book reviews: medical/science (feat. Adam Kay, Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell, Henry Marsh and Nigel McCrery)

Continuing the themed book reviews I'm intent on doing, this month, it's medical/science books. There are two types of non-fiction I absolutely adore reading: funny books and geeky books about medicine and forensics. The first one fits into both categories while the other three a bit more nerdy! So here we go!

This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay

A colleague recommended this book to me so I knew I had to give it a good read. Spoiler alert: I was absolutely not disappointed by it.

It's a funny read from the beginning with an extremely sad ending. For anyone who is a junior doctor, the angst Adam Kay goes through is something we've all experienced. From feeling out of our depth to not being able to do our job justice due to work and time pressures all the way to losing patients we genuinely warmed to. At points, it hit a bit too close to home. The fact he manages to create humour from it is testament to him. Comedy's gain is the NHS' loss.

And for those not in medicine? It makes a light-hearted read (until you get to the end) and it will leave you wanting more. Parts of it have been embellished I'm sure, but the overall theme is one all junior doctors will experience nearly every day. 9/10


Silent Witnesses - Nigel McCrery

This forensics book is very different to many others I've read. Instead of centering itself around cases, it goes through each of the major technologies used in forensics, how they evolved and how they have helped solve cases throughout history. It's a different set-up and I actually really enjoyed it. It had the potential to be boring with a structure like that but it actually worked really well! 8/10


Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies and the Making of a Medical Examiner - Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell

As humans, we're all naturally curious (some more than others!) and we all have a dark side. This book brought those two traits of mine together. Judy does a good job of giving a bit of background to her patients and the processes used to come to a conclusion. I found parts of it heartbreaking - the chapter around 9/11 was a particularly difficult read. The fact that she knew her job would be ridiculously busy in the aftermath and knowing that all of the victims had to be identified with their families informed broke my heart a little. I found her job fascinating though - not a career I'm considering but can definitely see why it could appeal. 8/10


Admissions: Life As a Brain Surgeon - Henry Marsh

Having read Mr Marsh's first offering of Do No Harm, I knew I would eventually get round to reading his second book. It's a different one compared to his first. He talks more about Nepal and the work he's done overseas and there is an edge of frustrating to a few of the chapters. It's definitely not a light-hearted read but I wouldn't call it a heavy one either.

Mr Marsh practised at my medical school's hospital and knowing the area pretty well, I could actually picture parts of his book in my head quite vividly! He writes very well and is very engaging when it comes to telling stories from his own life as well as the story behind some of his patients too. 8/10


** all book covers from Amazon.co.uk **

book reviews: books by people in comedy (Joe Lycett, Sarah Millican, James Acaster, Aziz Ansari)

I've been reading solidly this year (twenty-one books so far!) and thought I'd return to doing a few brief book reviews. This year, I thought I'd categorise them a bit so in this first instalment: books by people in comedy. I watch a lot of comedy on TV and have yet to go to a proper show in person. It's actually one of my goals for this year and once I start my new job in August (which is purely Monday to Friday, 9-5, no weekends/nights/antisocial shifts), I am hoping to head to one then. Especially as one day a week is spent in Central London!

Anyway, there are many comedians I have found funny over the years. Some I didn't think were funny to begin with but seeing them on a programme they wouldn't usually be on changed that (James Acaster is the perfect example here: I didn't find him hilarious on Mock the Week but when I watched an episode of the Great British Bake Off: Stand Up to Cancer where he was one of the bakers, I found myself belly laughing at every quip he came up with!). This post features books from Joe Lycett, Sarah Millican, James Acaster (of course) and Aziz Ansari. I was going to put Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt in here too but I have saved that for a more medical/science edition!

Parsnips, Buttered: How to win at modern life, one email at a time - Joe Lycett

If you've ever seen Joe Lycett on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, you'll know that he loves writing a complaint email or two. And he does them extremely well! This book just expands on that and how he manages to create hilarity out of even the most mundane of situations. His drawings in it also add to this hilarity and I found myself laughing out loud at least once every five minutes - good job I live alone, eh! 

If you love a book that is full of anecdotes of situations where Joe capitalises on the opportunity to write a sassy email or two about something negative that has happened to him, this is the book for you. You'll tear through it in no time. I found myself finishing it in two evenings! 8/10

How to be Champion: My Autobiography - Sarah Millican

I love a strong female comedienne and Sarah Millican is definitely one of those! Her book has done a good job of transferring her Geordie humour onto paper, whilst still maintaining a moderately serious tone with her tips at the end of each chapter on 'how to be champion'. She writes about romance, friendship, being bullied, each career she's had and also about family. Though not an autobiography in the chronological sense, it touches on each part of her life and how it has made her the person she is now. And with plenty of humour too. 

