Tag Archives: Trauma

My Top 10 Favourite NonFiction Read in 2019!

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This week so far I’ve posted my Top fiction books of the year posts (Counting down from 40 to 21, and the Top 20!) and so today it’s time for my favourite nonfiction reads of 2019! I read 91 nonfiction books in 2019 and these are the top 10 books that have stayed with me!

Click on the book titles if you’d like to read my review 🙂

I Carried a Watermelon: Dirty Dancing and Me by Katy Brand

Meditation for Children by Shelley Wilson

The Dark Side of the Mind by Kerry Daynes

Dopesick by Beth Macy

Trauma by Gordon Turnbull

The Point of Poetry by Joe Nutt

Breaking and Mending by Joanna Cannon

Becoming by Michelle Obama

After the Eclipse by Sarah Perry

The Five: The Untold Stories of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

My Year in Non-Fiction! #NonFicNov

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I’m taking part as Non-Fiction November again and this year there is a weekly prompt set by a different blogger each week. This week the prompt as been chosen by Julie at Julz Reads and it’s all about looking back over the non-fiction we’ve read this year.

Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favourite nonfiction read of the year? Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

 

So far since the 1st January this year I’ve read 302 books and only 68 of them have been non-fiction, which I’m disappointed by. I love non-fiction and it usually makes up around a third of my reading. Hopefully Non-Fiction November will help me focus on non-fiction for the most part this month!

 

Thinking back over 2019 I thought I’d been most drawn to true crime but when I look through my year of reading on Goodreads it seems I’ve read more medical-related books. I’ve very much enjoyed most of the non-fiction that I’ve read this year.

 

 

I think the two books that have had the most impact on me this year have been Trauma by Dr Gordon Turnbull and After the Eclipse by Sarah Perry. Trauma because it was a history of how PTSD came to be recognised as a medical condition and how the treatment has evolved over the years. The author takes us back through cases that he has worked on and it’s fascinating. I suffered with PTSD for many years so this was of particular interest to me but I really do think it’s a book everyone would find very interesting. After the Eclipse is written by a woman whose mother was murdered when she was in the house and just a young teenager at the time. It really shows the love and the mixed up emotions around such a traumatic event at a young age but it also was an important reminder to me that in all the true crime documentaries we watch and read about that there is a victim and loved ones of that victim. It really humanises and shows the other side of a murder case. These are the two books that I would most recommend of my non-fiction reading this year.

 

I’m hoping that Non-Fiction November will help me focus more on non-fiction for a few weeks but also that it will allow me to get to some non-fiction that I’ve been putting off for one reason or another. I have such a huge stack of non-fiction books on my TBR and I’m so excited to read all of those books.

That Was The Month That Was… February 2019!

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I can’t believe that February is already over… where is 2019 going?!

I got a new MacBook this month and it’s fab. My old MacBook was nearly seven years old and while it was still going okay the screen wasn’t helping my eyes. The Retina display on this new Mac is fabulous and much easier to look at. I’m also finding the new butterly keyboard easier to type on so while I do still use voice software a lot I’m hoping that easier typing might mean I can continue blogging when WordPress forces me to use the update that I’ve so far had to avoid.

I’m mortified to discover that WordPress wasn’t running right on my old MacBook and I now see that I’ve had a lot of lovely comments on my blog over the last few months that I hadn’t seen before. There’s no way I can catch up with them all but I will make sure to read them and will reply where I can manage to. Hopefully things will run smoothly now and I can reply to comments as they arrive. Thanks so much to all of you who’ve commented on any of my posts, I can only apologise for not replying to them.

 

Here are the 21 that books I read in January:

Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami

This was a fab short story that I got for my birthday in January and I loved it. It reminded me why I love Murakami’s writing and has made me want to pick up the novels of his that I so far haven’t read.

The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton

This was an interesting insight into how criminal psychology came to be used more in modern policing in this country. It’s one man’s story and look back over the cases he’s worked on.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox

This was a great read, so fast-paced and twisty. I hope to get a review written and posted before too much longer.

