Written before its time, this short story is about one woman's descent into madness. My throw away comment once finishing this (and as I read along toWritten before its time, this short story is about one woman's descent into madness. My throw away comment once finishing this (and as I read along to be honest with you) is that I'd go mad too locked away with no stimulation, and my child taken away from me! So as a reader in modern times, this to me reads as post natal depression. Untreated.
I am not a reader of the classics, and stumbled across this one from my friend Rosh. I have been looking for some shorter reads, so this one fits the bill.
Having a physician husband and brother, our protagonist has no hope, really, considering these men will make her decisions and take away her agency. Nervousness and the generalities related to this is the reason for her mental ill health as pronounced by these two experts.
Writing in her diary, and hiding this, we see her unravelling. She is very unwell and becomes enamoured with the ugly and smelly yellow wallpaper. This becomes a being to her and this becomes to eat into her brain, so to speak.
This is an unusual little story, and I'm not a huge fan of literature it was a little unappealing, but I happily rate three stars.
He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.
This special direction is what is alarming. Unable to see people, locked in a room, no outside influences. We all know this is a recipe for disaster. Interesting to know the author wrote this after her own experience with PND.
I read this via the Libby platform and my public library. ...more
This was thrilly, chilly, twisty ride into an original premise. Told in alternating voices, each pretty much as screwed up as the rest! The audio was This was thrilly, chilly, twisty ride into an original premise. Told in alternating voices, each pretty much as screwed up as the rest! The audio was entertaining using a female and male narrator, but for me, there was much ‘showing not telling’. I think this device may have been deliberate to up the ante on the sinister vibe, but in doing this I felt we were too easily lead.
Screen writer Adam has won a weekend away with wife Amelia in remote rural Scotland. He suffers from face blindness so he’s often unreliable in his character. In fact, all characters are so, apart from the sanest of the lot who popped up right at the end.
References to writers being unstable and solitary beings were used to create more fear, and the cat and mouse situation while their car is tampered with adds the locked room kind of feel.
The twists were effective, the strangeness of all characters made for a decent thrill. What you’ll get here is an entire cast of crazy, unreliable narrators, deception and folk who don’t seem to get cold I the snow. I’d be dead that’s for sure!
I wasn’t fully captivated and felt left down by the ending, but I know this book will be loved by most.
This book took me unfortunately months to read as I could not source the physical or audio, so it was consumed in irregular bursts on my desktop, thusThis book took me unfortunately months to read as I could not source the physical or audio, so it was consumed in irregular bursts on my desktop, thus prolonging it and most likely taking a star in my rating. My preferred format is listening to Karin Slaughter'sbooks. They are quite old and this library professional will not pay for audio!
I found this instalment was quite busy with lots of names and intertwined relatives to keep up with, which I'm never a fan of, but as always, I'll turn this around by enjoying the characters. A group of religious zealots are running a dodgy farming community, welcoming drifters and addicts to their fold. Of course all along the reader can't help but shake their heads at the crazy ideals, their judgmental ways of those who don't follow the almighty as they do.
A girl is found dead in the woods, buried alive. Sara, Jeffery and Lena becoming intricately involved in this oh so messy story which includes all types of abuse, a lot of this hidden behind religion and righteous awful people. Particularly their menfolk looking down upon women. Chief of Police Tolliver handling these crazies well knowing things are never as they seem.
The characters are what I love here. Jeffery and Sara coming together after his indiscretion, Sara finding it very hard to move on, never letting Jeffery forget what he did to her while navigating their newfound togetherness. Always there for her man, doing all she can in the
Lena and her terrible domestic violence situation, a woman that we assume should know better who has tragically become a statistic regardless of the fact she is an experienced detective with many years under her belt. The scenes where she helps a woman in the same situation are heartbreaking, as we witness these two women playing the game of mentor/survivor/victim. Another quality character is Nan, and her relationship with Lena always a source of comfort in Lena's tragic and messy life.
This series will also be gruesome, readers need to be aware of this, but KS fans will be aware of this. I am now one book away from Will Trent. How good is this?
Recommended to fans of the author, and those who don't mind some harsh and gritty reading.
I read this using the Overdrive library system via the library at which I work. ...more
What a joy to experience this book not only for myself, but as an inaugural buddy read with a group of friends formed through the readathon, come⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a joy to experience this book not only for myself, but as an inaugural buddy read with a group of friends formed through the readathon, come to life via @chaptersforchange.
This book is incredibly full of life, eerie insights into the human psyche, and a building sense of love between an unlikely group of flawed yet beautiful people, thrown together in a very strange way. I loved the choiceless way they inevitably were gathered together. Absolutely odd they were, and quirky too.
As a translation I believe nothing is amiss, if anything the extra layer of quirk remains in abundance. The intricate and wonderous threading of the many fragments that wove this glorious cast of characters together as they tease out their complicated, flawed, and messy lives. The manner in which the interactions over a murky and messy new years eve afternoon was remarkable. Years of life stories affecting each individual, to eventually catapult together is priceless. Some would say unlikely, I do understand this, but I LOVED it.
For me a standout book of 2024, an author skilled in many ways. Articulate, elegantly composed, I think I am enamoured in all the ways. Most highly recommended.
I had an awful physical copy in my possession. The library really should have withdrawn the book, it is covered with chicken pox bubbles all over the plastic adhesive, it is noisy and icky. Lucky for me the book is everything but. The author has such intricate insights to our lives and humanity.
I ended up reading this on the Libby app as an eBook....more
This is probably more 2.5 stars rounded up. I jumped to read this one after lots of good reviews from friends, but it fell a little short for me. It hThis is probably more 2.5 stars rounded up. I jumped to read this one after lots of good reviews from friends, but it fell a little short for me. It had portions of a genre that isn't really for me, a type of fantasy or supernatural tinge to it, having known that going in, I would not have read it.
Louise and David meet at a bar, David is married and Louise a happy natured single mum. Sparks fly quite heavily, and they share a kiss but this is made all the more difficult as on Monday morning we realise that David is actually Louise's boss.
Louise is quite feisty and handles this quite well, but it is what continues that makes this quite a dark read. We get into the characters head in a good way with excellent character development but the themes covered do not make up for a good read for this reader.
Great plot twist at the end, I guessed absolutely none of it, but still only an okay read for me. ...more
Sophie Kinsella takes us on an entirely different journey to the normal, rom-com, girl meets handsome American type of story in this sweet read. AudreSophie Kinsella takes us on an entirely different journey to the normal, rom-com, girl meets handsome American type of story in this sweet read. Audrey is suffering terribly after an un-named bullying type of incident at school. We are alluded to the fact that school friends have caused a lot of heartache for Audrey.
She is seeing a therapist and trying to get better; wearing dark glasses all the time and having problems with basic communication with outsiders. The mental health aspect is covered with sincerity and we see her bloom and continue on her journey of self-discovery and getting her place back in society.
As always the writing is easy to pick up and put down, and we get to know the characters very well with excellent character development. Also, the dynamics of a busy family is covered realistically, with the opening scene being of a stressed out mum threatening to throw a laptop out the window due to a son spending way too much time in on-line games. This I could relate to!
By no means is this meant to be a literary masterpiece, and having been written in 1986 it is a tad old school. Sunny Chandler and Sherif Ty Beaumont.By no means is this meant to be a literary masterpiece, and having been written in 1986 it is a tad old school. Sunny Chandler and Sherif Ty Beaumont. Are these two meant to be? The Sheriff makes a wager with his best mate that he will successfully bed Sunny within a week - when she is due to return to New Orleans. Will there be a happy ever after? The author states this is her favourite book yet! Another reviewer posted the original cover in a review - it's absolute gold. This is light fluff and I read it with that precise intention. ...more
Never have I read a romance based on a soap opera - not for me. Even the little bit of romance couldn't save it; I wanted to read about the romance buNever have I read a romance based on a soap opera - not for me. Even the little bit of romance couldn't save it; I wanted to read about the romance but the script and the show took up the majority of the story line. I chose this as a simple read, which it was, but definitely only a two star review from me. Very basic. Happy ever after was sweet for Jenny and Alec, this story was not my cup of tea. Maybe soap opera fans will love this more than I....more
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