The Engagements - J. Courtney Sullivan

From the moment I picked up this book I was hooked. It is beautifully written and each chapter is a different character which is a structure I love. The book primarily is all about the concept of marriage and the all important engagement ring. You are transported through time and through different eras, learning about the different attitudes to marriage as well as learning in detail the 5 characters which have been chosen to tell this evolving concept.

As you are reading each chapter, you can tell that J. Courtney Sullivan has conducted an awful lot of research into a variety of areas to enable her to add credence to her notions. I was aware while reading, the passion Sullivan has for her writing and also the subject she had chosen. The characters are lovingly developed and the twists of each story are wonderfully delivered.

However, like most books which are about love and marriage, the story of some of the characters were predictable but this was contradicted brilliantly by the developments that Sullivan had carefully woven into the stories which you did not expect.

Not to be cliché or cheesy but this book had me gasping in shock, laughing out loud and, more importantly, it made me question whether marriage is really as important as it used to be. I guess this is Sullivan’s aim; to draw attention to the evolution of marriage and how future generations may feel about such an old tradition in comparison to what previous generations believed.

As cliché as it is, I could not put the book down and found the entire 379 pages to be an absolute delight. It is a book I will read again and again and would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a pick-me-up.

Although cheesy in places, this book will provide you with information regarding marriage and the production of the diamonds in those all important engagement rings that you never knew before. It will also open your eyes to the other options you have in relation to marriage. Sullivan even dares to go as far as discussing gay marriage which I commend highly and this added a higher level of respect for the up and coming writer.

As previously stated, Sullivan’s writing style is beautiful and will keep you captivated until you suddenly realise the book is about to end. 

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Next book review: "The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton"

The Evil Within - Trevor Marriott

This was one of the first books I bought when my interest in Serial Killers increased whilst at University. With time constraints, I never quite got around to reading it..... until now.

If you are new to the area of Serial Killers then this is a perfect choice as it is the basic overview of some of the most famous serial killers throughout history as well as introducing some other serial killers who are less well known. Trevor Marriott is a retired murder squad detective who appears to have an aim of assessing whether the relevant police forces involved with capturing the killers could have done more in each case. This is certainly the case when he describes The Yorkshire Ripper.

The book is split into countries and Marriott investigates each country in turn. Each country has a number of serial killers and therefore reads like an encyclopaedia. This makes the book easy to put down and return to if you live a busy life. Obviously the USA and the UK have the most pages included as these countries have had more cases of known serial killers.

Marriott writes in a very methodical way and details each case in all of their gruesome details. He describes each killer in minute detail including their childhoods and even continues after they were caught, giving a well rounded view of what happened. It was interesting to learn what happened to them after they were arrested and also the way the court proceedings occurred.

This book got rather tiresome, however, as the way he describes the cases are too methodical and, for me, I needed a bit more regarding the psychological make up of the individual and not just the history. The book is a perfect reference document for those who may be studying criminology and need to know details about a case quickly. However, with my knowledge of certain cases, notably The Moors Murders and others, I noticed that there were some details which were missing which would have been known at the time of writing.

As previously stated, it is an excellent choice when picking a book to introduce you to the interesting and complex area of serial killers and is highly recommended.

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Next book review: "The Engagements - J. Courtney Sullivan"

Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon

This book came free with a magazine and it never really appealed to me as it looked a bit cheesy. Nevertheless, it has sat on my shelf for a few years and so in an attempt to clear out a bit, I have read it.

The book focuses on two main characters: Grace Alexander and Julian of Macedon and their love story. Julian is an ancient Greek Spartan general who has been trapped in a book as punishment for crimes that seem to take forever to be exposed. Grace and her friend unleash him where he is supposed to pleasure Grace for a month (cheesy right?). I felt the plot was a little unbelievable to begin with as it has voodoo magic in it. However, Kenyon redeems herself slightly by including a vast amount of knowledge regarding ancient Greece and the Greek Gods.