Trauma by Dr. Gordon Turnbull

This book is fascinating and I’m so glad I read it. It’s a look at how PTSD came to be a diagnosis in this country, and how the treatment of the condition has changed over the years. I definitely recommend this one!

East of England by Eamonn Griffin

I loved this book. It was so different to my normal kind of read but I very much enjoyed it. I’ve already reviewed this one so click the book title above if you’d like to know more.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

I part listened and part read this book and I found it so interesting. It’s a doorstop of a book but I seemed to get through it in no time as it’s really engaging.

All the Little Lies by Chris Curran

I loved this book too and as I’ve already reviewed it you can find out more about if you click the title above.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

This book is brilliant and I already feel sure it’ll be in my best books of this year! I reviewed it this week so click the title above if you’d like to know more.

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

I can’t believe I’d never read this book before as I really enjoy Gaskell’s writing, but better late than never as I loved it.

Manhunt by Colin Sutton

I picked this book after recently watching the TV adaptation. I found it interesting but it wasn’t quite as interesting as I’d hoped it would be.

Don’t Turn Around by Amanda Brooke

This was such a gripping read, I found it hard to put down. Hopefully I’ll get a review posted on here soon.

My Last Lie by Ella Drummond

This was another great read in February! I’ve reviewed this one so click on the title if you want to know more.

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks

I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped. I spotted all the twists early on but the writing was still great and that’s what kept me reading.

The One by John Marrs

I part read and part listened to this book and it was an okay read. I was expecting a bit more but at the same time I found it hard to put down so it definitely kept me engaged all the way through.

The Girl Next Door by Phoebe Morgan

This was such a good read. I listened to the audio book and it was one of those reads that made me begrudge real life interfering with me book listening time!

The Bridal Party by J. G. Murray

I really enjoyed this book! It was another book that was hard to put down and I love that it all turned out differently than I was expecting.

 

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

This book was so good! It was gripping from start to finish and was also a much more emotional read than I was expecting. I loved it and will definitely review it soon.

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah David-Goff

This isn’t my usual kind of read but I loved it. It had so much depth to it and made me think, I really enjoyed it.

Are You The F**king Doctor? by Dr. Liam Farrell

This was another good read. It was funny and engaging and witty, I recommend it!

‘Kill The Black One First’ by Michael Fuller

I listened to this on audio and found it so interesting. It was shocking to read of the author’s experiences in the police force as a young black man but inspiring to see how he dealt with it and overcame it. The audio is narrated by the author too, which is always great with a memoir. I definitely recommend this one!

The Golden Child by Wendy James

I’ve had this ARC on my TBR for a few months now and finally picked it up yesterday. I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting, it’s such a good read!

 

January Blog Posts & Reviews:

I blogged 14 times in February which I’m happy with. Only six of those posts were reviews though which I need to improve on as I’m reading a lot and just haven’t been managing to get reviews written and posted. I think my new MacBook will help with that as it’s easier for me to use, and faster. Anyway, here are my blog posts and reviews from February…

That Was The Month That Was… January 2019

Stacking the Shelves (2 Feb)

This Week in Books (6 Feb)

Review of Senseless by Anna Lickley

Review of East of England by Eamonn Griffin

This Week in Books (13 Feb)

Review of All the Little Lies by Chris Curran

Stacking the Shelves (16 Feb)

Review of My Last Lie by Ella Drummond

This Week in Books (20 Feb)

Stacking the Shelves (23 Feb)

Review of Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

This Week in Books (27 Feb)

Review of Waco: A Survivor’s Story by David Thidebeau

 

The state of my TBR:

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Well my TBR has got a little bit out of control during February. My plan to reduce it by 200 books from the total at the start of the year to the total at the end as gone a bit awry. To be on target my TBR should now be down to 2407 owned books but it’s actually at 2482! Oops! In fairness though I am part-way through having a book sort out so I think there will be some books going to the charity shop that I no longer want to read. Other than I just need to keep reading, and perhaps be a bit better at not buying all of the books at once! Haha!

