Edit: Bushfires and a new baby have shockingly delayed this post, but as I had the best of intentions when starting it, I thought it only right to carry through and finally post it, regardless of the time delay.
Subsequent edit: No, I am just lazy. This post has sat open on my desktop for over a month and I have consistently passed it over in favour of Netflix's cooking shows. I am also aware of the font changes and size changes throughout - what can I say except that this blog has taken formatting into it's own hands and my genius is in this instance entirely useless to combat these changes.
I have to honestly admit that I was disgusted with how few books I actually read in 2017, so I challenged myself to record and briefly review all that I read in 2018. It's still a little embarrassing how few I read (and also how long it has taken me to post this!) but it's am improvement from the previous year so at least I succeeded somewhat in that area.
Some of the brief reviews were written directly after finishing while others had to wait several months, but enjoy my brief summaries and jumbled thoughts - hopefully I can either steer you towards or away from certain books depending on your tastes!
Breaking Free
Rachel Jeffs
Rachel Jeffs is one of the daughters of the infamous polygamist Warren Jeffs, a man who abused her from the age of eight and who is now serving a life sentence for marrying and abusing two of his 'wives', aged 12 and 15 at the time. An intriguing look behind the often serene exterior of a fundamentalist cult, Rachel here chronicles her life from innocent child to absconding adult. An excellent glimpse into the mindset of those who are trapped within a lie that they fully believe.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'm a keen reader of books that I am fully aware might be too much for other people to handle, due to whatever circumstances, and would definitely put this book in that category due to the mere fact it is written about Warren Jeffs. It's not overtly graphic but she does detail her abuse. However, Rachel has a light and sweet tone throughout which appears indicative of the woman herself (I noticed that the same natural, simple demeanour and use of expression when watching her being interviewed on TV). It's this tone that I feel keeps the book from becoming too depressing (though it certainly has that potential), and rather, more eye-opening and self-reflective. Perhaps due to the simplicity of Rachel's writing style, the pace can drag a little a times (the sections in which she and her fellow sister wives spend years being moved from one holding house to another particularly spring to mind) but overall it's well written and extremely interesting.
7/10
The Wool Pack
Cynthia Harnett
'A compelling 15th century thriller, set against the background of the Cotswold wool trade. Rich with period detail, the story of Nicholas Fetterlock's apprenticeship in his father's business and his political betrothal to the daughter of a linen merchant is nonetheless immensely accessible to twenty-first century children. As his father embarks on a deal with Italian Lombards, Nicholas, his betrothed Cecily and their friend Hal unearth a sabotage plot of smuggling and piracy that will have repurcussions all over Europe. But can they find someone to believe their tale before it is too late?' (source)
A classic! This is historical fiction as it was meant to be written - no heaving bosoms or men in tights within view, and entirely accessible for both children and an older audience. I remember this book being read aloud to us when I was quite young and have also independently read it several times since. It's rich in period detail and very well illustrated with images not only relating to the narrative but also the daily life, tools and clothing of its characters. Nothing feels forced - the characters simply are, the time period simply is and the overall plot is interesting while also highly informative. Throughly recommend!
9/10
Things Bogans Like
Various authors
I'm not a fan of the bogan race. That is a truth never ever debated by anyone who knows me, so of course I was ecstatic to see this little book at my local library. As it explains, the modern bogan is changing and devoloping - no longer can they be confined and defined by the usually universal boundaries of mullets and holden utes. A roaringly satirical look at justified weight gain, top line flat screen TV's, Contiki tours, sudden chronic, undiagnosed gluten intolerances/ADHD, Ned Kelly and small buddua statues, this is a hilariously accurate portrait of the modern bogan race.
(Please note, this is a book with various STRONG adult themes - we are talking about bogans after all. Read at your own discretion)
This book is just so fabulous that I had to include the following passage from page 49.