I found the writing style to be easy and it did keep me reading when I should have been going to sleep. However, the constant description of sex got a little annoying after a time. Kenyon does develop the characters very well and you understand completely Julian’s frustrations and Grace’s apprehension. There were points where my heart was aching for Grace and the things that happen to her.

Although Kenyon demonstrates good knowledge regarding the Gods, I did feel like she slightly changed how they would be behaving in the situations but it was only a slight irritation. I think what may put a person off this book is the way it sounds like a mushy love story of the typical variety. Although there are mushy and romantic points, this book also provides some insight into Ancient Greece if this was not known before.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a romantic tale with a historic twist.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading my review

Next book review: "The Evil Within - Trevor Marriott"

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

 

This book has been on my shelf for years as I just haven't be able to motivate myself to read it. With my self assigned deadline for publishing my review, I decided that now would be as a good a time as any to force myself to read it. I have to confess that I found it really hard to read. I have read a couple of Dickens' before and always find that his descriptive is to intense for me. I like my books to be fast paced and interesting. Unfortunately, I get bored easily with any Dickens' books as he does like to describe everything in minute detail. People may like that sort of detail but I do not and I feel as if the plot gets lost. Now you may be thinking: "Why read it in the first place?" Well....... I like to branch out every now and again and stretch myself.  

One thing I always find with Dickens is that he develops his characters completely and I felt like I knew them as he had described them so well. The plot has all the intricate details you would expect and the comparison between London and Paris is immense. His story is one that has been seen through many different sources, a love story entangled with revolution and political issues. But the level of description within the book gives this particular story an edge. In addition, the book can be seen as a historical tool as it provides information on the French monarchy and the French Revolution.  It also ties in well with Dumas' Three Musketeers and even Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.

All in all, the plot was very good and the characters sublime. The only issue I had was the general issue with Dickens' writing style and descriptive. I would still recommend this book to anyone who wishes to try it as it is an easier Dickens' read than some of his other works and a great way to be introduced to the classics.  

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Next book review: "Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon"

The Suspect - Michael Robotham

I was given this book by my colleague at work who knew I had an interest in psychology so naturally I had to give it a try. The beginning of the book is enthralling and I was hooked instantly. The story follows a murder case and we follow the persona of Joseph O'Loughlin who is a psychologist assisting the police with their enquires. At first you don't learn much about him even though we have a first person view. There are secrets which kept me reading wishing to know more. As the book continues, you meet many characters and learn more as the book progresses but as you learn more there is still more you do not know. The characters are developed slowly and therefore provides a richer knowledge of each character which makes it harder when you discover who was the murderer.

I did find that the chapters were a little disjointed in the beginning as Robotham introduces new characters. Even though this is somewhat frustrating you do find that as you get pulled into different directions you as the reader are investigating each character. I found myself assessing which characters could have committed the murder and which ones I could discount. Joseph O'Loughlin does make his mind up pretty quickly and I felt as though this happened too fast, making the book slightly uncomfortable in a way in which I felt as though things are going to go wrong. However, I was desperate to know who had committed the crime but equally desperate for it to be a character I had not met yet.

There were parts of the book where I felt it were dragging slightly making me slightly frustrated and wanting to know who had committed the murder. I'm not the most patient person so that may just have been me. However, once you know who the murderer is you are desperate for that person to get caught. There are a few twists which you can spot coming but yet when they do you are still shocked which makes this book very hard to put down. The ending is fantastic and is as enthralling as the beginning of the book with a twist you do not expect making the ending unique. The book ends as it begins and left me wanting so much more. I was left with a disappointment that the book was finished as it was fantastic and I immediately looked up other books by the same author.

In conclusion, although Robatham's style is a little disjointed, I found this book absolutely fantastic and I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes their crime thrillers or anyone who likes a good book. I feel like it appeals to a variety of audiences and provides something for everyone.

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Thank you for reading my review.

