This Is Me by Ian Thorpe

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: This Is Me
Author: Ian Thorpe
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Biographies, Sport
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2012

Thoughts

Ian Thorpe was a massive figure of my early years and I remember all of the media attention that surrounded him. However, I was quite young, and although I remember that he retired because of the media. And that Thorpe was a phenomenal swimmer, I didn’t really know much more about his journey to being an elite athlete. As someone who is obsessed with her own sport, not only did I love the recognisable moments of his journey, but I also seriously enjoyed how his dedication showed in the pool. It was intriguing to read about an athlete at the top of his game, and the fine line between health and sickness that he walks whilst doing it.

As much as I loved this biography, one thing that really stuck out to me was how frequently Thorpe denied his sexuality. This book was published a few years before he officially came out. And of all the things he discussed, he denied his sexuality at least three times. Having been pressured and discussed from such a young age in the media, you can see how this had such a big impact on him and his understanding of himself. I can completely understand just why he would have this approach, and it made me all that much frustrated with the pressures that media can put on people just for a “good story”.

Even though I remember a lot of Thorpe’s accomplishments, I didn’t really register that he tried to go to the London Olympics. It was great that he wrote this in a diary format, focusing on the lead up to these Olympics, and the gruelling training regime he followed. It made for an interesting format – each chapter was a dated diary entry in the lead up to, and then the aftermath of his trials for the London Olympics. But then, the second half was a flashback to another moment within his life. Although not in chronological order, I loved going on these side journeys, to moments that I recognised. Plus, he effortlessly puts forth his charity and the many different ways that he is constantly improving the lives of others.

Everything about this biography was fascinating. I loved the insight into a really prominent figure in my childhood. But, it was also incredibly fun to get some realistic insights into how an elite athlete trains. The dedication and passion that is going to drive that kind of commitment is something I can never truly understand. But it made for a great insight into someone else’s life and a completely different way of living.

<- WillThe Mapmaker’s Wife ->

Image source: Booktopia

A Madness in Spring by Kate Noble

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: A Madness in Spring
Author: Kate Noble
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2016

Thoughts

A Madness in Spring was a very quick, fun and light read to fill one of the reading challenge prompts for this year. It’s been sitting in my Kobo for a little while, but I’ve not really been diving into the historical romances all that much as of late. And, after reading this, I’m kind of wondering why – I enjoyed the somewhat innocent joy of this. Honestly, it reminded me why authors like Jane Austen and Julia Quinn are favourites of mine – there is a different kind of passion and loyalty inspired by this genre. One that reminds me of the core of what romance truly is for me – showing your person that you love them, in whatever way that may be.

Belinda and Adam’s journey to one another was kind of predictable, but I also had a lot of fun with it. They start out as the whole enemies to lovers trope, but then quickly realise that they’ve always had feelings for one another. The fact that it took a little bit of meddling to get them there made it a lot more entertaining. Plus, their knowledge of one another make them quickly fall into a fantastic relationship all that much more quickly – they already have the foundations, even if it was built by niggling each other and pushing each others’ buttons.

I love that ultimately, it’s the meddling of the well intentioned friends and new acquaintances which leads to Belinda and Adam realising that they have feelings for each other, and acting on them. And then, when they face their first hurdle and you question whether or not they’ll get a happily ever after, more meddling comes aboard to help out. I know life doesn’t work like the books, but sometimes I wish that there was meddling in some of my life to help me fix that which I’m not sure how to fix.

Although this was a historical romance, it didn’t quite have the closed door feel that I’m used to. There was a little bit more on page steam than I would anticipate from the genre. Which kind of made me enjoy it all that much more, it was so brilliantly done that I honestly didn’t want to put this down! What a wonderful story that was filled with such hope and joy, and of course, that love of a romantic happily ever after to tie it all off.

<- The Dress of the SeasonMiss Goodhue Lives for a Night ->

Image source: Amazon

Long Live the Giant by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for green monkey dreams isobelle carmody book cover

Title: Long Live the Giant
Author: Isobelle Carmody
In: Green Monkey Dreams (Isobelle Carmody)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Death, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1996

Thoughts

I love that this is a short story about death and truth, a great twist on creationist myths. The how and why of our creation. It starts with someone who is elderly and has a whole heap of stories to tell. Then continues to their past and the decisions that led her here. At least, I think the narrator was female. That wasn’t really the stand out point of the character – their gender, it was all of the reflections on a life well lived and the many stories that led to this point.

