Book Review: The Time in Between by Nancy Tucker

Published 2nd April 2015 by Icon Books.

23315461 Goodreads Synopsis: When Nancy Tucker was eight years old, her class had to write about what they wanted in life. She thought, and thought, and then, though she didn’t know why, she wrote: ‘I want to be thin.’

Over the next twelve years, she developed anorexia nervosa, was hospitalised, and finally swung the other way towards bulimia nervosa. She left school, rejoined school; went in and out of therapy; ebbed in and out of life. From the bleak reality of a body breaking down to the electric mental highs of starvation, hers has been a life held in thrall by food.

Told with remarkable insight, dark humour and acute intelligence, The Time in Between is a profound, important window into the workings of an unquiet mind – a Wasted for the 21st century.

My Review: Upon starting this book I was trying to think of two things. One; if I had actually read an autobiography before, and two; if I had read a book on a mental health issue like anorexia. I couldn’t think of anything, so The Time in Between was completely new territory to me. I was very nervous to start it though also incredibly interested to read an account of an issue that’s really prevalent today, yet never fully talked about.

Nancy Tucker developed anorexia in her early teens and The Time in Between is her story, from late childhood to adulthood. It recounts all the terrifying moments where she was admitted to hospitals, and how anorexia and bulimia affected her so dangerously over her life, as well as family and friends impacts, and growing up in general.

The Time in Between discusses some very sensitive topics, but talks about them fearlessly. There are chapters, many chapters, that hit the reader hard, but that raw emotion Tucker has conveyed makes The Time in Between all the more unforgettable.

I can’t fault Nancy’s writing: It’s stunning, and I loved how parts of the book were written in different styles: from mock guides for how to care for sufferers, laced with dark humour; to movie-style transcripts of pivotal scenes in Nancy’s life. She writes so openly, not covering up any experiences, and that makes her book feel so honest. I wish more books about similar topics were written this way: In fiction and non-fiction.

Overall, I cannot recommend The Time in Between enough; to those who want to read a powerful and moving autobiography; to those who need something to relate to; and everyone in-between. I haven’t read anything like it before, and I doubt I will ever find something similar: this book just stands out. It’s simultaneously a shining example of evocative writing, and a uniquely honest memoir about mental health, and above all, hope. It was just extraordinary!

My Rating:

I received a copy of The Time in Between from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

140 Character Reviews! [contemporary fiction]

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I have no idea if this has been done before, but the idea very randomly struck me. I was about to write mini-reviews for some books but wanted a new way to post them – and my Twitter tab was open. I’m prone to rambling about books for many, many paragraphs – so maybe it would be fun to try and sum up everything in 140 Characters or less?! Here goes…

The three summaries above were all of contemporary books I’ve recently read. If you liked this kind of post, let me know and I’ll think about doing some more, with books of different genres! 😀

Book Review: The Beloved by Alison Rattle

Book Review: You’re Not Proper by Tariq Mehmood

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Published 19th March 2015 by Hope Road Publishing.

You're Not Proper Goodreads Synopsis: Karen thinks she’s not proper white.
Her dad is Pakistani and her mother is white Christian, and somehow she feels as if she doesn’t quite fit in… anywhere. So she’s made a choice: she’s switching sides.
Karen’s going to convert to Islam to find her true identity.
But Shamshad, her Hijab-wearing school mate, isn’t making things easy for her. What’s her deal, anyway? Is Shamshad really any more proper than herself?
Trouble and turmoil await in the old textile mill town of Boardhead East, as school battles are replaced by family troubles, name calling turns to physical confrontation and cataclysmic secrets are unveiled.
Set against a backdrop of seething Islamaphobia, You’re Not Proper is the first in the Striker series, written by Tariq Mehmood to shine a light on issues of identity, religion, politics and class affecting young people today – a unique new series in young adult fiction.