Next book review: "The Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens"

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

With my interest in Psychology, it would be a crime if I did not read the most famous self help book in the business. I have to be honest here ... I picked up this book over a year ago and have only just finished reading it. It is a book that you can dip in and out of but I found that most of the "principles" were common sense. However, it is always nice to have a reminder of the ways in which you can deal with different personalities. 

I guess the main reason that I stopped reading it for a while was because of the other fantastic books I had on my shelf to read which grabbed my attention more than this book. Initially, you are told how to get the most out of the book which is great but they are a little outdated in our modern world and if you follow them it makes the book feel like a chore and, therefore, hard to enjoy. However, this does not mean that the principles are not important or that they cannot be used today. In fact as I was reading them, I could already see times that they could be used and when I had used them previously. 

However, the biggest flaw in the book is that the principles are basic common sense and I felt like I wasn't learning anything new which is what most people look for in a self-help book. It must be taken into consideration the fact that the book was written in 1953 and was probably revolutionary at that time. Nowadays, I believe these are things we have incorporated into our society which renders the book outdated. 

The anecdotes used by Dale Carnegie are an excellent way of captivating the reader and provide examples of the principles in action. The way they are written makes you feel like you were there listening in. Unfortunately, Carnegie uses a lot of references to the American Presidents which can get annoying and makes it feel like he did not have any other examples to hand. 

Overall, the book provides some good principles which you can use in everyday life when mixing with different people. However, it may take some time to get through the book as the principles are common sense and that makes it harder to read continuously. 

What are you thoughts?
Thank you for reading my review.

Next review: "The Suspect - Michael Robotham"

Face to Face With Evil - Dr Chris Cowley

                            no copyright intended

I know as my first post this may seem a tad heavy going but I had very strong opinions about how this book came across.

I bought this book because I believed it would provide some insights into the "Moors Murders" which is an interest of mine. I hoped it would explain more regarding Ian Brady's mental state and provide some insights into the motivations behind the horrendous events. It certainly provided some insight from a psychological and criminological point of view. Dr Chris Cowley covers many serial killers in the book, using them to provide some knowledge to apply to Brady. He also includes conversations he had with Brady regarding some of the other killers he has met in prison. It is very interesting but I did expect more conversations regarding the murders and Brady's reasoning behind them.

As previously stated, there is a considerable amount of psychology and criminology in the book which includes how the investigators use criminal profiling. If this is an interest of yours it is a very good book to read to get a basic understanding of the processes used. However, if you are interested in the "Moors Murders" themselves, the book does not really cover Brady's viewpoint on them which I believe makes the book a little misleading. However, it should be noted that Brady no longer discuss this with anyone as stressed by Dr Cowley at the end of the book. 

Dr Chris Cowley writes in a way which captivates any person interested in this area and incorporates his conversations and communications with Brady in a well thought out manner. It is very easy to understand the message he is trying to present but I feel like it needed something more. 

One of the biggest problems that I found made it hard to enjoy was the constant attempt to portray Ashworth Hospital as an institution that was unacceptable. It felt like Dr Cowley was attempting to provoke pity and feelings of sorry for Brady to be in an institution that was so invasive to its patients. Although Ashworth may have its issues, I found it incredibly hard to feel sorry for Brady after the crimes he has committed which is noted by Cowley later on. I felt annoyed by the way Cowley seemed to be surprised that Brady was under such scrutiny and the security he had to go through to visit him. Ashworth is full of patients who may cause harm to others if in the public society. Therefore it comes with no surprise that the security described by Cowley exists. 

Overall, the book is interesting in regards to the criminological processes and the merits of each one used. Cowley provides readers with a comprehensive overview of each process and delivers extensive analysis regarding the conclusiveness and reliableness of the evidence obtained. I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in serial killers or who is studying psychology or criminology. However, there are better books regarding serial killers if you have not read anything on the subject before. I believe it does help to have some understanding of the "Moors Murders" before picking up this book. 

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading my review. 

Next book review: "How to win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie"