I can’t imagine the difficulties and perils of raising a daughter (I’m about to find out and I’m terrified). But adding into that mix being immigrants and having to balance different cultures? Wow. This story was a good way to show how difficult that can be.
I enjoyed the way in which the reform for the daughter didn’t come from tough love. It didn’t come from being sent back to the “homeland”. Rather, it came about because the grandmother stopped and TALKED to her granddaughter. It was such a powerful driver to end on and a reminder that communication is important.
The jumpy nature of this story was thoroughly enjoyable. The disjointed nature of the prose felt like life. After all, things aren’t exactly straight forward in life and they certainly aren’t easy. But there can always be a silver lining.
Title: Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget Author: Sarah Hepola Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Alcohol, Biographies, Memoirs, Mental health Pace: Medium Format: Novel Year: 2015
As someone who has had a few years of drinking too heavily and experiencing blackouts… this hit a bit too close to home. But in a good way. Because rather than being judgemental and harsh, Hepola talks about her journey with acceptance, honesty and a good dose of humour. Brutally honest and wonderfully open, this book was definitely well worth the read.
Not only does this memoir delve into issues with alcohol, but also talks about what its like to be a woman. We’re in a world where being a drinker as a woman is impressive in your late teens and early twenties. But by the time you start edging towards the thirties? Expectations change. Its a hard reality to walk and Hepola did such justice to highlighting how difficult it is to navigate.
One of the many aspects of this memoir that I loved is that Hepola doesn’t blame her insecurities and reliance on alcohol on anyone or anything. In fact, she mentions friends having concerns about their kids following the same route she did and pointing out that there’s nothing that can be done. There is no blame or fault throughout this, and its… a refreshing way to talk about an issue that affects a lot of people.
Once I opened the first one of Blackout, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. There is something intense and honest about this. And a little too relatable. It’s definitely a journey that I look forward to taking again and again. I reminder of the line that we all need to draw, and how some people have more difficulties with that than others.
There are moments in Australian history that are seared into my brain. And Black Saturday is one of them. I remember being in high school and hearing about all of the lives lost. We always did bushfire drills throughout primary school. And although the numbers didn’t quite mean as much to me then as now… I still felt… horror at all the destruction.
As such, it’s taken me years to read this book. It was published about a year after the Black Saturday fires and I’ve had it on my shelves since then. But I always knew that it would be a tough read and hit me a little harder. Particularly with the fires that we’ve had over the past few years.
One of the aspects I loved about this compilation was how each chapter covered a different area that was decimated. And at the beginning of each area, there is an overall summary of exactly what happened. How much was destroyed. How many lives lost. It gives a greater overview of the stories that then follow.
It’s always important to personify the tragedies of our past. Otherwise the number of people who died become just that… a list of numbers and names with no real meaning.
I’ve been hanging to read this for about 6 months now. But, considering my other half actually works in an underground mine that is very similar to Beaconsfield (albeit much bigger), I decided to wait until he had a huge chunk of time off… I didn’t really need to be imagining him in this position in the long week that he’s away…
There are always moments of local or global history that will stick in our minds. Todd and Brant walking out of the mine on national news is one of them for me (Steve Irwin dying is another one). Which made not only visiting Beaconsfield, but reading this incredibly surreal. I mean, I was in high school when this happened. And I remember it being plastered all over the news. But to my teenage self… it was so removed from reality. Not anymore and I’m incredibly glad I got a chance to read about this rescue and tragedy.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book so much. Mostly because I thought it would just be a recount of Todd and Brant’s experiences. Instead, it focused a lot more on everyone else who was impacted. Larry Knight’s family gets a lot of attention (as they should). The crew supervisor and the rescue team. The families who were topside waiting for news. It’s a great reminder that tragedy doesn’t just strike one person, but rather impacts everyone I our little vortexes of life.
Most of the time I read memoirs, biographies, and true stories because they’re easy to put down and walk away from. Perfect for when life is busy, and I don’t have heaps of time to read. That’s not the case with this. I was constantly itching to pick it back up and bury my nose between the pages. I don’t know if it’s because this is so much closer to home than most booms in this genre, or if it was just brilliantly done… but regardless, definitely at the top of my recommendations list.
Title: Babies & Toddlers Author: Kaz Cooke Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Children, Humour, Non-fiction Pace: Slow Format: Novel Year: 2018
Since I absolutely adored Up the Duff and found it incredibly calming and useful while I was pregnant, I figured that it was probably a good idea to get the follow up book. After all, I’m a first time mum and there is SOOOO much advice. Which is really quite overwhelming and scary. Plus, I’m now responsible for this tiny squishy thing and, like all first timers, I really have no freaking idea what I’m doing.
