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REVIEW: Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan
Parenting is hard…that’s an accepted turn of phrase, right? In mainstream media expecting parents are given the impression that welcoming a new child is a joyous occasion, you will be filled with a tremendous sense of love from the moment you meet them. You aren’t told how the birth can leave a permanent scar on both the mind and psyche, how the sleepless nights wear you down, and the constant second-guessing of whether you are doing it right. I suffered from post-natal depression with the arrival of my second son and although it affected me in ways I never anticipated, I would never change the experience for anything. Little Disasters…
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The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell | Review
The House We Grew Up In. A perfect starting bullet for discussion. Do you remember yours? Was it a happy home, full of laughter and fond memories? Lisa Jewell introduces us to the concept that looks can be deceiving. Everything can appear to be magnificent and charming on the outside but behind closed doors secrets can harbour and fester. Even our memories can appear hazy, are they to be trusted? An atmosphere seeped in darkness, tragedy that alters the course for everyone and a compulsion that could kill. Jewell makes us understand frustrations, how hoarding is as much an addiction as alcoholism and just how it spirals out of control. …
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Review: Christine by Stephen King
Christine is a frightening tale of how quickly your hobby and your passion can lead you down a path of obsession and self-destruction. This is only the second classic Stephen King novels that I have read, the other being IT. I didn’t rate it as highly as I had initially thought but it is a good solid read with strong characterisation, atmospheric dialogue and a narrative that chills the warmest creature. As with most King books I found that the length of the book was unnecessary and could have been told in a lesser amount of pages. I’m not disputing Stephen King’s genius ability to spin a yarn with the…
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Review: I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
How many times do we witness in the media about the importance of good mental health? How many people think – I’m thinking of ending things? It’s everywhere, except when its not. How long does checking on those family and friends that need us most last? Probably for the duration of mental health month…sad fact but true. Iain Reid has the insane ability to leave you feeling listless, inherently scared but not fully knowing why – initially. The opening has an almost poetic eeriness seeping into your psyche – you can imagine the scene…quietness, the darkness of night and you have the creeping feeling that you need to run, but…
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Blog Tour: Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey
Today I’m hosting the blog tour for Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey. Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things tours and the publisher for having me and providing me with a copy of the book. Headline Publishing are really knocking it out of the park recently with their edge of the seat thrillers. A woman with a past, trauma, fear and suffering. She’s now strong and independent, married to a husband that supports her, pregnant with a surprise but much wanted baby and a thriving company that she’s built from the bottom up. She gives birth to a sweet baby girl, Quinn and then the problems…
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Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Wow wow wow I added this to my TBR about five or six years ago and I have just finally got around to reading it…why did I wait so long? This book is one of the few to have extracted such an emotive and raw reaction from me as a result of its beautiful prose. Its outstanding in a complex and devastatingly crushing way. In all honesty it made me grateful for the quiet, uneventful childhood that I experienced. Some children aren’t so lucky. Some children have to fight, have to hide, have just get through each damn day never knowing if tomorrow is going to be the day where…
