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astridandlouise's Reviews (665)
Book Club - Louise’s Selection
“The judge had given Brock something that would never be extended to me: empathy. My pain was never more valuable than his potential.”
I don’t think it’s possible to succinctly put into words how important this book is. It presents us with a first hand account of everything that is broken in the criminal justice system. A system that has become less about justice and more about profitable business. A system that caters to privilege, class, gender and race.
“This is about society’s failure to have systems in place in which victims feel there’s a probable chance of achieving safety, justice, and restoration rather than being retraumatized, publicly shamed, psychologically tormented, and verbally mauled. The real question we need to be asking is not, Why didn’t she report, the question is, Why would you?”
It was incredibly hard to read at times, but I kept going. Because more than it being difficult to read, it was important for me to read. To educate myself. To be aware of the failings of the systems put in place to protect us. To incite change in those systems. To understand what it is to be a victim by reading the story of a victim in her own words. To be a smarter and kinder ally.
“Cosby, 60. Weinstein, 87. Nassar, 169. The news used phrases like avalanche of accusations, tsunami of stories, sea change. The metaphors were correct in that they were catastrophic, devastating. But it was wrong to compare them to natural disasters, for they were not natural at all, solely man-made. Call it a tsunami, but do not lose sight of the fact that each life is a single drop, how many drops it took to make a single wave. The loss is incomprehensible, staggering, maddening—we should have caught it when it was no more than a drip.”
(My only criticism is that it was perhaps 50p too long. But this is a minor notation for a book so relevant and necessary for society today.)
4.5 stars.
“The judge had given Brock something that would never be extended to me: empathy. My pain was never more valuable than his potential.”
I don’t think it’s possible to succinctly put into words how important this book is. It presents us with a first hand account of everything that is broken in the criminal justice system. A system that has become less about justice and more about profitable business. A system that caters to privilege, class, gender and race.
“This is about society’s failure to have systems in place in which victims feel there’s a probable chance of achieving safety, justice, and restoration rather than being retraumatized, publicly shamed, psychologically tormented, and verbally mauled. The real question we need to be asking is not, Why didn’t she report, the question is, Why would you?”
It was incredibly hard to read at times, but I kept going. Because more than it being difficult to read, it was important for me to read. To educate myself. To be aware of the failings of the systems put in place to protect us. To incite change in those systems. To understand what it is to be a victim by reading the story of a victim in her own words. To be a smarter and kinder ally.
“Cosby, 60. Weinstein, 87. Nassar, 169. The news used phrases like avalanche of accusations, tsunami of stories, sea change. The metaphors were correct in that they were catastrophic, devastating. But it was wrong to compare them to natural disasters, for they were not natural at all, solely man-made. Call it a tsunami, but do not lose sight of the fact that each life is a single drop, how many drops it took to make a single wave. The loss is incomprehensible, staggering, maddening—we should have caught it when it was no more than a drip.”
(My only criticism is that it was perhaps 50p too long. But this is a minor notation for a book so relevant and necessary for society today.)
4.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley.
Normal people say, I can't imagine feeling so bad I'd actually want to die. I do not try and explain that it isn't that you want to die. It is that you know you are not supposed to be alive, feeling a tiredness that powders your bones, a tiredness with so much fear. The unnatural fact of living is something you must eventually fix.
An up close and personal look at mental illness, how it impacts a person and the people closest to them, especially when what you're living with can go undiagnosed and misdiagnosed for an essentially long period of time.
I was conflicted at the beginning of this book. I didn't overly like the protagonist Martha, (intentional of Mason I'm sure) but was intrigued by Ingrid and Patrick. I told myself to relax into the book and to let myself be guided. I shouldn't have worried because the second half blew me away.
It's a brutally honest account of how one, on their own, builds a fortress surrounding them and how the most difficult but rewarding act is dismantling it, with help and guidance from loved ones whilst seeking forgiveness, with the added realisation that you're done being hopeless. So confronting, yet comforting. It hit close to home in many facets. Sorrow and Bliss is exactly what this book is.
