Writedown: Lockdown in the Galloway Glens at the Time of Covid, by Margaret Elphinstone et al ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Non-Fiction, UK Lockdown

I’d like to thank author and blogger, Mary Smith, for kindly sending me an ebook.

Release Date: Available Now

178 Pages

Synopsis: Writedown provides a unique record of life in Galloway, South West Scotland during lockdown through the works of 22 writers in a collection of lyrical poetry, desperate rants, humour, and quiet endurance. They tell the story of a community encountering unprecedented times.

Writedown at its heart is a Covid diary of sorts, where each writer shares their personal experience with the UK’s first lockdown from March 23 – June 15. Some entries are reflective and poignant, and others humorous. I found myself tearing up more than once and smiling and laughing at other times. What the writers accomplish though, is to not only connect with each other, but to figuratively reach out to the reader and form a personal connection. Wherever you live, I promise, you will relate to the feelings of anxiousness, sadness, frustration, anger, boredom, and humor that are expressed. The twenty-two writers who have so generously shared what their lives were like during that first twelve week lockdown, represent all of us. It truly brings to mind that while we may be separated by thousands of miles, our shared life experiences, the good and the bad, bring us closer than we realize. Writedown is an essential read during this pandemic. I guarantee you’ll feel a little less lonely and isolated having done so.

Amazon US ~ https://www.amazon.com/Writedown-Lockdown-Galloway-Glens-Covid-ebook/dp/B08N1JL8LD/ref=nodl_

Amazon UK ~ https://amazon.co.uk/Writedown-Margaret-Elphinstone-al/dp/1999856783

Imaginary Friend, by Stephen Chbosky ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Non-Fiction, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Horror, Mystery, Substance Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, Torture

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 1st, 2019

720 Pages

Synopsis: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed, but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone else in the town will never be the same again.

Soon, Kate and Christopher will find themselves in the fight for their lives, caught in the middle of a war between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

Imaginary Friend is probably one of the most anticipated books of 2019, as it’s the first book written by The Perks of Being a Wallflower author, Stephen Chbosky, in twenty years. Given how much I loved POBAW and the film adaptation, as soon as I found out about it I contacted the publisher and begged for an eARC. Grand Central Publishing was already one of my favorite publishing houses, but now they’ve gone to the top of my list thanks to their generosity.

Chbosky’s first book as well as its film adaptation has an enormous cult following, so his second twenty years later, is a dream come true, particularly as it’s so different. If you look on Goodreads you’ll see a lot of mixed reactions to it. After spending the last four nights reading, I can say that while I did have a couple of issues, for the most part I really enjoyed it. 

One of the chief complaints seems to be the length. Yes,720 pages makes for a long story, but this didn’t bother me until the last 200 pages. At that point I think the battle between good and evil goes on a little too long and could have been pared down some. One saving grace is that Chbosky and his editor were smart when they decided to make the chapters short because this helps keep the pace going even during the slower sections. The actual horror portion doesn’t truly kick in until a little past the first quarter. Instead, this first part is spent introducing the characters which I didn’t mind at all because I loved them, especially Christopher, a seven-year-old boy who literally winds up having the fate of the world resting on his tiny shoulders. Having a small child be the main character in an adult novel carries quite a bit of risk, but Stephen Chbosky successfully pulls it off. He perfectly captures Christopher’s feelings of confusion, frustration, and fright, as well as his love for his mother and friends. The bond between Christopher and his mom, Kate, is beautiful and one of my favorite parts of the story. 

The story itself is a creative spin on the familiar good vs evil theme. There’s a ton of religious symbolism which may not appeal to every reader, but I thought was entirely in keeping with the storyline. There’s some awkward and repetitive phrasing scattered throughout which was occasionally distracting, but it didn’t substantially detract from my enjoyment. In addition to the main story with Christopher and his family and friends, there are others centered around secondary characters which blend intriguing layers into the larger picture. There are quite a lot of twists, and one in particular that I thought particularly brilliant. The ending perfectly wraps all the plot lines up yet leaves the door open a crack for a possible sequel.

Imaginary Friend may not be the same generation-defining literary achievement as its predecessor was, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable horror story that’s perfect for fans of books like The Stand, by Stephen King. One word of caution. There are quite a few themes here that may be triggers for some people. These include: child abuse, domestic violence, suicide, torture, substance abuse, and extreme violence and gore. Also, I am now terrified of deer! 