My Review: I was curious to see what this book would be like, as I can’t say I’ve read many books on the same subject; and Islamaphobia is a really prevalent topic in today’s world. I was really interested to see how it was written about here!

I loved the concept of the story and I wish books like this were more talked about. The plot of You’re Not Proper was a complete emotional roller-coaster, as Karen is so desperate to find faith and belonging in a pretty divided Manchester community. I found it really eye-opening to read about the harsh treatment of people because of their backgrounds – even from their peers.

The pacing felt a little strange at points, and I’m not sure how to describe it. I felt like some scenes felt rushed where they could’ve been longer and more descriptive of the narrator’s feelings. The switching narratives between Karen and Shamshad were great and I found the girls both really realistic and I wish I’d gotten to know their mindsets a bit better.

The plot twist towards the end of the story was really unexpected and made a really interesting ending. There’s careful hinting throughout the novel as to some kind of family secret – but the truth was far more shocking than I’d imagined! Very quickly, the story spirals from bullying to a really dark outcome – which in turn reveals the huge secret. It was a little strange how the final events played out – I would’ve preferred to see how everything developed.

Overall, You’re Not Proper is a really thought-provoking read and I enjoyed it! I definitely recommend it for those who want a brilliant, relatable insight into what it’s like to be a teenager and Muslim in a place where it’s often frowned upon. I had a few thoughts while reading it and would’ve liked to get to know the characters in more detail, and the ending didn’t feel completely solid to me – however, it’s a short and enjoyable read that’ll definitely make you tear up a few times!

My Rating:

I received a copy of You’re Not Proper from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Songs and Stories

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My favourite songs are ones I find relatable or with beautiful lyrics. Occasionally, I’ll listen to a song and not attribute its lyrics to my own life, but to characters in books. I may be the only person who does this… XD

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been jotting down book titles, alongside the titles of songs that fit the stories. Rather productive procrastination, seeing as it might by worthy of a blog post…

It took me a while to get widgets working for Spotify (and I’m not 100% sure these widgets will work…) but now I’ve finally managed to put together a list of songs and stories! Here’s hoping my music taste isn’t that bad…

#1: ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES BY JENNIFER NIVEN

“If you’re ever feeling lonely, if you’re ever feeling down, you should know you’re not the only one ‘cause I feel it with you now…”

I was listening to Kodaline’s new album while revising and I’d just finished All The Bright Places – a story of a girl coping with the death of her sister, and a boy coping with depression, who form a really strong bond. The chorus reminded me of the book so much ~~and what no I definitely didn’t cry at the song.~~

#2: WHERE SHE WENT BY GAYLE FORMAN

“Love is a game that we could play, even only for today, I don’t wanna lose you, we’ve been apart for far too long, now we only have a song, let the music move you, there was a part of me that never left a part of you, I wish I could be everything you wanted…”

If I Stay Spoilers?? >> I love Neon Trees lyrics and when I listened to this immediately thought of Where She Went! I felt like the lyrics could have been from Adam’s perspective as he meets Mia again for a day, and how he doesn’t want to lose her again, and about the music guiding the relationship… Uch my feelings.

#3: LIES WE TELL OURSELVES BY ROBIN TALLEY

“We are surrounded by all of these lies, and people who talk too much, you got the kind of look in your eyes, as if no one knows anything but us…”

The verse I copied above is exactly why I chose this song for Lies We Tell Ourselves, which is a story about a gay teenage girl in the ’50s who falls for another LGBT* girl: All through the story, they have to keep everything a secret because of the people around them. The chapters in Robin Talley’s début all begin with a lie Sarah says to herself – which is why the first line of the verse above clicked with me straight away!

#4: THE BUNKER DIARY BY KEVIN BROOKS

“I feel you in these walls, you’re a cold air creeping in, chill me to my bones and skin…”

Though the song’s called My House and obviously the people who are so inhumanly captured and locked away in this book are not in their house, I found the lyrics could be attributed to the story. There’s a lot in the song about a person who the singer’s afraid of, who is in the house somewhere, and the singer can’t run away.

