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Erika (17789 KP) rated The Minds of Billy Milligan in Books
Sep 26, 2019
Admittedly, I wanted to read this book after watching Split, and hearing that Billy Milligan inspired the character.
It seems like there are two camps in the psychology field, ones that believe in Multiple Personalities (now DID), and ones that do not. While at some points I thought to myself, surely, this couldn't be true. But, the brain is weird, and I believe it. I was also hesitant to believe a lot of the details because a)conversations were completely recreated and b) the author was the dude that wrote Flowers for Algernon.
This begins as a true crime novel, then goes into a narrative of Billy Milligan's various lives, then what happened after he told the author his story. I preferred the true crime section to all else, but it was all intensely interesting.
Now, the Split connection; there were some personalities straight up lifted from Milligan's case, and the fact there were 24. Split took a lot from this book.
Overall, an interesting, and at times, unsettling, read.
It seems like there are two camps in the psychology field, ones that believe in Multiple Personalities (now DID), and ones that do not. While at some points I thought to myself, surely, this couldn't be true. But, the brain is weird, and I believe it. I was also hesitant to believe a lot of the details because a)conversations were completely recreated and b) the author was the dude that wrote Flowers for Algernon.
This begins as a true crime novel, then goes into a narrative of Billy Milligan's various lives, then what happened after he told the author his story. I preferred the true crime section to all else, but it was all intensely interesting.
Now, the Split connection; there were some personalities straight up lifted from Milligan's case, and the fact there were 24. Split took a lot from this book.
Overall, an interesting, and at times, unsettling, read.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Mould (Liam Tate #1) in Books
Apr 3, 2023
A really good, short story that despite its shortness, was packed full of great characters and a general overriding sense of the creepy.
I don't really read a lot of supernatural books now but every now and again I like to hark back to my teenage years and indulge myself in a bit of creepiness and Mould definitely hit the spot and I very much look forward to reading more in this new series to see which eerie place it takes me to next.
Many thanks to Steven Jenkins for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Mould and for making me a part of his Advance Reader Team but this in no way influenced my thoughts on this start to a new series which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I don't really read a lot of supernatural books now but every now and again I like to hark back to my teenage years and indulge myself in a bit of creepiness and Mould definitely hit the spot and I very much look forward to reading more in this new series to see which eerie place it takes me to next.
Many thanks to Steven Jenkins for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Mould and for making me a part of his Advance Reader Team but this in no way influenced my thoughts on this start to a new series which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Ravage (Ravaged World Trilogy #2) in Books
Sep 28, 2019
I just love a good horror book every now and then as it enables me to put all believability aside and just go along for the ride ... this one did the job and is another great story from Iain Rob Wright. Despite it being the second in the series ("Sea Sick" being the first), it can easily be read as a standalone.
I don't read an awful lot of zombie apocalypse books so don't have anything to compare this one with which, I think, is probably a good thing as I had no expectations but I was a lover of The Walking Dead and I do think this is similar in it's plot, i.e. a band of survivors coming up against hordes of the living dead and various miscreants in society where no one is safe and anyone can meet their end at any time regardless of their importance.
There is your usual set of characters in this book from the nice to the downright nasty some of which are more developed than others which I think is out of necessity as there are many of them. The various settings are perfect and "normal", the writing is set at a good pace and is easy to read. There are, as you would expect, many scenes of peril and death with a good smattering of blood and gore (not always due to the zombies) but also more tender moments that provided some relief and softness in what would otherwise be a bleak read.
I felt the addition of "The Path of Infection" at the end was excellent and provided an explanation as to how the virus spread from when it came ashore to reaching one of the main characters, Nick, and it makes you think just how easily this could happen in the real world with any virus or infection such as flu, Ebola, etc.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read and now I'm off to read "Savage", the last in the series.