And I also like how she writes about not having kids. I think too many women are judged on whether or not they've given birth, and if not, when they are planning to have children. In this day and age, why can we not just be career women, or a someone who likes their life the way it is? For me, this was the best message she could have conveyed in her book and I would urge all young, strong women read her book just for this alone. 9/10

James Acaster's Classic Scrapes - James Acaster

Having seen James Acaster on Would I Lie to You?, I knew the stories about 'cabbaging' and him sleeping in a dress would come up. And I was not disappointed! These are just two of many funny stories of situations James has got himself into. I'm sure if we all looked back on our own lives, there would be stories similar to his but he manages to tell them all in an endearing way. I think he's a comedian who has grown and got funnier over the years and this book is evidence of that.

If you're after a light-hearted read or have had a spate of bad luck recently, this is definitely the book to get stuck into. 8/10

Modern Romance - Aziz Ansari

One of my friends from medical school actually recommended I read this a number of years ago. With the rise and success (if we can call it that) of various dating apps worldwide, this book writes about how romance and dating have changed to the state it is in now. If you've ever used a dating app, it actually makes a lot of sense! Our generation meet people very differently. I've met patients in their 80s and 90s who have been married for 50/60/70 years and met their partner at a dance or were neighbours, etc. Now? We meet people through jobs, through friends of friends, through apps! And we're very much an 'instant' generation which makes it enticing to swipe for a date. Aziz backs up his observations with studies and expert opinions too so it's not just a bloke who's opinionated about dating!

Definitely worth a read. I'm not ashamed to admit I've used a dating app or two and it's interesting how much of it you can relate to if you've ever gone through all of that! 8/10


** all book covers from Amazon.co.uk **

book reviews: the girl before by JP delaney, trying by emily phillips and this could change everything by jill mansell

The Girl Before by JP Delaney

"Enter the world of One Folgate Street and discover perfection . . . but can you pay the price? 

Jane stumbles on the rental opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to live in a beautiful ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect, on condition she abides by a long list of exacting rules. After moving in, she discovers that a previous tenant, Emma, met a mysterious death there - and starts to wonder if her own story will be a re-run of the girl before. 

As twist after twist catches the reader off guard, Emma's past and Jane's present become inexorably entwined in this tense, page-turning portrayal of psychological obsession."

I do love a good thriller and The Girl Before looked to be a book that wouldn't disappoint. And it didn't.

The characters are all a little creepy and it was hard to know who to trust. The chapters just about alternate between the previous tenant, Emma, and the new tenant, Jane. And even with all this, it was hard to deduce who were the good guys and who were not. And with each character that is introduced, it muddied the waters even more. Just when you had one person figured out, a bombshell would be dropped.

When the house is first introduced, it sounds pretty cool - minimalistic, technologically advanced and in a good location. But over time, these features begin to seem more of a hindrance than a bonus.

I actually read this book really quickly but I have to admit that the ending felt really unsatisfying and like it wasn't really an ending.

Overall, 7.5/10. It is a good read and some parts actually sent a chill down my spine but marks taken off for the ending unfortunately!


Trying by Emily Phillips

"Olivia and Felix are trying for a baby. They even moved to the suburbs in anticipation of their future family. But despite approaching her cycle and their sex life with military precision, there's still no sign of what felt like the sure next step, whilst friends' broods seem to be growing by the week. Meanwhile, vying for a promotion at work under the (very attentive) watch of a new boss sends Olivia down a dangerous road of risking it all. Does a happy ever after, she starts to question, even have to include a baby?"

So I'll be honest. At the moment, I can't really relate to babies and marriage and all that stuff (I am most definitely not mature enough for either of those things at the moment - after all, I recently moved into a bachelorette pad!) but that doesn't mean I don't like a good chicklit book.

Trying is quite a long read ringing in at just under 400 pages. And at points, the texts and bits of calendar entries felt a bit tacky and too try-hard. I also found myself disliking Olivia as the book went on - her inability to feel happy for her friends dragged on for a bit too long. After all, most of us will have been in the position of being jealous of our friends before letting that feeling go and actually being happy for them. Towards the end of the book, she is more able to be pleased for friends rather than wallow in self pity and became a bit more likeable.

Some books can be hundreds of pages long and not feel that way (the later Harry Potter books for instance) but this book was almost 400 and you could definitely feel it. By about page 200, I stalled a bit but persevered with it.

