All posts by skyebjenner

Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood by Jeffrey J. Arnett & Malcolm Hughes

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood : Jeffery Arnett : 9781408253908

Title: Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach
Author: Jeffrey J. Arnett & Malcolm Hughes
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Non-fiction, Psychology
Dates read: 12th June – 22nd August 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Pearson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: One interesting feature of puberty rites in traditional cultures is that eligibility for the rites is not typically based on age but on pubertal maturation.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Focused on a global cultural perspective that incorporates research on adolescence through emerging adulthood & grounded in a global cultural perspective, this text includes a considerable amount of anthropology, sociology, & international research in addition to the compelling psychological research on adolescent development.

Thoughts

This textbook left my brain feeling happy, full and filled with wonderful knowledge. Which is exactly what I want at the end of reading a textbook. After all, I read these kinds of books to fill my brain with knowledge. So finding that I felt more knowledgeable and super happy at the end of this made me incredibly happy.

Although I read this as a part of an undergrad course, I did very much feel like this is the kind of thing that I want to do with my life. It is glorious and the aspect of psychology that I am really, truly passionate about – helping adolescents with their issues before they can carry too far into adulthood.

This also has a great layout and deals with cultural differences in a wonderful manner. Most of the time when I read textbooks, it’s a bit of a chore. But when I was reading this, it felt a lot more enjoyable. And helped me to fill my brain with a lot of wonderful information and knowledge.

<- More non-fictionMore psychology ->

Image source: BookDepository

Burn Him Out by Frank Bonham

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of westerns book cover

Title: Burn Him Out
Author: Frank Bonham
In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis)
Rating Out of 5: 2 (Managed to read it… just)
My Bookshelves: Westerns
Dates read: 19th August 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Standing there, he felt moisture strike his hand and angrily straightened.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

A western filled with discussion and just a little violence.

Thoughts

I honestly just couldn’t concentrate too much on this short story. It just wouldn’t quite catch my interest. Which was quite disappointing. But not all stories can be favourites…

This story seemed to be mostly about fighting. And it was just eh.

Having said all of that, I did enjoy the writing style of this story. It might not have been exactly the kind of story that I loved. But it was a style that I enjoyed.

<- CommandThe Colt ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Sourcery | Sir Terry Pratchett

Title: Sourcery
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld #5, Rincewind #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading, Fantasy
Dates read: 22nd July – 18th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Corgi
Year: 1988
5th sentence, 74th page: He just steals things.

Synopsis

All this books and stuff, that isn’t what it should all be about. What we need is real wizardry.

There was an eighth son of an eighth son. He was, quite naturally, a wizard. And there it should have ended. However (for reasons we’d better not go into), he had seven sons. And then he had an eighth son… a wizard squared… a source of magic… a Sourcerer.

Unseen University has finally got what it wished for: the most powerful wizard on the disc. Which, unfortunately, could mean that the death of all wizardry is at hand. And that the world is going to end, depending on whom you listen to. Unless of course one inept wizard can take the University’s most precious artefact, the very embodiment of magic itself, and deliver it halfway across the disc to safety…

Thoughts

Whenever I pick up a book by Terry Pratchett, I know that I’m going to have a good time and be entertained. And Sourcery was no exception. I had such a great, fun, amazing journey throughout this story. One that I absolutely adored and would love to read again.

So far in the Discworld series, none of the stories have really finished on a cliff hanger. Instead, the story almost works as a standalone and lets you journey onwards to the next story in the series without any extra baggage. This novel didn’t quite work out like that. It just felt like there was so much more that was likely to happen to Rincewind – and I would love to know what the outcome of his latest misadventure will be. It was kind of fun finishing a Discworld story on a cliff hanger. Just different enough to leave me happy and content.

One of my favourite things about Pratchett is his amazing ability to build worlds. The fact that he’s doing so consistently throughout the Discworld series always leaves me feeling happy. In this novel, his world building is building on the rules of wizardry and sourcery. I love all of the completely obscure and odd rules that come about in this and the way that the rules of magick are completely unexpected and not what I would have thought of as logical at all. It was quite brilliant.