American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst ~ By Jeffrey Toobin – 4.0 Stars

Tags

1970s, Adult Non-Fiction, Patty Hearst, Stockholm Syndrome, Terrorist Groups, True Crime

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

384 Pages

Synopsis: On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a senior in college and heiress to the Hearst family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army. The already sensational story took the first of many incredible twists on April 3, when the group released a tape of Patty saying she had joined the SLA and had adopted the nom de guerre “Tania.”

The weird turns of the tale are truly astonishing–the Hearst family trying to secure Patty’s release by feeding all the people of Oakland and San Francisco for free; the photographs capturing “Tania” wielding a machine gun during a bank robbery; a cast of characters including everyone from Bill Walton to the Black Panthers to Ronald Reagan to F. Lee Bailey; the largest police shootout in American history; the first breaking news event to be broadcast live on television stations across the country; Patty’s year on the lam, running from authorities; and her circus-like trial, filled with theatrical courtroom confrontations and a dramatic last-minute reversal, after which the phrase “Stockholm syndrome ” entered the lexicon. 

The saga of Patty Hearst highlighted a decade in which America seemed to be suffering a collective nervous breakdown. Based on more than a hundred interviews and thousands of previously secret documents, American Heiress thrillingly recounts the craziness of the times (there were an average of 1500 terrorist bombings a year in the early 1970s). Toobin portrays the lunacy of the half-baked radicals of the SLA and the toxic mix of sex, politics, and violence that swept up Patty Hearst; and recreates her melodramatic trial. American Heiress examines the life of a young woman who suffered an unimaginable trauma and then made the stunning decision to join her captors’ crusade. Or did she?

Stockholm Syndrome: An emotional attachment to a captor formed by a hostage as a result of continuous stress, dependence, and a need to cooperate for survival.

~ Dictionary.com ~

I was only nine-years-old when the insanity surrounding Patty Hearst exploded, so for years I really didn’t know much about what happened. But then, in 1984, I was in a college abnormal psychology class and the professor began discussing Stockholm syndrome and used her as the quintessential example of how this could happen. After that, I found myself fascinated by Patty Hearst and the question over her guilt or innocence. I’ve read a few books over the years but none as meticulously researched as this one by Jeffrey Toobin. He does a wonderful job setting the stage with the reexamination of the turbulent 1970s. I had absolutely no idea how many violently radical groups there were here in America during that time. The SLA was actually pretty tiny and rather inept by comparison. Toobin then goes into how overwhelmed the FBI was in dealing with this style of terrorism. The main bulk of the story though focuses on Patty, before and after the kidnapping, and the trial and its aftermath. Toobin’s many years of being a lawyer and legal analyst are definitely on display as he discusses the different arraignments, trials, and appeals. I was completely engaged and never once found my attention wandering. What I didn’t care for was his presumption of what was actually going on in Patty’s head. He did not talk to her personally (she doesn’t give interviews) nor is he a mental health expert. I have to be honest and admit that the parts of the book where he’s attempting to analyze her got a little annoying. However, from a historical and legal context, I think American Heiress is a thought-provoking book. I also liked how he ended the book by catching the reader up on where all the key players are today. If you’ve never heard of the Patty Hearst phenomenon but you like true-crime novels, I definitely recommend this. If you’re familiar with the case and you’ve already made up your mind regarding Hearst’s guilt or innocence I’m not sure that this will change your mind one way or another, but it’s a fascinating read nonetheless. 

The Big Book of Jack the Ripper ~ edited by Otto Penzler – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction, Jack the Ripper, Unsolved Mysteries

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

752 Pages

Synopsis: Of the real-life serial killers whose gruesome acts have been splashed across headlines, none has reached the mythical status of Jack the Ripper. In the Ripper’s wake, terror swept through the streets of London’s East End in the fall of 1888. As quickly as his nightmarish reign came, Saucy Jack vanished without a trace, leaving generations to speculate upon his identity and whereabouts. He was diabolical in a way never seen before. A killer who taunted police, came up with his own monikers, and ultimately, got away with his heinous crimes.

More than a century later, the man from hell continues to live on in the imaginations of readers everywhere and in some of the most spectacularly unnerving stories, both fiction and non-fiction, ever written. The Big Book of Jack the Ripper immerses you in the utterly chilling world of Red Jack’s London, where his unprecedented evil still lurks.

