julie Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Alexi Sorry you have been under the weather and glad to see you back again. Thanks for the review of Alex Woods and not telling a lot about the details . I purchased it for my Kindle ,but have yet to read it. It sounds really good and my kind of book, so I'd rather go into it not knowing much about it . Hope you are feeling much better now and reading up a storm . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) Thanks so much guys! It was a pretty ugly two weeks! I think, whisper it, my mojo may have returned!! I'm now reading my 40th book of the year which leaves me well on track to achieve my target of 52. I think I am three short of the 10 World Challenge books I tasked myself with too. Two reviews then... #38 The Fault In Our Stars by John Green Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.(From Goodreads) Thoughts: Thanks to rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, my expectations were pretty high for this one. And I thought it was pretty, well, average. It tells the story of Hazel (cancer sufferer) and Augustus (cancer survivor) who meet when Hazel is 16 and Agustus 17. And therein lies the problem, because the dialogue does not read like teenagers, however precocious cancer may have made them. That really takes away from the emotion of the novel, because they don't feel like genuinely real characters. The only one who felt real to me was Isaac, who threw tantrums when he lost his sight, and mourned the break up with his girlfriend in the way I would expect. This shouldn't be left to a supporting character! If you want a book about teenagers dealing with cancer that will seriously tug on your heart strings, I recommend Before I Die by Jenny Downham. Just don't make the mistake I did and read the end on public transport. 3/5 Edited September 19, 2013 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) #39 House of Evidence by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson Synopsis: On a cold January morning in 1973, inside a stately old house in Reykjavik, blood pools around Jacob Kieler Junior from a fatal gunshot wound to his chest. Detective Jóhann Pálsson, an expert in the emerging field of forensics, is called to the scene and soon discovers something more unsettling than the murder itself: the deceased’s father, Jacob Kieler Senior, a railroad engineer, was shot to death in the same living room nearly thirty years earlier. The case was officially closed as a botched robbery. Pálsson soon uncovers diaries that portray Kieler Senior as an ambitious man dedicated to bringing the railroad to Iceland no matter the cost. Sensing a deeper and darker mystery afoot, the detective and his colleagues piece together through the elder Kieler’s diaries a family history rich with deceit… (From Amazon) This book counts for Iceland in my World Challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I credit it with the full return of my mojo. I wanted to pick it up all the time as the mystery was a delightfully slow-burner and I was desperate to race to the end and find the solution. I liked the fact the reader found out the clues at the same time as the detectives, so it was pieced together gradually. That is in stark contrast to my recent experiences with the Sherlock Holmes short stories, where sometimes clues aren't revealed until the end when the solution is explained (although I do enjoy the Holmes stories!) The novel talks about four generations which is sometimes a tad confusing when they have the same name, but once you get past that its a great read, and I definitely didn't guess the ending. 4/5 Edited September 19, 2013 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I thoroughly enjoyed that one too, Alex! Although I also found some of the names confusing - I actually wrote a map of who was who after a few chapters, which helped. I have another of his on Kindle too, which I'm looking forward to. Hurrah for your returned mojo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I'm glad your mojo has returned! I'm sorry you didn't enjoy The Fault in Our Stars more. I guess we all like different things . Nice to read your thoughts on it, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 Thanks guys! J - I will definitely look for more of his books! One thing I meant to mention was how gut wrenching it was to read the attitudes of detectives towards homosexuals in the 1970s. Because he's gay he's suddenly suspicious? And they wonder why he hides it? Bajesus! Athena - yep, life would be very boring if we all liked the same things! This one wasn't for me in afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Alexi Thanks for the reviews. I have been on the hunt for the Green one, but think I'll back down on it . I have strange reading tastes I guess. I can read true crime books every day, but I don't deal well l with kids having fatal illnesses, kids killing other kids, kids killing themselves or other kids in school . I don't handle those well at all, so probably wouldn't do well with the first one you mentioned. The second sounds like an interesting story though . Good to have you back and reading again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 Hi Julie, I don't think that's