Although I've been quite negative about Trying, it is actually pretty well written and the storyline isn't too far-fetched. The whole plot around Olivia and Felix trying for a baby sounds pretty realistic based on things I've heard from an experience I had as a medical student, sat in an Infertility clinic.

Overall, 5/10 as it wasn't really a book I enjoyed reading. However, don't let that put you off - it is well written and can be relatable if read by the right person! Just that this person isn't me :)


This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell

"If only Essie hadn't written that letter - the one that went viral... 

On the one hand, if Essie hadn't written that letter - the one that only her best friend was meant to see - then she'd still be living like an actual proper grown-up, tucked up with Paul in his picture-perfect cottage, maybe even planning their wedding... 

On the other hand (if her true feelings hadn't accidentally taken the internet by storm, that is) she wouldn't have moved into the attic flat on the square. She would never have met Conor. Or got to know Lucas... 

And she wouldn't have found herself falling in love with someone she really, really shouldn't fall in love with..."

Jill Mansell is an author I turn to when I need a feel good story and what better feel guarantee of a good story for those lighter evenings than her latest offering of This Could Change Everything. Each of the main characters are lovable, realistic and relatable. We follow Essie's journey from an email that was a bit too honest to how she meets Conor, Lucas and Zillah and the adventures they have along the way.

It is quite a predictable storyline (aside from possibly one 'twist') and the ending is more and more obvious, the more you read. However, that's what I was looking for at the time and this book certainly satiated that need.

Overall, a solid offering from Jill Mansell and if you're a fan of chicklit books, this one will be right up your street. 8/10

book reviews: the other woman by laura wilson, here we are now by jasmine warga and you'll grow out of it by jessi klein

Here are a few reviews of books I read over the last few months.

***

The Other Woman by Laura Wilson

"Shortly after Christmas, a message arrives at Sophie's house, scrawled across her own round robin newsletter: HE'S GOING TO LEAVE YOU. LET'S SEE HOW SMUG YOU ARE THEN, YOU STUPID BITCH. Perhaps she should ignore it, but she ignored the last one. And the one before that. Now it's time to take action. 

 But when a simple plan to identify and confront the other woman goes drastically and violently wrong, Sophie must go to extreme lengths to keep her life and her family together - while never letting on her devastating secret."

Being a huge fan of thriller novels, the blurb for The Other Woman by Laura Wilson promised a plot that would have left me on the edge of my seat. It starts with these sinister notes that are scrawled on a yearly festive family newsletter. The protagonist is a wife and mother of three kids. Her husband lives away from home, in London where he works, during the week - the perfect setting for some paranoia and suspicions about his fidelity. 

However, when the twist occurs, I find it all a bit farfetched and a bit unbelievable. She confronts 'the other woman' and this sets her off into a spiral of weird and wacky actions. And then a further twist happens and I didn't know whether it was intended to make the reader laugh or in awe. 

The ending left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. What was the premise for a great novel seemed a little underwhelming and a little forced at points. Laura Wilson is a great writer though and it wasn't badly written. The plot was just a little...bizarre and one that I couldn't decide if it was meant to be humorous or serious. 6.5/10

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga

My previous Jasmine Warga review was of My Heart and Other Black Holes and it was a novel I really did love so I had high hopes for this one.

"Despite sending him letters ever since she was thirteen, Taliah Abdallat never thought she'd ever really meet Julian Oliver. But one day, while her mother is out of the country, the famed rock star from Staring Into the Abyss shows up on her doorstep. This makes sense - kinda - because it turns out Julian Oliver is Taliah's father... 

When Julian asks her to go with him to his hometown to meet the family she has never known, Taliah embarks on a three-day voyage of discovery - of her father, of the past her mother has never shared with her, and of herself."

Here We Are Now did not disappoint. During this novel, you come to understand what each of the characters went through and the emotional struggles each of them dealt with. Taliah and her struggle with why she did not have a father growing up, Taliah's mum (Lena) who made the tough decision of bringing up Taliah alone and Julian with his struggles with his own father and the love he had for Lena.

This novel is extremely easy to read and identify with and for me, I do feel there will be something in there that most readers will identify with. Mine is a bit too personal to share but Jasmine Warga remains a writer firmly on my 'to keep an eye on' list. I can't wait for her future offerings. 8/10


You'll Grow Out Of It by Jessi Klein

As both a tomboy and a late bloomer, comedian Jessi Klein grew up feeling more like an outsider than a participant in the rites of modern femininity. 

In YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, Klein offers-through an incisive collection of real-life stories-a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("Miss sounds like you weigh ninety-nine pounds"). Raw, relatable, and consistently hilarious, YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT is a one-of-a-kind book by a singular and irresistible comic voice.

This book promised a lot of humour and it did, mostly, deliver on this front. It is a collection of stories from the life of Jessi Klein - stories that are mostly humorous rather than serious. And the stories are pretty random!

This is a nice read if you're after something light that may give you a laugh or two per chapter. A solid 6/10

book: the memory keeper's daughter by kim edwards

Commuting for my elective has meant that books get read at an extraordinary pace. One of these books was this offering from Kim Edwards: The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

It centres on David Henry, a doctor, who gives away one of his twins at birth. One twin is Paul and the other is a daughter called Phoebe. Phoebe is born with Down's syndrome and with David's worry of the possibility of her having heart defects that would limit her quantity of life, he opted to send her away with the nurse (and colleague) present at the birth.

The book follows David and his family through Paul's childhood and early adulthood. Occasionally, we get a glimpse into Phoebe's life too. Set at a time when Down's syndrome was perhaps less understood, the heartache that David went through over the years was really evident. We also learn about how David's past perhaps made him worry more about potential heart defects then the average Joe.

The ending is a little bit predictable but the plot itself is steady. The characters are likeable except from David's wife (at least to me). I'm not really sure what it is about her I dislike but it was hard for me to warm to her character.

Overall, a good, steady read and touching in parts. 7/10.

book: rebecca by daphne du maurier and kids of appetite by david arnold

Two books this month!

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

I've had this on my shelf for quite some time and earlier in the year, when I was commuting for my elective, I used those long journeys as an opportunity to pick this book up. It didn't disappoint.

It is written in first person (the name of this character is never revealed) and follows her story where her husband's ex-wife, Rebecca, is a constant feature in her daily life. Her husband is Max de Winter, a gentleman with a vast fortune and estate and used to a life completely different to her own.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book. It is the definition of a real page-turner and my marker for that is if it keeps my attention during my morning commute (one where I'm prone to drifting off the sleep if my current read isn't up to standard!). It is creepy and enthralling in equal measure and the twist at the end was a little unexpected though I did guess half of it correctly. Most of the characters creeped me out a little (even Max!) but the creepiest of all was Mrs Danvers!

An excellent read if you're a fan of Gone Girl, Room, etc. 9/10! My next mission is to watch the film adaptation.


Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

Kids of Appetite was a book that was fairly slow paced to begin with. It took a lot of perseverance before I got into it and I remember reading the first quarter or so and then abandoning it for a good few months before continuing.

The plot, as from Amazon.co.uk:

"In the Hackensack Police Department, Vic Benucci and his friend Mad are explaining how they found themselves wrapped up in a grisly murder. But in order to tell that story, they have to go way back... 

It all started when Vic's dad died. Vic's dad was his best friend, and even now, two years later, he can't bring himself to touch the Untouchable Urn of Oblivion that sits in his front hall. But one cold December day, Vic falls in with an alluring band of kids that wander his New Jersey neighbourhood, including Mad, the girl who changes everything. Along with his newfound friendships comes the courage to open his father's urn, the discovery of the message inside, and the epic journey it sparks."

This book just wasn't for me. It was hard to get into, a bit lacklustre in terms of plot and though intended to be a book that stirred up emotions, it didn't until towards the end. The blurb mentions a grisly murder but this murder took so long to appear in the book, I did feel a bit mis-sold! It was such a promising book but ultimately, I just ended up feeling disappointed with it. 4/10 unfortunately.

book: pretty honest by sali hughes

Last year, I got into make-up and wanted to read a bit more about it all. Two of Kevyn Aucoin's offerings sit on my bookshelf and get a peruse every so often but there was a want for something more substantial. Enter Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes.

Amazon.co.uk describe the book as follows:

"Beauty books. Exquisite coffee-table affairs featuring improbably beautiful models with wholly-unachievable-to-most women looks, product review-heavy volumes which become almost instantly outdated, or tracts of holistic mumbo jumbo, like how to make an unproven face pack from organic molasses and rough-hewn porridge oats. 

Not anymore. 

In Pretty Honest, Sali Hughes draws on over 20 years of wisdom, advice and expertise to show real women how to make the most of makeup’s physically and emotionally transformative powers. Covering everything from teenage skin to mature beauty, botox to bridal make-up, sickness to good health, it's a work that is part instruction manual, part love letter to makeup – in a writing style that combines beauty editor, feminist and painfully funny best friend."