The Big Book of Jack the Ripper is made up of a huge assortment of both non-fiction and fiction which makes for some fascinating reading. The first section covers the factual aspects of the case including: newspaper articles, statements from witnesses as well as ones by authorities and doctors involved in the case. Also included are some fascinating theories from some of the world’s most respected Ripperologists. Given what was done to the murder victims, this isn’t exactly easy reading, especially the autopsy reports. These chapters provide an intimate look at not only the crimes, but the women themselves and their poverty-stricken lives. While there’s not a lot here factually that’s new for readers familiar with these unsolved crimes, it still makes for some fascinating reading. The rest of the book features more than 40 fictional stories. Some are reprinted classics by authors such as Robert Bloch, Ellery Queen, and Marie Belloc-Lowndes. Others are brand new stories by contemporary authors like Jeffery Deaver, Anne Perry and Lyndsay Faye. Some are short stories, while others are novellas and even short novels. Despite its hefty length, the format is very easy to follow and you can easily put it down and pick it up hours later, without losing your train of thought. I highly recommend The Big Book of Jack the Ripper as a must have for anyone who’s fascinated by this unsolved crime. 

Migraines: More Than a Headache ~ By Dr. Elizabeth Leroux – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Non-Fiction, Migraines

Thank you NetGalley and Dundum Press for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Though viewed more often as a “women’s ailment”, migraines affect nearly 15 percent of the world’s population. In addition to the effect migraines have on the sufferers’ quality of life, they also carry an economic cost, felt especially in the form of lost work time. But by recognizing the problem and taking necessary action, migraine sufferers can take back control of their lives. 

This easy-to-read guide to migraine management answers all the most pressing questions of sufferers and those concerned for their health. Clinical neurologist Dr. Elizabeth Leroux explains what can predispose a person to experiencing migraines, what can trigger them, their phases, and the three recommended lines of treatment: lifestyle changes, crisis management, and preventative therapy. Emphasizing the need for good doctor-patient communication in a field where misunderstanding and frustration is too often the norm, this book is as much a tool for healthcare professionals as it is for migraine sufferers and their families.

Some you already know that I suffer from migraines. I’m not going to go into a lengthy whine about my situation except to say that I’ve had them since childhood and they eventually helped force me to leave a career I loved. Have no doubt: Migraines are an insidious and agonizing disease that often leaves its sufferers grasping at anything to relieve their suffering. As one of those people, I’m always interested when a new book comes out, hoping someone will come out with something new. Like many others before it, the book begins with a summary of different types of headaches: tension, cluster, migraines, etc. It covers everything from how a diagnosis is reached to the history of treatments (which were pretty nasty) and famous migraineurs. Dr. Leroux writes in a very matter of fact way which makes this book easy to read for the general public. It’s filled with graphs, charts, and tables which further helps the reader to understand the information she’s imparting. The book also has numerous photographs and anecdotal stories from migraineurs which helps illustrate what we go through. My problem with this book is there really isn’t anything new. I’ve pretty much read everything in here especially regarding treatments, in previous books. However, if you’ve recently gotten a diagnosis of migraine and haven’t read very much on the topic, or if you care about someone who suffers from migraines and are looking for some more information, this is a very good place to begin. While there’s nothing earth-shattering here, I still think it’s a good reference tool for anyone interested in learning more about the disease.

 

Over the years I’ve had people try to “help” by offering advice so I thought I’d take the opportunity to list a few things you should NEVER say to a migraineurs:

1. “I get headaches too.” ~ While I will never negate anyone’s pain, a migraine is NOT just a headache. In addition to excruciating head pain which can last 4-72 hours, it often leaves you with nausea, vomiting, and extreme light and noise sensitivity.
2. “Do something to take your mind off it.” ~ Take my word for it. Migraine pain doesn’t go away no matter how much you try to ignore it or distract yourself. Physical activity tends to make it worse.
3. “You should stop ______.” Most migraineurs know what their triggers are. Yes, many of us need to limit the amounts of chocolate, alcohol, and caffeine we consume, but what about outside causes like hormones and weather? It’s a little more difficult to control those.
4. “You don’t look sick.” ~ I don’t think any further explanation is needed.
5. “It’s all in your head. ~ Ditto.
6. “At least they can’t kill you.” ~ The problem is migraines can cause people to lose their jobs, drop out of school, and lose their friends and significant others. In rare cases migraines are associated with stroke, and there have been many instances where sufferers have lost all hope and attempted or committed suicide.
7. “I wish I could stay home all the time like you.” Really? So you’d enjoy spending hours upon hours curled up in a dark room with ice packs, or on your knees in front of the toilet vomiting uncontrollably? I think not.
8. “It can’t hurt that bad.” Yes actually. It can. While migraine pain differs for sufferers, the best way I can describe mine is that it feels as though someone has shoved an ice pick straight through my eye.
9. “Take a pill.” ~ Most migraineurs take preventative medication daily. The problem is that many of these medications have some nasty side effects. If you’re lucky enough to find one that is tolerable and works for you, the benefits may stop after being on it for awhile. And what works for one person may not work for another.
10. “You just need to learn how to handle stress better.” ~ This last one is my personal favorite. Although stress is a common trigger, it’s not what actually causes a migraine. Telling someone who’s in pain to relax and de-stress, is not only unhelpful, but it may actually make things worse.

If someone you know and care about suffers from migraines and you truly wish to understand and help them, the best thing you can do is to educate yourself by reading a book like Dr. Leroux’s. Also, let them know you’re happy to ease their pain whether it’s listening to them vent, watching their children, or even bringing them a home-cooked meal. Believe me. Actions speak much louder than what you think is helpful advice.

The Search For The Man In The Iron Mask: A Historical Detective Story ~ By Paul Sonnino – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Non-Fiction, French History, The Man in the Iron Mask

Thank you to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 5th, 2016

Synopsis: The Search For the Man in the Iron Mask triumphantly solves an enduring puzzle that has stumped historians for centuries and seduced novelists and filmmakers to this day. Who was the man who was rumored to have been kept in prison and treated royally during much of the reign of Louis XIV while being forced to wear an iron mask? Could he have possibly been the twin brother of the Sun King? Like every other serious scholar, intrepid historian Paul Sonnino discounts this theory, instead taking the reader along on his adventures to uncover the truth behind this ancient enigma. Exploring the hidden, squalid side of the lavish court of France, the author uncovers the full spectrum of French society, from humble servants to wealthy merchants to kings and queens. All had self-interested reasons to hold their secrets close until one humble valet named Eustache Dauger was arrested and jailed for decades, simply because he knew too much and opened his mouth at the wrong time. Presenting his dramatic solution to the mystery, Sonnino convincingly shows that no one will be able to tell the story of the man in the iron mask without taking into account the staggering array of evidence he has uncovered over the course of decades.

I have to admit, I very rarely read non-fiction. If you’ve been following my blog you’ve probably already guessed this. Nothing thrills me more than a real-life historical mystery though. The last book I read which purported to have solved a centuries old mystery was Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper–Case Closed (2002), by Patricia Cornwell. Let’s just say I was bitterly disappointed. Happily, The Search For The Man In The Iron Mask is leagues ahead.

The question of who this mysterious figure forced to wear an iron mask while imprisoned for decades in the Bastille could have been, caused notable figures such as Voltaire to speculate as to his identity, and even more famously spurred Alexandre Dumas to immortalize him in The Man in the Iron Mask. While scholars, conspiracy theorists, and amateur historical detectives have argued and debated for centuries, no one theory has completely thrown off the shadow of uncertainty. Paul Sonnino, a well respected French historian, has written this after decades of research. The result is an entertaining and well written account of his journey. The first thing I appreciated was the conversational tone from the author. While this book is under 300 pages, it’s packed with dates, figures, and other historical facts. Because of the sheer number of these I did find myself having to go back and re-read a few passages in order to remind myself who was who. Sonnino discusses several theories that have been brought up and and discounted, including his own, before revealing who he now believes to be the most likely candidate and why. I’ve heard this particular name raised before, so it wasn’t a huge surprise that Sonnino has settled on him, but reading his account of how he reached his conclusions was fascinating. 

Despite being academic in nature, In Search Of The Man In The Iron Mask should appeal to anyone who loves a good historical puzzle, particularly if you’re a Dumas fan and grew up reading his thrilling adventures as I did. Paul Sonnino’s writing possesses a clarity and dry sense of humor which makes this an illuminating and entertaining read.