Tell Me Why, Mummy: A Little Boy’s Struggle to Survive. A Mother’s Shameful Secret. The Power to Forgive. by David Thomas

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Title: Tell Me Why, Mummy: A Little Boy’s Struggle to Survive. A Mother’s Shameful Secret. The Power to Forgive.

Author: David Thomas

Genre: Memoir

Length: 321 pages

Published: 2007

Publisher: Harper Element

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) 'Most of the time, I thought I had the best mummy in the whole world. But then she'd change...'
A heartbreaking story of abuse, betrayal and ultimate redemption.

From the age of four, David Thomas carried with him the most terrible secret of all-his mother was sexually abusing him every time she got drunk.

When sober, David's mother was the perfect mum, baking cookies and playing games. David adored her. But when drunk she turned into the monster of David's worst nightmares. Half dressed, she'd rampage around the house, accidentally set things on fire and nearly always abuse David. 

Confusingly, when she sobered up, David's mother could never recall anything she'd done. David was completely alone with the daily horror. But things soon became even worse when his stepfather started beating him senseless. 

Locked in a downward spiral of self-loathing, David did anything to try to forget life at home. Even if it meant breaking the law. 

Then, one night, he saw a programme on TV that changed his life. Suddenly he found the strength to turn his back on his past and make his future worth fighting for.

My Review:

I give this book a 3 out of 5. 

OK. So this man's story is heartbreaking. Addiction is horrible. The reason this only gets three stars is that I felt like he was all over the place in relating different aspects of his story, like there wasn't a very good order to the stories he was telling. I wasn't too fond of his writing style, though it was easy to read.

You can purchase Tell Me Why, Mummy: A Little Boy’s Struggle to Survive. A Mother’s Shameful Secret. The Power to Forgive. through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Tell Me Why, Mummy: A Little Boy’s Struggle to Survive. A Mother’s Shameful Secret. The Power to Forgive.? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Monthly Update - October 2014

I struggled a bit with getting through The Alienist, and The Angel of Darkness last month, as they are both exceedingly long books. Between the two of them, the second one was better in my opinion. Both had amazing storylines, but the first one was harder to read, and I felt like I had to really force myself to read it. I should be able to finish The Angel of Darkness in a few days, so look for that review! I also read quite a few of the kindle books I had planned for October last month. So I'll probably be dipping into my November allotment or attempting to really focus on just the books I need to check out of the library. 

Currently Reading: 

• The Angel of Darkness (Book #2) by Caleb Carr
• Tell Me Why, Mummy: A Little Boy’s Struggle to Survive. A Mother’s Shameful Secret. The Power to Forgive. by David Thomas

Coming Up:

• The Complete History of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden
• Shadowland by Peter Straub
• Ghost Story by Peter Straub
• Koko (Book #1) by Peter Straub
• Mystery (Book #2) by Peter Straub
• The Throat (Book #3) by Peter Straub
• From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages by Michael Adams
• Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland by Patricia L. Bryan
• An Agreeable Arrangement by Shirley Marks

Daughter of Mythos by Melissa Drake

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Title: Daughter of Mythos

Author: Melissa Drake
Series: Mythos (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 211 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Createspace

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Fifteen-year-old Nora Salvatore thinks wizards, fairies, dragons, and demons are the stuff of myth, but she is wrong. Nora is thrown head first into a life of magic and chaos after learning of a mysterious legend surrounding her birth and the magical powers she is supposed to possess. When an army of demons from a parallel world plans the eradication of mankind, only she can close the portals and keep the demons at bay. Can she learn to harness her new-found powers in time to stop them?

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

This was a nice, light fantasy tale. While there is an overall threat that must be vanquished, the story is also about a girl learning about her true heritage and growing up a little. There's a nice lesson about how there is no strict evil or good to people - that everyone lives in a grey area and tend to lean one way or another. For a first novel, this was pretty good, and I look forward to future novels from this author.

You can purchase Daughter of Mythos through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Daughter of Mythos? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. by Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon

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Title: Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead.

Author: Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon 

Genre: Horror

Length: 222

Published: 2012

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Imagine being trapped aboard the doomed Titanic on an icy Atlantic. . . with the walking dead. This fast-paced thriller reimagines the historical events of the fateful Titanic voyage through the lens of zombie mayhem. Captain Edward Smith and his inner circle desperately try to contain a weaponized zombie virus smuggled on board with the 2,200 passengers sailing to New York. Faced with an exploding population of lumbering, flesh-hungry undead, Smith's team is forced into bloody hand-to-hand combat down the narrow halls of the huge steamer. In its few short days at sea, the majestic Titanic turns into a Victorian bloodbath, steaming at top speed toward a cold, blue iceberg. A creepy, tense page-turner, Deck Z will thrill zombie fans and Titanic buffs alike.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

This was incredible. A mysterious virus is brought aboard the Titanic, and then released by an agent sent to retrieve the vial. This mysterious virus turns people into flesh-eating zombies. While the captain is below-decks trying to contain the virus and those afflicted, the owner of the liner orders that the ship go full steam ahead for New York. Then, the ultimate tragedy strikes as the ship is unable to avoid an iceberg. 