4.5 stars.
Normal people say, I can't imagine feeling so bad I'd actually want to die. I do not try and explain that it isn't that you want to die. It is that you know you are not supposed to be alive, feeling a tiredness that powders your bones, a tiredness with so much fear. The unnatural fact of living is something you must eventually fix.
An up close and personal look at mental illness, how it impacts a person and the people closest to them, especially when what you're living with can go undiagnosed and misdiagnosed for an essentially long period of time.
I was conflicted at the beginning of this book. I didn't overly like the protagonist Martha, (intentional of Mason I'm sure) but was intrigued by Ingrid and Patrick. I told myself to relax into the book and to let myself be guided. I shouldn't have worried because the second half blew me away.
It's a brutally honest account of how one, on their own, builds a fortress surrounding them and how the most difficult but rewarding act is dismantling it, with help and guidance from loved ones whilst seeking forgiveness, with the added realisation that you're done being hopeless. So confronting, yet comforting. It hit close to home in many facets. Sorrow and Bliss is exactly what this book is.
4.5 stars.
The writing was visceral, urgent and confronting. It almost felt as if it were so well written that the extent of the text went over my head and I perhaps didn't entirely grasp the concept of the structure. A marvelous piece of writing regardless of my struggle with it.
I enjoyed this book, but from the outset it wasn't what I was expecting.
The cover art gives a completely different setting in your mind to expect compared to what it is that you actually receive.
It was like SATC featuring women that relate to most of society as the main characters (aka women in their forties, struggling with balancing motherhood with their own wants, needs and desires.)
The storyline begun from the get go, no introduction to characters or their lives, they were just introduced and sometimes it was a little confusing to remember who was who, who did what etc.
Other than that I enjoyed it as it was easy to read and the storyline wasn't overly terrible. typical chick lit fiction that I always enjoy reading.
The cover art gives a completely different setting in your mind to expect compared to what it is that you actually receive.
It was like SATC featuring women that relate to most of society as the main characters (aka women in their forties, struggling with balancing motherhood with their own wants, needs and desires.)
The storyline begun from the get go, no introduction to characters or their lives, they were just introduced and sometimes it was a little confusing to remember who was who, who did what etc.
Other than that I enjoyed it as it was easy to read and the storyline wasn't overly terrible. typical chick lit fiction that I always enjoy reading.
Well this one kind of stumps me. I absolutely loved the atmospheric tone that Perry wove into the narrative: it was eerie, I could feel the mist surrounding me and smell the earthiness. However the storyline and characterisation left me feeling disappointed. The beginning was promising but I found the second half headed into absurd territory. It was like 'The Craft' meets 'Jawbreaker'; (and not in a good way) I found so much of the behaviour unbelievable and downright bizarre.
Book Club – My Selection
This is less the story of the boy Hamnet, and more about the story about his mother Agnes, his father the playwright, their love, their marriage, and their grief following the death of their son.
I loved this book. I loved the language and the structure of the prose. The descriptive language used was musical and swept me straight into their lives. I loved that whilst this was a story that skirted around Shakespeare, that his name is never mentioned. That we’re left to focus on the true central component which is Agnes and her story.
I was left teary several times throughout, at Hamnet’s death, the purchase of the house and the ending. I also loved the chapter in the middle of the book that told the journey of the pestilence and how it came to arrive at Warwickshire and Judith. A clever and interesting passage of writing. I wasn’t 100% taken with the manner in which Hamnet dies but I did appreciate the bond that being a twin can bring. I can definitely understand why this book has received so much praise, a very moving and intriguing piece of historical fiction.
This is less the story of the boy Hamnet, and more about the story about his mother Agnes, his father the playwright, their love, their marriage, and their grief following the death of their son.
I loved this book. I loved the language and the structure of the prose. The descriptive language used was musical and swept me straight into their lives. I loved that whilst this was a story that skirted around Shakespeare, that his name is never mentioned. That we’re left to focus on the true central component which is Agnes and her story.