unusual - my Mum feels exactly the same. She says the reason is she imagines one of her own children in the situation and then she can't possibly continue. Bizarrely, she did like We Need To Talk About Kevin (which she read for book club) though! (I hated it). I have been slack with reviews lately, three to catch up on I shall do the most recent first though, because I want to #42 The Classifier by Wessel Ebersohn Synopsis: What happens to Chris and Ruthie comes naturally to teenagers: they fall in love, obsessively. But it isn’t natural that their love can only survive in secrecy, being against the wishes, even beyond the imagination, of their parents. And above all being illegal. At home Chris half loves, half fears his taciturn father, who never speaks of his important work for the Government. As Chris’s world opens up he learns about his father’s job as head of the province’s Race Classification Office, whose every decision can make or break somebody’s life in the 1970s South Africa. In this moving rites-of-passage story set in extraordinary circumstances, a coloured girl and white boy head for devastating consequences as their vulnerable lives hurtle down a collision course with the pitiless laws of society and the implacable resolve of his father.(From Amazon) This book counts for South Africa in my World Challenge. Chris is now an adult, telling the story of his childhood in 1970s South Africa. He begins as an innocent child, trying to save money so he can buy a motorbike (even though he's only 13), and gradually learns more about his father's work at the Race Classification office. Chris is working there when the revolution in Mozambique sees huge numbers fleeing to South Africa. With one tick (if their white) or cross (if not), Chris' Dad determines whether they can stay in the country. For South Africans, it determines where they can live, what jobs they do, how much money they make and who they can fall in love with. Chris (like most children) really looks up to his father and it takes him until his teens to begin to question that his fathers beliefs that he is just doing this to protect the Afrikaners might not be the right thing after all. Even though I'm familiar with apartheid, watching through Chris' eyes at the RCO was still horrifying, as was the justification people threw around for their actions. The racism is difficult to stomach, even at this distance and knowing it happened. These were actual beliefs people held, and living in England in 2013 it's really difficult to see how. My criticism of this book was it centred around two teenagers exploring sex for the first time, and even in 1970s South Africa I found it difficult to believe that they would know so little by 15. (ie. they are unsure whether it hurts for the man or the woman for the first time etc etc, many other examples). It didn't ring true. That said, it was an enjoyable (?!) look at a dreadful aspect of South African history and worth a look, whether you're doing this challenge or not. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 14, 2013 Author Share Posted November 14, 2013 *waves* Er, hello! Not posted in a here for a while. *blows cobwebs from thread* Work got a bit on top of me for a while there, and while I'm still reading (on the commute) I'm snatching looks at BCF on my mobile, which isn't very conducive to posting, especially reviews! So with that in mind, I am going to start reviews from the ones I have just read and not get bogged down in the ones missed. (In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 5/5 deserves a review though, so I might try and come back to that ) Anyway... #46 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Synopsis: What have we done to each other? These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? (From Amazon) Thoughts: I have been told this is somewhat of a marmite novel - I fall into the loving it category. This got me (and my other half, who insisted on reading it annoyingly over my shoulder on the plane home from our holiday and bought his own ebook of it when we got home!) hooked almost immediately. My pendulum swung completely over the solution to the mystery, and whether I liked any of the characters! It is very difficult to write a review without spoiling the plot, but I will say even though it was difficult to find someone to "root for". The plot is so intricately woven through the different parts of the book that I was always keen to read on to discover the conclusion. The book always felt fast-paced, even through some parts of heavy dialogue. I ummed and aahed over exactly what mark to give this book, and in the end I have downgraded it from a good 4 to a 3.5 due to the ending. DO NOT READ THE SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT. As I put the book down after turning the final page (electonically) I was immensely disappointed as I felt the book fizzled out. I was hoping for a more dramatic final sequence. However, as I have considered it, I'm not sure what ending would have satisfied me. I really wanted Amy to get her comeuppance, but that would have been far too easy which certainly wasn't the spirit of the book! I suppose I wanted one of them to kill the other in another intricate plot! Anyway, I enjoyed reading this, anything but a simple whodunnit. 