Throughout all of this novel, I read a lot of the more humorous passages to my husband. There is just something great about the flow of his writing and the style that not only made me laugh… a lot. But can be shared with somebody who just doesn’t quite like reading and books as much as I do… there is just such a great sense of humour and wit that I wish I could impart into my own written word…

<- MortWyrd Sisters ->

Image source: Sir Terry Pratchett

Punishment & Sentencing by Melissa Bull

Book Review, ,
Overview
Punishment and Sentencing eBook

Title: Punishment & Sentencing: Risk, Rehabilitation and Restitution
Author: Melissa Bull
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Non-fiction, Psychology
Dates read: 12th June – 18th August 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: The Australian regimes, reflecting wariness about the effectiveness of community notification, involve non-public registers that have been developed from existing criminal conviction or other databases and that contain a range of information: offender name, residential address, employment address, car registration, fingerprints and nature of offence.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Punishment and Sentencing uses a case study approach to bring to life our shifting attitudes to punishment, and its relationship to changing technologies and programs of control. The text identifies the key concepts of risk, rehabilitation and restitution to give readers an accessible framework for understanding the different approaches taken, in theory and in practice, to sentencing and punishment.

Thoughts

I actually really enjoyed the setup of this textbook. It was completely approachable. And, most importantly it showed how the theories and concepts discussed in the first part actually relate to our daily lives and made it a little more practical… something that I don’t often come across in the non-fiction texts I read for my university studies.

This text starts by outlining the sociological theories behind punishment and sentencing. And also providing a nice history of Australian criminology. Whilst there were aspects of this that I was familiar with, there were also lots of aspects which I was not so familiar with. It was a great foundation which then flowed onto the second part of the story.

This flow provided a great backdrop with which to understand some of the more contentious and difficult aspects of criminology and the case studies which highlight these issues. I really enjoyed how well written and informative this whole text was. I would definitely flick through this again.

<- More non-fictionMore psychology ->

Image source: Oxford University Press

The Boys Go Fishing by Sarah Smith

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for death's excellent vacation book cover

Title: The Boys Go Fishing
Author: Sarah Smith
In: Death’s Excellent Vacation (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Superheroes
Dates read: 17th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: His girl, his only girl.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

He’s an immortal and a retired superhero. One who just wants to be left alone. And then an organised Talent comes and ruins his plans…

Thoughts

I truly think that being immortal would be one of the loneliest things ever. And this story kind of reinforces that belief. The lead character is completely alone, lonely and looking for a reason, any reason to live. It made this a bit of a sad story. But also one that ultimately had a bit of a hopeful spin to it… being immortal would suck. Until you could find others to have it suck with.

This short story starts as a fishing trip and a nice little tour. And then it quickly gets convoluted. Between reminiscing about the past and finding out just what the powers of the clients are… it’s an interesting little story. Add to that that there is a greater reason for their powers and difference… I found it quite difficult to put this down and a little sad when the story was all over.

Although I was kind of sad that this story ended, I did love the way in which it ended. Particularly when it kind of asked the question, what is the difference between man and monster? It’s something that I’m constantly wondering myself to be honest…

<- Two BlondesOne for the Money ->

Image source: Amazon

Misery by Stephen King

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Misery
Author: Stephen King
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror, Thriller
Dates read: 16th – 17th August 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hodder
Year: 1987
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘Better?’

Synopsis

Misery Chastain was dead. Paul Sheldon had just killed her – with relief, with joy. Misery had made him rich; she was the heroine of a string of bestsellers. And now he wanted to get on to some real writing.

That’s when the car accident happened, and he woke up in pain in a strange bed. But it wasn’t the hospital. Annie Wilkes had pulled him from the wreck, brought him to her remote mountain home, splinted and set his mangled legs.

The good news was that Annie was a nurse and has pain-killing drugs. The bad news was that she was Paul’s Number One Fan. And when she found out what Paul had done to Misery, she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it at all.

Thoughts

I have seriously got to stop reading Stephen King novels when I know I’m going to be home alone for the night… I keep thinking that I’m tough and I want get all wiggy… and then I get all wiggy. This time I was a little smarter, I put aside a whole day and started reading Misery in the morning. Just so that even though I did get wiggy… it wasn’t during the night. Rather, it was when there was still a lot of sunlight…

I both admire and fear Stephen King. I absolutely love his writing. It is just completely impossible to put down and forget. I also fear that he has a mind that is capable of this kind of story. It’s pretty damn intense and hard to forget. This story is definitely one of those that is a thriller – and spine tingling. Plus, every time I had hope… it was completely dashed away. Each time more brutal than the last.

Aside from the heart pumping, pulse tingling, craziness of this story I also really loved that it was a story that featured the act of writing. There was the weird hatred that the writer feels for his own work, the process of creating a story and the ways in which fans become just a little too connected to the storyline. It was a really great insight into an aspect of writing that I’ve vaguely experienced, but not truly (since you know, I’m not actually an author). I love how this fascinating look into a writers’ psyche was partnered with just total and utter, brutal insanity.

As someone who works in mental health, anything that investigates the different ways in which people can break kind of fascinates me. Partnering that with the amazing way in which King is able to show the damage of psychological torture… this is most definitely not a novel that I’m going to forget anytime soon!

<- Lisey’s StoryMr. Mercedes ->

Image source: Booktopia

Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Rock Wedding (Rock Kiss, #4) by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Wedding
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Rock Kiss #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Music
Dates read: 16th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Nalini Singh
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: “Sparrow” wasn’t a song for keyboards or fancy arrangements.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Rock Kiss series with a hot, sweet, emotional contemporary romance about love and forgiveness…

After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought sh’ed finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellam, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.

Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love… even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.

But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?

Thoughts

This was such a perfect ending to the Rock Kiss quartet. It managed to not only be incredibly cute and sweet. But it rounded out the stories of the other three band members and just gave this great feeling of happily ever after. The fact that it didn’t just feature one wedding (expected from the title), but FOUR… well, that just hit me in ALL of my happy literary places.

From Sarah’s appearance in Rock Redemption, I was quite keen to see what her journey and experiences were all about. But I didn’t expect to feel so keenly for her so damn quickly. The journey that she goes on and the tragedies that she’s faced… they were completely heart rending and, honestly, some of it was exactly what my nightmares are made of. It was seriously tragic and difficult to read in moments.

What I think I loved most about this novel is the fact that Abe took responsibility for his own actions. Not many characters tend to do that in stories. At least, not to this degree, and not when they’re an alpha male. Less so in real life, but still… just having a literary character that is able to go “Yup. I fucked up. And I’m going to fix it.” That was weirdly important and made me seriously love him as a character (particularly one that you don’t really get to know throughout the rest of the series).

Both Abe and Sarah have kind of tragic and seriously tough backstories. Yet, even though there was knowledge of these throughout the novel. It was a story that was more about moving on and forgiving one another the past. Finding a way to be happy and finding a bright and cheerful future. Which is probably why I found this book pretty much impossible to put down and seriously, seriously fun and enjoyable.

<- Rock RedemptionMore Nalini Singh ->

Image source: Goodreads

We Both Go Down Together by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
We Both Go Down Together (Incryptid, #0.09) by Seanan McGuire

Title: We Both Go Down Together
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #0.09
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 22nd August 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Seanan McGuire
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Minutes passed.

Synopsis

With their second child due to arrive any day, it would be reasonable for Jonathan and Frances Healy to stay safe at home. Unfortunately, the world has other ideas. A postcard from the mysterious coastal town of Gentling, Maine has Jonathan packing his bags and preparing for an adventure—and when did Fran ever pass up an adventure?

But the people of Gentling aren’t just ordinary fishermen and sailors: they’re the descendants of finfolk who fell in love with the humans who pulled them from the sea, and they have long since settled into a gentle rhythm of a life lived between the wet and the dry. Only now, someone or something is stealing their babies from the shore, endangering the next generation.

Old obligations and new obligations will collide, and the newest member of the Healy family will join the fight…or will she? Because it’s not just the babies of the finfolk who are in danger, and unless they’re careful, Johnny and Fran might find themselves losing another child…

Thoughts

I was kind of worried about how this story was going to go. After the events of The First Fall, I was expecting something equally tragic to happen to the next child born to Fran and Jonathan. It was a little bit tense and not so great. But I really didn’t have to worry as much as I thought I did.

As with many of the prequel short story stories that I’ve read in the InCryptid series thus far, We Both Go Down Together introduces a whole new group of cryptids. In the case of the Finfolk, I actually found their plight to be incredibly heart wrenching and sad. It was seriously tragic and made my heart hurt a little. It reminded me a lot of tales of the Selkies too…

Although the Finfolk have a bit of a tragic back story, there was something about this story that was really lovely. It provided a little hope for the future and left me wanting to know how Alice was likely to grow up after her auspicious welcome into the world.