#5: ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE BY BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ

“Oh and the answer, well, who would have guessed, could be something as simple as this…”

It was easy to pick a song for this book! I had to go with Simple as This. The novel is about Ari and Dante who are both taking very different pathways in life – yet eventually gravitate towards each other again: And the Jake Bugg song is about trying lots of things but coming back to what the narrator couldn’t believe he’d missed.

What did you think of the songs I picked? Are there any songs you can relate to a favourite book? 🙂

Book Review: Flesh and Blood by Simon Cheshire

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Published 12th March 2015 by RED EYE (Stripes Publishing).

Goodreads Synopsis: I must record the facts that have led me to where I am now. So that, when someone reads this, they understand. Sam Hunter’s neighbours are pillars of the community, the most influential people in town. But they’re liars too. The Greenhills are hiding something and Sam’s determined to find out what it is. As his investigation unfolds, he realizes the lies reach further than he ever imagined – is there anyone he can trust? Uncovering the horror is one thing …escaping is another. A chilling new story in the Red Eye series.

My Review: No exaggeration, I jumped up and down for a while when I heard about Stripes Publishing’s new imprint – RED EYE – a series of new horror YA novels, starting this year. I haven’t gotten around to reading the first two in the series yet, but was very excited when I was able to read this instalment!

Flesh and Blood centres around Sam Hunter, who moves to a nicer and seemingly perfect neighbourhood after his dad’s success. Everything seems dreamily brilliant until he stumbles across the first horror, and then notices some strange traits in his neighbours… Then begins to search for the horrifying, shocking truth behind the Greenhills.

I was absorbed in the story straight away and loved the format it was written in: Sam’s narration felt really honest and I liked how it was written as a report, stating the facts with occasional present-tense comments about what had happened. Sam is a very three-dimensional feeling character. The decisions he makes in this book are bound to drive people crazy… But in a weird way, I understood him because it was just realistic.

Despite the suggestive cover image and the title Flesh and Blood, it was a lot gorier and freaky than I’d assumed – and it got freaky and gory very quickly. I’d read on the press release that this book wasn’t for the “faint hearted” and… Well, I can’t emphasise that enough… I got pretty squeamish at a lot of points! The story is pretty brutal. The plot was really great and felt like a classic horror story, yet refreshing – but the themes were just unnerving.

I don’t even know how to talk about the ending. No words will do it justice! It’s twisted, horrific, and makes you question everything you knew about the main character – though I think it gave him more depth. It’s safe to say the last pages will be stuck in your head for days. I’m still wishing I knew what happened next – but in a good way. The cliffhanger-feeling is pretty epic in this.

Overall, I was really blown away by my firs RED EYE read, and I will definitely be seeking out the other books from the imprint as they’re released. It was riveting: The story is definitely one of the most grim things I’ve come across – some points I got real chills. Definitely recommended, though only if you can handle its creepy contents. I’m now apprehensive about going to the doctor’s.

My Rating:

I received a copy of Flesh and Blood from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Book Review: One Of Us by Jeannie Waudby

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Published 5th February 2015 by Chicken House books.

24777962 Goodreads Synopsis: When K narrowly survives a bomb attack, she agrees to go undercover to spy on the Brotherhood, the radical young group held responsible, and whom she’s determined to bring to justice. But whilst living among them, soon even enemies become real people. And when she falls in love, K discovers that some things are not black and white …
What’s right – and who’s wrong? Someone’s always to blame.
From debut author, Jeannie Waudby, comes a nail-biting contemporary drama set in a modern society divided by violence, prejudice and distrust. One of Us is a topical YA thriller about young love and religious intolerance – can one isolated girl learn to understand who she is and where she stands in such a world.