3.5/5 #47 Spy's Fate by Arnaldo Correa Synopsis: At the centre of this novel is Carlos Manuel who, when his wife dies, returns to Cuba after 20 years of being a special services agent in Africa and Latin America. He finds himself completely alienated from his children and from the country he has served. After his kids embark on a disastrous raft ride to the US, Manuel steals a yacht and sails after them into the stormy Atlantic. He is left stranded in Miami where both the CIA and Cuban Intelligence are after him. The hunter becomes the hunted as Carlos encounters the ravaging violence of his former life. (From Amazon) This book counts for Cuba in my World Challenge. It is set between Cuba and the USA (Miami and Vermont). It tells of a desperate Cuba, where youngsters will flee on rafts made of whatever materials they can find, wholly inadequate for sailing, to get to the USA and play Russian Roulette with their lives for a chance of a better future away from Cuba. It is set in in the mid 1990s, when Cuba is suffering after the fall of the USSR, meaning she has lost essential foreign aid. That forms the backdrop to a classic spy chase story. Special Service agent Carlos Manuel is identified as a dangerous agent when he lands in Miami, while Cuban Intelligence suspect he has defected to the Americans. Forced to use all his espionage skills, Carlos leads them a merry dance across the country. I think it is noticeable that it is written by a Cuban author - the US CIA is portrayed as rather inept and playing by very sketchy rules - but it's an enjoyable read and the political situation between the US and Cuba, which is referred to throughout the book, gives it an extra dimension. 4/5 That is the ninth book I have read for my World Challenge this year. At the start of 2013 I set myself a target of 10, which I didn't think I would achieve, but now I am so close I have picked up one that counts for Ghana as my next read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Glad you enjoyed Gone Girl. I have to agree with you about the ending, but like you, I can't think of another suitable ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I'm glad you enjoyed Gone Girl, it's on my TBR. Nice reviews ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 Thanks Athena I think the thing with Gone Girl was the pacing felt like we were racing towards a grand stand finale. The ending was certainly unexpected, which I think is a good thing with a mystery/thriller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 I have read a couple more... #48 My autobiography by Alex Ferguson Synopsis: Sir Alex announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze of glory, with United winning the Premier League for the 13th time, and he is widely considered to be the greatest manager in the history of British football. Over the last quarter of a century there have been seismic changes at Manchester United. The only constant element has been the quality of the manager's league-winning squad and United's run of success, which included winning the Champions League for a second time in 2008. Sir Alex created a purposeful, but welcoming, and much envied culture at the club which has lasted the test of time.Sir Alex saw Manchester United change from a conventional football club to what is now a major business enterprise, and he never failed to move with the times. It was directly due to his vision, energy and ability that he was able to build teams both on and off the pitch. He was a man-manager of phenomenal skill, and increasingly he had to deal with global stars. His relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, was excellent and David Beckham has described Sir Alex as a father figure.Over the past four years, Sir Alex has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career and in his new book he will reveal his amazing story as it unfolded, from his very early days in the tough shipyard areas of Govan.(From Amazon) Thoughts: I'm still not sure how I feel about this book and I finished it about a week ago. I am a big United fan, and I would probably buy the man's musings on fly fishing, but... I don't feel this book should be marketed as a autobiography. He released Managing My Life in 1999, shortly after United won the trele and THAT to me is an autobiography, and it's fascinating. That book DOES talk about his upbringing in Govan, his childhood, his early career and how it shaped his approach to management in later years. This is more a series of notes on things that have happened since, with the glaring omission of the Glazers. I'm not sure why everyone is up in arms about this, it's obvious why not - the Glazers still pay him in some capacity! But there are chapters on Van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Keane and the 2012 season when City won the title, and last season when he bowed out with a 13th Premier League title. It is interesting to read his view on why Beckham left, why the fall out with Keane happened - and it is clear that he admires certain parts of Keane's personality - but the previous volume is a lot stronger in my opinion. If you are a United fan, or an Alex Ferguson fan, you will get something out of this. If you're a football fan, or merely curious about him and his life, I would recommend reading his earlier book and getting the juicer parts of this one out of the newspapers. 