<- Loch and KeyOh Pretty Bird ->

Image source: Goodreads

Loch and Key by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Loch and Key (Incryptid, #0.08) by Seanan McGuire

Title: Loch and Key
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #0.08
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 19th August 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Seanan McGuire
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: At least is hadn’t attacked, or slithered back down into the lake; it must have liked what it was seeing.

Synopsis

Daniel Healy has been dead for two years, and his parents are still in the process of healing both themselves and their relationship. When Alexander Healy suggests that it’s finally time for his daughter-in-law to accompany them on their periodic fishing trip to White Otter Lake, it seems like the perfect opportunity for the four surviving members of the family to become reacquainted with one another. Fran is dubious at first, not really understanding what a fishing trip could do for them as a family.

That was before she knew about the monsters in White Otter Lake, of course. The monsters change everything.

Before long, the entire Healy clan is embroiled in a fight for the lives of the creatures that live in White Otter Lake, which may be the last of their kind in the world. If they want to save these majestic plesiosaurs, the family will need to find a way to come together in order to solve the mystery of what the guardian of White Otter Lake has disappeared to.

It’s bullets versus brains as the Healys finally step up to do their jobs, and preserve the crytozoological world. No matter what it takes.

Thoughts

First Fall was a kind of tragic and heart rending short story. It was great for the overall storyline of the series – but it was still something that made my heart very, very sore. Luckily, Loch and Key starts with a lot more hope. For starters, it begins a few years after the advents of First Fall, and there is a sense of moving on and healing that left me feeling really quite hopeful.

Every time I pick up an InCryptid short story (I’m getting my fix at the moment from these amazing short stories while I save some money for the books), I find something fun and intriguing and just a little bit funny. In the case of this short story. It is the fact that the “bad guys” in this tale are dinosaur poachers. It shouldn’t be that funny… but something about the idea of dinosaur poachers seriously hit my humour bone and had me smiling.

I needed the lightness from this story to counteract the last few InCryptid short stories. Now I’m ready to find out more horrible things that I’m sure are going to happen. But for now, this was a nice way to begin to move on from the shadow of Daniel’s death. It may still linger. But at least they are beginning to move forwards.

<- The First FallWe Both Go Down Together ->

Image source: Goodreads

The First Fall by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The First Fall (Incryptid, #0.07) by Seanan McGuire

Title: The First Fall
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #0.07
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 16th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Seanan McGuire
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: “Yes, sweetheart,” she said.

Synopsis

It has been three years since the marriage of Jonathan and Frances Healy; three years since the birth of their son, Daniel, who has been the light of their lives for that entire time. And now, due to circumstances beyond their control, the family has come together to do the one thing that none of them has ever wanted to do.

They have come together to bury Daniel.

Shattered by the death of their little boy, Jonathan and Frances set out to find the Campbell Family Carnival, where Fran’s old friend Juniper’s talent for talking to ghosts may allow her to believe that her child is truly at rest. Jonathan has no such hopes; he just wants to there’s a chance his wife will survive the labyrinth of her grief.

This is not a happy story, and it does not chronicle a happy time in the annals of the Price family. But this is what happened, and when it happened, and it shaped so very much of what came after.

Rest well, Daniel Healy. You never had a chance.

Thoughts

This short story kind of hurt my poor heart. It even made me cry a little. Nothing too intense, just a few spots on my cheeks and a little brightness in my eyes. This was also just at the very beginning of the story. So you can imagine that it just went downhill from there for my poor emotions…

I seriously can’t believe that the beautiful child that you barely get to meet dies. And the way that he dies. It’s truly horrible. It seriously made me rethink my love for McGuire for a little while. But it didn’t take me long to feel more comfortable with her writing again. Even when she kills off a small child, she manages to do so in a way that is both serious and heart rending and kind of beautiful.

I also loved how Juniper is able to start the process of healing in this story. Sometimes we need to lean on the people that we love the most and find our way towards healing. Even if it is a little difficult to find the words…

<- Sweet Poison WineLoch & Key ->

Image source: Goodreads