Can You Hear Me? by Jake Jones

Can You Hear Me? by Jake Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Quercus

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

A memoir of the chaos, intensity and occasional beauty of life as a paramedic.

A young man has stopped breathing in a supermarket toilet. A pedestrian with a nasty head injury won't let the crew near him on a busy road. A newborn baby is worryingly silent. An addict urinates on the ambulance floor when denied a fix. This is the life of an ambulance paramedic.

Jake Jones has worked in the UK ambulance service for ten years: every day, he sees a dozen of the scenes we hope to see only once in a lifetime. Can You Hear Me? - the first thing he says when he arrives on the scene - is a memoir of the chaos, intensity and occasional beauty of life on the front-lines of medicine in the UK.

As well as a look into dozens of extraordinary scenes - the hoarder who won't move his collection to let his ailing father leave the house, the blood-soaked man who tries to escape from the ambulance, the life saved by a lucky crew who had been called to see someone else entirely - Can You Hear Me? is an honest examination of the strains and challenges of one of the most demanding and important jobs anyone can do.



My Review

I feel I should open with a huge THANK YOU to everyone who puts on the paramedic uniform. The book gives us a brief glimpse into the working life of the heros in green. Jones takes us through some of the things he has seen in his career over a decade, the characters he has met along the way and his relationship with his co workers.

I think every person in the UK should be reading this book, the abuse of this amazing service is utterly appalling. From Physical abuse, verbal abuse to the misuse of the system, the manipulation - some folk will be utterly horrified at the behaviour of some of our fellow humans. It also highlights the amazing work and some of the horrors these guys see day in and day out.

Not that long ago we saw bampots leaving notes on ambulances because their driveway or car was being blocked. Reading this book may make them rethink their behaviour and appreciate the (often) life saving work/treatment they are doing. But for the grace of God go I, any moment it could be us in need, our heart stopped beating or that of someone we love *touch wood* these heros need/deserve much more appreciation - actually even just respect (how bad is it this needs to be said!). Ha sorry I have went off on a rant whoops.

The book covers some heart stopping (literally) moments, some touching, some ridiculous and some that will stay with the reader long after the last page. I think stories like these are so important, especially now, people can be so self involved. This reminds us how precious life can be, how things can change on a dime and you never know what is around the corner, be kind and look after yourself, we cannot pour from an empty cup, 4/5 for me. I have bought quite a few true life healthcare type stories, hopefully get to them sooner rather than later.

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Rust by Eliese Colette Goldbach Blog Blast

Quercus is having a wee blog blast for "Rust" by Eliese Colette Goldbach. It ended tomorrow, if you haven't see or heard about this one please check it out, ebook available now on Amazon.




Rust: A Memoir of Steel and Grit by Eliese Colette Goldbach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 308

Publisher - Quercus

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


One woman's story of working in the backbreaking steel industry to rebuild her life—but what she uncovers in the mill is much more than molten metal and grueling working conditions. Under the mill's orange flame she finds hope for the unity of America.

Steel is the only thing that shines in the belly of the mill...

To ArcelorMittal Steel Eliese is known as #6691: Utility Worker, but this was never her dream. Fresh out of college, eager to leave behind her conservative hometown and come to terms with her Christian roots, Eliese found herself applying for a job at the local steel mill. The mill is everything she was trying to escape, but it's also her only shot at financial security in an economically devastated and forgotten part of America.

In Rust, Eliese brings the reader inside the belly of the mill and the middle American upbringing that brought her there in the first place. She takes a long and intimate look at her Rust Belt childhood and struggles to reconcile her desire to leave without turning her back on the people she's come to love. The people she sees as the unsung backbone of our nation.

Faced with the financial promise of a steelworker’s paycheck, and the very real danger of working in an environment where a steel coil could crush you at any moment or a vat of molten iron could explode because of a single drop of water, Eliese finds unexpected warmth and camaraderie among the gruff men she labors beside each day.

Appealing to readers of Hillbilly Elegy and Educated, Rust is a story of the humanity Eliese discovers in the most unlikely and hellish of places, and the hope that therefore begins to grow.




My Review


i don't know why but I thought this was going to be quite heavy on emotional/angst side, it wasn't that at all. Eliese had set ideas on the steel mills growing up as well as religion and politics. As Eliese becomes an adult and things happen in her life she finds herself not only questions but 360 on quite a lot of the ideas she had growing up.

