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1.16k reviews by:
anabel_unker
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
From an incredibly young age, Patric Gagne knew she was different. Unable to express, or feel, the same emotions as her fellow children, Gagne struggled to fill the void where those emotions should be. Acting out by petty theft, breaking and entering, and (in one instance) physical violence, Gagne realized she could break through the intense pressure in her mind and... breathe.
Both griping and educational, Patric Gagne's SOCIOPATH offers a glimpse into Gagne's life as a person with sociopathy. Her journey from lonely child to clinical psychologist was not only fascinating but heartbreaking-- to read Gagne describe her innate desire to feel but also strive to understand why she couldn't was poignant.
Gagne has an impressive self-awareness and ability to discuss her emotions and thought process, which added an incredible amount of depth to each part of her story. SOCIOPATH was highly educational for anyone wanting a first-person perspective on sociopathy and provides valuable insight into a severely underserved population.
From an incredibly young age, Patric Gagne knew she was different. Unable to express, or feel, the same emotions as her fellow children, Gagne struggled to fill the void where those emotions should be. Acting out by petty theft, breaking and entering, and (in one instance) physical violence, Gagne realized she could break through the intense pressure in her mind and... breathe.
Both griping and educational, Patric Gagne's SOCIOPATH offers a glimpse into Gagne's life as a person with sociopathy. Her journey from lonely child to clinical psychologist was not only fascinating but heartbreaking-- to read Gagne describe her innate desire to feel but also strive to understand why she couldn't was poignant.
Gagne has an impressive self-awareness and ability to discuss her emotions and thought process, which added an incredible amount of depth to each part of her story. SOCIOPATH was highly educational for anyone wanting a first-person perspective on sociopathy and provides valuable insight into a severely underserved population.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
CHRONIC is the raw and vulnerable memoir of Rebecca Dimyan. Part non-fiction health guide, and part memoir, Dimyan delves deeply into her experiences with substance abuse, sexual assault, body image issues, chronic pain, and her treatment by western medicine institutions. At its core, CHRONIC is about a woman and how her life has been shaped by endometriosis. Starting from her first menstruation, Dimyan describes the heartbreaking reality of the dismissal of women's pain and her journey to find treatment for her crippling pain.
As a women's health nurse, I nearly always pick up memoirs written by either fellow nurses, or women who are writing about their experiences as patient's. CHRONIC falls into the latter, I was heartbroken to read about Dimyan's experiences in doctor's offices and hospitals-- and believe, while no patient should be dismissed as she was, her story is not unusual.
It's clear when reading certain sections (the health guide parts) that Dimyan did her research, and was very clear that treatment (especially with eastern medicine) should be tailored to the individual with help of a professional. I appreciated her thoroughness and the resources she provided readers-- and believe this book could be a good place for readers to begin their research. CHRONIC is approachable, relatable, and informative; exactly what, I believe, Dimyan was aiming for.
CHRONIC would be a great choice for anyone recently diagnosed with, or wondering if the have, endometriosis. However, this book may also be a good choice for anyone struggling with chronic pain and considering eastern medicine as an alternative or complementary treatment.
CHRONIC is the raw and vulnerable memoir of Rebecca Dimyan. Part non-fiction health guide, and part memoir, Dimyan delves deeply into her experiences with substance abuse, sexual assault, body image issues, chronic pain, and her treatment by western medicine institutions. At its core, CHRONIC is about a woman and how her life has been shaped by endometriosis. Starting from her first menstruation, Dimyan describes the heartbreaking reality of the dismissal of women's pain and her journey to find treatment for her crippling pain.
As a women's health nurse, I nearly always pick up memoirs written by either fellow nurses, or women who are writing about their experiences as patient's. CHRONIC falls into the latter, I was heartbroken to read about Dimyan's experiences in doctor's offices and hospitals-- and believe, while no patient should be dismissed as she was, her story is not unusual.
It's clear when reading certain sections (the health guide parts) that Dimyan did her research, and was very clear that treatment (especially with eastern medicine) should be tailored to the individual with help of a professional. I appreciated her thoroughness and the resources she provided readers-- and believe this book could be a good place for readers to begin their research. CHRONIC is approachable, relatable, and informative; exactly what, I believe, Dimyan was aiming for.
CHRONIC would be a great choice for anyone recently diagnosed with, or wondering if the have, endometriosis. However, this book may also be a good choice for anyone struggling with chronic pain and considering eastern medicine as an alternative or complementary treatment.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*
Jessica Machado dives deep into her life and her culture in the memoir LOCAL. Interspersed throughout her stories of being part of a blended family, general teenage angst, and eventually her 'wild' early twenties, Machado weaves the beautiful story of Hawai'i, its culture, and its colonization. The direct effect of said colonization, as the daughter of a Portuguese-Kanaka man and Haole woman, Machado struggles with her identity for the majority of the book-- only beginning the journey of calling herself a 'local' by the end of the book.