Though the book is quite thick, the chapters are short and are broken up by photos. It's a very thorough book for those getting into skincare and make-up, amongst other things related to beauty. Sali tries to give her own product recommendations where appropriate and she'll mostly give a selection of drugstore brands, mid-range and also higher-end products.

Before my skincare routine became the way it was, I had done a load of research myself on ingredients and how I wanted my skin to look like at its best. This meant parts of the book were a little basic for me. This is a good introduction for those in their late teens or early twenties or for those who want a beauty book that covers most things related to being a woman.

Pretty Honest is a book that will look pretty on your bookshelf but at the same time, give you a good number of handy tips and tricks on things that can take months or years to figure out. 7/10!

book: trust me, i'm a junior doctor by max pemberton

Before I started medical school, I remember reading this book in an effort to gain more of an insight into the life of a junior doctor. Now that medical school has been and gone (where did the time go?), I decided to give it another little read.

Trust Me, I'm A Junior Doctor is written in an Adrian Mole-style diary by Dr Max Pemberton, a junior doctor in his first year after finishing medical school. His training was very different to how mine will be - he only does one year of foundation whereas I will be doing two. During the book, we follow him through his first year where he does six months of surgery followed by six months of medicine.

The book is written in quite a light-hearted and chatty manner which makes for an easy read. As each chapter represents a month and there is an entry for most days of each month, it means the book can be picked up and put down quite easily. Boiling the kettle for a cup of tea? That's the perfect length of time for one day.

The one gripe I have with the book is how mean the author is about some of his colleagues. I know we meet many different characters in our lives (in all careers, not just medicine) but to me, it's quite distasteful to talk about colleagues in the way he has. Giving one of his seniors the nickname of 'Sad Sack' and calling a nurse in charge 'The Battleaxe' is a little over the top (in my opinion). It seems he's trying to bring some humour into what can be a bit of a dry subject but tried a bit too hard.

Aside from that, there are many humorous parts to it and some very sad parts also. It's made me contemplate keeping my own mini diary for each day I work - not least because it is a good way to unload anything that might keep my awake later that night/day when trying to get to sleep!

It's a good, entertaining read, despite some of my gripes with it. 7/10.

two books: a little princess by frances hodgson burnett and the problem with forever by jennifer l. armentrout

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

As mentioned in last month's review of Goodnight Mister Tom, one of my goals this year is to read three classic novels and here is number two: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Last year, I read The Secret Garden for the first time (I know, I know, I'm having a second childhood with all these books!) and loved it so it made sense to pick this one up.

The edition I own is the Rifle Paper Co edition and the cover design was totally what made me buy it. The inside is just as beautiful with illustrations dotted throughout the book.

A Little Princess is about a young girl called Sara who grew up in India while it was still a British colony. She is sent to a boarding school in England and although she is used to a life of luxury, is actually very down to earth. However, one day, tragedy strikes and she ends being a poor orphan due to the unfortunate and premature passing of her father. We follow Sara as she is forced to work for free under the Mistress of the boarding school.

What really made this book for me were the illustrations and the cover. The plot was okay though I didn't really warm to any of the characters so the only thing that got me through were the beautiful drawings that would appear once or twice in each chapter. Overall, A Little Princess gets 7/10 from me.


The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

I'm going to begin with this: I rarely cry when reading. Even when the plot is designed to try and make the reader shed a few tears, my tear ducts still hold strong. The Problem with Forever is one of the exceptions to that rule (throughout the years, I'm pretty sure this is only the second or third book to make me actually bawl like a baby).

The book centres on two teenagers: Rider and Mallory (or Mouse as she is sometimes called by Rider). They are foster kids who have been through a whole load of terror earlier in their childhood. Separated for the last four years after they were 'rescued' from a home of horror, Mallory now lives with new foster parents; both doctors. She decides to brave public school for the first time after being home-schooled and that's where she meets Rider again.

Cue all the feels.

It is clear the love and affection these two teenagers have for each other. I mean, they already had one things in common: arguably the worst part of their respective lives.

As we find out more about how both of them have coped (or not) in the previous four years, we are also led along a path of heartbreak in the present too. Not only for them but for the other characters too. Jennifer Armentrout also does an excellent job of writing about Mallory's anxiety in a realistic manner and in no way glamourises it.

This is one of the best teen/young adult novels I've ever read and I would not hesitate to recommend it if you like something that isn't your teenage romance novel. The last quarter of the book had me in tears! If I could rate this book more than 10/10, I would but for now, it will have to make do with full marks.

book: goodnight mister tom by michelle magorian

One of my '100 tasks in 2017' is to read three classic books and that's why I picked up Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. I have a vague memory of reading it, or at least attempting to, when I was in high school.