I don't read an awful lot of zombie apocalypse books so don't have anything to compare this one with which, I think, is probably a good thing as I had no expectations but I was a lover of The Walking Dead and I do think this is similar in it's plot, i.e. a band of survivors coming up against hordes of the living dead and various miscreants in society where no one is safe and anyone can meet their end at any time regardless of their importance.
There is your usual set of characters in this book from the nice to the downright nasty some of which are more developed than others which I think is out of necessity as there are many of them. The various settings are perfect and "normal", the writing is set at a good pace and is easy to read. There are, as you would expect, many scenes of peril and death with a good smattering of blood and gore (not always due to the zombies) but also more tender moments that provided some relief and softness in what would otherwise be a bleak read.
I felt the addition of "The Path of Infection" at the end was excellent and provided an explanation as to how the virus spread from when it came ashore to reaching one of the main characters, Nick, and it makes you think just how easily this could happen in the real world with any virus or infection such as flu, Ebola, etc.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read and now I'm off to read "Savage", the last in the series.
Merissa (13878 KP) rated A Gift-Wrapped Holiday in Books
Nov 25, 2022
"A Christmassy hug-in-a-book!"
A GIFT-WRAPPED HOLIDAY is a brilliant book for the Christmas season. It will give you the warm fuzzies, even though serious topics are covered.
Luca and Mal are the perfect pair even if they don't act on it immediately. I loved that about the book though. They don't play games and mess around but they also don't rush into a relationship where a child is involved without thought.
There is little-to-no angst in here but it didn't need it. The characters move the story along brilliantly by themselves. The pacing is wonderful and it shows the connection between Luca and Mal, giving it time to deepen before there is any steam. I loved the world of Lighthouse Bay and now I want to read the other books. I don't feel that it impacted me negatively at all that I hadn't read them before this one.
One thing I have to add is I LOVED all the research that went into Luca's shop. It was a brilliant idea that worked perfectly. I just wish there was a store like that near me!
This is the second book by this author I have read (the other being On The Ice) and both books have been 5-star reads. Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Luca and Mal are the perfect pair even if they don't act on it immediately. I loved that about the book though. They don't play games and mess around but they also don't rush into a relationship where a child is involved without thought.
There is little-to-no angst in here but it didn't need it. The characters move the story along brilliantly by themselves. The pacing is wonderful and it shows the connection between Luca and Mal, giving it time to deepen before there is any steam. I loved the world of Lighthouse Bay and now I want to read the other books. I don't feel that it impacted me negatively at all that I hadn't read them before this one.
One thing I have to add is I LOVED all the research that went into Luca's shop. It was a brilliant idea that worked perfectly. I just wish there was a store like that near me!
This is the second book by this author I have read (the other being On The Ice) and both books have been 5-star reads. Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated A Game of Thrones in Books
Jan 15, 2018
Let me say first that, this is not at all the kind of book that I usually find myself drawn too. I had seen previews for the series on HBO & thought it looked good. I hesitated for a long while on whether to read it or not & decided that while I was on vacation I would read it. (I was advised to wait because you need to concentrate on the book in order to keep all the characters straight, which is VERY true!)
Now I wish I'd read it when I first got the urge. It is SOOOO incredibly well written. The characters are all so different, but so well fleshed out that you can picture them without much trouble. There are a great deal of them & it does take a hundred pages or so to get a handle on them. But, if you stick with it I know you will be pleasantly surprised & glad that you toughed out the first few chapters.
The story is haunting & beautiful. I loathe reviews that spoil the plot so I will not even begin to tackle it here. I could go on all day about it with all its twists & turns. Suffice it to say, I will be picking up the 2nd in the series as soon as I'm done typing here!
Take the risk, don't let the sheer size of the book intimidate you! You will not be disappointed.
Now I wish I'd read it when I first got the urge. It is SOOOO incredibly well written. The characters are all so different, but so well fleshed out that you can picture them without much trouble. There are a great deal of them & it does take a hundred pages or so to get a handle on them. But, if you stick with it I know you will be pleasantly surprised & glad that you toughed out the first few chapters.
