Love As Always, Mum by Mae West

Love as Always, Mum by Mae West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 320

Publisher - Seven Dials

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The true story of an abused childhood, of shocking brutality and life as the daughter of notorious serial killer, and master manipulator, Rose West.
You're 21-years-old. Police arrive on the doorstep of your house, 25 Cromwell Street, with a warrant to search the garden for the remains of your older sister you didn't know was dead. Bones are found and they are from more than one body. And so the nightmare begins. You are the daughter of Fred and Rose West.
'Mae, I mean this ... I'm not a good person and I let all you children down ...' Rose West, HM PRISON DURHAM
It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes.
Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?



My Review

There isn't many people who haven't hear of Fred and Rose West nor at least some idea of their horrific crimes against their own kids and many who came along their path. This is written by one of their daughters, Mae, and it is brutally graphic. It is almost written as the way you do in a diary (NOT DIARY FORMAT) what I mean is you write for you and you are brutally honest, warts and all because you are being truthful to yourself. Well its written like that, very honest, shockingly so at times.

When you think you know their crimes and just how unhinged they are/were you honestly don't. I cannot imagine living in a house where a father threatens abuse (sexual) to his kids as is his right :O and him being the better/less threatening parent (her words). Honestly the book is something else, I have read a lot of true crime/case over the years and these two perverts are amongst some of the worst out there. I think Rose West is up there with Myra Hindley because we expect more/better from women, especially Rose as she was a mother and you expect them to protect their children, not use/abuse them.

Not for the feint hearted and even those seasoned readers of true crime, this one really knocks you. There is mention of animal harm and death too, there isn't any kind of abuse I don't think not mentioned in this book, approach with caution. Mae is a brave woman who has overcome so so much considering all she has survived and it also shows how difficult her relationship was with her mother and how strong the hold was on her even after her mother was incarcerated, 4/5.

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The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard

The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed by Judy Shepard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 271

Publisher - Hudson Street Press

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her son's death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist

Today, the name Matthew Shepard is synonymous with gay rights, but before his grisly murder in 1998, Matthew was simply Judy Shepard's son. For the first time in book form, Judy Shepard speaks about her loss, sharing memories of Matthew, their life as a typical American family, and the pivotal event in the small college town that changed everything.

The Meaning of Matthew follows the Shepard family in the days immediately after the crime, when Judy and her husband traveled to see their incapacitated son, kept alive by life support machines; how the Shepards learned of the incredible response from strangers all across America who held candlelit vigils and memorial services for their child; and finally, how they struggled to navigate the legal system as Matthew's murderers were on trial. Heart-wrenchingly honest, Judy Shepard confides with readers about how she handled the crippling loss of her child, why she became a gay rights activist, and the challenges and rewards of raising a gay child in America today.

The Meaning of Matthew not only captures the historical significance and complicated civil rights issues surrounding one young man's life and death, but it also chronicles one ordinary woman's struggle to cope with the unthinkable.



My Review

I had heard of Matthew Shepherd before but only a little about what happened to him. This is written by his mum, she takes us over how she met his dad, their backstory and then onto Matthew. From birth until he was cruelly and horrifically taken from them.

We learn about Matthew as a child to early adulthood and mum goes into the troubles and mental health issues/difficulties he experiences and things he overcame. She takes us through how she found out Matthew had been hurt, the extent of his issues and the media frenzy that followed.

The court case I thought would have been more in depth however it isn't and focus is on her experiences. That being said we do hear about the assailants and what they did in the run up to, during and after the mindless violence they commit upon Matthew.

It is quite emotive, hard to read in parts (especially in the sections about what happened to Matthew), the book does cover some hard topics that may be triggering for some. Knowing what the book is about, homophobia raises its ugly head, assault, sa, violence but it also has resilience, love, strength and the love for Matthew is very evident, 4/5 from us.

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Let Go Of What You Know by Amelia Hendrey

Let Go of What You Know by Amelia Hendrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 262

Publisher - Wrate's Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Following the publication of her acclaimed memoir What Nobody Knew back in 2017, Amelia Hendrey’s readers all wanted to know when her next book would be out.

Now the wait is finally over. While in her first book, Amelia bravely described her early years and surviving her brutal parents, in Part I of Letting Go of What You Know, she explains what happened next, humourously recounting her honeymoon in the Canaries, entering the workplace, caring for several quirky cats and becoming a first-time mum. In sharing the good times, Amelia proves how healing, growth and letting go are possible even after the worst start in life.

In Part II, Amelia reveals the meticulous diary she kept as the Covid-19 pandemic brought fear and uncertainty into her world once again. Chronicling moments from her day-to-day life that everyone will relate to, her strength in the face of adversity shines through once again.


My Review

This is the follow up book from "What Nobody Knew" a harrowing account of what Amelia endured/survived as a child. Whilst this book does reference a little about her past it is primarily the focus on the journey/recovery as an adult.

The book itself is split into two really, the first is all about Amelia, recovering, how she recovered and found her way through adulthood, work, friends and her family. The second half is diary entries covering the Covid 18 pandemic. What she was doing as the news broke out, updates, statistics, news and what her and her family did during these dates, sometimes just purely entries on the pandemic.

I preferred the first part as I feel the book read like two different books, the first Amelia's life and whilst the second did have snippets of what they did on X date it is hugely focused on the pandemic. I did like reading parts of it and its insane how much you forget you got through. And whilst it is interesting it took me away from her story. I would have liked to see them as separate books, one keeping to her life/experiences and the other her views on or just her diary itself with the pandemic.

I found it really interesting how she tried to get her book out there and she covers her publishing journey and the steps she took, I think sometimes you forget just how hard it can be for someone getting their book out there when they don't have a big publisher behind them.