I was left teary several times throughout, at Hamnet’s death, the purchase of the house and the ending. I also loved the chapter in the middle of the book that told the journey of the pestilence and how it came to arrive at Warwickshire and Judith. A clever and interesting passage of writing. I wasn’t 100% taken with the manner in which Hamnet dies but I did appreciate the bond that being a twin can bring. I can definitely understand why this book has received so much praise, a very moving and intriguing piece of historical fiction.
This was a very cleverly written book, however I feel most of it was lost on me and went over my head. Whether this was because I wasn't in the right headspace when I read it, I could not say. I'm still to watch the session with Offill at Edinburgh International Book Festival which I'm hoping will offer me some additional insight on the narrative as well as the structure.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia via NetGalley.
I had quite high hopes for this as I have quite enjoyed everything Harper has written previously. Unfortunately it didn't entirely live up to my expectations. As per usual, Harper does a wonderful job in fleshing out her characters and leaves you second guessing everyone that is introduced into the narrative. Harper also continues her excellent trajectory in illustrating the environment and location The Survivors is based in, although I still find her books set in rural locations to be more urgent and enticing.
I definitely enjoyed the writing and the storyline but I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with the ending. Not so much in the culmination of uncovering the mystery, but more so the blunt and open-ended character arcs that we as readers are left with.
If you're a fan of Harper and her books, you'll definitely enjoy this one. Will it be your new favourite, maybe not but it's still quintessentially Harper and thoroughly entertaining.
I had quite high hopes for this as I have quite enjoyed everything Harper has written previously. Unfortunately it didn't entirely live up to my expectations. As per usual, Harper does a wonderful job in fleshing out her characters and leaves you second guessing everyone that is introduced into the narrative. Harper also continues her excellent trajectory in illustrating the environment and location The Survivors is based in, although I still find her books set in rural locations to be more urgent and enticing.
I definitely enjoyed the writing and the storyline but I must admit that I was slightly disappointed with the ending. Not so much in the culmination of uncovering the mystery, but more so the blunt and open-ended character arcs that we as readers are left with.
If you're a fan of Harper and her books, you'll definitely enjoy this one. Will it be your new favourite, maybe not but it's still quintessentially Harper and thoroughly entertaining.
This book and all the information contained within it is incredibly powerful and eye-opening. The fact that we follow these two very real men, their pain, their families and their internal and external conflict with the countries they love is raw, emotive and grounding. I did find that the format of this book did alter my ties to the various narratives; as sections abruptly ended I was pulled out of the moment and my connection which I found hard to recapture when we were to revisit the scene in a later section. This is possibly the only book I've read (so far) with such a very unique composition and I can definitely appreciate the sheer scale of effort that has been placed within these pages.
3.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I had a long break in the middle of this book as my library loan had to be returned and I had to wait in the long queue to reborrow it to complete it, whether this caused me to lose momentum and connection with the narrative is completely possible.
3.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I had a long break in the middle of this book as my library loan had to be returned and I had to wait in the long queue to reborrow it to complete it, whether this caused me to lose momentum and connection with the narrative is completely possible.
Book Club - Caellum's Selection
A fairly interesting read about Mariah and the depths of her musical abilities. I did empathise with her troubled childhood and the displacement she felt growing up, yet everything else moving forward felt slightly sheltered. I found the structure to be quite messy. It jumped backward and forward across timelines which made it difficult to keep track of which period of time we were visiting. It was also disappointing that the most recent years of her life weren’t mentioned or discussed other than her recent #1 in 2019 which just seemed a convenient win to add to the timeline. A somewhat entertaining yet easy read.
A fairly interesting read about Mariah and the depths of her musical abilities. I did empathise with her troubled childhood and the displacement she felt growing up, yet everything else moving forward felt slightly sheltered. I found the structure to be quite messy. It jumped backward and forward across timelines which made it difficult to keep track of which period of time we were visiting. It was also disappointing that the most recent years of her life weren’t mentioned or discussed other than her recent #1 in 2019 which just seemed a convenient win to add to the timeline. A somewhat entertaining yet easy read.