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"Just The Way You Are" by Beth Moran
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Hardback
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If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll know that I start them all off in the same way - by saying that every book starts off with the full boat-load of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they'll all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about taking off stars but that I always give my reasons for doing so within the review. There has also been one book so far with a magic little sentence right at the back that made me rapidly replace the only star I'd knocked off and I'm always hopeful that I'll see that sentence again if necessary. Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we? My Kindle is saying that it'll take me 7 hours and 12 minutes to finish it, so in theory at least, I'll have finished it by tomorrow lunchtime, right? We shall have to wait and see! I'm up to chapter 4 and there has already been a trademark infringement so we're already down to 4 stars... I'm really hoping that that's the only lost star 'cos this is a great book so far! I'm up to chapter 6 now and I'm loving this book so far... it's another one of those books that I'm really hoping has that magic sentence at the back 'cos it sooo deserves 5 stars so far, if only it hadn't been for that early Trademark infringement right at the start. It's almost time for my nightly pills, but I can't wait to get my nose stuck back into it tomorrow morning! This review is faaaar too long so I'm just gonna comment on significant things now to keep it that bit shorter. I'm up to page 102 now and I'm loving it so far! There have been a few more trademark mentions but I've already knocked a star off for that, so we're still safely at 4 stars. Has the ice-maiden librarian started to melt ever so slightly? Is there the merest hint that maybe, just maybe, there might be a different/new/ additional job appearing before the end of the book? Page 158 and I've just got to the high-stakes middle of the book, just before I head to bed again lol Currently at page 188 and I had similar experiences the first time I went camping too... although thankfully not with a dog or where it wasn't safe lol That diagnosis came out of nowhere! No spoilers, but I think the main character is gonna be the best friend to the mum and kid... I think she is gonna be the stability and support they've both needed for a loooong time. There's 109 pages left to go and my heart is ready to burst with fuzziness after reading that chapter! 99 pages to go tomorrow and I've just read a bit more about Ebaneezer (or however you spell his name)... is this going the way I'm thinking it will? That chapter was just what I needed to read after today! I've got 86 more pages left to read tomorrow and if they are anything like the other pages so far, they will be like curling up under a warm blanket with the heating at just the right temperature after a long soak in a lavendar-scented bubble bath. I'd forgotten what the main character's mum was like but that chapter has reminded me. Nooo!! Has the main character made totally the wrong decision? Or was it the right one, for the time being at least? Wowsers! That chapter was pretty intense and I'm glad I didn't get any phone calls while I was reading it otherwise the caller might have been concerned about my wobbly voice lol I'll be in tears before the end of this book, I can tell that already lol The tears are being desperately gulped back now and I'm semi-confidently predicting that I will at least be snivelling if not full-on wailing in 16 pages time. I've just finished the book and I hope no-one phones or worse, comes to the door while I'm this snivelling, overjoyed, emotional wreck!
"Sick Notes: True Stories from the GP's Surgery" by Dr Tony Copperfield
 out of 5
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that the first paragraph is always the same: every book starts off with the full 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly welded in place by the time I close the back cover. I'm not shy about removing stars, but I always give my reasons for taking them off within the review. I've also put a star back on to a book thanks to a magic little sentence right at the back. I'm a very nosey parker especially with medical things, but don't like gross things - especially vomit. It's not enough to remove a star usually, but it doesn't put me in a positive frame of mind for the rest of the book. Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we? I'm 12% of the way through and there have been some very minor mentions of Trademarked items, which would usually get me knocking off a star, but having the brand names adds to the sarcastic humour that's been put in so far, so the star stays, but it's very wobbly right now. Up to 34% now and my cuppa is stone cold which is always the sign of a good book for me and it's been a while since I last had a cold cuppa and it's still just as good cold as it is hot! So far so good with this book - a few more Trademarked things but like I said up there ^^ it would lose the sarcastic humor if the things were described as opposed to named. Ah-ha! The nod to the biscuit manufacturer at 39% has cemented the fifth star firmly in place. The same just needs to happen for the cars and bingo - no more wobbly stars! Up to 57% now so it's time for my last two pills of the day before heading up to beddy-byes. This is an awesome book and I can't wait for tomorrow! There haven't been any spectacularly gross bits yet, thankfully, which means that I've just jinxed it now lol Oooh! I didn't realise that there was a financial value that had to be declared on gifts! I'm glad I haven't gone over that limit then, but "a week in Barbados" is a bit of a stretch, so I think I'll stick to the chocolates from now on lol This book is definitely up there with the best of the ones I've read so far... and nothing too gross yet either, which is a huuuge relief! I'm up to 70% now and I'm still loving every word - especially as there hasn't been anything too gross yet. And the first star is coming off at 83% with the talk of a brand name smartphone. I've been more patient with this author and book than I usually am, but we are now down to 4 stars for Trademark usage potentially without permission... I'm pleading with any deity listening for that magical sentence to be there right at the end of this book, but we shall have to wait and see. Just finished reading and it's definitely up there with my favourite recent books, especially because, thankfully, there wasn't anything too gross in it so it should definitely have been a 5 star book, but because of that missing magic sentence, it's heartbreakingly only four. A definite must-read though!