 

 

How was your February? I hope you all had a good month and that you read lots of good books. Did you read many books? What was your favourite book of the month? Please tell me in the comments, I’d love to know. Also, if you have a blog please feel free to leave a link to your month’s wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to read and comment back. 🙂

 

This Week in Books (6 Feb 2019)! What are you reading this week?

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

Now

All The Little Lies by Chris Curran

I’ve read and enjoyed previous novels by Chris Curran so I was excited to read this one and I’m so pleased to say that I’m really enjoying it.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

I’ve had the audio book of this for a while and discovered the ebook on Kindle Unlimited so I’m part-reading and part-listening to this one. It’s such an interesting book, I’m really glad I picked it up.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

I love Sophie Kinsella’s writing so I was delighted to be picked to read this one on Pigeonhole. It’s such a fun read but I’m struggling to read on a phone screen so may have to put this down until I buy a print copy.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

I haven’t read much of this over the last week but I am still keen to learn more about these cases and will be getting back to this one in the coming week.

 

Then

Trauma: From Lockerbie to 7/7: How Trauma Affects Our Minds And How We Fight Back by Gordon Turnbull

This book was such a fascinating read and I very much enjoyed it. It’s basically a history of PTSD and a really in-depth look at the condition. I’ve suffered with PTSD for years so was keen to read this, and I learnt so much. It’s a really accessible book so I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the subject.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox

This book was really good. I particularly loved the two main characters and am definitely going to be looking out for the earlier books in this series so I can learn more about them. I will be reviewing this one soon.

The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton

This book got recommended to me and I bought it right away and have been reading it for most of the last week. It’s a look at how a psychologist came to help solve some of the biggest crimes in the UK over the last thirty or so years. It was uncomfortable reading at times, especially reading about Colin Stagg and how he came to be charged with killing Rachel Nickell when he was innocent. Overall, it’s a really interesting look at forensic psychology.

Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami

My husband bought me this for my birthday last week and I loved reading it. It’s a delightful short story that really leaves you thinking by the end. I think this will be a story that I re-read in the future.

Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell

I read this in one sitting, it grabbed me from the prologue and kept me hooked all the way through. I’ve already reviewed this so you can find my full thoughts here if you’d like to know more.

 

Next

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

I’ve been so eager to read this one and it feels like it’s finally close enough to publication that I can pick it up. I’m planning to start it on a quiet afternoon as I feel like it’s going to be difficult to put this one down once I start reading!

My Last Lie by Ella Drummond

This is another book I’ve been looking forward to and as I’m now on the blog tour later this month I’m hoping to pick it up this week.

The Bridal Party by J. G. Murray

This book sounds so good, and another one that I think will be hard to put down so I’m looking forward to getting lost in this one!

 

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

This Week in Books (30 Jan 19)! What are you reading this week?

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

Now

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

I love Sophie Kinsella’s writing so was delighted when I was picked to read this new book on PigeonHole over the next few days. I read the first part yesterday and loved it so I’m excited to read more very soon!

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

My husband and I binge-watched the Netflix series of this over the weekend and I immediately wanted to know more so I bought the book. I’m about half-way through it now and finding it fascinating and utterly shocking.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox

I’m back reading this book now after a break due to needing to read something more comforting. I’m keen to find out how this book is going to turn out!

Trauma: From Lockerbie to 7/7: How Trauma Affects Our Minds And How We Fight Back by Gordon Turnbull

I’m also back reading this book and think I’ll probably finish it in the next day or two. It’s such a fascinating  look at PTSD and one that I know I’ll be thinking about for some time to come.

 

Then

Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey

I’m not sure what I feel about this book – I was sent it for review because I like thrillers but it wasn’t really what I expected it to be. I did read it quite quickly so it held my attention but I don’t know whether I enjoyed it or not. I shall ponder on it some more before I write a review.

The Cactus by Sarah Hayward

I’ve had a gorgeous hardback copy of this book on my TBR for around a year now but I finally picked it up a few days ago and read it in one sitting! It’s such a gorgeous book – it made me laugh and it made me cry. I know this is a book that will stay with me.