Goodnight Mister Tom is about a boy called Willie who has been evacuated from the city of London to the countryside. There, he stays with an old gentleman called Tom.

After finishing this book, I did wonder why it took me so long to pick it up! Although aimed at a younger reader, it is quite a harrowing read. The life Willie is used to in London is very different to the one in Little Weirwold with Mister Tom and as you progress through the book, you see a change in Willie's character. From being a timid boy, not used to being shown affection, to a confident and charismatic young man who lives his countryside life to the full.

At first, Mister Tom seems like your typical grumpy old man but when his past is drip fed by Magorian throughout the book, it's obvious that he's not grumpy; he's just heartbroken and Willie did a lot in helping to mend his broken heart.

Overall, Goodnight Mister Tom gets 8/10 for me. I raced through this book and although older than the target audience, really enjoyed it!

book: the roanoke girls by amy edelman

I went through a phase of reading some twisted and messed up books (Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects, Dark Places and Gone Girl are particular favourites, as hyped as they are) so I had high hopes for The Roanoke Girls by Amy Edelman.

The blurb looked promising (from Amazon.co.uk):

"Beautiful. 
Rich. 
Mysterious. 

The Roanoke girls seem to have it all. But there's a dark truth about them which is never spoken. Every girl either runs away, or dies. 

Lane is one of the lucky ones. When she was fifteen, over one long, hot summer at her grandparents' estate in rural Kansas, she found out what it really means to be a Roanoke girl. Lane ran, far and fast. Until eleven years later, when her cousin Allegra goes missing - and Lane has no choice but to go back. 

She is a Roanoke girl. 

Is she strong enough to escape a second time?"

The Roanoke Girls is a book about a dysfunctional family set on a rural farm in Kansas. The characters are all a bit mysterious - Charlie, the old man who helps out at the farm and Sharon, the house maid who can't seem to cook an edible meal despite all of her years of service. I would have liked to have learnt a bit more about these two characters as the author alludes to them all having a creepy side with a past full of skeletons but does not elaborate on any of these hints!

Honestly, I found the plot a bit predictable and guessed what was going to happen at most of the major twists. Some parts felt a bit forced - as if they were written in to shock the reader. There were so many shady characters, it felt a bit wasteful to not use them as potential suspects in more depth during the investigation of Allegra's disappearance.

Overall, I found this book really underwhelming. I only finished it to see if my theory was right (and it was) but other than that, I would have happily left this book half read. Gone Girl, this book is not, but it does have a decent plot. Just one that isn't at its full potential. 5/10.

book: this is now by Ciara Geraghty

In 2015, I reviewed Now That I've Found You by Ciara Geraghty and today, I'm back with a review about her latest offering, This Is Now. This Is Now focuses on four characters: Cillian, Roman, Martha and Tobias. They are all connected through a bank robbery but over the course of the book, you learn more about the backstory of each character.

Like my other review, I think the book is very well written. Each of the characters have their flaws and the author makes no effort to disguise this which makes them all endearing in their own ways. I found myself rooting for Martha even though she was probably one of the more messed up characters! The book could easily have been made up of one or two separate plot lines once the robbery part is over and done with but Ciara Geraghty had a way of keeping at least two or three of them linked at any one time.

I would describe This Is Now as a feel good book about four characters linked by a sliver of a thread. There is just enough drama for their lives to seem realistic but possibly not enough for some readers. Overall, a solid 7.6/10 - this one edges it over Now That I've Found You for me.

book review: do no harm by henry marsh

On the whole, I try not to read too many 'medic books' but I borrowed Do No Harm by Mr Henry Marsh from my friend after hearing rave reviews about it.

Do No Harm is a memoir of Mr Marsh's time, mainly as a consultant neurosurgeon. Each chapter follows at least one case, through which a learning point often manifests itself - be it that the operation should never have proceeded or that the National Health Service (NHS) is becoming more and more fractured.

Neurosurgery is a field that can seem daunting to those not in the medical field. Mr Marsh does a good job of simplifying things down as much as possible without omitting the parts of a medical journey that every healthcare worker goes through (such as the emotions and perpetual internal question of 'am I doing the right thing?'). It was interesting to read about the cases that he remembers the most and why, as I'm sure he'll have done more than several hundred cases throughout his whole career! Having spent several days at a neuro-disability hospital on placement earlier on in medical school, it brought back some memories and feelings of my own. Even now, I'm a strong advocate of the best outcome for the patient and if this means doing 'nothing', then that's fine. And that's the message I got from a few of the cases he discusses.