'Ned Kelly
The self- congratulatory first year Arts student loves the idea of Che Guevara. While Artsy generally know little about Guevara's murderous ways, it remains thrilled to embrace the stylised logo of this young, attractive rogue who symbolised the liberation of lefties from things that lefties didn't like. The bogan, on the other hand, is generally unmoved by Guevara, because he is complicated, eloquent (and generally not in English) and un-Australian. Still, the bogan attempted to co-opt this figure, as it saw so many examples of him on brightly-coloured t-shirts. The disturbing predilection of second and and third year Arts students to query bogans on who, exactly, that person was, led them to look closer to home for their icons.
Being itself a resourceful student of history, the bogan settled on Ned Kelly as its countercultural pin-up boy. Born into a criminal family in Victoria during the 1850a, young Ned's first brush with the law came at age 4, when he was arrested for assaulting a Chinese farmer. While the bogan generally does not know anything about Ned Kelly other than the fact that it likes him, the bogan would approve of its precocious hero beating up an ethnic minority before he was even able to grow his beard. The following year, Kelly assaulted a bloke who accused his mate of borrowing his horse. The bogan mentally substitutes 'horse' with 'HSV' and approves.'
This book is just so fabulous that I had to include the following passage from page 49.
'Ned Kelly
The self- congratulatory first year Arts student loves the idea of Che Guevara. While Artsy generally know little about Guevara's murderous ways, it remains thrilled to embrace the stylised logo of this young, attractive rogue who symbolised the liberation of lefties from things that lefties didn't like. The bogan, on the other hand, is generally unmoved by Guevara, because he is complicated, eloquent (and generally not in English) and un-Australian. Still, the bogan attempted to co-opt this figure, as it saw so many examples of him on brightly-coloured t-shirts. The disturbing predilection of second and and third year Arts students to query bogans on who, exactly, that person was, led them to look closer to home for their icons.
Being itself a resourceful student of history, the bogan settled on Ned Kelly as its countercultural pin-up boy. Born into a criminal family in Victoria during the 1850a, young Ned's first brush with the law came at age 4, when he was arrested for assaulting a Chinese farmer. While the bogan generally does not know anything about Ned Kelly other than the fact that it likes him, the bogan would approve of its precocious hero beating up an ethnic minority before he was even able to grow his beard. The following year, Kelly assaulted a bloke who accused his mate of borrowing his horse. The bogan mentally substitutes 'horse' with 'HSV' and approves.'
8/10
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Laurie Viera Rigler
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Laurie Viera Rigler
She's nursing a broken heart (read: mildly injured) after a breakup with a marriage-material (read: cheating) boyfriend and she is obsessed with Jane Austen to the point of being one of those freaks who would probably have a wet-shirt Colin Firth cardboard cutout in the corner of her lounge. So of course, our 'relatable' (read: annoyingly feminist and also extremely stupid - figure that one out) heroine, Courtney Stone, wakes up one morning in the beautiful body and the strange life of a Regency era female called Jane. (Read: not the Jane, just Jane because heaven forbid anything about this book appear contrived!)
Yeah...I hated it. Get onto the Goodreads page if you think I have been too harsh (the reviews there make my soul sing), but seriously, I swear this book was written by some soppy American who suddenly realised the massive money making potential of tacking 'Austen' into a title of a generic, badly written book, watched a few movie adaptations and then proceeded to shove this abomination down the gullets of the unsuspecting public.
Even the title is wrong. There is nothing confessional at all abut this book, and as for Courtney herself, I know an electrical tradesman with a better understanding of her books and time period in which Austen was writing (he's also single, ladies, just saying...).
3/10
3/10
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
'When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.' (source)
*happy sigh*
"Let me count they ways I love thee..." Indeed, what could I say against this, my favourite Austen? I am fully aware that liking this novel of hers best is the most basic white girl sin that I am guilty of, but quite simply, I don't care. It's just that good. Her characters are deftly drawn in all their fallen glory and their conversations are so expertly crafted that they can feel more real than my discussion with my husband about what we desire for dinner. That's art, peoples. Jane Austen reads like the love child of P.G. Wodehouse and Elizabeth Gaskell and dang, it's good.
10/10
Dangerous
Milo Yiannopoulos
Ah Milo...where do we start?
Because quite frankly darling, this was boring. I'm not going to bother giving any synopsis, because anyone worth their salt has a rough idea of you, your beliefs, and your belief that your beliefs are somehow radically different and revolutionary. And honestly, from such a great provocateur, I expected more. In fact, if I am completely honest, I didn't actually finish this book. The poor librarians at my local branch added this book to my holds shelf at least three times, only for me to pick it up and then leave it beside my bed until the astronomical fines convinced me that this was not perhaps the best method of extending the mind.
Look, if you needed a crash course in free speech and your preferred type of humour extended only as far as RuPaul's Drag Race, then I can understand the appeal. But someone continuously congratulating themselves on how good-looking they are while also reminding you that they are pretty much universally hated gets old pretty quick, not matter how truthful or thought provoking the statements that they make are. It's simply distracting, and detracts from the far more intellectual purpose behind the writing.
I like Milo - I liked him more before he thought that picking on anyone and everything that he didn't like or that personally offended his particular tastes was somehow explosive journalism, but I like him enough to try this again and to be keen to read his next book when it comes out. He does write like a little-boy-lost though. After reading sections of his book, I have come to the sneaking suspicion that Milo actually doesn't know who he is, or really, what his true purpose in life is. That's why the flamboyant figure is drawn so heavily across those pages - really, it's just hiding an abused, confused man who mixes poignant half-truths with his personal beliefs while trying to raise an army of followers.
6/10
Gorgeous Girl
Mary K. Pershall
'On the 10th of February 2017, there was a sentencing hearing for murder in the Victorian Supreme Court. The young woman in the dock, who sat quietly with her hands in her lap, had perfect skin and light-brown hair tied back as neatly as a private school prefect's. When the judge asked her to confirm her plea, the young woman answered in a clear and polite voice. 'Guilty, your Honour.' That killer is Mary K. Pershall's beloved daughter Anna.' source
Mary's tragic story caught my eye one morning when I was scrolling through the news over coffee so of course being the nosy parker that I am, I immediately placed a hold on her book as soon as it came to my local library. As probably evidenced by this list, crime and especially true crime hold a particular fascination for myself, and this book is probably the most enlightening when read with the aim to understand why people allow themselves to degenerate so far that they would murder another human being. It's very well written (Pershall is a writer by profession) though apt to wander a little over details that obviously appeal to the mother writing this book but less to the audience reading it. Anna's downward spiral is chillingly fascinating, but my desire to reach into the book and slap her mother across the face definitely overcame me whilst reading. The endless whining of both mother and daughter against one another, the seeming delight and indulgence in a 'victimhood' mentality and blatant enabling on a parental level (such as buying the drugs which helped send Anna further into her dark headspace) made the outcome no less upsetting but not as surprising as one might wish it to be. Overall, while unbelievably tragic, this story comes from a world with no God, and ultimately, no hope.
7/10
Expecting Better
Emily Oster
(This book is better described by Goodreads than myself so here goes)
'Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most profound, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. We’re told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee, but aren’t told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are hard and fast—and unexplained. Are these recommendations even correct? Are all of them right for every mom-to-be? In Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster proves that pregnancy rules are often misguided and sometimes flat-out wrong.
A mom-to-be herself, Oster debunks the myths of pregnancy using her particular mode of critical thinking: economics, the study of how we get what we want. Oster knows that the value of anything—a home, an amniocentesis—is in the eyes of the informed beholder, and like any complicated endeavor, pregnancy is not a one-size-fits-all affair. And yet medicine often treats it as such. Are doctors working from bad data? Are well-meaning friends and family perpetuating false myths and raising unfounded concerns? Oster’s answer is yes, and often.