Rust takes us into the steel mills, what it is like to work in a perilous environment, where one mistake can literally be death to you or a co worker. The hazards, the problems being a woman in this environment, the difference between being a new start and becoming an established part of the team with union cover and job protection. The stories of folk who have died in the company, the very real hazards, even in the departments most sought after. Eliese takes us on the journey of her life, through this very male dominated work force, money at the top and how current politics affects the job.

Aside from this, we have to remember this is a true story memoir and we get the rest of Eliese's lie experiences. A very honest and brutal look at mental health, how it affected her day to day life, relationships, good days and bad and a sexual attack and the impact that had on her and her views.

I am not a fan of politics but it was interesting to see how Goldbach examined hers and challenged her family, over dinner as you imagine with the current political issues this is happening across the globe, in many variations.

The book does jump around a wee bit, in time, from the job and heading back to growing up, ideas formed, back to current day/work back to college and what happened there. Her mental health is discussed sporadically throughout the book. When it comes up it does go into very vivid details cataloguing some of the episodes she survived or getting through that particular day. Then we go back to the steel mill and what was happening in that recounting. I really enjoyed the steel mill stuff as it isn't something I have ever thought about or read so I found it fascinating, the jumps may be a bit distracting to some readers but once she got into her stride, be it the mental health encounters or the mill I found it pretty fascinating and didn't want to stop reading. 4/5 for me this time, I think I would like to read more on the mills and prior to this book I doubt that is a sentence I would have thought let alone said. A raw and brave look into a woman's life who has battled so much and came out fighting at the other end.

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The Girls From The Local by Rosie Archer

The Girls from the Local by Rosie Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 480

Publisher - Quercus

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

Gosport, 1943, and even in the middle of war the local pub provides a warm welcome, thanks to its trio of barmaids. A heartwarming saga for fans of Sheila Newberry and Daisy Styles.

Ruby has been living and working at the Point of No Return pub since her parents were killed by a bomb. She loves the bustle of the pub; it helps take her mind off worrying about her fiance, Joe, away fighting in France.

The only thing Ruby doesn't like about the Point is Sylvie. This singing siren may have a beautiful voice, but she's out for all she can get, including Joe.

Finally, there's Marge, a true party girl. She's a great friend to Ruby and makes sure they have fun, going out to dances and flirting with all and sundry, but she's not as fond of her other role as a mother to two young children.

The three of them face many obstacles to fulfilling their dreams, but the bonds of friendship and camaraderie that hold the Point together will keep them going through the darkest of times.


My Review

Ruby is a sweet girl, devoted to her man Joe soon to be husband who is away fighting in the war. Working in the bar along with her best friend Marge, mum and provider for her family as her husband is less than useless and finally Sylvia. Sylvia is beautiful, ambitious and always had her eye on Joe, she has no scruples and will stop at nothing to get her prize, Joe! Trying to make a living, stay out of the bath of dropping bombs and just get through the day to day we follow the three ladies and their stories.

I like Ruby, she is such a sweet girl and finds herself in the predicament so many did in those times and tries to keep her mind and spirits up. Marge is a poor soul, lively, working to the bone trying to find a snatch of enjoyment whilst her husband has all but abandoned her to look after the kids and her gran. Sylvia I despised, she is a horror, her beauty is skin deep only she is a nasty individual who is so self involved no one and nothing gets between her and what she needs. We get a bit of an insight into what made her so and I felt for her but as an adult she makes choices and her behaviour is deplorable.

It is a story about lives during the war, the struggles, survival, rationing, friendship, love, loss, grief, anger, death, loyalty and then some. Archer covers a host of topics and emotions in her books, creating characters that whether you love or hate you just want to keep reading. Some of the actions of the characters enraged me or irritated me and you just wanted to shake them or shout nooooooooooo, engaging! This isn't my first by this author and it won't be my last 3.5/5 for me this time.

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The Canary Girls by Rosie Archer

The Canary Girls by Rosie Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 446

Publisher - Quercus

Source - gift

Blurb from Goodreads

In love and war, who can you trust?

1944, Hampshire.

Her face still bearing the scars from the explosion at the factory, Rita Brown is nonetheless back on her feet. She's caught the eye of local wide boy Blackie Bristow, who's sweeping her around the country in a life of shady glamour.

But there's a war on, and life is not all fun and games. Some of the local men are taking advantage of the topsy-turvy world to break more than just hearts, and standing up to them comes with its own costs.