Lovers of history and zombies will enjoy this alternate history of the Titanic.

You can purchase Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead.? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Ten Days by Olivia Mayfield

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Title: Ten Days

Author: Olivia Mayfield

Genre: Science Fiction, New Adult

Length: 187 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Independent

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Nineteen-year-old Cally isn’t like the others. In her society, the Machine caters to every whim, ensuring people don’t have to leave their pods. But Cally and her best friend Marshal find themselves drawn to how things used to be, when people lived on the surface of the earth and relied upon manpower, not technology. When physical contact wasn’t uncivilized, and love was normal, acceptable, embraced. Cally tries to swallow down her increasing dissatisfaction with the “rules,” as well as her rapidly developing feelings for Marshal, a task getting harder each day.

Then, things start going downhill, fast. Food is spoiled. Air grows musty. The population panics about the dysfunction–is it sabotage? Anarchy? But Cally and Marshal discover the truth: The Machine, the answer to all their problems for longer than anyone can remember, is breaking down. Now, these two have to risk it all to save themselves and the people they care about…before their entire world destroys itself.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Ten Days is based off the short story "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster. Instead of following Kuno, the story instead follows Cally, a young woman who embarks on a journey with her friend, Marshal, to understand why they are different. We do get to meet Kuno, which is a nice touch, and the author did not change his fate. This was a delightful story, and included hints of romance as both Cally and Marshal learn how to interact as the ancients did.

I can no longer find the link on Amazon for this e-book, so I can only assume it's no longer available for purchase. Hopefully it'll be re-released some day, so others can enjoy it.

Have you read Ten Days? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

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Title: The Alienist

Author: Caleb Carr
Series: Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Book #1)

Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Historical Fiction

Length: 599 pages

Published: 1994

Publisher: Bantam Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.

The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before--and will kill again before the hunt is over.

Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

So the plot was excellent. I enjoyed the search for the killer, the use of "new" technology to examine the bodies and the crime scenes, and the use of what we now would call profiling. There were some great little subplots by including political intrigue, sinister crime bosses, and even romance. 

My main issue with the book was that it was slow to develop the story. Things didn't really pick up for awhile and it was hard to get into the book. There were a lot of philosophical type debates that went on and sometimes those would make my eyes glaze over, so I'd find myself having to put the book away for a day or so. Otherwise this was a pretty good read.

You can purchase The Alienist through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Alienist? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Make It Right by Megan Erickson

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Title: Make It Right

Author: Megan Erickson
Series: Bowler University (Book #2)

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Length: 384 pages

Published: September 9th 2014

Publisher: William Morrow Impulse

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Max Payton lives by two rules:Size and strength win any fight, and never show weakness.

When a rash of assaults sends Bowler University for a tail spin, Max volunteers to help teach a self-defense class. One of the other instructors is the beautiful pixie-faced girl he keeps butting heads with…and who challenges everything he thought he knew.

Lea Travers avoids guys like Max - cocky jocks who assume she's fragile because of a disability caused by a childhood accident. She likes to be in control, and something about being with Max makes her feel anything but. But during the moments he lets his guard down, Lea sees a soul as broken inside as she is outside. Trusting him is a whole other problem...

When the assaults ramp up and hit close to home, Lea and Max must learn, before it’s too late, that true strength can come from vulnerability…and giving in to trust is sometimes the only way to make things right.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Max Payton was the "villain" in the first book of this trilogy, Make It Count. So getting to see things from his point of view and learning about why he was such a jerk to Kat and Alec. I loved that the majority of the book was through his eyes, though I did enjoy reading through Lea's eyes. The book itself was light in tone, but the romance was great and the sexual tension was heavy early on. Probably the only negative thing that I could say about it was that as soon as the author introduced the attacks on campus, I knew that either Lea or Max was going to get attacked. But the fact that you couldn't tell until right before it happened WHO was going to get attacked made up for it. Definitely a great book for fans of the emerging New Adult genre.

You can purchase Make It Right through Amazon in Kindle format. The hard copy version releases in October 2014.

Have you read Make It Right? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.