Easy enough to read although it does have glimpses of distressing content (nothing like the first book which was raw, shocking and central focused on what she survived) she writes with an easy enough flow.

It is nothing short of miraculous that Hendrey has came out the other side and with such positivity after what survived. If you haven't read the first book you absolutely should and for this one, especially the Covid stats it is shocking how many deaths/numbers and how things panned out. 3.5/5 from us, we have read Hendrey before and would read her again.

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This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes

This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 427

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

BAFTA-winning actor, voice of everything from Monkey to the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes, OBE, is the nation's favourite (and naughtiest) treasure. Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John as a teenager; why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had; and what happened next after Warren Beatty asked 'Do you fuck?'

From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, this book is packed with hilarious stories. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, a cross-dressing Leonardo di Caprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as full of life and surprises, as its inimitable author.



My Review

I think some of us as a certain age know Margoyles as Professor Sprout from Harry Potter or maybe caught one of her interviews on a talk show. I seen her on Graham Norton and telling a rather shocking/riskeeey stories about one of her exploits. She is very open and honest about her pleasuring individuals and how some of those stories come about is jaw dropping.

If you are easily offended it isn't the book for you, she covers her upbringing, her experiments and encounters with partners or passing episodes and how she was well known for her pleasuring skills. She has lead a very lively life, she is outspoken, some would use the word vulgar but she is unapologetically herself.

I read the book in her voice, she has very distinctive tones so when the book covers and discusses the different jobs she has had, one I had to Youtube because I remember it very well but would never have put the voice to her.

She is quite a character, lively, crude, sweary, funny and very very honest and open about her experiences and some of those with some very well known names. I just seen an advert yesterday there is another book so I will be getting that too, 4/5 for me.

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I Did It - The Goldman Family

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer by O.J. Simpson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 1 week

Pages - 254

Publisher -

Source - Bought

My Review

The only thing I remember about this case was a high speed chase of OJ Simpson with the police being on the news, I didn't give it much more thought, I was young & true crime/news wasn't really on my radar. Of course you learn of the murder of his ex wife and ?her partner or male friend - how it was overwhelming that he was guilty but he got found not guilty. I only knew him from the Naked Gun movies.

I seen someone talking bout this book on a book club and decided to check it out. Simpson apparently wrote a book, If I Did It where he wrote how he would have done that murders IF he did it. The Goldman family sued him and won X amount of money, amount increasing each year he didn't pay then they heard about the book he was writing The Goldmans moved to action.

The start of the book we hear from his, Ron Goldman, family about what they experienced and why they intercepted his book which after they read felt it was a confession. About a quarter in we then read his own words "If I Did It" however this book I have is called I DID IT, the family made it very clear how they feel and after reading his words it is interesting to hear what others think.

In Simpsons words he goes over his life, relationship before he met Nicole Brown, how they met, their life and time together and what lead up to that night and the immediate before and after. Whilst he doesn't document him doing XYZ injuries there is absolutely no doubt of what has happened.

The Goldman family got a lot of grief apparently for taking this on and doing this book, please read their words as it is very understandable why they did what they did. It is a shame they had hate and threats after losing their son in such a horrific way, 4/5 for me.

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The Invisible Girl by Torey Hayden

The Invisible Girl: The True Story of an Unheard Voice by Torey L. Hayden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 205

Publisher - Bluebird

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

From Torey Hayden, the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of One Child comes The Invisible Girl, a deeply moving true account of a young teen with a troubling obsession and an extraordinary educational psychologist's sympathy and determination to help.

Eloise is a vibrant and charming young teen with a deeply caring nature, but she also struggles with a worrying delusion. She’s been moved from home to home, and her social workers have difficulty dealing with her habit of running away. After experiencing violence, neglect and sexual abuse from people she should have been able to trust, Eloise has developed complex behavioural needs. She struggles to separate fact from fiction, leading to confusion for the social workers trying to help her.

After Torey learns of Eloise's background she hopes that some gentle care and attention can help Eloise gain some sense of security in her life. Can Torey and the other social workers provide the loving attention that has so far been missing in Eloise's life, or will she run away from them too?



My Review

I have read a fair few on Hayden's books, if you haven't they are not for the faint hearted. They are true stories about some of the children she has helped over the course of her career. We usually meet the child through her telling of how they came to her. This is the story of Eloise who shows up uninvited into Torey's life. Torey finds out Eloise has some deep issues and gets the green light to help/work with her.

These books are quite often traumatic, we find out the abuse and trauma of the kid or kids Torey is to help. Eloise story is pretty tragic and shows how abuse and neglect has such a lasting impact even after they get the child out or away from what happened.

The techniques and approaches I think are so interesting, Hayden is clearly a remarkable human being and how she interacts with and has encounters with them are something that stays with you long after you put the book down.

The kids often have some horrific behaviours because of what they sustained/endured, it is not easy reading but not overly graphic compared to some of the books. Poor Eloise, you feel heart sorry for these kids who are so failed by those suppose to love and protect them. 4/5 for me this time, I have read a few of Hayden's books and will read the others as we come across them.

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The Jodi Arias Story - Picture Perfect by Shanna Hogan

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - St Martin's True Crime

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Mormon motivational speaker Travis Alexander, was involved in a relationship with a beautiful photographer, until it turned deadly...
In June 2008, in Mesa, Arizona, the body of 30-year-old Travis Alexander was discovered brutally murdered in his home. He had been shot in the face, slashed across the throat, and stabbed in the heart. Alexander had been a devout Mormon, handsome and hard-working, beloved by all, and his death came as an enormous shock.