Speckled within the book, there are a few sprinklings of his private life and how they were affected by his career and vice versa.

Overall, this book was brilliantly written and I really like the way he's made each chapter about a patient (or two) - a great way to remind us that patients are also individuals and not just a hospital/NHS number. A solid 9/10 from me, especially because I didn't expect to like it (as I'm not a big fan of what I call 'medic books'!).

book review: when breath becomes air by paul kalanithi

I was gifted this book at Christmas and I managed to read it in just three days. When Breath Becomes Air is a book written by a neurosurgeon from the U.S. and follows his story after his diagnosis of lung cancer in his thirties. 

From the beginning, I was hooked. Paul Kalanithi is a good writer and included just enough detail about his childhood and personal life to make him, in my opinion, relatable to anyone who doesn't have a connection to the medical field. He writes about his diagnosis and the journey through his disease with frank detail and there is an air of 'this could happen to anyone' about his writing.

I'm sure a lot of us would agree that any disease that could potentially be terminal is extremely sad and we would probably feel this emotion at this thought. However, this book really makes you put yourself in the author's shoes and this, at least to me, increased my understanding of what it is like for a patient with a chronic disease.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an insight into a disease from a patient's point of view - but not just any patient; a doctor who has been forced to become the patient. When Breath Becomes Air gets a solid 8/10.

book: meet me at beachcomber bay by jill mansell

In the run up to Christmas, I considered doing a mini-gift guide with last minute stocking fillers and things like that but having done all my Christmas shopping already, I didn't want to tempt myself into ordering something else I didn't need. Instead, I have a book review for you today.

Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay is the first book I've read by Jill Mansell and it did not disappoint. Here is the blurb, courtesy of Amazon.co.uk...

"Love is in the air in St Carys, but you'd never know it - the people of this seaside town are very good at keeping secrets...

The man Clemency loves belongs to someone else. She has to hide her true feelings - but when she ropes in an unsuspecting friend to help, wires start to get crossed.

For the first time in Ronan's life his charm has failed him in winning over the woman he wants. Loving her from afar appears to be his only option.

Belle seems to have the perfect boyfriend, but something isn't quite right. And now a long-buried secret is slowly rising to the surface.

The truth has a funny way of revealing itself, and when it does St Carys will be a very different place indeed..."

From the get-go, Clemency is easy character to warm to and the plot is steady but with well-placed twists that keep the reader interested. In all honesty, St Carys sounded like the perfect place to live with a close-knit and friendly community. The plot twists were all a little too predictable as I managed to guess them before they even happened! But that doesn't mean the book wasn't a good one - it was and it is a great feel-good book if you're after something light-hearted.

With this book, I found it really easy to get lost in my imagination for a fair while - always a mark of a good book in my eyes - but I'm the type who likes to read something a bit light as my brain is usually working in overtime during the day!

Overall, a solid 7.5/10 and one of the better heartwarming books I've read this year. I'm keen to seek out more Jill Mansell reads now but with a reading list longer than the length of my arm, her books may have to wait until the summer of 2017 as I feel like she is the kind of author ideal for a summer read on the beach :)

book: the snow child by eowyn ivey

I actually read this at the end of 2015 but it didn't seem appropriate to write a review of it when this is definitely more of a winter book.

The blurb, from Amazon.co.uk reads as follows:

"Alaska, the 1920s. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on a fresh start in a remote homestead, but the wilderness is a stark place, and Mabel is haunted by the baby she lost many years before. When a little girl appears mysteriously on their land, each is filled with wonder, but also foreboding: is she what she seems, and can they find room in their hearts for her?"

The book was a bit of a slow starter but I guess much of that was setting the scene. Jack and Mabel are an older couple who have moved to the countryside to try and forget the emotional turmoil they'd been through earlier on in their relationship. However, once you get passed all the scene setting, it really is an intriguing and absorbing book.

The little girl who arrives into their lives is a complete mystery and I found myself eager to know more. So much so that once I was about a third of the way in, I read the rest so fast, I finished it in three days! We follow the story of Jack and Mabel as they struggle through winter after winter and I kept wondering how the novel would end. When it did end, I thought it was fitting and the only way I can describe this book is that it's a modern fairytale but for adults.