Rita keeps calm and carries on with a little help from her friends at the factory. But then she discovers someone there has been leaking secrets to the Germans. With D-Day on the horizon, Rita must work out who she can rely on - and fast.


My Review

This is book two in the series, the book focuses mostly on Rita who wasn't a main character in book one but she played her part. Whilst you could technically read this as a standalone as it does refer back to some incidents and parts of the back story of book one, I think it has a much bigger emotional impact if you read book one first. You get a better feel for the characters, what they have already endured, survived and things that brought them together impacting on their relationship roles in this book.

Rita is dating Blackie, a man who can shower her with just about everything she needs or could want, materialistically that is. The war is still going, rationing is still a thing but Rita doesn't feel the pinch quite as much as the others. She knows Blackie deals in the black market, or strongly suspects, however it sis what it is. When an event forces Rita to reassess her life she makes decisions that impacts on many aspects of her life. We also catch up with Pixie, Lizzie, Em and Gladys.

The book is a bit darker than I remember the first being, violence, abuse, consequences of war, rape, abortion, it is really quite dark and horrific in parts. Family and friendship still play a huge part, world war two is still ongoing and many of the originals still find themselves in the factory working for the war effort. If you liked the first I think you will like this one, just be prepared for some horrific scenes. Some of the book took me by surprise, you know when you gasp out loud you are onto a book that will stay with you. 5/5 for me this time, I have the third book in the series and can't wait to see what is in store next for the characters, hopefully some joy!

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The Munitions Girls by Rosie Archer

The Munitions Girls by Rosie Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Quercus

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

An enthralling, eventful WW2 saga from the popular writer of the Daisy Lane novels - perfect for fans of Daisy Styles.

1943, Gosport, Hampshire. Pixie Saunders is 19 and employed in the local armaments factory. Not for the first time, her mother has run off with a dodgy-looking bloke, leaving Pixie to pay the rent and fend for herself. Pixie, along with her best friend Rita, Em, the factory overseer, and the rest of the girls are making the most of the war while trying to stay alive. The work is dangerous and the hours long, but in the evenings they take off their overalls and go to the pub or, better still, go dancing. Pixie meets American serviceman Cal and falls in love. But then Cal rejoins his ship.

When Pixie falls pregnant, her life changes dramatically. Alone and unable to work, she has to rely on the kindness of friends to help her survive. Happiness seems like a thing of the past. Little does she know that there are plenty of surprises waiting for her - good ones at that. Love may be closer than she thinks.


My Review

Meet Pixie, Rita & Em all working in the local factory helping to make weapons for the war. It is a dangerous job and not just because of the risk of blowing themselves up, their boss and son have wondering eyes and hands. Pixie lives at home with her mother when her mother graces her with her presence, normally flitting in and out, running up bills then going off with her newest man. Em runs the factory floor, cares for her disabled husband and her youngest daughter who is a beautiful young woman with the mind of a much younger child. Rita lives at home with her mother and stepdad and would rather be in the factor at risk or in the pub, anything to not be home.

This is a story of friendship, the threat of bombs a daily occurrence, family, the best of humans and the worst. I loved Pixie, no matter how shady her mother was she remained so loyal, she is a feisty, strong, independent and quick to stand up to injustice. I love when you get a strong female character and whilst she did swoon a bit I thought she was grand.

There are lots of themes to the book, some is light hearted, warming, sweet, however there are darker themes, abuse, social judgement, the ravages of war. It is very well written, the characters carved well to draw you in and actually want to know what happens next, even to the ones you aren't a fan of. This was my first time reading this author, it won't be my last, I have bought the next two in the series already, 4/5 for me this time.

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Serial Killers by Brian Innes

Serial Killers by Brian Innes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - Over 8 days (but I left it in work and dipped in and out)

Pages - 272

Publisher - Quercus Editions Ltd

Source - Can't remember, bought from The Works or Amazon I think

Blurb from Goodreads

The terrifying story of the most monstrous serial killers through history.

Serial Killers are the most notorious and disturbing of all criminals, representing the very darkest side of humanity. Yet they endlessy fascinate and continue to capture the public's attention with their strange charisma and deadly deeds. From Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy and the Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, these killers transfix us with their ability to commit utterly savage acts of cruelty and depravity.

Only with modern police detection methods and psychological profiling, have these figures that have existed throughout human history finally been identified in the deadliest category: serial killers. These methods, the killers' characters and their crimes are described here in fascinating and terrifyingly gripping detail.

The whole history of serial killers is brought to life in 50 chapters, including:

Herman Webster Mudget, Devil in the White City
John Christie, 10 Rillington Place murders
Zodiac Killer
Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, The Moors Murderers
Ted Bundy
Fred and Rosemary West
Jeffrey Dahmer
Aileen Wuornos
Harold Shipman, Dr Death




My Review

A collection of true crime on some of the worst atrocities to have happened to life. I knew some of the more famous case and some I hadn't heard of. Each case/killer gets a few pages with a very brief overview of their crimes and some of their upbringing and what happened to them in the end. There is minimal information on profiling, there is some detail of the crimes which is absolutely not for the faint hearted.


I think if you want to learn more about crime history then it is a good starting point, there is no in depth analysis of behavioural patterns, it is this is who they were and what they did. I don't think I could read this one one sitting, yes it is a relatively small read and the chapters are only a few pages long however it is so dark and depressing the things humans have done to one another.

A morbid history of some of the worst acts committed, short chapters so you can dip in and out as required. Well written, engaging and gives disturbing details without going into the very nitty gritty as some of the books of this type. This is my first time reading this author, I would look out for anything else he has written, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Other Child by Lucy Atkins

The Other Child by Lucy Atkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 3 days

Pages - 390

Publisher - Quercus

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Sometimes a lie seems kinder than the truth . . . but what happens when that lie destroys everything you love?

When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his hometown of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward.

Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house, Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery . . .


My review

Tess has upped sticks and moved with her son to Boston to be with her husband Greg and his job of a lifetime, paediatric heart surgeon. Feeling isolated things between Tess and Greg become tense, weird things keep happening in the house, someone is sending threats to Greg and Tess can't work out her neighbours intentions. Is it paranoia or is someone terrorising Tess and what is Greg hiding from her?

Whilst there are aspects of this book I did enjoy and like then there were things that really grated me. I did enjoy the tension, the way Atkins build up an atmosphere that had me turning page after page to find out what was going on. Slowly leading you on, crumb by crumb and giving you questionable actions and characters you weren't sure where you stood. At times Tess really irritated me, I wanted to scream at her for some of her very suspect actions, lack of or just her chain of thought. I suspected everyone and trusted nothing which is always a great thing for an author to achieve with a reader.

I really disliked many of the characters which isn't a bad thing as many hated characters have made books the success they are. I don't like when characters do a complete change in their character and I felt that happened a wee bit in this. There are a fair few twists and it was an interesting read but I just felt the things that annoyed me really annoyed me. 3/5 for me this time, this was my first dance with this author, I would read her again.

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Shrill by Lindy West

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time take to read - 1 day

Pages - 272

Publisher - Quercus

Blurb from Goodreads

West has rocked readers in work published everywhere from The Guardian to GQ to This American Life. She is a catalyst for a national conversation in a world where not all stories are created equal and not every body is treated with equal respect. SHRILL is comprised of a series of essays that bravely shares her life, including her transition from quiet to feminist-out-loud, coming of age in a popular culture that is hostile to women (especially fat, funny women) and how keeping quiet is not an option for any of us.


My Review

This is the debut novel from from Lindy West, a columnist for the Guardian and known in America for some very strong views. This book gives the readers a glimpse into how Lindy went from a shy, self conscious young girl, struggling with her weight and to speak to people to being loud, proud and self accepting. A look into the life of West and what cost can come of being opinionated, in the public eye and challenging misogynistic views.

Firstly, I need to say I had never heard of this author before this book was sent to me and I feel I know her a little after reading such an honest and at times brutal account of her life. The book is, for me, broke into two parts. The first is opinionated, loud, funny and sometimes brash account from a woman who knows who she is and accounting from a time when she didn't. The second is more from what she has experience since becoming more sure of who she is and making her mark in the world.

I think this book will no doubt offend some, make others laugh and hopefully everyone to pause for thought. She is quite graphic when discussing feminine menstruation which may cause discomfort for some readers however points out, quite rightly, that we do not flinch when seeing so much blood and gore on tv.

She recalls being abused about her weight, trolled on Twitter which again some readers may find upsetting, I certainly did. She has come up against many critics and explains her stance point, giving some disturbing examples and other accounts showing how we can learn and grow as people. A relatively positive spin on some unpleasant experiences, a tale of growth and for a few parts a good old fashioned rant, 3/5 for me this time. Thanks to RealReaders for introducing me to a new writer and person of interest, I will be looking up more of West's work. An engaging debut that will make you laugh, grimace, horrified and think!

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