There is always that idea that the bright points of life are made all that much brighter because of the darkness. I loved that this short story took that theme and ran with it. That it was about creators who created humanity and made them mortal. That this wasn’t quite the tragedy and disservice that it’s purported to be. It’s a reminder that even though we die and there are so many sucky parts to life, it makes the life that we do live all that much sweeter.

Having recently lost someone very close to me, and then reading this short story. It made me think a lot about life, death and the lives that we live. A bit of reflection and self-examination that I found intriguing.

<- The PhoenixThe Pumpkin Eater ->

Image source: Allen & Unwin

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Book Review
Overview

Title: Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club
Author: Alison Goodman
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Thoughts

I loved the cover on this (yes, I judge books by their covers), and I really liked the blurb and the whole premise. But, I just couldn’t quite do it. Don’t get me wrong, this was a well written book and I actually quite liked the style. However, I’m really not into overly descriptive stories. Honestly, I could’ve done with ¾ less of the descriptive language and I would’ve been quite happy to keep reading this.

There were so many threads of hinted importance throughout this story. But after reading 25% of the novel, nothing had actually happened. Just lots of foreshadowing and hints of what could happen. I wanted some action! Honestly, whilst this story showed a lot of promise, I felt like it didn’t really know what genre it wanted to be in and what form it was going to take. Disappointing with all of its potential.

Image source: HarperCollins

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team
Author: Elise Hooper
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Feminism, Historical fiction, Sport
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

I’m someone who likes to read a good biography or historical fiction as a bit of a nighttime read. I tend to find they’re not quite as fast paced and intense as my fantasy and romance books. Fast Girls was supposed to be one such read. It didn’t end up being like that at all. Fast Girls was absolutely impossible to put down and filled my brain with so much amazing information that I honestly couldn’t sleep after reading it. The three stories of Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes and Helen Stephens were riveting and emotionally entangling. I love that they were based in reality, and it wasn’t just the stars that Hooper chose to focus on, but the other members of the Olympics team. Those that are sometimes just as talented, but get overlooked.

The fact that Hooper used two well-known women, Betty Robinson and Helen Stephens, but also a lesser known Olympian, Louise Stokes to tell this tale was a brilliant, and, admittedly, surprising move. It’s a great reminder of the strength of women and some of the different hurdles we’ve had to overcome in the past. I love that it honours the women who have come before and how important their multitude of contributions are. Not just those that are loud, proud, front and centre. But also the people who continued fighting and maybe never got any kind of acknowledgement whilst they were alive. It was definitely an interesting, but also very humbling read and thing to think about.

I’m passionate about my two chosen sports and have definitely got more dedication than some to do well in those fields. However, the dedication and passion that top athletes show is a bit of a different story. I love how well Hooper talks about this commitment. How it is almost a part of breathing to be running for these girls. Particularly in the 1930’s when they had even greater challenges to overcome than I do today. I can’t imagine that level of commitment and pure love – I get close with some things, but not like this. I love that Hooper spends a lot of this story emphasising that it’s not just the natural talent that got these three women to the top of their field. It was also their passion, commitment and pure stubbornness.

After reading Fast Girls, I not only want to discover more about Betty Robinson, Helen Stephens and Louise Stokes (although my understanding is that there is a whole lot less information about Louise out there). I also want to discover more about the “Nazi Olympics” of 1936. I’m also absolutely fascinated by the life and trials of Stella Walsh, who, whilst she didn’t feature in this story, has an interesting journey all of her own. I can’t imagine the social and political pressures surrounding the 1936 Olympics, and for this reason alone, I want to know so much more about it!!!