The Six Loves of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

I very much enjoyed this novel, it’s so honest and moving and beautifully written. I’ve already reviewed this earlier this week so you can find my full review here if you’d like to know more.

Tilly and the Book Wanderers: Pages and Co. #1 by Anna James

I saved this book to read on a day last week that I knew I’d be feeling in need of a comfort read and this book was everything I needed it to be and more. I adored it! It’s made me dig out my copy of A Little Princess to re-read it. I already can’t wait for the next book in the Pages & Co. series!

Senseless by Anna Lickley

I really enjoyed this novel. The representation of disability was done really well without it being the sole focus of the book. I’ll be reviewing this one for the blog tour in a couple of weeks time.

A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment by John Preston

I’ve had the audio book on my TBR for a year or two but I finally listened to it over the last week and found it such a fascinating book. I already knew about what happened but it was good to learn more of the details.

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Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

I received this book for Christmas and picked it up a few days ago and found it really helpful. It made me think about my own use of social media and the impact it has on my mood. I recommend this one, especially if you suffer from anxiety.

 

Next

All the Little Lies by Chris Curran

I had wanted to read this novel over the last week but I didn’t manage to pick it up so it’s on my TBR for the coming week. I’m really looking forward to getting to this one.

Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book and am just in the mood to read it so I hope to get to it in the coming days.

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff

I was lucky to receive a surprise ARC of this book in the post and it sounds like a different book to my normal reads but it’s piqued my interest and I’d like to read it very soon.

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

 

 

This Week in Books (23 Jan 2019)! What are you reading at the moment?

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

Now

Tilly and the BookWanderers: Pages and Co. #1 by Anna James

I got this book for Christmas and I saved it to read this week when I knew I would want a comforting read. This is such a perfect book, I adore it!

Senseless by Anna Lickley

I’m really enjoying this book, there is real honesty about living with disability in various forms but above all it’s a really good novel. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox

This is such a good read too. I had to put it down for a couple of days as I needed a quieter kind of read but I’ll be picking it back up in the next day or so.

Trauma: From Lockerbie to 7/7: How Trauma Affects Our Minds And How We Fight Back by Gordon Turnbull

I haven’t read any more of this book this week as it wasn’t the right time for me but I will definitely be getting back to it very soon.

 

Then

Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron

I loved Normal by this author so have been wanting to read Dead Girls and finally listened to the audio book this week. It didn’t quite live up to the first book for me but it was still a really good read.

Diversify by June Sarpong

I also listened to this on audio this week and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Some parts were good and struck a chord with me but others didn’t.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hugo by Stuart Turton

I have been wanting to read this since it first came out and I’m so glad I finally got to read it. It’s a definite five star read and I loved it!

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

I’ve had this on my TBR for such  a long time and something kept putting me off picking it up. It caught my eye this week though and I think I read it at just the right time as I got more out of it than I was expecting to.

Bring Me Back by BA Paris

I’m afraid I didn’t really get on with this book. There was enough in it to keep me listening to the audio book but it wasn’t as good as The Breakdown.

Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce

This book is wonderful, I loved every minute that I spent reading it!

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

This was another one sitting book, I was gripped all the way through!

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

I loved this book too. It’s one that keeps coming into my head, it’s not letting go of me which is always the sign of a good book.

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

I finished this book this week and enjoyed it. My full review is here.

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

This is my favourite of Fiona Barton’s novels to date, it was so good! I’ve reviewed it today so you should be able to find it if you’d like to know more.

 

Next

The Six Love of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

I was hoping to read this book this week but it wasn’t the right time for what seemed like could be an emotional read so I’m going to pick it up this coming week instead and I’m looking forward to it.

East of England by Eamonn Griffin

I’m on the blog tour for this next month so am hoping to pick it up this week.

All the Little Lies by Chris Curran

I love Chris Curran’s writing so I’m delighted to have an ARC of her latest book and really want to read it asap!

Louis and Louise by Julie Cohen

I’ve seen some fab reviews of this on the blog tour this week so when I realised I had an ARC from NetGalley on my Kindle I knew I had to pick it up as soon as I can.

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