Overall, 7.5 out of 10 - marked down slightly by the slow start. A well written book which has enough mystery to keep the intrigue but enough revealed at the right times for the reader.

book: the christmas mystery by jostein gaarder

The Christmas Mystery is a book that is a perfect alternative to an advent calendar because it has twenty-five chapters. This is exactly how I read the book and with each chapter being only three or four pages long, the daily read doesn't feel like a chore. It is definitely a book aimed more at children but that didn't stop me enjoying it.

The blurb intrigued me (from Amazon.co.uk):

"Fifty years ago a girl disappeared from her home in Norway. She ran after a lamb and found herself travelling right across Europe to Palestine, and back through 2000 years to meet the Holy Family in Bethlehem. There she met angels, shepherds, wise men and other biblical characters who joined her on her pilgrimage; and she heard of many of the things that happened in the world in the last 2000 years. 

 In present-day Norway, a boy acquires a strange old Advent calendar. Hidden in each of the windows is a tiny piece of paper. Little by little these pieces unfold the girl's story and as we learn what happened to her, another story is revealed - that of the strange old man who made the calendar."

The story is simple and not too hard to follow even if it does seem a bit far-fetched to begin with. I like that each chapter is short enough for one to be read each day but still long enough to tell enough of the story for you to want to know more. The story really is a mystery and I thought I had it figured out at day twelve but I was proved wrong when we got to about day twenty-two.

I would definitely recommend this book if you want something different and less calorific than a chocolate advent calendar ;)

book review: harry potter and the cursed child

This summer, I read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (HPATCC) and it's taken me this long to write a review! As a huge Harry Potter nerd, I read this in a few days and it didn't disappoint. I had heard rumours of various plot twists and whatnot but to me, it had a perfect balance of the unexpected coupled with some more predictable moments. If you didn't already know, HPATCC is in a script form so this is why it can be read so quickly. I was okay with this format but my sister didn't like it.

The description from Amazon.co.uk reads as follows:

"Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London's West End on 30th July 2016. 

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children. 

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

It was weird thinking of Harry as a father of three Hogwarts-aged children but it was fascinating to find out what himself, Ron and Hermione were doing. The plot twists that I referred to earlier kept me hooked and I liked the darker edge of the play compared to any of the seven novels. I've not yet seen the play but I definitely want to after reading this script. Overall, 8/10 for this from me because even though I didn't mind the script form, novels are more my thing.

book: the girl on the train by paula hawkins

I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers and when I saw this one in Waterstones, I knew I had to give it a shot. The premise is as follows (from Amazon):

"Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. 

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. 

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar. 

 Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…" 

Credit: Amazon.co.uk

The novel is told from the perspective of three women: Rachel, Megan and Anna. Anna is the woman who Rachel's ex-husband, Tom, has replaced her with and Megan is someone who lives on the same road that Rachel and Tom used to live on. Anna and Tom still live in said house on the aforementioned street. These houses back onto a railway line which Rachel takes into London every day.

From the beginning, I found this novel fascinating. Paula Hawkins does a good job of drip feeding you with information about each of the characters, with each revelation being more shocking than the last. How she managed to make each character likeable and then dislikable and then back to likeable, etc is something I can't get my head around.

As more and more of the events unfold, I found myself trying to second guess each of the narrators and I managed to predict the ending about 80% of the way in (something I'm very pleased about as I don't think it was actually that predictable! Maybe I've been reading too many psychological thrillers over these last few years).

If you're a fan of Gillian Flynn and Emma Donoghue, this book is definitely right up your street. I give it 9/10 because it is the first fictional book in a while where I've managed to finish it within a week (and during exam time as well).

book: room by emma donoghue

Room is a book recommended to me by a friend back in January but I didn't get round to reading it until May. I regret waiting so long to pick this up because it really was a good read!

Image Credit: Amazon

The blurb on Amazon reads as follows:

"Jack is five. He lives with his Ma. They live in a single, locked room. They don't have the key. 

 Jack and Ma are prisoners."

Based on the blurb, it's pretty obvious this is a hostage situation so I was intrigued to find out how the story would pan out. It is written from the point of view of Jack and it was fascinating to read from the point of view of someone who has grown up with a completely warped view of the world and how this impacted his development. Having spent many hours learning the various developmental milestones for kids while on paediatrics, I found myself thinking back to them to see which ones he'd most miss out on. Conclusion: social and emotional development (but I am no expert).

As the story unfolds, you get an idea of the mental strain put on Ma as she tries to stay strong for Jack but also think about their future. It is extremely well written and I couldn't put the book down. It's not for the faint-hearted but is a good thriller if you're a fan of books by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Dark Places, Sharp Objects) and Stephen King (The Shining).

Overall, a solid 8/10.