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michelles_book_nook's reviews
252 reviews
Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients by Adam Kay
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
⚠️ CW: miscarriage, rape, sexual assault, homophobia ⚠️ Yet another great non-fiction medical read by Adam Kay! With his stethoscope now hung up, Adam shares more suture-splitting anecdotes from both on and off the wards. From the hilarious to the profoundly moving, from the first days of medical school to life after the NHS. This book had me absolutely hooked just like all of his previous books. I absolutely love the brutally honest and hilarious stories that Adam Kay writes about that give such a perfect portrait of healthcare, including the good, the bad and the ugly. Overall, if you like medical non-fictions and unique views of healthcare in the UK then I highly recommend this book and all of Adam Kay's previous books too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, and Sexual assault
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
⚠️ CW: school shooting, murder, fatphobia, racism, homophobia, ableism, mental illness, child abuse and mentions of paedophilia ⚠️ This book is so hard hitting and had me hooked from the very beginning! Eva never really wanted to be a mother, certainly not the mother of a boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker and a teacher who had tried to befriend him. Now, two years after her son's horrific rampage, Eva comes to terms with her role as Kevin's mother in a series of startlingly direct letters with her absent husband about their son's upbringing. Fearing that her own shortcomings may have shaped what her son has become, she confesses to a deep, long-standing ambivalence about motherhood. This book is so incredibly chilling, heartbreaking and truly makes you consider the nature vs nurture debate. I regularly had to put it down and really think about the psychological side of this story, it was definitely a lot to consider but the characters and plot lived rent free in my head even when I wasn't reading and I think it will stay with me for a long time. I'd previously watched the movie of this but the book is on a whole different level that I can't even explain properly, it's one of those that you just have to read to understand the emotional rollercoaster. Overall, I absolutely adored this book from the way it was written to the hugely thought provoking plot, and I highly recommend reading it but please take the CW's into account because this is a very difficult read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Pedophilia
Conviction by Jack Jordan
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder
After That Night by Karin Slaughter
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
⚠️ CW: drug abuse, rape, infertility, stalking, suicide, misogyny, homophobia, domestic abuse, torture ⚠️ This book was such a dark and emotional rollercoaster but I couldn't stop reading it! Sara doesn't think about that night, about the attack and the man who did it, and the way it tore her world apart. She thought that night was over. Until a new victim appears and now a young woman's life depends on Sara uncovering exactly what happened after that night. This was my first Karin Slaughter read and it definitely won't be my last. As you can tell from the list of CW's this was a very dark and difficult read but it was written so impeccably. One minute I was crying and the next I felt like my heart stopped with the suspense and anticipation. The way Karin Slaughter so perfectly portrayed the life long impacts of rape/assault, especially psychologically, was done so well. I absolutely loved this book and the only reason I dropped it down a star is because the chapters are quite long and a few times I felt like I needed a break mid chapter after reading certain chapter's contents and I'm not a fan of putting a book down mid chapter. Overall, I think this book was incredible and I highly recommend it. It will easily be in my top 10 at the end of the year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, Torture, and Stalking
Moderate: Homophobia
The Pram by Joe Hill
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
⚠️ CW: miscarriage, animal death, murder ⚠️ If you're looking for a book that will give you that eerie sense of dread then this is the short story for you! A husband’s obsessive desire for a child leads to an unexpected manifestation of his yearning in a nightmarish dream. Willy and Marianne’s farmhouse in Maine has acres of meadow and fresh air, and a lonesome bridle path in the forest along which Willy daydreams and ambles. When he’s loaned a decrepit old pram to cart his groceries home, the rickety squeak of the wheels comforts him. And so do the sweet coos of a baby that Willy knows can’t be real, or can it? This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It fills you with such a creepy sense of anticipation that only grows the more you read. The twist was so good and even though you sort of know where the book is going it still gives you goosebumps with the petrifying ending. Overall, I really enjoyed this short story and I highly recommend it for any gorey thriller or horror lovers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Miscarriage, and Murder
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
⚠️ CW: paedophilia, grooming, domestic abuse, narcissism, murder ⚠️ If you're looking for a book that you can't put down then this one is for you! When podcaster Alix Summer and the unassuming Josie Fair meet by chance while celebrating their 45th birthday's at a local pub they don't realise it yet but their lives will never be the same. Yet a few days later they bump into each other again, this time outside Alix's children's school. Josie says she thinks she would be an interesting subject for Alix's podcast. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life. Alix agrees to a trial interview and indeed, Josie's life appears to be strange and complicated. Alix finds her unsettling but can't quite resist the temptation to keep digging. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it Josie has cajoled her way into Alix's life and home. But soon Alix begins to wonder who is Josie Fair really is and what she's capable of. This book had me absolutely hooked! It was so unsettling but I just couldn't stop reading. And just when you think you've figured everything out, you are hit with twist after twist. Even the ending left me reeling and questioning what was the truth. Overall, I absolutely loved this read and highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Murder
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
⚠️ CW: war, murder, death and fatphobia ⚠️ If you love fantasy books that take you on a great adventure then this one is for you! In a quiet village in the Shire, young Frodo is about to receive a gift that will change his life forever. Thought to be lost centuries ago, it is the One Ring, an object of terrifying power once used by the Dark Lord to enslave Middle Earth. Now darkness is rising and Frodo must travel deep into the Dark Lord’s realm to the one place the Ring can be destroyed. The journey will test Frodo’s courage, his friendships and his heart. And as the ring corrupts all who bear it, can Frodo destroy it or will it destroy him? This book encompasses the perfect start to the perilous adventure to Mount Doom for Frodo and his group of travellers. It is slower paced than The Hobbit but builds so well and it's filled with great character development and so much world building and lore. I just love it so much. It will never cease to amaze me how much I love Tolkien's writing and no matter how many times I've read this series I never get tired of it. Overall, if you love fantasy reads then I highly recommend checking out this great classic series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Murder, and War
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
⚠️ CW: war, violence, death and fatphobia ⚠️ If you've never delved into the world Middle Earth and you love a good fantasy then there is no better classic to read than anything by Tolkien. Bilbo Baggins is the last person you'd expect to go on an adventure. He enjoys a quiet, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than his pantry. Until one day a wizard arrives on his doorstep. Accompanied by a band of dwarves, Gandalf, the wizard asks Bilbo to join him on a quest to raid the treasure of the great dragon Smaug. But to reach Smaug's lair under the Lonely Mountain, the adventurers will have to travel into the wild, braving trolls and goblins, ancient magic and fiendish evil. This book, and anything written by Tolkien, will always be a masterpiece in my opinion. From his immense world building, to his incredible character development, to his overall story telling. I love everything about his books. This one is such a great adventure, and even though it is a re-read for me I still couldn't help staying up late and binging it like I did the very first time I read it because it's just so enthralling. Also I love that it has some really powerful undertones and messages. Overall, if you're a fantasy lover then I highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Violence, and War