My Review: I was eagerly anticipating reading One Of Us, and I really enjoyed it, despite taking so long to finish it due to exam revision!

One Of Us is a gripping début. It’s the story of K Child, an orphaned teenager who is asked by an officer, who saves her from a bomb attack, to go undercover in a Brotherhood school to uncover a terrorist group. K’s city is divided between the citizens and the Brotherhood, who are a religious minority that aren’t tolerated because of past terrorist events.

One Of Us really hits home because of its concept, because it can easily be applied to the prejudice in today’s world, and how we treat people based on their backgrounds. The parallels between Jeannie Waudby’s fictional city and our real world were so strong, which made it feel so realistic – and slightly unnerving…

The plot swept me up from the first pages, where K is on the train to school when a bomb explodes and her life is turned upside down. I’ve had to spend a lot of time on school-work lately, but otherwise I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have put the book down at all! K develops a lot throughout the story and I grew to really like her, as she navigated a Brotherhood society and had to question everything she’d been told all her life. I’m not too sure on how I felt about the love story that grew in One Of Us, though I’m sure other readers will adore it.

I think the only thing I would’ve changed about the book was the ending. There’s a lot to take in, in the last fifty pages, and that plot twists was completely unexpected – but I wished the truth K uncovered was explained more. It was really shocking and I would have loved to read more about the story she finds.

Overall, One Of Us was a really riveting read; the kind of book you want to read in one go – I was drawn in from the first pages ~~(and then reluctantly pulled away because revision meh).~~ There were a few things I’m still mulling over, but I really recommend it if you’re a fan of hard-hitting, contemporary thrillers like Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses!

My Rating:

I received a copy of One Of Us from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Book Review: Big Game by Dan Smith

Trying to be organised: How I Blog

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I’ve always wanted to make a post on how, exactly, I go about blogging – though I wasn’t too sure how to write the post. What do I talk about? It struck me that I literally have no coherent method of blogging. The way I do things is completely all over the place. I know many bloggers who have organised schedules and simple ways of doing things, but I am not one of those people…

Then, I realised, maybe my disorganisation would make an interesting blog post! In no way is my blog professional or organised, but read on for a look at all of the tools I use, to attempt to be 😛

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Firstly, for notes and drafts, I use Evernote and OneNote (When I don’t have a notebook around). I use Evernote the most, to jot down random paragraphs of reviews or mini to-do / to-read lists.

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When I’m not at my computer or with my phone, I have a notebook available. I used to try to keep my notebooks organised – one journal, one scrapbook, one blogging notebook and one for school work… But everything ends up all over the place. At the moment everything I write down / scrapbook about is in one journal because last year I was using about four notebooks at once. Confuzzling! The GIF on the right is of all of the notebooks I’ve used for writing and blogging over the past year or so.

Probably the biggest and most useful site for me is Goodreads. Hurrah for Goodreads! I do not know how I survived before I signed up: It’s my source (And is for most bloggers!) for synopses, book jackets, publication information… and for tracking my reading. The Goodreads challenge stats come in useful for when I want to clearly see what I’ve been reading so I can choose what to review next.

Another online tool I’ve started using again is Excel. Last year, I attempted to make a spreadsheet of ARCs, so I knew what books to read and review before certain dates. I think I used it for about three months, but it just got abandoned! However, I’m trying it again this year. I don’t receive an overwhelming amount of proofs to the point where I lose track of things; a main reason I’m doing a spreadsheet for 2015 is to try a new skill. ICT was randomly dropped from my curriculum at school, so I’m resorting to teaching myself spreadsheet skillz.

And, of course, I always use PicMonkey to create images! There are so many photo editing and graphic design programs and sites out there, but PicMonkey is pretty much the only one I use. I always go to it when I need to edit photos for posts, and I’ve used the fonts, overlays & effects to create every graphic on this blog – from my header to the occasional infographic.

If you’re a blogger, what’s your favourite way to create and organise? 🙂