This book read as a love story from the author to her past self and her childhood home. Machado, sometimes less unsuccessfully, tries to link her experiences to Hawaiian culture and mythology. However, the author's respect and desire to honor Hawai'i is obvious in the beautiful and profound parts of the book dedicated to Hawaiian culture.
LOCAL is a good read for anyone who likes memoirs, or is interested in reading a first-hand perspective on growing up in modern-day Hawaii.
Jessica Machado dives deep into her life and her culture in the memoir LOCAL. Interspersed throughout her stories of being part of a blended family, general teenage angst, and eventually her 'wild' early twenties, Machado weaves the beautiful story of Hawai'i, its culture, and its colonization. The direct effect of said colonization, as the daughter of a Portuguese-Kanaka man and Haole woman, Machado struggles with her identity for the majority of the book-- only beginning the journey of calling herself a 'local' by the end of the book.
This book read as a love story from the author to her past self and her childhood home. Machado, sometimes less unsuccessfully, tries to link her experiences to Hawaiian culture and mythology. However, the author's respect and desire to honor Hawai'i is obvious in the beautiful and profound parts of the book dedicated to Hawaiian culture.
LOCAL is a good read for anyone who likes memoirs, or is interested in reading a first-hand perspective on growing up in modern-day Hawaii.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
How does one, from a place of privilage and comfort, even begin to discuss the impact of this book? THE HARD ROAD OUT details the harrowing life of Jihyun Park, who grew up in North Korea during the 1970s and 80s. She and her family lived through the Great Famine during the 1990s, the death of Kim Jung-il, and the daily attrocities that come with living in a long-standing dictatorship.
Park, through translator Seh-lynn Chai, talks about growing up not always knowing where the next meal will come from, her mother's entreprenural spirit and how it both endangered her life and saved her family's, the utter devotion towards the regime slowly rotting away as her students began to starve, and the heartbreaking reality of being sold by your older sister into sexual slavery. Park's story is nothing short of heartbreaking, while also being an example of the resilience and overarching kindness of humanity.
While Park never goes into minute detail about her life story, often skipping large chunks of her life to the next big event, this story is not for anyone looking for a sensitized version of what is happening in North Korea. Additionally, interspersed throughout, is added commentary by Chai discussing her own experience in writing this book with Park and the attitudes towards Korean Unification.
From a purely editorial angle, I personally wish Chai's chapters were more distinguishingly marked as seperate from Park's story. It was often jarring to go from 1990s North Korea to modern day England without even a title to warn you. I also wish the ending was less abrupt-- I felt very invested in Park and her son's journey towards South Korea, only to find out what happened in the epilouge rather than the book itself.
All that said, THE HARD ROAD OUT is a must read.
How does one, from a place of privilage and comfort, even begin to discuss the impact of this book? THE HARD ROAD OUT details the harrowing life of Jihyun Park, who grew up in North Korea during the 1970s and 80s. She and her family lived through the Great Famine during the 1990s, the death of Kim Jung-il, and the daily attrocities that come with living in a long-standing dictatorship.
Park, through translator Seh-lynn Chai, talks about growing up not always knowing where the next meal will come from, her mother's entreprenural spirit and how it both endangered her life and saved her family's, the utter devotion towards the regime slowly rotting away as her students began to starve, and the heartbreaking reality of being sold by your older sister into sexual slavery. Park's story is nothing short of heartbreaking, while also being an example of the resilience and overarching kindness of humanity.
While Park never goes into minute detail about her life story, often skipping large chunks of her life to the next big event, this story is not for anyone looking for a sensitized version of what is happening in North Korea. Additionally, interspersed throughout, is added commentary by Chai discussing her own experience in writing this book with Park and the attitudes towards Korean Unification.
From a purely editorial angle, I personally wish Chai's chapters were more distinguishingly marked as seperate from Park's story. It was often jarring to go from 1990s North Korea to modern day England without even a title to warn you. I also wish the ending was less abrupt-- I felt very invested in Park and her son's journey towards South Korea, only to find out what happened in the epilouge rather than the book itself.
All that said, THE HARD ROAD OUT is a must read.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
I'm not sure if I could have imagined a more perfect Christmas romance book to curl up with! It's full of all the best tropes-- fake dating, acquaintances to lovers, he falls first, snowed in (ha-ha)-- and written with such a deft hand it never felt overplayed.
SNOWED IN is the perfect book to enjoy this winter season!!
I'm not sure if I could have imagined a more perfect Christmas romance book to curl up with! It's full of all the best tropes-- fake dating, acquaintances to lovers, he falls first, snowed in (ha-ha)-- and written with such a deft hand it never felt overplayed.
SNOWED IN is the perfect book to enjoy this winter season!!
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