Suspicion pointed to one woman: Jodi Arias. Travis had met Jodi at a conference 18 months prior, and he was instantly taken with the beautiful aspiring photographer. Separated by 400 miles, they began a long distance relationship. It became clear to Travis's friends, however, that Jodi was a lot more invested in the relationship than he was. Travis was seeing multiple women, and his relationship with Jodi eventually came to end. But rather than move on, Jodi moved from her home in Palm Desert, California to within just miles of Travis's home, where she continued to insert herself into his life.




My Review

I seen snippets of Jodi Arias interview with the police on one of those true life programs and I seen lots of folk chatting about it on true crime book groups. Jodi was arrested for the brutal murder of her ex boyfriend, this book looks at Travis's life before and after meeting Jodi.

The first chapter is Travis's body being found then chapter two and the first half of the book looks at Travis childhood all the way up to adulthood, his career path/choices and meeting Jodi. We also learn about Jodi growing up and her issues. Their meeting, relationship, breakup and staying in touch with a very toxic relationship. Then the body discovery, the damage to the body (not for the faint hearted) and the book (this version) includes 8 pages of photos, some of the crime scene, some from the camera. The interviews with Jodi, her arrest and thereafter.

I actually had to google to see what the final sentence was which you would think the book included. I imagine anyone who knew Travis would be devastated by this book, first half would be fine as it is just about him as a person and what he went through in life. However the details of the brutality of his murder and the details of his relationship and physical encounters with Jodi. Travis was a devout Mormon and Jodi held back on nothing when it came to their physical relations, the book briefly covers the horror those who knew him felt on discovering a different side to the religious devout guy they knew.

Even now Jodi continues to appeal and raise complaints against those involved in her case. The book also highlights she gave many interviews in her earlier detainment before she was charged and before she changed her story. I think true crime fans will find her an interesting study, 3.5/5 for me.

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True Story by Katie Reed Petty

True Story by Kate Reed Petty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 386

Publisher - Riverrun

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Tracing the fifteen-year fallout of a toxic high school rumor, a riveting, astonishingly original debut novel about the power of stories—and who gets to tell them

2015. A gifted and reclusive ghostwriter, Alice Lovett makes a living helping other people tell their stories. But she is haunted by the one story she can't tell: the story of, as she puts it, "the things that happened while I was asleep."

1999. Nick Brothers and his lacrosse teammates return for their senior year at their wealthy Maryland high school as the reigning state champions. They're on top of the world—until two of his friends drive a passed-out girl home from of the team's "legendary" parties, and a rumor about what happened in the backseat spreads through the town like wildfire.

The boys deny the allegations, and, eventually, the town moves on. But not everyone can. Nick descends into alcoholism, and Alice builds a life in fits and starts, underestimating herself and placing her trust in the wrong people. When she finally gets the opportunity to confront the past she can't remember—but which has nevertheless shaped her life—will she take it?

An inventive and breathtaking exploration of a woman finding her voice in the wake of trauma, True Story is part psychological thriller, part fever dream, and part timely comment on sexual assault, power, and the very nature of truth. Ingeniously constructed and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final pages, it marks the debut of a singular and daring new voice in fiction.




My Review

Is I had to describe this book in one word I would say trippy. The book goes over multiple timelines, character narratives - first person narration, movie scripts, essays in different drafts, emails so it is quite a mixed bag. Prologue is present day (ish) then a movie (script) then 1999 when the event happened that plays such a huge part in so many lives. A young girl passed out drunk, two young guys alone with her in a car and lots of rumours of a sexual assualt, bragging and pack/popularity mentality. We then flip forward again and follow one of the friends of the boys as an adult and how his life is going.

The book touches on a lot of triggering issues, sexual abuse and the popular kicks attitudes to it, alcoholism, animlal abuse/death, self harm, control, coercion, manipulation and the long reaches that one night, one incident can have on more than one person.

It took me ages to settle into it, the changes in time, in layout, in characters however once I could work out who was who and what was going on it made more sense. Certainly a different read and it crosses genres as some passages, the movie scripts are spooky, haunting, horror but then the story itself is an abusive event and how it affected those involved. You really need to concentrate, well I did, to keep up with it. It isn't a book you can dip in and out of as so much happens in so many directions. Different, weird, tripping, thought provoking, I think it would be a very good choice for a reading/discussion group, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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I Survived by Victoria Cilliers

I Survived: A True Story by Victoria Cilliers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 288

Publisher - Pan

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A chilling, eye-opening story of marriage and attempted murder, revealing the truth about a case that made headlines around the world.

On Easter Sunday 2015, experienced skydiver Victoria Cilliers undertook a parachute jump, a gift from her husband, British army sergeant Emile Cilliers. Her parachutes failed to open and she plummeted 4,000 feet to the ground, sustaining life-threatening injuries. Miraculously, she survived. Then the police arrived at her door. Someone had tampered with her parachute and they suspected Emile.

In I Survived Victoria describes how she fell for Emile, and how the charming man she thought she knew gradually revealed a darker side, chipping away at her self-worth until she found it impossible to sift truth from lies. Can she really believe that her husband – the father of their two young children – tried to kill her? As more shocking revelations come to light, and she has to face his trial and relentless media scrutiny, she struggles to come to terms with the past. Even a guilty verdict does not free her because Emile is not ready to let her go . . .

Powerful and honest, I Survived is the story of a woman who was put through hell and yet found the strength to forge a new life for herself and her children.



My review

I remember seeing this in the news, a husband tried to kill his wife by a rather unusual means AND for her to survive. This is Victoria's story, her life, career choices, her relationship before she met Emile and after the attempted murder.

The book will be very hard going for some readers, the gaslighting is absolutely shocking and even after the attempt it continues and his hole over her. It made for tough going, to see how he controlled, manipulated and hurt her (non physical before the attempt). I got so mad at some of her choices and allowance of behaviours. That said I understand it was because of the control, depending on your background you will experience a range of emotions and reactions to her choices/decisions.