Pregnant women face an endless stream of decisions, from the casual (Can I eat this?) to the frightening (Is it worth risking a miscarriage to test for genetic defects?). Expecting Better presents the hard facts and real-world advice you’ll never get at the doctor’s office or in the existing literature. Oster’s revelatory work identifies everything from the real effects of caffeine and tobacco to the surprising dangers of gardening.' source
Pregnant women face an endless stream of decisions, from the casual (Can I eat this?) to the frightening (Is it worth risking a miscarriage to test for genetic defects?). Expecting Better presents the hard facts and real-world advice you’ll never get at the doctor’s office or in the existing literature. Oster’s revelatory work identifies everything from the real effects of caffeine and tobacco to the surprising dangers of gardening.' source
I love this book. Yes I am aware that this woman is no doctor, I am aware that she has only been pregnant once and it was a fairly smooth pregnancy and birth and I am aware that there could most certainly be bias on her part - but someone out there is finally not saying that "because you are pregnant you cannot eat or do anything"!!!! Her breakdown of the data backing up claims regarding the three main vices (alcohol, tobacco and caffeine) was particularly interesting. Once you have been through the public heath system like myself, where the majority of women are either having their first child at 35 or are living off drugs and smokes (yes, smoking is definitely one of the no-nos!) in some backwater with 3 under 3, then you can understand why such hard and fast 'pregnancy rules' are made. But if you are a healthy, conscientious woman then why shouldn't you be allowed to know why we are not supposed to drink and eat deli meats, and whether we actually can still enjoy things in moderation? Besides, I'm not sure how I would have survived had I never been allowed to touch coffee during my pregnancy! Thank goodness for Emily Oster.
(P.S. As someone who spent a lot of time getting told the bare minimum by the majority of her doctors and didn't realise just how little information she had to make decisions with until she had a GOOD doctor who finally talked through everything with her - doctors can definitely make hard and fast rules and refuse to take any risks at all, even if the outcome would be better. Just saying).
8/10
The Boy in the Attic
David Malone
'Ireland, 1973. In a tiny village in Dublin, a seven-year-old boy was left in the care of his teenage neighbour. No-one suspected the teenager was a Satanist. They went out to the fields to look for rabbits. The child was never seen alive again.
For the first time, author and TV producer David Malone reveals the exact events of this murder, including how the boy was lured to his death, how the teenager came to be interested in the occult, and the nightmarish scene awaiting police when they entered the attic. But there is another question – why was this murder kept so quiet?' source
Well, that was a somewhat chilling summary for what turned out to be a rather boring book. (Edit: how to raise eyebrows in christian circles - read a book that says the word 'satanist' in it somewhere.) Look, I am not a horror fan and will never enjoy books that are just gore and guts - this book is far more focused on true crime, and as the subject matter is so minute and unexplained, it fills at least half of it's pages with a great deal of boring waffling. The cover and summary look quite daunting but to me, it was less confronting than 'Gorgeous Girl'. David Malone is a first time author and his inexperience does show - certain aspects of the book feel like the background script for a crime documentary as opposed to a true crime thriller. Of course there are aspects that might be disturbing, depending on the reader, but (adult) readers should proceed with discretion. (Just a quick note - 'The Wool Pack' and 'Pride and Prejudice' are the only titles on this list that I think non-adults should be reading.)
I'm a little unsure as to what I think of this book - despite the heavy subject matter, it has no satisfactory exposition of human nature and an awful lot of boring filler. Overall, I can't help feeling that this story is better suited to a 2-part Netflix crime documentary.
5/10
Faro's Daughter
Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer's regency novels are, to me, like hot chocolate with marshmallows - a little sickly sweet in large doses but delicious, warm and comforting. This one is no exception! Deb is a delightfully drawn heroine - she's the usual, plucky, resourceful and yet ladylike foil to Ravenscars' cool, calm, ruthless yet caring character. (Adjective overload alert) Adrian is a delightful contrast to Ravenscar as the love struck youngling. My personal favourite scene? When Deb decides to show Adrian's mother just what 'vulgar' really means by painting herself up and parading around in public with Adrian, covered in feathers and fake laughter. If you've read it, you know the scene...
Heyer is definitely not for everyone, but if you like a Jane Austen inspired world where virtue still exists and is prized, with a hint of P.G. Wodehouse and trashy paperback romance thrown in for good measure, then I highly recommend this author!
8/10
(I'm already starting to write down 2019's books - finger crossed I don't take a solid three months into the new year to post them!)
