this up I was sceptical about reading it right now, I thought this was going to be a dark, depressing read about death. It certainly is about death but surprisingly not in a dark or depressing way.
I've been suffering with a bereavement since November after my best friend was killed in a road accident, hit by a drunk driver. I have been struggling quite a bit with this and there doesn't seem to be any support for people struggling with bereavement, there is one local charity that provides free counselling but I'm currently on a 16+ week waiting list before they can even assess me to see if they can help me.
So you can see why I was hesitant to read this, however, after reading some reviews on it i took the risk and dived in. I'm glad I did.
I found this actually very refreshing and life-affirming, it's made me see life and death in a different way and I feel like it's helped me cope a little better whilst I wait for counselling.
The chapter about the authors personal experience with bereavements was nice to be reminded that everyone deals with grief in their own ways, even if it may seem odd to others.
I really enjoyed reading the scientific parts of this book aswell, as detailed as some of it was it was actually really interesting. It was also nice to learn about all the different options available now days for what happens to our bodies. Donating your body to a medical school is one option I wasn't even aware of.
The epilogue was a tear jerker, I admit I struggled to read through those last pages. It was very personal to Blacks family and very detailed about her wishes when her time comes.
I highly respect Black for making such a personal memoir published.
This was an emotional, uplifting, scientific memoir that I highly recommend.
  
A Spark Of Light
A Spark Of Light
Jodi Picoult | 2018 | Contemporary, Crime
10
8.0 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
HEARTRENDING/CONTROVERSIAL
The Center for women's reproductive health offers a last chance at hope - but nobody ends up there by choice.

Its very existence is controversial, and to the demonstrators who barricade the building every day, the service it offers is no different from legalised murder.

Now life and death decisions are being made horrifyingly real: a lone protester with a gun has taken the staff, patients and visitors hostage.

Starting at the tensest moment in the negotiations for their release, A Spark of Light unravels backwards, revealing hour by urgent hour what brought each of these people - the gunman, the negotiator, the doctors, nurses and women who have come to them for treatment - to this point.


And certainties unwind as truths and secrets are peeled away, revealing the complexity of balancing the right to life with the right to choose.

NO MATTER YOUR OWN PERSONAL VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT MATTER.... this is a very well written story that is going to divide us all.

Characters and situations that you can relate to on a personal level either yourself or someone you know brought to light and in a way to reveal the things that brought them to where they are and how they collide.

The timeline is an important structure of how this story flows so you do need to be aware that the timeline actually counts back in hours beginning at the end with each previous hour becoming the feature of the next chapter.

I am a mother myself so I have my own personal feelings around the subject line and was able to put that to the back of my mind and enjoy the thorough research the author has done to represent each side of the abortion debate that exists.

All of this aside it is a very emotional story that gripped me til the end as always.

I was fortunate enough to have been able to read this as an ARC and found it hard to stay away from other reviews already posted before finishing. I do hope you give the book a read and enjoy as I have.
  
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Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated Kilimanjaro My Story in Books

Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)  
KM
Kilimanjaro My Story
Rod Wood | 2016
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book Review | Kilimanjaro My Story by Rod Wood
Review

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I love I had this opportunity to read this non-fiction book usually I don't read non-fiction I more read fiction books. But when I was given from the author I read the blurb (I always do this) the story grabbed me. The story is about Rod Wood (author) he had the dream to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It wasn't easy for him as personal events affected him and the dream was pushed to the back of his mind.
While reading the story I felt for Rod as he struggled with his personal meltdown but I loved that he got support from his parents and his friends to push him to do this dream.
I am happy that he plucked up the courage and achieved this amazing experience. I loved he added the photos as this made it personal and heartwarming as it made you feel that you have gone on the journey with Rod.

It's amazing that through the book you can see Rod's confidence grown and how he bonded with the other team members and porters. It, not just the story of his achievement what grabbed its that the three volcanoes, Kilimanjaro, Mawenzi, and Meru are changing due to the climate change and the global warming, as we had periods of warmth, and periods of extreme cold so this helped the glaciers to grow and cover the summit. It also how people who visit these volcanoes treat them by leaving litter behind and not clean up after their selves.
..This book makes me what to write my own bucket list and achieve some goals what have been on my mind what I have pushed aside.
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It is worth the read and I would recommend to you if you into traveling and what to climb Mount Kilimanjaro yourself.
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*Thanks, Rod Wood for sending me the book to read and everything I have written is my honest review and opinion.
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Thanks for reading.
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 Q. What non-fiction book have you read this year and would like to share with me? Comment below please x
  
Patriots Day (2016)
Patriots Day (2016)
2016 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
There are events in history that are burned into our memories. The attack on Pearl Harbor, JFK assassination, Challenger explosion, Oklahoma City bombing, and 9/11 stand out as moments when their respective generations ask “where were you when?” The same can be said with the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013. In Patriot’s Day we bear witness to the various people involved with the events that unfolded during that week. We are reminded of the tension and fear that the nation experienced as law enforcement tried to find those responsible. The film reopens a wound that has just begun to heal so that we are reminded of the vulnerability that everyone, from every walk of life has to terrorism and acts of violence.

Patriot’s Day stars Mark Wahlberg as a police officer and native Bostonian who is placed on duty for the Boston Marathon. The film is not about him or his personal experience. Rather, the film is more about the myriad of individuals who witness or fall victim to the attack that day. Unlike similar films that deal with the topic of terrorism, the film does not focus on the effect the events have on one or two people. The film is complex and demonstrates the circumstances of the attack, the investigation, the apprehension, and the personal experiences through a variety of voices and faces. The film makes the experience personal and does not depend on sensationalism to sell the story.

The film will captivate those that see it in being able to learn more about the individuals involved or who fell victim. It is also remarkable in its ability to weave the storytelling so that each player has a strong development before their portion of the tale is fully realized. It allows for an appreciation of the individuals involved and demonstrates that they are more than just names in a report. Patriot’s Day is a film that will open wounds for those who witnessed and experienced the events first-hand, but allows for those who have little to no memory of that week to delve deeper into the way that the events played out and truly understand the manner in which the city of Boston went from hurting, to healing, to being strong.
  
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