"Diary of an On-call Girl" by EE BloggsIf you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know this first paragraph is always me saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full load of 5 stars and that I'm always hopeful they will all still be firmly rooted in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but I always give my reasons for doing so. The final point I always make in the first paragraph is that I've replaced a star on one of the books I've reviewed, thanks to a magic little sentence right at the back and I'm more than willing to do it again, but only if that magic sentence is there. There's only a couple of hours to go before I hit the sack, so we'll see how far we get with the reading and reviewing of this book in that time. I'd love for the chapters to be self-contained so that I'm not totally lost when I pick the book up again, but we'll have to wait and see. Oooh! This could be fun! It sounds like my kinda humour which might even get more than a raised eyebrow or little tiny hint of a smile out of me... that's a hard target to hit so I hope the author is prepared! Oh yes, I haven't laughed yet but the corners of my mouth have started to move upwards ever so slightly and I've only read one chapter so far... if it keeps going like this, it'll be a rare read-again book for me! That's the second chapter read and I'm still smiling which is more than most books achieve! I'm at 22% and I've just finished chapter 3, but it's bedtime for me now. Can't wait to get stuck in again in the morning though! That chapter was a difficult read, purely for personal reasons that I don't want to go into pubicly. Let's hope the next chapter isn't as intense. I've been in a similar situation to one of the Mops in that chapter too and I just wanted the same thing... didn't get to see the police about it though. This is a great book, but unfortunately the first star is coming off because of the use of an old police television programme. I really hope that's the only one though! Poor Meryl... she must have been scared witless! Aaaand it's finished perfectly. It's one of those books that coulda and shoulda been a 5 star if not for the same issue as the vast majority of books that I read and review. Definitely worth a read if you're a nosey-parker like me :-)
"The Doctor Will See You Now: The Junior Doctor's Back in Hospital" by Max Pemberton
Kindle
Audiobook
Paperback
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that I start each of them in the same way: every book starts off with the full surgery-load of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly stuck in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but I always give my reasons for each removal - they don't just vanish into thin air. In a single book I've replaced a star thanks to a magic little sentence at the back of the book and I'm more than willing to do it again as long as that sentence is there. Let's get cracking with the reading and reviewing shall we? Oh dear, a popular breakfast cereal is named on the second page so the star is already wobbly and I've only just started the first chapter! The first chapter was good - threw me right into the thick of things. I hope this book has self-contained chapters so that I don't have to re-read the previous chapter after meals or overnight! Oh dear, another trademarked product mentioned in the second chapter so the first star is coming off already, unfortunately. The second chapter was pretty much self-contained so I hope all of them are like that. I've just read page 78 (the last page of chapter 4) and based purely on what it said earlier on in the book, my jaw has just hit the floor! Well that was a erm... different chapter to read lol I'm up to page 99 and the corners of my mouth are starting to move upwards ever so slightly... a must read - just be careful of some chapters around the time you eat lol Ooh! The end of chapter 7 came out of nowhere! I'm about half way through the book now and the last chapter was a bit of a rollercoaster but the author handled it really well! Up to page 175 and I'm gonna stop reading for the day now... I'm loving it so far though and nothing too gory (yet!) either, which is a relief. Oooh! That chapter has made me think that maybe something not very nice is about to hit the fan! It's amazing what good doctors do for the patients when they've officially stopped working and especially when it's so simple and the patient is waiting to die anyway... That chapter had me feeling a whole load of different things very quickly and in only a single chapter... the author has definitely got talent! I've got exactly 100 pages left to read... will I be sobbing my heart out or grinning wildly by the time I close the back cover? My heart broke for that poor patient as I was treated the same by my previous GP for something else and as soon as he saw the mental illness diagnosis, suddenly everything was psychosomatic. There are only 70 pages left to read after I've had my lunch and I can't wait to escape for the rest of today back into this amazing book. *That's* one of the reasons I could never be a medical bod and one of the reasons I've never left the UK lol What a way to finish the book! The magic sentence wasn't there so it's a 4 star book that so easily could and should have been 5 stars, but if you're a nosey-parker like me, get this book bought and read!
