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joemkl's Reviews (193)
A great light-hearted follow up to [b:This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|35235302|This Is Going to Hurt Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|Adam Kay|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495900231l/35235302._SX50_SY75_.jpg|56583337]. Definitely one to read if you enjoyed the first one!
This book is an emotional roller coaster. I feel great empathy for Dr Brown and admire the fact that she’s put her experiences down in words. I read a lot of medical memoir type books and this is one of the best, up there with Adam Kay’s works. This is an excellent book and I’d recommend it to all.
A simple, if somewhat basic, guide to one of 2014's most important political issues.
Meh is being kind. In trying to be impartial, this book legitimised Scientology and doesn’t treat it like the insipid poison it is. It has a handful of merits, but there’s very little you can’t learn from a brief google or from something like Jenna Miscavige’s Beyond Belief.
An enjoyable novella. The sign of a good one to me is that I would gladly read it if it were a full length novel. This fits the bill, and leaves me wanting more.
Some are okay at best, but some are amazing. Reading the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is an absolutely fantastic poem, and that alone warrants five stars for this anthology.
Eating Across America: A Foodie's Guide to Food Trucks, Street Food and the Best Dish in Each State
My god, what a load of self indulgent drivel. You can tell he's passionate about food but this doesn't feel like a guide to food in America, more like a YouTuber trying to milk a cash cow before it runs dry. I had such high hopes for this book, and it fell flat on every single one of them.
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emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My lord, this book is stunning. It follows the story of Safiya through her dealing with her mother's sudden illness, and alongside this it touches on themes of growing up and also of being true to yourself. The writing is stunning and despite being clearly YA, this is one you simply must read.
dark
fast-paced
This is weird. It's about a demon girl who channels sexuality into martial arts. It's a very quick read but my god it's bizarre.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Kate has moved across the country, abandoning her steady job to pursue her dream of music. She takes a room with Amy, a protective and caring landlady.
At first, Kate is grateful to have a friend, but Amy's presence becomes more and more stifling. Then, as Kate's life starts to spiral downwards, she begins to doubt whether Amy is really a friend after all.
The core plot of The Tenant is simple yet effective; the idea of one not being comfortable or safe in their own home is deeply unsettling and is the antithesis of the values a home is supposed to represent.
Whilst the basic premise is effective, the detail of how it is fleshed out is where the first hurdle comes.
Kate is pressured into taking diazepam by Amy. This kind of thing does happen, and it isn't unheard of for people to share prescription medications, especially for that sort of thing. The issue comes from the fact that Kate is a librarian - not a profession known for its three day ragers and cocaine off the reshelving trollies. Further, when it is established that Kate is taking these pills, the next time it is explicitly mentioned is referring to her as addicted to them. Not impossible but it's a big leap to suddenly have with nothing ramping substance abuse issues up.
The climax of the book all happens within the last 50 or so pages, and as a person who reads blurbs, I knew something was going to happen, I just wasn't sure what. So when things started to become a little more clear, it was not difficult to connect the dots. I wish the tension was there for longer, as it feels like there's an absolutely massive (90% or so of the book) buildup for a disappointingly brief climax.
Some of the language Lester chooses is also slightly odd - two instances that spring to mind are Kate saying "I'm not at ease" rather than "I'm not comfortable" or "I'm uncomfortable", and "I too had things to be getting on with". Whilst both are perfectly correct, it isn't a way it speaking I come across often so it acts as a minor stumbling block in the flow of the page. It almost makes me think that Lester is American; especially when you consider the fact that there are some Americanisms in the text - for example the antidepressant 'Seroxat' rather than the generic paroxetine that would be prescribed in the UK. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a US writer writing books set in the UK, but you would expect them to know something as fundamentally British as the healthcare system being totally unlike that of America, surely?
The biggest hurdle for me is the clear breach of professional boundaries between Philip, Clara and Kate. It feels almost alien that teaching faculty socialise with undergraduate students and invite them to parties in their homes. I didn't study music so I have no idea what it's like in that field, but in my precious humanities that would be very unusual - and somewhat suspect.
The book also has a selection of minor typographical errors, particularly missing punctuation. But who isn't guilty of that. It doesn't - to me at least - detract from the story so it's not something that bothers me, but I thought it worth mentioning in case it bothers someone else.
In summary, I would not recommend The Tenant to people who are serious thriller readers, but I would recommend it to people who like to dip their toe into other things. It isn't Shakespeare, but I don't think it's trying to be either. My gran would probably quite like it, but that isn't exactly high praise.
At first, Kate is grateful to have a friend, but Amy's presence becomes more and more stifling. Then, as Kate's life starts to spiral downwards, she begins to doubt whether Amy is really a friend after all.
The core plot of The Tenant is simple yet effective; the idea of one not being comfortable or safe in their own home is deeply unsettling and is the antithesis of the values a home is supposed to represent.
Whilst the basic premise is effective, the detail of how it is fleshed out is where the first hurdle comes.
Kate is pressured into taking diazepam by Amy. This kind of thing does happen, and it isn't unheard of for people to share prescription medications, especially for that sort of thing. The issue comes from the fact that Kate is a librarian - not a profession known for its three day ragers and cocaine off the reshelving trollies. Further, when it is established that Kate is taking these pills, the next time it is explicitly mentioned is referring to her as addicted to them. Not impossible but it's a big leap to suddenly have with nothing ramping substance abuse issues up.
The climax of the book all happens within the last 50 or so pages, and as a person who reads blurbs, I knew something was going to happen, I just wasn't sure what. So when things started to become a little more clear, it was not difficult to connect the dots. I wish the tension was there for longer, as it feels like there's an absolutely massive (90% or so of the book) buildup for a disappointingly brief climax.
Some of the language Lester chooses is also slightly odd - two instances that spring to mind are Kate saying "I'm not at ease" rather than "I'm not comfortable" or "I'm uncomfortable", and "I too had things to be getting on with". Whilst both are perfectly correct, it isn't a way it speaking I come across often so it acts as a minor stumbling block in the flow of the page. It almost makes me think that Lester is American; especially when you consider the fact that there are some Americanisms in the text - for example the antidepressant 'Seroxat' rather than the generic paroxetine that would be prescribed in the UK. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a US writer writing books set in the UK, but you would expect them to know something as fundamentally British as the healthcare system being totally unlike that of America, surely?
The biggest hurdle for me is the clear breach of professional boundaries between Philip, Clara and Kate. It feels almost alien that teaching faculty socialise with undergraduate students and invite them to parties in their homes. I didn't study music so I have no idea what it's like in that field, but in my precious humanities that would be very unusual - and somewhat suspect.
The book also has a selection of minor typographical errors, particularly missing punctuation. But who isn't guilty of that. It doesn't - to me at least - detract from the story so it's not something that bothers me, but I thought it worth mentioning in case it bothers someone else.
In summary, I would not recommend The Tenant to people who are serious thriller readers, but I would recommend it to people who like to dip their toe into other things. It isn't Shakespeare, but I don't think it's trying to be either. My gran would probably quite like it, but that isn't exactly high praise.