3/5 #49 Miss Appleby's Academy by Elizabeth Gill Synopsis: Emma Appleby’s arrival in the County Durham village of Tow Law is sudden and mysterious, provoking deep suspicion in the locals. And because she has a child with her, seemingly out of marriage, they want nothing to do with her – except for pub landlord Mick Castle. When Emma opens an academy and sets herself up in competition with the local school, she provokes a savage response from the community. But she will not be deterred – even when her past catches up with her and Mick is forced to choose between family and love. (From Amazon) Thoughts: I bought this book after reading Vodkafan's review. It's only 46p on kindle, and what a bargain that is. I really enjoyed this. It documents the many struggles women faced in the late Victorian/early Edwardian era through the life of Emma Appleby, who runs away from America and back to the place where she was born in County Durham. There she encounters more struggles and prejudice in an era where women were very much treated as second class citizens - single women especially so - and this wasn't that long ago relatively speaking! Turfed out of her own house when her father dies, she finds it difficult to buy meat from a butchers when she arrives in her "home" village. A woman who wants to make the world a better place, Emma is also a woman rather ahead of her time - her comment that people are only poor because no one will give them an education so they can better themselves is very revealing! I instantly warmed to the characters of Emma and Mick, and although there is the romance element this book is about so much more than that. I really enjoyed it. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 I have been busy acquiring books too, which is a shame as my resolution at the start of the year was to reduce my TB and I am fairly sure it has increased in size by a good 40 or so books... In the last few weeks I have acquired: Two Brothers - Ben Elton The Help - Kathryn Stockett Reconstructing Amelia - Kimberly McCreight The Worst of Friends: The Betrayal of Joe Mercer - Colin Schindler The Cry - Helen FitzGerald The Corpse Reader - Antonio Garrido Stillness and Speed - Dennis Bergkamp Nicholas and Alexandra: The Tragic, Compelling Story of the Last Tsar and his Family - Robert K Massie Redemption In Indigo - Karen Lord Philomena - Martin Sixsmith Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson Whoops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 #49 Miss Appleby's Academy by Elizabeth Gill Synopsis: Emma Appleby’s arrival in the County Durham village of Tow Law is sudden and mysterious, provoking deep suspicion in the locals. And because she has a child with her, seemingly out of marriage, they want nothing to do with her – except for pub landlord Mick Castle. When Emma opens an academy and sets herself up in competition with the local school, she provokes a savage response from the community. But she will not be deterred – even when her past catches up with her and Mick is forced to choose between family and love. (From Amazon) Thoughts: I bought this book after reading Vodkafan's review. It's only 46p on kindle, and what a bargain that is. I really enjoyed this. It documents the many struggles women faced in the late Victorian/early Edwardian era through the life of Emma Appleby, who runs away from America and back to the place where she was born in County Durham. There she encounters more struggles and prejudice in an era where women were very much treated as second class citizens - single women especially so - and this wasn't that long ago relatively speaking! Turfed out of her own house when her father dies, she finds it difficult to buy meat from a butchers when she arrives in her "home" village. A woman who wants to make the world a better place, Emma is also a woman rather ahead of her time - her comment that people are only poor because no one will give them an education so they can better themselves is very revealing! I instantly warmed to the characters of Emma and Mick, and although there is the romance element this book is about so much more than that. I really enjoyed it. 4/5 Ooooh, I love the sound of this! A great review, this is most definitely going on my wishlist And what a bargain! I have been busy acquiring books too, which is a shame as my resolution at the start of the year was to reduce my TB and I am fairly sure it has increased in size by a good 40 or so books... In the last few weeks I have acquired: Two Brothers - Ben Elton The Help - Kathryn Stockett Reconstructing Amelia - Kimberly McCreight The Worst of Friends: The Betrayal of Joe Mercer - Colin Schindler The Cry - Helen FitzGerald The Corpse Reader - Antonio Garrido Stillness and Speed - Dennis Bergkamp Nicholas and Alexandra: The Tragic, Compelling Story of the Last Tsar and his Family - Robert K Massie Redemption In Indigo - Karen Lord Philomena - Martin Sixsmith Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson Whoops! Whoops and oops The Help is absolutely wonderful, I hope you enjoy it. I haven't heard of many of the other titles, so I'm waiting for your reviews and introductions to the books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Nice reviews and nice haul ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Three more books read since I last posted! December is such a busy time for us at work I'm counting the days to NYE! Bit of a different Christmas this year too, normally it's just my immediate family, this time there will be definitely 9 and possibly 11 round the dinner table! Anyway, books what I have read: #50 Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum by Mark Stevens No synopsis for this one, because I downloaded it free at the start of 2011. It was such a success that the only version I can now find on Amazon is expanded and updated (and costs (4.74 no less!) Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. It tells the tales of famous inmates such as Edward Oxford and William Chester Minor with those less famous, as well as chronicling the escapes - attempted and successful! Interestingly, it also discusses the Victorian attitude to "insanity" - the focus on hereditary factors (which we still believe are a big element for certain illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression) and alcohol consumption! Overall I thought the author painted a good picture of the hospital and it's patients in the Victorian era. However it is worth noting the £4.74 version is still only 192 pages long so a lot of pennies per page! 4/5 #51 Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson Synopsis: Jeanette, the protagonist of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and the author's namesake, has issues--"unnatural" ones: her adopted mam thinks she's the Chosen one from God; she's beginning to fancy girls; and an orange demon keeps popping into her psyche. Already Jeanette Winterson's semi-autobiographical first novel is not your typical coming-of-age tale. Brought up in a working-class Pentecostal family, up North, Jeanette follows the path her Mam has set for her. This involves Bible quizzes, a stint as a tambourine-playing Sally Army officer and a future as a missionary in Africa, or some other "heathen state". When Jeanette starts going to school ("The Breeding Ground") and confides in her mother about her feelings for another girl ("Unnatural Passions"), she's swept up in a feverish frenzy for her tainted soul. Confused, angry and alone, Jeanette strikes out on her own path, that involves a funeral parlour and an ice-cream van. Mixed in with the so-called reality of Jeanette's existence growing up are unconventional fairy tales that transcend the everyday world, subverting the traditional preconceptions of the damsel in distress.(From Amazon) Thoughts: I've had this on my wish list for a while and finally took the plunge because it counted for the English Counties Challenge. It's also on the 1001 list. Ithink my first impressions of this book were tainted by the thoroughly self-congratulatory introduction. Personally, I hate that sort of thing (I could never have been a celebrity). The critics have said what a marvellous book it is, why not just include a few reviews? If you must write an intro, limit it to explaining to the reader the book's actual context - that it is semi-autobiographical etc etc. It set my teeth on edge, I must admit. Anyway, the book itself is quite good! It tells the story of Jeanette growing up in a deeply religious community in the working class north, where school is evil. And outsider at school because her talk of hell and damnation scares the other children, Jeanette is drawn to the other girls she meets through the church. When her feelings for girls are discovered she must be purified because obviously the devil has taken over her body. I found it thoroughly scary that a parent could treat their child like this. Awful. I didn't get on with the aforementioned fairytales - I thought they detracted from the pacing of the story and made me forget my place several times. But as she explains in the introduction, writers must do something different. Or, you know, they could just tell a cracking story in beautifully written prose. Nah, that will never catch on. One day I would like to read her autobiography - Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal - and see how it compares to his one. I might skip the intro though That review might be a bit harsh because I did enjoy it! 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 This next book was the one that completed my challenge for the year! That was: 52 books, to include 10 from the 1001 list (10 read) and 10 for my world challenge (this was the 10th). I think I'll probably go for 60 next year, I was derailed by a house move and a dreadful illness that knocked me out for most of August. #52 The Last Good Man by A J Kazinski Synopsis: According to Jewish scripture, there are thirty-six righteous people on earth. Without them, humanity would perish. But the thirty-six do not know that they are the chosen ones. In Beijing, a monk collapses in his chamber. A fiery mark has spread across his back and down his spine. In Mumbai, a man who served the poor dies suddenly. His body shows the same mark. Similar deaths are reported in cities around the world - the victims all humanitarians, all with the same death mark. In Copenhagen, it falls to veteran detective Niels Bentzon to investigate. He is told to find eight 'good people' of Denmark and warn them of this threat. But Bentzon is trained to see the worst in people and he becomes increasingly skeptical as he realizes that not everyone perceived to be good is truly good. It is only when Niels meets Hannah, a brilliant astrophysicist mourning the death of her husband, that the pair begin to piece together the puzzle and a pattern emerges. There have been thirty-four deaths and there are two more to come. According to the pattern, Bentzon and Hannah can predict the time and place of the final two. The murders will occur in Venice and Copenhagen. And the time is now. (from Amazon) Thoughts: A J Kazinski is the pseudonym for two writers born in Denmark, who are writing together for the first time. They book is mainly set in Copenhagen, with brief bits in South Africa, Venice and the Danish countryside. This is an unusual book, crossing between a murder mystery and the supernatural. It was a best seller in Denmark and it's easy to see why, I raved through this one desperate to find the solution to the mystery. It starts off slowly, as Niels, a Danish policeman, is warned of the murders by a policeman in Venice. Neither can speak each other's language, Niels can't travel to abroad due to a phobia, and no one else takes them seriously. It becomes a race against time to find the pattern and prevent the 36th person from dying, and the whole of humanity to go down the drain. Really good, although the ending: freaked me out a bit. Got a bit too supernatural/religious for me I suppose. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Alexi Great book totals for the year ! Sounds like you chose some interesting books for the future . I read Broadmoor back awhile ago and enjoyed it . Very informative . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 #50 Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum by Mark Stevens No synopsis for this one, because I downloaded it free at the start of 2011. It was such a success that the only version I can now find on Amazon is expanded and updated (and costs (4.74 no less!) Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. It tells the tales of famous inmates such as Edward Oxford and William Chester Minor with those less famous, as well as chronicling the escapes - attempted and successful! Interestingly, it also discusses the Victorian attitude to "insanity" - the focus on hereditary factors (which we still believe are a big element for certain illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression) and alcohol consumption! Overall I thought the author painted a good picture of the hospital and it's patients in the Victorian era. However it is worth noting the £4.74 version is still only 192 pages long so a lot of pennies per page! 4/5 I must have downloaded the same version as you as this was the first book I read on my kindle. I really enjoyed it too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 #50 Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum by Mark Stevens No synopsis for this one, because I downloaded it free at the start of 2011. It was such a success that the only version I can now find on Amazon is expanded and updated (and costs (4.74 no less!) Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. It tells the tales of famous inmates such as Edward Oxford and William Chester Minor with those less famous, as well as chronicling the escapes - attempted and successful! Interestingly, it also discusses the Victorian attitude to "insanity" - the focus on hereditary factors (which we still believe are a big element for certain illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression) and alcohol consumption! Overall I thought the author painted a good picture of the hospital and it's patients in the Victorian era. However it is worth noting the £4.74 version is still only 192 pages long so a lot of pennies per page! Great review of the book, Alexi I have it on wishlist already but reading your review reminds me of why I want to read this book so badly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Broadmoor Revealed was the first book I read on my Kindle too! I really enjoyed it. Congrats on reaching your target, Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Thanks so much Julie and Janet I was worried I would;t achieve it at one point but I'm reading loads at the moment (instead of doing much more pressing Christmas matters!) so trying to make the most of mojo while it's here! It's interesting we all downloaded the Broadmoor book as one of the first books for kindle! It was one of my first downloads too - would really recommend it Frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Congrats on your totals ! Well done . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 #50 Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum by Mark Stevens I have this on my Kindle, but have yet to read it. I hope to get to it soon, as it's one of the older unread books on my Kindle. #52 The Last Good Man by A J Kazinski This one sounds interesting. I have added it to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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