The story is haunting & beautiful. I loathe reviews that spoil the plot so I will not even begin to tackle it here. I could go on all day about it with all its twists & turns. Suffice it to say, I will be picking up the 2nd in the series as soon as I'm done typing here!
Take the risk, don't let the sheer size of the book intimidate you! You will not be disappointed.
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated The Overseer in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I never had any interest in reading the Da Vinci Code, and if I'd heard about this, I might not have been interested in it, either. But somehow I picked up a damaged copy of it, and got terribly interested but it was in such bad shape that there was no way to go on reading. I found that I had to request it from the library, and as soon as it arrived I started over at the beginning. I've read it in chunks since then.
If I'd read this book when it was first released, back in 1998, I'm sure it would have been much more chilling. It was quite effective, even in 2011. I can easily remember the public figures who are echoed in Rabb's books - there are certainly similar ones in the news every day right now (some of them the same ones!)
I did, however, enjoy The Overseer for what it was. I didn't find myself chafing at the flaws other reviewers here have mentioned. Yes, government agents in such thrillers have to be nearly superhuman, and the protagonist, in order to survive, has to learn new rules very quickly. But the reader also has to suspend her disbelief, or she has no business reading such things. If the hero is an idiot, I'll accept that he's a slow learner and likely to die - but then he wouldn't be the hero, would he?
All in all, a decent read if you enjoy thrillers.
If I'd read this book when it was first released, back in 1998, I'm sure it would have been much more chilling. It was quite effective, even in 2011. I can easily remember the public figures who are echoed in Rabb's books - there are certainly similar ones in the news every day right now (some of them the same ones!)
I did, however, enjoy The Overseer for what it was. I didn't find myself chafing at the flaws other reviewers here have mentioned. Yes, government agents in such thrillers have to be nearly superhuman, and the protagonist, in order to survive, has to learn new rules very quickly. But the reader also has to suspend her disbelief, or she has no business reading such things. If the hero is an idiot, I'll accept that he's a slow learner and likely to die - but then he wouldn't be the hero, would he?
All in all, a decent read if you enjoy thrillers.
David McK (3734 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express in Books
Dec 27, 2021
As a general rule, I'm not really big into murder mystery whodunnits, generally finding them boring, (sometimes) obvious and just, well, generally a little bit stale.
That may be why I'd never read perhaps Agatha Christie's most famous murder story before, or even had any interest in which any of the (numerous) films, TV series or plays based around the same.
Which is a long way of saying that I came into this 'cold', as it were, knowing little beyond the fact that it was a Hercule Poirot mystery (thanks to the 2017 Kenneth Branagh movie, which I hadn't seen), and that the murder was on a train (d'uh!) just as it ran into snow whilst on a journey.
Now that I've read it, I have to say: I found little to cause me to revise my opinion of murder mysteries in general.
That's not to say that it is bad, per se, just that it never really hooked me all that much: indeed, at times it felt more like a chore to read than something enjoyable. Indeed, I'm sorry to say, the reveal of just who carried out the crime also completely failed to elicit any form of surprise or emotion at all from me: not that I saw it coming but just that, well, it almost felt like a relief when it did.
All I can say is: sorry, any Poirot fans!
That may be why I'd never read perhaps Agatha Christie's most famous murder story before, or even had any interest in which any of the (numerous) films, TV series or plays based around the same.
Which is a long way of saying that I came into this 'cold', as it were, knowing little beyond the fact that it was a Hercule Poirot mystery (thanks to the 2017 Kenneth Branagh movie, which I hadn't seen), and that the murder was on a train (d'uh!) just as it ran into snow whilst on a journey.
Now that I've read it, I have to say: I found little to cause me to revise my opinion of murder mysteries in general.