Like Up the Duff, Kaz Cooke is able to deliver information and advice in a fun and engaging way. As someone who had to have a c section and is struggling to breastfeed, the lack of judgement for the different alternatives was amazing. It made me feel safe and that there was information that was actually accessible.
I like that this book is logically laid out and follows a pretty good pattern of topics. It makes it incredibly easy to have a quick read through (as I did) in preparation for a baby coming. But then also makes it very easy to go back and troubleshoot your new human. The index at the back just helps that all the more.
Furthering the awesomeness of the information imparted in this… Kaz Cooke is an Aussie so the information is ACTUALLY RELEVANT. The information is updated every year with a new edition so you don’t sit there wondering what the heck to some of the advice. And, lastly, after each small subtopic, there are a bunch of links and contacts to further deep dive if needed. Definitely a fantastic book for all parents… existing and first timers.
Title: The Answer to the Riddle is Me: A Tale of Amnesia Author: David Stuart MacLean Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Medical, Memoirs, Mental health Pace: Slow Format: Novel Year: 2014
Finishing this, my first thought was… WOW. Followed closely by holy crap. And finally by just a fleeting feeling of fear. I mean, we’re talking about a medication with known side effects that changed this man’s life forever. Completely. Totally. And maybe not tragically now, 10 years later, but most definitely at the time. And with our current global climate? Yeah, that is guaranteed to give you a little fear if you’re sane.
At first I, admittedly, struggled a little to get into this. Partly because what was happening just felt so ridiculously outlandish. I mean, I just can’t even fathom the confusion and mental gymnastics that such a rude awakening would leave you with. I have enough trouble dealing with my OWN reality (but don’t we all?) let alone being given realities that aren’t even true. It definitely makes your heart squeeze painfully.
Then, I found the first part difficult because of the jumpiness of the writing. It was incredibly important – without this style and confusion I don’t think MacLean would have been able to impart the horrors and confusion of those first moments in India. But it was incredibly hard to read. Maybe because I work with people who have similar realities at times, and it was honestly confronting and difficult to read.
Yet, I also found this book impossible to put down. For all the moments that made me uncomfortable, I also felt more and more intrigued. After all, if we don’t push our boundaries, particularly in our reading, how are we going to grow? The Answer to the Riddle is Me not only told a pretty damn intense story of hospitalisation, amnesia and mental health. It also bought up issues of identity and self. It highlighted how important our past is to the present and how easy it can be to lose this.
Title: Perfect Stranger Author: Carly Phillips Series: Serendipity #3.5 In: Hot Summer Nights (Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy & Jessica Clare) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 31st October 2021 Pace: Fast Format: Novella Publisher: Berkley Sensation Year: 2013 5th sentence, 74th page: Alexa couldn’t relate to guy issues considering she lived an extremely busy life, spent hours in the hospital ER, and had no time for a relationship, let alone hot, stress-relieving sex – something she could definitely use.
Carly Phillips takes you back to the town of Serendipity, where overworked Alexa has an instant connection with a sinfully sexy football star on the dance floor. A one-night stand evolves into multiple nights when Luke decides to teach the good doctor about his own brand of fun. But when it’s time for him to leave town, will this “Perfect Stranger” be able to say good-bye for good?
Alright, this story did have slightly stalkers vibes. I mean, guy and girl dance I a club, she has to rush off to help a friend. He then… follows her? And yet, because there is that level of mutual interest and chemistry, it somehow becomes sweet. I’m not sure WHY that is. But I still thoroughly and seriously enjoyed this novella.
I loved that this is a story about usurping parental expectations and finding one’s own path. So many of my younger decisions were based on the idea of what my parents would and wouldn’t like. What was expected of me because I was intelligent. But, ultimately, happiness for me was completely against what my family had expected for me. And the same is obviously the situation I this story. Probably part of the reason I enjoyed it so much.
Although this is a romance, the part I enjoyed most about the “romance” was the fact that it was about finding one’s own happiness. And that most definitely happened here.
Title: My Kind of Christmas Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #18 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 31st October 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Harlequin Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: He could love her for a lifetime; he would never regret it.
Patrick Riordan always thought that nothing could match the adrenaline rush he gets from his job. 88 But this Christmas, Patrick’s pulse is really racing…
The Riordan brothers may have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, but Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. These days, his easygoing manner is being tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot. But for the Riordan brothers, when the going gets tough… the tough find the love of a good woman.
