lexiepiper Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 Take A Girl Like Me by Amy Bohan No. of pages: 295 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: Having grown up in Wales, Amy Louise excelled at sport (representing her country in athletics), was spotted by a model agent and then came to London to work on the London Fashion Week catwalks. Very soon she was addicted to cocaine and alcohol, stopped eating and her life rapidly spiralled down until she found herself at the mercy of a drug dealer who regularly raped her. Her extraordinary story pulls no punches and brings into sharp focus the lies perpetrated by the glamorous image of Fashion Week and and the tabloid perspective. Review: A harrowing true story about how one woman's life spiralled out of control. From drugs to celebrities, booze, rape and self harm, this book really has it all, and shockingly it all happened to Amy. I started this book a few hours ago and couldn't put it down until I finished the last page. It was just gripping, and I can't believe that someone could actually survive so much in such a short space of time and come out the other side relatively unharmed, it seems crazy! I found it quite shocking that everything just spiralled out of control so quickly, but I wanted to reach into the pages and scoop Amy out to safety. Having gone through a few of the same things, I could relate to certain parts of her life and it wasn't a far stretch to see how it all turned to drugs and alcohol as an escape. I was so glad to read that Amy managed to pretty much overcome it all and emerge on the other side, it must have taken a lot of strength to do that, and I certainly admire her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Ooh this book sounds really interesting, Kelly! Thanks for the review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Your Heart Belongs To Me by Dean Koontz No. of pages: 406 Rating: 3/5 Synopsis: Ryan Perry, at 34, is a young man – hardly of an age to be on a waiting list, nervously hoping for a heart transplant. Luck appears to be with him: he is the recipient of a new heart, and (fortunately) the transplant takes, triumphantly. But a year passes, and Ryan begins to receive gifts in the shape of hearts, sent anonymously. A feeling of paranoia sets in – and this feeling is exacerbated when a large amount of money vanishes from his bank account – it has been donated to a local hospital’s cardiology department. Needless to say, all of this is a prelude to something truly horrific: everything he owns – including his new heart – is to be torn from him, and he is informed he will die a grisly death. Who is Ryan’s tormentor? Review: Internet mogul Ryan Perry is young, rich and enjoying life to the full, until he starts having heart problems. But when he has his heart replacement he finds that his problems are only just beginning. This book wasn't really what I was expecting it to be and I think that's why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The story didn't even really get anywhere until over half way through, and then it wasn't anything like previous thrillers by him I have read. If you approach the book as just a drama rather than the supernatural type thriller it's advertised as, then it's an okay read, nothing fantastic, but readable. I just found the story to be a bit too random and choppy. Certainly nothing I'd recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I agree with you, Kelly. I've read all of Koontz' novels (there's so many of them!) and while some are bloody brilliant, others leave you feeling a little...let down, I guess. I'm still a massive fan, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Me too Mac, but I agree, some are fantastic and some are just okay, I have lots of his on my TBR pile still to read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 The Madonna Of The Almonds by Marina Fiorato No. of pages: 366 Rating: 5/5 Synopsis: Young widow Simonetta tries to rebuild her family in 16th century Saronno, tuscany, following the death of her husband in one of the battles ravaging the land. In pursuit of a means to keep her estate together, she stumbles upon a new drink made by inffusing almonds with alcohol. At the same time, she encounters Bernadino, the protege of Leonardo da Vinci. What follows is a glorious story of passion, betrayal, warfare and bravery. Review: Two parallel stories of love, loss and growing up. Simonetta is a widow at 17, and her dead husband has left her broke, so in order to save her house she agrees to pose as Madonna for artist Bernardino Luini who is painting a religious fresco in her local church. Peasant orphan Amaria is being raised by a kind woman she calls Nonna, and when she tells Nonna of the strange wild man in the woods, Nonna goes to look for him and takes him into their home. On the verge of death, the man they call Selvaggio has what appears to be many war wounds, but he doesn't remember anything of his former life or how he came to be injured. Historical fiction is a genre I've not really tried before, as I didn't think I'd enjoy it very much. How wrong I was! The story was so easy to get in to, and the characters are fantastically written, I found it so easy to imagine them in my mind with the vivid descriptions that are given. I enjoyed reading about the wars and the religious persecutions of Jews and thought both subjects were written about really well. To put it simply, there was nothing about this book I disliked at all, everything about it was great. I'd really recommend it and I'm eager to now read The Glassblower Of Murano, Marina Fiorato's first novel set in the same time period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Hiya Kelly. I really like some historical fiction. One of the greatest books I've ever read is The Crimson Petal And The White by Michel Faber (all spellings are correct). I think you would absolutely love this one. Hope this finds you very well, my lovely friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 Thanks Mac, I'll look out for it x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Great review, Lexie! I'm excited now to read this book as well as the Glassblower of Murano. Please let us know what you think of that one. Historical fiction is probably one of my favorite genres so I'm glad you are starting to get into it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimmy619 Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 I have the Glassblower of Murano in my TBR pile. We went to Murano when we were in Italy and the guide mentioned it so I thought that I would give it a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby No. of pages: 139 Rating: 5/5 Synopsis: On December 8, 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby's life was forever altered when a part of his body he'd never heard of--his brain stem--was rendered inactive. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, his exquisitely painful memoir, is neither a triumphant account of recovery nor a journey into the abyss of self-pity. Instead, it is a tender testament to the power of language and love. At 43, Bauby was defined by success, wit and charisma. But in the course of a few bewildering minutes, the editor-in-chief of French Elle became a victim of the rare locked-in syndrome. The only way he could express his frustration, however, was by blinking his left eye. The rest of his body could no longer respond. Bauby was determined to escape the paralysis of his diving bell and free the butterflies of his imagination. And with the help of ESA, "a hit parade in which each letter is placed according to the frequency of its use in the French language," Bauby did so. Visitors, and eventually his editor, would read each letter aloud and he would blink at the right one. Slowly - painstakingly - words, sentences, paragraphs and even this graceful book emerged. Review: Told through short chapters, this is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, written after he had a terrible stroke that left him locked inside his own body, with only one blinking eye enabling him to communicate. Amazingly, he managed to write the book entirely this way. Each chapter tells of something different, a memory of his life before the stroke, what it was like waking up after, the sadness and humiliation he feels now that he cannot do anything for himself, to name but a few. Very sad story, imagine being as mentally sharp as you've always been, but not able to move any part of your body but one eyelid. It certainly takes a lot of strength and courage, not only to carry on without sinking into a pit of depression, but to write a book about what it's like to be locked inside your own body, so other people can understand. The chapters were random, which actually lends to the charm of this book, because it's not all before the stroke and then all after the stroke, he mixes both aspects of his life, sometimes with a dark humour and wit that you cannot imagine feeling yourself in that same situation. It's very well written and flows so easily, but the content really makes you sit back and think about life and try to imagine how terrible such a thing would be. It's definitely something I would recommend, even if it's not something you would normally read, everyone could take something away from this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 'The Madonna of the Almonds' sounds great Lexie. I love historical fiction so I think I'll throw it on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby No. of pages: 139 Rating: 5/5 Synopsis: On December 8, 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby's life was forever altered when a part of his body he'd never heard of--his brain stem--was rendered inactive. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, his exquisitely painful memoir, is neither a triumphant account of recovery nor a journey into the abyss of self-pity. Instead, it is a tender testament to the power of language and love. At 43, Bauby was defined by success, wit and charisma. But in the course of a few bewildering minutes, the editor-in-chief of French Elle became a victim of the rare locked-in syndrome. The only way he could express his frustration, however, was by blinking his left eye. The rest of his body could no longer respond. Bauby was determined to escape the paralysis of his diving bell and free the butterflies of his imagination. And with the help of ESA, "a hit parade in which each letter is placed according to the frequency of its use in the French language," Bauby did so. Visitors, and eventually his editor, would read each letter aloud and he would blink at the right one. Slowly - painstakingly - words, sentences, paragraphs and even this graceful book emerged. Review: Told through short chapters, this is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, written after he had a terrible stroke that left him locked inside his own body, with only one blinking eye enabling him to communicate. Amazingly, he managed to write the book entirely this way. Each chapter tells of something different, a memory of his life before the stroke, what it was like waking up after, the sadness and humiliation he feels now that he cannot do anything for himself, to name but a few. Very sad story, imagine being as mentally sharp as you've always been, but not able to move any part of your body but one eyelid. It certainly takes a lot of strength and courage, not only to carry on without sinking into a pit of depression, but to write a book about what it's like to be locked inside your own body, so other people can understand. The chapters were random, which actually lends to the charm of this book, because it's not all before the stroke and then all after the stroke, he mixes both aspects of his life, sometimes with a dark humour and wit that you cannot imagine feeling yourself in that same situation. It's very well written and flows so easily, but the content really makes you sit back and think about life and try to imagine how terrible such a thing would be. It's definitely something I would recommend, even if it's not something you would normally read, everyone could take something away from this book. Great review Lexie, the book makes you realise how lucky we all are but it has a positive message as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Great review Lexie, the book makes you realise how lucky we all are but it has a positive message as well. Yeah, I agree. I had a similar experience with Michael J Fox's autobiography. I think I might check this one out, Lexie. Thanks for the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Great review Lexie. When I read your post on the Who/Where Are You? thread I didn't realise you were referring to this book and I thought it sounded too depressing to read. Now I've realised it's the same book I've been awaiting your thoughts on because it's on my TBR pile! I guess I never read the blurb before I bought the book, which is probably just as well because now I've read your review, I think I'll bump it up my TBR pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 I think you'll enjoy it Kylie, it's a very touching book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby I think I'll get this, then, Kelly. A friend of mine recommended it to me some time ago, but I completely forgot about it. Stop reading and reviewing books that make me go and spend money, will you!!! X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anisia Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby I'm adding this to the TBR list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Hope you all enjoy it x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipread Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I`ve looked at and been undecided about The Diving-Bell and The Butterfly, but thanks to your review I`ll definately be getting it. Thanks Lexie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted August 3, 2009 Author Share Posted August 3, 2009 Stop Me by Richard Jay Parker No. of pages: 328 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: Forward this email to ten friends. Each of those friends must forward it to ten friends. Maybe one of those friends of friends of friends will be one of my friends. If this email ends up in my inbox within a week, I won't slit the bitch's throat. Can you afford not to send this on to ten friends? Vacation Killer Leo Sharpe's life is shattered when his wife Laura suddenly disappears. His desperate need to find her turns to obsession when he becomes convinced she's the latest victim of The Vacation Killer who has claimed eleven lives already - is Laura going to be the twelfth? The MO is the same every time - a woman disappears and within hours inboxes around the world receive a threatening email. A few days later, grim evidence of the victim's death is delivered to the police. But in Laura's case, nothing is sent. Has the killer spared her life? Why? And for how long? For Leo, the clock is ticking - he needs to do everything in his power to stop the killer before it's too late. Review: When Leo's wife disappears from a restaurant, he doesn't have a clue what's happened to her. That's until he sees the newest email from the Vacation Killer, and is positive he has her. But when no jaw bone is sent to confirm she's been murdered, Leo's life falls apart. He is determined to find out what happened to Laura, and will stop at nothing to get answers... It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel because it's just so well written. The story flows effortlessly and it's so easy to sink into Leo's world, even though his reality is so warped. I really loved Leo as a character, even though he was so messed up, there was just something so endearing about him. The ending completely surprised me, I would never have guessed how it played out, but I thought it was really good. I would definitely recommend this to thriller fans, it's something you will certainly enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 Dear Fatty by Dawn French No. of pages: 366 Rating: 5/5 Synopsis: It's become a clich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Sounds a great read Lexie, I am determined to read 'Dear Fatty' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 It's a good read, I think you'll enjoy it hun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 It's a good read, I think you'll enjoy it hun Thanks hen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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