That's not to say that it is bad, per se, just that it never really hooked me all that much: indeed, at times it felt more like a chore to read than something enjoyable. Indeed, I'm sorry to say, the reveal of just who carried out the crime also completely failed to elicit any form of surprise or emotion at all from me: not that I saw it coming but just that, well, it almost felt like a relief when it did.
All I can say is: sorry, any Poirot fans!
ClareR (6106 KP) rated Mrs Dalloway in Books
Sep 6, 2020
I’ve been trying to read this book for the best part of 20 years. It moved with me from my childhood home, through university, to the house I live in now. It’s a well travelled book. Thanks to The Pigeonhole, they’ve removed the one hurdle to the reason why I haven’t read it: sections, chapters, staves - call it what you will. I have a mental block when it comes to reading something without a break, and now I have learnt what I need to do - create sections or breaks myself (Ducks, Newburyport may well be on the cards soon).
I’m so glad that The Pigeonhole serialised this, because I’ve been missing out on a true classic. A day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway in the lead up to her party, and all of the people who intersect her life(directly and indirectly). It’s a beautiful story. The peripheral stories are just as interesting and important, giving us a look in to the lives of those living at the time. In particular the story of Septimus Smith stays with me, and the lack of understanding of both Shell Shock and mental health problems. But life seems to go on for all of the others.
This is a book that I’m glad to have read, and it’s not hard to see why it’s considered to be a classic.
I’m so glad that The Pigeonhole serialised this, because I’ve been missing out on a true classic. A day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway in the lead up to her party, and all of the people who intersect her life(directly and indirectly). It’s a beautiful story. The peripheral stories are just as interesting and important, giving us a look in to the lives of those living at the time. In particular the story of Septimus Smith stays with me, and the lack of understanding of both Shell Shock and mental health problems. But life seems to go on for all of the others.
This is a book that I’m glad to have read, and it’s not hard to see why it’s considered to be a classic.
Merissa (13878 KP) rated Hunted (Dragonlands #2) in Books
Apr 6, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
WOW! The first book in this series, Hidden, is really good but this book blows that one out of the water. It is an excellent follow up although I warn you that it has a killer cliffhanger ending.
This story does follow on from Hidden so I definitely recommend you read that first or you simply won't have a clue what is happening here. For those that have read it, I can say that the story continues to move forward in such a way that will amaze and astound. The characters are growing and changing whilst the plot thickens. I especially loved the character development of Tressa and Bastian. This felt completely natural considering that they are meeting new people for the first time in their lives.
So many twists and turns in this story and I won't even try to explain any of them. Suffice it to say that I now have lots of questions that were answered from book 1 but I now have more from book 2 that are still unanswered. I'm waiting for book 3 very impatiently!
Recommended for all Fantasy lovers out there.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
September 3, 2016
This story does follow on from Hidden so I definitely recommend you read that first or you simply won't have a clue what is happening here. For those that have read it, I can say that the story continues to move forward in such a way that will amaze and astound. The characters are growing and changing whilst the plot thickens. I especially loved the character development of Tressa and Bastian. This felt completely natural considering that they are meeting new people for the first time in their lives.
So many twists and turns in this story and I won't even try to explain any of them. Suffice it to say that I now have lots of questions that were answered from book 1 but I now have more from book 2 that are still unanswered. I'm waiting for book 3 very impatiently!
Recommended for all Fantasy lovers out there.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
September 3, 2016
Alicia S (193 KP) rated Beyond the Consequences (Consequences, #5) in Books
Sep 28, 2018
What more can I say about this incredible series? Im SO sad its over... Ive loved Claire & Tony's story, no matter how painful it was to read and go through at times. The connection, the passion and the perfect fit of these two are just amazing.. I've been rooting for Tony & Claire for books now and am so beyond happy to see them end up in their "happily ever after." Now we an all just sit around and hope that someday Aleatha changes her mind and continues this story! (although Im sure she's tired of hearing that!?) ;-) LOVE LOVE LOVE this series...