Except the woman who has caught Patrick’s attention is Jack Sheridan’s very attractive niece.
Angie LeCroix comes to Virgin River to spend Christmas relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets Jack Sheridan. If her uncle had his way, she’d never go out again. And certainly not with the rugged, handsome Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants – and the kind of man!
Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas – until they meet each other. Then they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie – and for Christmas, Virgin River-style!
Visiting Virgin River is always comfortable and fun. But, visiting Virgin River at Christmas time? Perfect. I probably should have waited another month or so to read this so that it was more based in the festive season… but anyway, it was a perfect way to spend the day… reading about love and sweetness in Virgin River at Christmas time.
From the very beginning, I loved that this story is about Jack’s niece. It brings out a side of him that you know is there, but is still funny regardless. I really liked having him unravel as he tries to protect Angie. And how she likes to make him unravel even more with her antics and stubbornness. It definitely brings the Sheridan clan full circle. That, and the Riordan circle also closes.
Both Patrick and Angie have PTSD from past traumas. Considering this is often something associated with soldiers, I enjoyed the ways in which both learnt to deal with their own issues. Plus, it highlights that anything can happen to give an individual PTSD. And it doesn’t make them damaged. Or irreparable. I love that it’s accepting each other’s difficulties and challenges that these two find their common ground. Common ground that binds them together and helps to make your heart melt.
I loved travelling to Virgin River again. It’s such a quaint and wonderful town. The romances are gorgeous. And, honestly, both the Riordans and Sheridans are amazing. So having a couple that unites them all together – yeah, this gave me all of the happy feelings. I may have to read this again in another month or so just to recapture that beautiful Christmas feeling.
Title: Light-Skinned Girls and Kelly Rowlands Author: Alexia Arthurs In: How to Love a Jamaican (Alexia Arthurs) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Race Dates read: 31st October 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Picador Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: I observed that every man she pointed to in school or around the city, men she joked about rebounding with, were all white.
Friendships are difficult. But they’re even more difficult when you come from different worlds and see everything through a different lens.
I found this story a little intense. In the best of ways. I’m white, so although I’m peripherally aware of my privilege, I’m not consistently aware of it. And I hadn’t even thought of privilege in terms of friendships. How simple it is for me to walk into a room and find a friend, because most people look like me.
I really loved the slightly jumpy nature of this tale. For me, it highlighted that friendships aren’t exactly a simple and linear thing. Rather, they do literally jump all over the place. Maybe not in time, but when you reflect, which is the tone of this piece, you think of different moments in a totally non linear order.
Having never thought about the impact of racism and racial identity on forming something as simple (or not so aimple) as friendships, I found this intense. And thought provoking. And yes, I will be reading this again.
Title: Live and Let Grow Author: Penny Reid Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 30th October 2021 Pace: Fast Format: Novella Publisher: SmartyPants Romance Year: 2021 5th sentence, 74th page: Yeah.
Alice is in love with her best friend.
Now all she has to do is tell him.
Best buds Milo Manganiello and Alice Hooper have been the one constant in each other’s lives for over fifteen years. The charismatic and compassionate physics professor was there when Alice got married, and he was there ten years later when she got divorced. Likewise, the candid and kind computer science professor has always been there for Milo. She babysits his apartment and plethora of houseplants when he’s traveling and they share breakfast together every day he’s in town.
Alice wasn’t always in love with Milo, but the feeling has grown, and when Milo returns from his latest globe-trotting adventure, Alice decides it’s time to spill the seeds. 88 Does Alice have the grit to confess? And will feelings take root? Or is hers a love destined never to bloom?
For such a short story. This was just too damn cute. I mean, two people who are completely in love with each other, not quite ready to let each other know. And just generally having a whole heap of misunderstandings that could lead to total tragedy.
Alice is such a quirky lead. I know how hard it is to tell the person you love of your feelings. But the multitude of ways that she’s tried to do this… just way too cute for words. Actually, I would have probably enjoyed it far more if the first scene of her attempt to tell Milo of her feelings continued. Her sister was a bit of a killjoy with the whole romance thing. And kind of strongly putting down poor Alice when she was “looking out for her”.
The part that I’m most jealous of in this story is the fact that Alice is able to keep plants alive! I mean, I’m sure I should be jealous of the amazing romance in this tale. But since I don’t tend to even be able to keep cacti alive… I’m mostly just incredibly jealous that Alice can.
This was a fantastic visit back into the world of Penny Reid’s mind and writing. It was a short read. But one that I loved and will read again and again and again.
Earth and Skye 