It makes for an interesting and shocking read, survival, abuse, hope, personal journey, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Diary of a Book Seller by Shaun Bythell

The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 310

Publisher - Profile Books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop, Wigtown - Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. A book-lover's paradise? Well, almost ... In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.


My Review

Who hasn't, of the book geek world, wanted to own their own bookshop? Bythell takes us on his own journey of what is it like working in a shop, how he came to be a bookshop owner. The chapters are relatively short which I love, especially now when my reading mojo is a bit hit and miss.

Each chapter he tells us how many books he has acquired and how much he has made, through sales that day. We go through how we gets books, the problems he encounters as a book seller, online sales, Amazon dealings, it is pretty interesting and stuff I never thought about.

The thing I found really interesting was the communications and behaviours of customers. You always assume book people, book lovers, would be better behaved. So many really are not, it is shocking just how many are rude and entitled! When the book was written they had a book club on the go which seems to be a thing of the past and an active facebook page, mostly kept up to dat eby his eccentric employee who is herself a bit of a character!

Interesting, charming, funny & informative in really opening my eyes to what a bookseller has to endure. He behaved and tolerates a lot of it much better than I could/would to be honest. When Covid is over I absolutely will be taking a trip to his store, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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The Longest Farewell by Nula Suchet Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "The Longest Farewell" by Nula Suchet, a LoveBooksTour.




Please check out the other stops on the tour, we all offer different content.









Blurb

When Nula's husband James, a British documentary filmmaker, becomes forgetful they put it down to the stress of his work. But his behavior becomes more erratic and inexplicable, and he is eventually diagnosed as suffering from Picks Disease, an early onset and aggressive form of dementia. Suddenly their lives change from comfortable middle-class creatives through inexplicable behaviour, the shock of diagnosis, coping with the ongoing illness, not coping with the illness, to the indignities of care home life. The Longest Farewell is a moving description of James utter mental and physical deterioration, and the effect that it had both on him and on the people from whom he was involuntarily retreating, particularly Nula. Her life is completely taken over by James illness: her frustration at trying to cope, her guilt at having to hand over his care to professionals in England, are just part of her at times harrowing story.

With James in care and left with seemingly little to do but wait for his death, Nula meets Bonnie, another resident at the care home suffering from the same condition. In turn she meets Bonnie's husband, the broadcaster John Suchet and the similarity of their positions becomes a bond between them. After the deaths of James and Bonnie, and some guilt-induced false starts, Nula's story takes a bitter-sweet turn: they become partners, and eventually marry. The Longest Farewell is a heartfelt yet inspiring account of dealing with dementia, and of unexpectedly finding a happy ending.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/39ME7gC

About the author




Nula Suchet

Nula Suchet was born in Ireland, part of a large family. After a difficult early life she became an interior designer who worked internationally in the UK, Europe and the US. Now retired, she lives in London with her husband, the broadcaster John Suchet, who she met in the care home where their spouses were being cared for with dementia. Her book, The Longest Farewell, on dealing with her husband's dementia and the heartbreak that came with it is available now.

You can find the author on Twitter

@nulasuchet

@SerenBooks

@LoveBooksTours

For my stop I have my review.

The Longest Farewell: James, Dementia and Me by Nula Suchet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 280

Publisher - Seren

Source - Review book

Blurb from back cover

Dementia crept early into the life of James Black, insidious and unannounced. The result was a long farewell to him as he changed from a happy and successful film maker into a completely dependent care home resident, and stranger to his wife Nula.

Yet after seven stressful years, Nula's life unexpectedly changed when she met a man whose wife was also a dementia patient in the home. Her friendship with John Suchet become a relationship, but theirs is a difficult road. There is joy, but also despair and guilt. Is even a moment of happiness allowed when their loves ones are in a slow decline towards death? Theirs is a story that plumbs the depths but also reaches a happiness that they thought they would never experience.


My Review

Told in first person narrative we step into Nula's world, from the very beginnings of something not being right, to diagnosis and thereafter living with her husband's descent into dementia. I have read a few books about dementia now, Suchet's is different in that this is her story, her footsteps, her life living with the devastation brought about by dementia. Written almost in diary format, Sachet writes down her experiences and shapes it together into this book, her pre, during and post dementia.

Often we hear or see dementia affecting our loved ones as they age but some people see their lives turned upside down by it coming much earlier. This is what happens with James, James is still young, fit, has a career and a very happy marriage. Nula starts to notice small things, things that can be explained away however as more incidents happen Nula can no longer ignore it. With her very honest recollections we, the reader, live each of them and walk down the road as dementia strips her husband of everything that made him him.

Often when we hear dementia we see older adults, elderly and devastating as they loose who they are, their memories, their abilities. In this book, as well as all of that we see a different side, that of a wife losing her husband, the intimacy, the suspicion from people when they see a middle age man "acting out". The struggles of simple things such as going out for a meal, trying to travel, trying to get help when she finally accepted she needed it and what she endured before she got to that stage.

The book also looks at an unlikely friendship, a kindred spirit experiencing the loss that Nula is living and the guilt that is associated. How do you experience joy, a moment for yourself, happiness, friendship without guilt when you are watching the person you love slowly lose everything about themselves. An emotive book, it makes you want to grab your loved ones and hug them hard, appreciate what you have because you never know the minute. 4.5/5 for me this time, I need to look up the book written by John, the friend she makes who is also experiencing the same loss/heartache as his wife goes through a similar journey to James.



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Alanatomy The Inside Story by Alan Carr

Alanatomy: the Inside Story by Alan Carr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (in and out)

Pages - 332

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

If you loved Alan's first memoir - Look Who It Is! - then this follow-up, Alanatomy, will take you further into the hilarious and bizarre world of the country's favourite chatty man. Alanatomy is the chance for you to get beneath my skin and see the real me because, and to continue the anatomical theme if I may, this showbiz existence can sometimes feel like an autopsy - picked at, probed and scrutinized with every inch of your body held up for analysis, but unlike an actual autopsy, you are very much alive.


My review

This is Alan's second book, the first covered his childhood and breaking into showbiz. This book picks up where the other leaves off, Alan is headed into his 40s, he has had a step into celebrity and this catalogs his career from there onwards. As well as following his career he discloses all that comes with celebrity, the good, the bad, the ugly. Things going on in his own life, behind the scenes and some celebrity gossip.

If you love celeb gossip you will love this one. There is also a lot of raw truth in this, lifts a bit of the shine off the old celebrity lifestyle. It is actually quite shocking some of what he went through, just shows that "the show must go on" is very true and you never quite know what people are going through. I think folk often forget how that people in the public eye are just that, people having to put a smile on and portraying life is all glam and fab but dealing with personal challenges.

I never seen any of his shows but I think after reading the books I need to check them out, I did chuckle at a few parts of the book. I said it with the last one I read it hearing his voice so things that maybe wouldn't be funny if coming from his wee voice. If he writes another I would buy it, he doesn't seem to be on Twitter (his account is he isn't active) and I wonder if a lot of it is due to the things mentioned in the book. 3/5 for me this time, if you enjoyed his first book and like a wee nosey into celeb life(s) you will enjoy this.

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A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins

A Bit Of A Stretch by Chris Atkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days (in and out)

Publisher - Atlantic books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A shocking and darkly funny account of the reality of Britain's prisons.

Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Which British education system struggles with 50% illiteracy? Where do teetotal Muslims attend AA meetings? Where is it easier to get 'spice' than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow?

Welcome to Her Majesty's Prison Service, a creaking and surreal world that has been left to rot for decades in the shadows of polite society. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn't spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film, he was sent down for five years. His new home would be HMP Wandsworth, one of the oldest, largest, and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe.

Horrifying, moving, and darkly funny, this is the unvarnished depiction of what he found. With a cast of characters ranging from wily drug dealers to corrupt screws to senior officials bent on endless (and fruitless) reform, this is the reality behind the locked gates. Full of incredible and hilarious stories, A Bit of a Stretch reveals the true scale of our prison crisis and why it is costing us all.


My Review

I hadn't heard of Chris Atkins, a film maker who got caught up in a huge tax scam and went to jail for it. He was involved in a very small part of it but got sent to jail and this is his story of how it came about, life inside during his time, how he survived and what he experienced.

Life behind bars, we have all watched a million tv shows and read a few books on it, this one was a wee bit different for me, I felt anyway. He tells us of friendships, behaviours of the inmates, the privileges, punishments, guards good and bad and the difference between categories of prisoners and how difficult it can be to get the most basic of requests when you are incarcerated.

The book also shows how more advantaged Atkins was because of his class, skin colour and education compared to some of his fellow inmates. There is a lot of sadness, frustration and downright horror at some of the things that happened, suicide, death, loneliness, abuse of power - it really is an eye opener to people who have never experienced or been exposed to prison life. Hard to read at times due to the brutality of some of the situations, circumstances and just horror of jail life but interesting to see the huge impact it had on Atkins, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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Stand Against Injustice by Michelle Diskin Blog Tour

Today is my turn and closing stop on the blog tour (Love Books Group Tours) for "Stand Against Injustice" by Michelle Diskin.







About the author (from Amazon)

Mother of three, campaigner for justice and Committed Christian.

Michelle campaigned for eight years for the release of her disabled brother, Barry George, after he was wrongly convicted in 2001, for the high profile murder of BBC television presenter, Jill Dando. Mr George was acquitted in 2007 and sent for re-trial in 2008. He was found not guilty, by unanimous jury verdict on 1st August 2008.

Born in Fulham, London in 1955, Michelle lived in West London until 1973. She then moved to Cork, Ireland, where she lived until 2012, with her three adult children. Michelle's first husband, Patrick, died unexpectedly in 2007 after a short illness, but, with God's grace, she is now married again, to Peter, who supports her in her Miscarriage of Justice (MOJ) activities. They are both committed Christians, who worship at a Baptist church in Northamptonshire, taking on many responsibilities within the fellowship.




About the book

On April 26, 1999, BBC TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered outside her home in London. Barry George was convicted and imprisoned for the murder but was later acquitted after an appeal and retrial. Stand Against Injustice is the powerful memoir of the sister of Barry George. For the first time, Michelle Diskin Bates tells her story, the human side and truth behind one of recent history's most high profile and damaging miscarriages of justice whose life is inextricably interwoven in the drama, the trauma, the conspiracy and the fight for justice. A self-confessed 'ordinary housewife', Michelle's voice weaves the personal everyday struggles that bring depth, color, and passion into what is an extraordinary account. A troubled childhood weighted with overbearing responsibility, fear and insecurity, depression, and the challenges of marriage and adult relationships, Michelle's life has never been easy. However, the one constant in her life - her faith in God - underpins and provides the foundation upon which she now stands - against injustice.

Buy Link
https://amzn.to/2pc2i5o

Twitter Handles

@malcolmdown

@Michelle_Diskin

@LoveBooksGroup




For my stop I have my review, enjoy.

Stand Against Injustice by Michelle Diskin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 280

Publisher - Malcolm Down

Source - Review Book

Blurb from Goodreads

On April 26, 1999, BBC TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered outside her home in London. Barry George was convicted and imprisoned for the murder but was later acquitted after an appeal and retrial. Stand Against Injustice is the powerful memoir of the sister of Barry George.