<- Angels of the PacificLearning to See ->

Image source: Elise Hooper

The Emotional Lives of Animals (Revised) by Marc Bekoff

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy – and Why They Matter (Revised and Updated)
Author: Marc Bekoff
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Nature, Non-fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Non-fictional text, Novel
Year: 2024

Thoughts

This was one of those books that I had to slowly read chunks of it at a time. Not only is it filled with information that I actually wanted to retain, but it was also kind of emotionally intense. Which is surprising for one of the more academic texts. And, honestly, there were moments throughout that I had to really pause and think about my own actions and try to see if my actions fit in with my morals (I’m human, they didn’t always. But often did). The Emotional Lives of Animals is one of those texts that I thoroughly enjoyed and will probably refer back to in the future because of the sheer amount of quality information. But, I also wouldn’t be in any hurry to reread it soon because it was just incredibly intense and at moments long-winded.

The Emotional Lives of Animals not only discusses the evidence of animals showing emotions, but also the implications of our actions. It flows very naturally – first Bekoff discusses the different pieces of evidence; the studies, the anecdotes, etc. Then he starts to tease out what some of the implications of this could be. Again, he peppers this with the evidence. Allowing the narrative go from almost entirely evidentiary support for his point that all animals have emotions to the argument that he ultimately makes, that we need to deeply consider our treatment and legislation of animals and the ways in which these emotions impact this. Bekoff manages to take a controversial (in scientific circles) topic, hold your hand and lead you to what you will feel is the logical conclusion at the end of his telling.

Although Bekoff spends the majority of The Emotional Lives of Animals emphasising empathy and care, I love that he also acknowledges the consequences of empathy burn out. Rather than just telling us to do better, he also talks about the emotional toll that doing better can take on us. And how sometimes, even when we are fighting for something that is “good”, we have to pause, take a step back and take a deep breath. Bekoff might be discussing the emotional reality of non-human animals, but he also emphasises the importance of taking care of our own emotional lives and well being.

It was actually really cathartic for me to read this book. Where Bekoff has obviously pushed through academia to make his point and fought the common contentions of what and how animals operate, I honestly couldn’t do it. A big reason (amongst a few) that I left scientific academia was the rigidity in not considering that animals have feelings and personalities. That the anecdotal evidence of the locals doesn’t actually count for anything. And just that, in general, a narrow-mindedness that I could not find myself fitting into. There is a disjoint between the academic pursuit and the personal lives of many, and Bekoff is working in a brilliant way to highlight this and overcome it.

<- Kangaroo DundeeRemarkable Creatures ->

Image source: Target

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Cinnamon and Gunpowder
Author: Eli Brown
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Historical fiction, Pirates
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2013

Thoughts

It’s not often that a book completely surprises me with its ending, but Cinnamon and Gunpowder most definitely managed it. It wasn’t a surprise in a bad way either. Rather, just… not quite what I was anticipating for the end of this novel. And, even if I was a little disappointed in the first instance, the more I’ve sat with this ending, the more I’ve loved it. There was a great feeling of contentment and calm at the end of this story that I have really enjoyed sitting in once I turned that final page. I love that there was a sense of open-endedness with the conclusion though. You can imagine all of the characters enjoying their hard earned rest, but that there’s potentially other adventures just around the corner.

One of my favourite things about Cinnamon and Gunpowder was the skill of description which Eli Brown employs. Particularly the descriptions of the food that he makes throughout. I love that amongst the swashbuckling adventures, the changing of morals and the insanity of the high seas, Owen Wedgewood is also driven to create culinary masterpieces. Each of these have just enough description in how and what he’s made that it is tempting to try and test myself in this culinary trend too. I won’t because I don’t have the time or energy to actually nurse a sourdough starter in my shirt. But, wow, did I enjoy imagining myself in Wedgewood’s shoes.

Every chapter of this book brings a new and intense swashbuckling adventure to the fore. I love that every character has incredibly unique drives and passions. And that each point of conflict (of which there are many) is driven by these vastly different characters. There’s also the fact that the understanding of what motivates each character is understood incredibly differently as the story flows forwards. Primarily this is because Wedgewood starts to move on from his stiff and restricted view of the world. From a very English and puritan viewpoint to one that is more accepting, loving and similar to more modern ideals. The fact that this viewpoint is drastically changed alongside Owen’s very obvious falling in love just made me love it all that much more.

It was immensely easy to fall in love with Wedgewood and his adventures. But it was also easy to fall in love with all of the other characters. I loved Mr. Apples, Joshua and the twins. But it was most definitely Mabbot who I was drawn to the most. Even at the beginning, when the descriptions of her were less than complimentary, they still made me absolutely adore the mad captain. I loved that even though, on the surface, her decisions seemed unnecessarily cruel and evil, the more you find out, the more you understand the logic behind her motivations. It made her drive to find and stop the Brass Fox that much more admirable and I love how strongly she helped Wedgewood change his opinion of the world around him.

This was a fantastic story that I absolutely devoured. The writing style was a little bit more formal than I have been reading lately, so I did take a little longer than usual. However, I really enjoyed this departure from my “normal”. I will definitely be looking to add some more Eli Brown books to my shelves in the near future.

<- More Eli BrownOddity ->

Image source: Smart Bitches Trashy Books

Brave New World by Aldoux Huxley

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 1932

Thoughts

I can completely understand why this is a classic – it is kind of brilliantly constructed and thought through. However, I wasn’t a huge fan. I found this a little bit too chaotic and meandering. I found it quite hard to concentrate on what was happening. And whilst I enjoyed the general gist, I just couldn’t get into it. Plus, I’m at a point that I just want a feel good story in my life at this point – there is just too much chaos and drama in my day to day.

The idea of science ruling the world and what this can lead to is incredibly potent. Even now, decades after this was written, the issue remains the same. There is no one formula to happiness, but in using science to try and make it so, there is a whole lot of controlling going on. The scenes with the classical conditioning made me cry. They were so uncomfortable and harsh. The cruelties of science and experimentation are pretty clear when they are set up against humans and children.

All in all, this was a book that was interesting and worth a read. But, it wasn’t one that I am incredibly keen on reading again. A lot more classics to fill my shelves. But I’m glad that I dived into this story and gave it a good shot.

<- More classicsMore science fiction ->

Image source: Elephant Bookstore

Brave Enough to Love by EmKay Connor

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Brave Enough to Love
Author: EmKay Connor
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance, Romantic suspense
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2022

Thoughts

A nice and short novella that was enjoyable, but not overly memorable. I enjoyed reading this and would be happy to pick up another EmKay Connor novella, but also wouldn’t be rushing to read one. Obviously, I’m very eh about the reading of this. That may also be because, at its core, this is a story about a couple who is on the verge of separation. It is about people who are still trying to be together, but too many mistakes and too much distance leads them to start to fracture. A kind of similar circumstance to myself when I was reading this, so it also might just be the fact that it was touching a little too close to home.

Again, something that felt a little too familiar – the fact that a lot of the issues, at least from Lou’s point of view is his voluntary distance. Rather than facing up to the difficulties in his relationship, he chose to pull away from Katie. Luckily, he does choose to own up to his shortcomings and work on being better. It’s almost too late, but I love that he’s able to actually see where his mistakes lie and work on improving himself.

Even though Lou realises his mistakes before being shot, the danger he finds himself in just helps to drive home how important his relationship is to him. I know that, even though I have not been in such a horrible situation, it took almost breaking to make me realise how much I don’t want to give up on the person I love more than anything else. Like I said, not a bad novella, but definitely one that hit a little bit too close to home in the reading of it.

<- More EmKay ConnorMore romantic suspense ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Billionaire’s Intern by Lia Hunt

Book Review
Overview

Title: The Billionaire’s Intern
Author: Lia Hunt
Rating Out of 5: 1.5 (Couldn’t get past the first chapter)
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

Whilst I love a good redemption arc in my romances, I’m at a point in my reading and life that I need there to be a glimmer of the good to start with. And honestly, this read just like what I’ve now dubbed an “asshole romance”. Those romances that the guy doesn’t really change, there isn’t actually all that much that is nice about him, and you can’t quite get over all of the moral lines he crosses, so you kind of give up. Then there’s the whole fact that the female love interest is the whole starry-eyed innocent. Which meant that she was immediately dismissed, and the stalker ex-wife. And just… everything about this sat really uncomfortably from the very beginning.

I gave this a really good try, but honestly, if after three chapters I can’t find anything redeeming about a character. Then it’s just a big, hard nope. So I guess I’ll move onto stories that are far more suited to my taste and interest.

Image source: Amazon