"Where Does it Hurt?: What the Junior Doctor did next" by Max Pemberton
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll know that you can safely skip this first paragraph 'cos I start 'em all off in the same way and that is by saying that every book starts off with the full wardful of stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars, but that I always give my reasons for doing so - stars don't just magically disappear for no reason. The usual reason for me removing a star from a should-be-5-star book is the use of copyrighted or trademarked things within the book which is what happened to this author's previous book. I've thankfully been able to replace a star on one book thanks to a little sentence right at the back of the book and I'm always hopeful that it'll happen again. Let's get on with the review shall we? Eeewwww! That first page was gross, but not in a hospital or things spewing out of every orifice on a ward kinda gross! The first chapter threw me straight into the thick of things and was pretty gross, so I'm thinking I won't be reading it around mealtimes otherwise I may revisit meals lol The second chapter was... what's the word... what I'd been expecting from the patients but I'm also hopeful about one of them too - will she be one of Max's 5%? I certainly hope so! I'm gonna risk reading one more chapter before lunch and hope beyond hope that it's not too gross. I've been more lenient than normal with trademarks so far, but there has been at least one in every chapter so the first star is, unfortunately, coming off. Will it be the only one? I really seriously hope so. Chapter 3 was a surprising relief and I can see why the ward round came to the decision that they did for the last patient of the chapter... sometimes being cured isn't in the best interests of the patient after all. Oooh! Chapter 5 came out of nowhere but I'm relieved that it happened when it did! I'm now at chapter 8 which is 50% and I used to feel the same way as Max because it felt like everyone I knew was into that scene but I never have, and after reading that chapter, I never want to any more either. Up to chapter 10 now and it's almost time for me to head off to beddy-byes but I'm hoping I'll be able to finish this book and therefore this review tomorrow. So far so good though and if you're a nosey-parker like me, then I reckon you should get this book added to your basket... just make sure you've got a strong stomach in a few places! Wowsers! Another intense chapter and one not to read around the time you eat! lol The end of chapter 12 managed to raise a rare smile, but I'm itching again now too lol My heart is melting now... there are good people out there after all, it just takes a bit of time and patience and a smidgen of luck for them to appear when they are most needed. Chapter 14 has made me quite emotional... I'm not in tears just yet, but I'm not that far off either, so I'm gonna leave off reading the last chapter or two until I've had my lunch and I'm alone for the rest of the day so that I can sob my heart out without risking someone coming to the door lol What a great way to end a great book. It's another one of those "shoulda been 5 stars" books though.
"48 Laws of Confidence: Don't be Insecure" by Ricky St. Julien II
out of 5
If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll prolly already know that I start them all off by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full shed-load of 5 stars and that I'm always hopefully that they'll still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. You'll also know that I'm not shy about knocking stars off if I feel it's necessary, but I always give my reasons for doing so within the review. There has been one book that has had a magic little sentence right at the back that made me put a star back on and I've been hopeful that it'll happen again each time I've removed a star. My confidence is through the floor at the best of times so I'm hoping that this book will help me to start to re-build that confidence back up. Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we? I've read the first law and while it was great to read, it needs to go through an edit on the Kindle 'cos there are numbers and a capital N mid-way through a paragraph rather than at the start of it as well as all kinds of numbers all over the place that are weirdly placed 'cos they are out of sequence in the lists and the page numbers are part of the way through pages instead of at the bottom. It's not enough for me to take a star off, but the first star is significantly wobbly already and I'm only 5% of the way through the book! I'm at 7% and it could definitely have done with at least a look-through, or ideally a read-through of every page 'cos the first letter of the paragraph is out of place again and the heading is on a different page to the contents, which is very confusing for me at least. I hope the author still has confidence when he realises that his hard work has already dropped a star at less than 10% of the way through. I've made it to 12% before I knock off the second star for repetition. I'm up to law 5 and the author is saying the same thing using different words as the previous 4 laws, so we're now down to 3 stars and if it doesn't pick up my interest very soon, it'll be down to 2 stars unfortunately. That'll teach me for having such high hopes from this book! I'm giving it until 15% for the boredom star, but right now it's not looking promising unfortunately. Well, I'm at 15% and it hasn't improved, I'm bored out of my brain, so another star is coming off unfortunately. It's been a complete, total and utter disappointment so far. The final star is dropping off at the start of law 7 because the author has decided to go back into rap as opposed to writing and it's the final nail in the coffin of this book for me. At 16% I've officially given up.
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