For the first time, Michelle Diskin tells her story, the human side and truth behind one of recent history's most high profile and damaging miscarriages of justice whose life is inextricably interwoven in the drama, the trauma, the conspiracy and the fight for justice. A self-confessed "ordinary housewife," Diskin's voice weaves the personal everyday struggles that bring depth, color, and passion into what is an extraordinary account.

A troubled childhood weighted with overbearing responsibility, fear and insecurity, depression, and the challenges of marriage and adult relationships, Diskin's life has never been easy. However, the one constant in her life - her faith in God - underpins and provides the foundation upon which she now stands - against injustice.

My Review

I don't think there is one person, of a certain age and above, who hadn't heard of the Jill Dando murder. She was a big tv personality on Crime Watch so we all knew of her and when it was announced she had been murdered everyone was shocked. That is about as much as I remember, I don't remember following anything in the news as I was younger and didn't really follow anything like that. So when the opportunity came to read this book I absolutely agreed, I like reading true crime and it would be interesting to read more about the case.

It is worth noting that this is not all about Barry George, the man accused of killing Dando although he does of course feature a lot in it. This is his sister Michelle's story, everything is through her, where she was when she heard, everything that transpired afterwords through her experiences. Background and family history of Barry and Michelle, their relations, upbringing and the journey they went through, experiences with the police, prison, media and how it affected them and their immediate family. As well as battling to prove her brothers innocence, Diskin also reveals the loss and heart break she experiences during this time and how she her faith got her through some of the hardest times during it all. There are also verses included from the bible and at the very end an inclusion of the organisations that helped Barry and Michelle during their ordeal. Michelle has spoken in many places and done interviews in relation to what they experienced and survived.

It is a book that spans across twenty years and we hear a little snippet from Diskin's grown children, how they felt, looking back on everything that happened. There are a few mentions of other people who were wrongly accused and a bit explaining what the organisations are and what they do with links added for readers to explore more if they so wish. Raw in places and an emotive book I imagine for her to write, her faith is evident through many of the passages. Absolutely worth a read and it makes you realise how quick many of us are to make judgments based upon things we read/see on the newspapers/tv and the toll that can take on others, 3.5/5 for me.

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What Nobody Knew by Amelia Hendrey

What Nobody knew by Amelia Hendrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 260

Publisher - Self published

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

My story begins aged 3, when my mother abandoned me and left me with my brutal father to raise me. Nobody knew the secrets that went on inside that house, or the journey that I travelled on after leaving it, until now. This is the story of my survival.

What do you do when no one wants you?

How many people need to destroy a child until that child wants to destroy herself?

What if social services always got told a different story?

What would you do if you were in my position?

Survival is key.


My Review

Think of "A Child Called It" and stories of that vein this is Amelia's story and what she endured, surviving, growing up. A little girl, abandoned by her mother, "raised" by her father and his partner, a wee girl who knows very little kindness, love, even just basic respect or an environment to thrive.

This book is a wee bit different from those of the same thread, this one actually has reports, written accounts and documents from the very few people who had interactions with Amelia. For me, this is one of the most infuriating things about the book, so many opportunities for someone, anyone to help this wee girl, to spot the red flags and act. Today everyone is taught to look for warning signs, things that flag up a potential issue with a child, so many things in this book screamed out and yet still where missed. We flip between the authors voice and accounts of what happened then a document then back to the authors voice, this is how the book is presented, flipping between the two.

We meet a child that has a strength evident from a very young age to survive, adapt, push through time and time again with so many horrors thrown upon her. There are so many individuals to dislike and hate for what they allowed to happen, blaming this poor child, denying kindness, love, protection even understanding. They are so horrific, shaming, blaming, hurting even down to the small flash we see from the neighbour I hated the parts she was in, actively enjoying causing distress to a bairn. Knowing these have been living people, real encounters - it just baffles the mind evil like these individuals exist.

There are quite a few graphic scenes in the book, most people know picking up this type of true story that abuse will be covered. My heart was in my mouth more than once and I just wanted to reach out and protect this poor child that seemed to have no one in her corner, failed at pretty much every opportunity to catch what was going on. It is emotional, hard going, brutal, honest and one thing that comes through almost every single chapter is the strength in this wee girl who has now grown up and opened her world to readers to know her truth, her history, her story of survival. A raw and honest look into a heart wrenching account of one wee girls survival against the odds, 4.5/5 for me this time. If I ever met this author, and she was ok with it I would give her the biggest hug, God love her for surviving what she did and being brave enough to allow us into such a personal part of her life!

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Unbroken: One Woman's Journey to Rebuild a Life Shattered by Violence. A True Story of Survival and Hope by Madeleine Black

Unbroken: One Woman's Journey to Rebuild a Life Shattered by Violence. A True Story of Survival and Hope by Madeleine Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - read in one sitting

Pages - 288

Publisher - John Blake

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

"For many years after that night, my memories of what happened after he held the blade to my throat and threatened my life were fragmented . . . difficult to piece together. It was too extreme, too violent for me to understand."

Living in a state of shock and self-loathing, it took her years of struggle to confront the buried memories of that first attack and begin to undo the damage it wrought, as men continued to take advantage of her fragility in the worst possible way. Yet, after growing up with a burden no teenager should ever have to shoulder, she found the heart to carry out the best revenge plan of all: leading a fulfilling and happy life. But the road to piecing her life back together was long and painful. For Madeleine, forgiveness was the key. True forgiveness takes genuine effort. It takes a real desire to understand those who have done us so much harm. It is the ultimate act of courage. In Unbroken, Madeleine tells her deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity.


My Review

Madeleine was brutally raped at a very young age, changing her life and everything she knew or felt about herself. Madeleine went on to be attacked again and again, and struggled behind a wall of silence and self loathing. As Madeleine got older she followed many paths that eventually led her to a path of self discover, personal growth, understanding, love and amazingly of all - forgiveness.

I need to warn all readers that this is a brutally honest book and accounts of horrendous sexual and violent abuse are discussed in graphic detail. It makes for hard and very emotive reading, I think any reader will be move to tears, anger and rage for the innocent child that was failed by so many.

The book follows Madeleine on a journey of a downward spiral into some very dark episodes to eventually turning it around and dealing with the traumas, abuse and uses it to help others. It takes a very brave person to survive what she did, to then use it to help others is truly an inspiring and amazing act. I think this book will speak to so many individuals and maybe bring comfort to other survivors, knowing they are not alone. There is a spiritual aspect of the book that I am going to further look into, I found it really interesting and want to know more about it. I think anything that helps to bring inner peace/coping mechanisms will be beneficial to many readers, if they are interested in it and how it can positively impact your life. Despite being harrowing in places the book is also very uplifting when you see the whole journey. I picked this up to read one chapter before bed, I stayed up to 5am until I finished it, 5/5 for me this time. I would love to hug the author, for what she survived, for putting herself out there and for offering hope and a voice to so many, a brave and inspiring human, thank you!

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Deviant The shocking true story of Ed Gein by Harold Schechter

Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original "Psycho" by Harold Schechter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 2 days

Pages - 242

Publisher - Gallery Books

Blurb fro Goodreads

From Harold Schechter, “America's principle chronicler of its greatest psychopathic killers” (The Boston Book Review), comes the definitive account of Ed Gein, whose ghoulish crimes stunned an unsuspecting nation.

The year is 1957. Photographs would show him across the country: a slight, Midwestern man with a twisted little smile, a man who had lived for ten years in his own world of murder and depravity.

Here is the grisly true story of Ed Gein, the killer whose fiendish fantasies inspired Alfred Hitchcock's “Psycho”—the mild-mannered farmhand bound to his domineering mother, driven into a series of gruesome and bizarre acts beyond all imagining. In chilling detail, Deviant explores the incredible career of one of the most twisted madmen in the annals of American crime—and how he turned a small Wisconsin farmhouse into his own private playground of ghoulishness and blood.




My Review

Ed Gein was a quiet man who helped out about town and sometimes maybe got his good will taken advantage of. So when woman went missing in his small town no one would have thought to look at him, evidence came to light and Ed was questioned, leading the police to find horrors in his house that shook the world!

True crime can be stranger than fiction, the case of Ed Gein went on to inspire fiction such as the killer in Silence of the Lambs and the character from Psycho, Norman Bates. The story of Ed Gein is not for the faint hearted and really uncomfortable to read, worse so because you know it is fact. They discuss another killer and highlight some necrophilia, sexual deviancy and the things they found in Gein's house. It is the thought that one human being can commit such atrocities to another and integrate with society as if nothing had happened.

This is a book that will haunt the reader, how it is written so you can visualize the horrors that the police found, graphic details leaving no room for doubt. This is one of the darkest true crime books I have read, I think because the acts were so heinous, the missed opportunities and contact people had with him. Then of course all that transpired after he was caught, the book also examines his upbringing and relationships with his family. His mother was a "unique" woman, religious and had a hard line on the way her boys should be attributing to Ed's isolation and ability to form relationships. It is one of the crime stories that shook America and years later it continues to shock anyone who reads it. The writing flows and it is a hard book to put down, even though you really really want to, 4/5 for me. Absolutely not for the faint hearted guys, read this one with caution.

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Police, Lies and Alibis: The True Story of A Front Line Officer by John Donoghue

Police, Lies and Alibis: The True Story of a Front Line Officer by John Donoghue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - over 3 days

Pages - 235

Publisher - Matador

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Discover what REALLY happens in the police.
Is the discovery of a headless corpse the work of a serial killer?
When do police & paramedics fall out?
Who killed Yoda?
What is a Death Fart?
Why do some criminals think they are ‘worth it’?
Who invented the Crying Machine?
How do you beat the burglar?
Why do the police have to pay particular attention to boobs?

Come on patrol with PC Donoghue and get the answers to all these questions and more.

Police, Lies & Alibis is the fascinating and hilarious account of a year in the life of a front line police response officer, and the only humorous police book written by a serving officer who is not hiding his identity. It is the follow-up book to Police, Crime & 999, a book which still remains hugely popular today, with over 250 5-star Amazon reviews, and which garnered positive feedback from a number of national publications



My Review


Have you ever wondered just what happens in the day of a police officer? You need wonder no more. Donoghue gives a hilarious, honest, brutal and at times very un pc account of the times and trials police officers face whilst trying to perform their duty. From ridiculous call outs, criminal daftness, violence, the harsh and at times terrifying moments officers have to face, the reader is given short honest bursts into the days of a copper.

There are some really cringe moments in the book, you think surely no human being could or would behave in such a manner but yes they can and they do, sorry no spoilers. Donoghue has a knack for capturing the events with frank and brutal honesty, writing that will have you hiding behind your hand mortified or laughing out loud at folks antics.

As with his previous book there will be some folk who are outraged, thinking it un pc and even poor taste discussing some of the tales in the book. The reality is this is what the officers have to face day in and out and if you didn't have humour I doubt our officers would be able to go back out every day. I love the antics of folks but also how the police manage to cope in the face of danger, anger, loss or just inappropriate behaviours by some members of the public. Books written by folk working within the public sector are brilliant if you like that kind of raw undiluted honesty, I bloody love it. Donoghue writes as if he is in the room gabbing to you, giving you a vivid picture of what he has experienced! 4/5 for me this time, I have read this author before and will read him again. Thanks so much to the author for providing me with a review copy!

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ARR - From My Heart To Yours by Michelle Zarrin

From My Heart to Yours: Based on a True Story by Michelle Zarrin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken to Read - 6 days

Publisher: Balboa Press

Blurb from Back Cover

Sofia, a young woman from a sheltered upbringing, is in for an unexpected ride when she marries Earl. As their stable union twists unnervingly through health issues, betrayal and shattered hearts, Sofia sheds layers of naivete, deepening her perspective of life. Beautiful life lessons learned from preschool children may heal her scars; but can they help her to endure the greatest tragedy of all? This story offers a powerful and inspiring journey into the soul.


My Review

Sophia is a young woman who is innocent, falls in love and then everything she knows changes. She falls in love with her friend and together their love blossoms and they marry. As with all marriages their relationships have ups and downs but Earl is hiding a secret that will shatter Sophias world.

The book starts off soft and sedate as the author takes you through the relationship in its early stages, from friendship to love. A few people may find this too slow but stick with it, the reason becomes apparent as you need to see the whole relationship and history to understand the impact the secrets later will have. Sophia is very innocent and some things I saw coming however this only emphasizes the innocence of the main character.

The story follows the main character from a naive innocent young girl to a woman who learns to cope with betrayal, starting her life over and learning how to deal with the emotional turmoil, grief and upheaval life sometimes throws at you.

I think there is something in this book that everyone could identify with, the fact that it is based on a true story made the slower parts worth sticking with. The honesty of what must have been a horrific and trying time, exposed in a book for everyone to read and judge and following a young womans path of dealing with it I think may be empowering for others in a similar situation. I enjoyed the brave steps she finally took and how she used meditation to work through and realize her inner strength.

There is a bit of travel within the book and the author describes the cities in which she visits or resides in. I am not a big fan of this, although I know some people love it when an author describes in vivid detail a place, especially when it is somewhere familiar or they wish to visit. This time however I did enjoy one aspect of it, a part of the book takes place in Las Vegas which is where I was on vacation when I was reading it. The chapters are sizable however there are breaks within them so, if like myself you couldn't get a good go at reading chunks of it you could dip in and out as your time dictates.

Whilst this isn't a book I would have sought out myself I am glad I read it, it has sparked an interest in meditation which I plan to look into further. I also would love to revisit Paris after reading about it here, maybe I am appreciating city descriptive passages as I age, who knows. Overall a pleasant read, 3/5 for me this time. Thanks to the author for introducing me to their work and sparking an interest out with my normal genre.

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Review - Cancer It's A Good Thing I Got It! by David A. Koop

Cancer - It's a Good Thing I Got It!: The Life Story of a Very Lucky Man by David A Koop

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Blurb From Goodreads


David Koop Conquered the World of Business.

He Wasn't About to Let Cancer Put Him Under.

David Koop had it all-a storied business career, beautiful son, and prospects as far as the eye could see. Then a surprise cancer diagnosis turned his life upside down. It was osteo sarcoma-a form of bone cancer-and it was growing on his spine. Doctors told him to get his affairs in order.

More than three years later, Koop continues to beat the odds. Cancer: It's a Good Thing I Got It! is his eye-opening account of a remarkable journey through hospitals, treatments, friendships and emotions as he struggles to maintain a positive attitude and will to live. In this frank and uncensored look at one man's battle with cancer, Koop reflects on his life before and after the diagnosis. The surprising conclusion will leave you awed at the strength of the human spirit: far from a death sentence, the medical woes unleash a powerful self-assessment that leads Koop to a whole new sense of purpose-and the love he has sought all his life.

Full of humor and occasional grief, this memoir of a life still in progress will move you to make changes for the better. You'll come away inspired to live your life to the fullest and embrace the gift of personal relationships. And you'll find hope for meeting the unexpected challenges that can strike when you least expect.

My Review

When I first got this book I looked at the title and felt really uncomfortable, I mean it is cancer and they are saying it is a good thing! It also stirred up a lot of notice and comments as I carried it about and took it with me to read by just about everyone who saw it. Since reading the book and hearing Davids story I totally understand it's title and would say to everyone don't judge or dismiss it until you have read it.

The story is in short chapters and reads just like diary entries or like conversations with the author, it is very well done and really easy to follow. Any big words or procedures are explained so well that whether you have any medical knowledge or not you will be able to follow it with ease. Almost the first half of the book deals with the initial telling of the diagnosis and what lead it and his life up until that point, relationships, jobs etc. There is also quotes at the start of every new chapter which are also in themselves quite moving.

In the actual content some people might feel it is hard going as this is a truly honest account of what he went through from before, during and after his diagnosis. It is a open and both heart breaking and warming story of one man and his family dealing with something most of us hope to never have to encounter. From physical complications after treatments to the mental anguish of trying to cope after being told you are going to die. Trying to live with and beat the odds and breaking to the news to his family.

This book stirs up a host of emotions, sadness, joy, grief, laughter, hope, inspiration to name just a few. I feel this would be a quick read for most as it is hard to put down (it took me so long as work and Christmas has gotten in the way) but I could have easily read this in on sitting had time permitted.

I think this book would be a great read for anyone, whether you have been touched by cancer, feeling down or just want an uplifting (true) story then this is a book for you. I really enjoyed it so it is a 4/5 for me.

I would like to thank David for introducing me to his book and sending me a copy and sharing his journey with me. You can also find David here http://www.somedaygroup.com/ for updates on how he is doing.

You can purchase the book via Amazon.co.uk for £18.95 paperback or for the kindle £7.15

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