Challenge Review: Big Little Lies

My #Dymocks52challenge 10/38 for Week 24.

Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Published: 25/12/14
First appearance in 101: 2017
Years in 101: 3
2019 101 ranking: #18
Rating: 3 stars

Why I chose this book:
I had to see what the hype was all about with this one. As with anything that is adapted for the screen, I became curious about what the appeal was. As mentioned previously, Liane Moriarty had three novels in the Top 101 this year, so it was time to investigate.

Thoughts:
Another overrated one, I'm afraid! It was interesting and kept me entertained but it also just seemed a bit inconsistent in tone. I didn't really like any of the characters and while the bitchiness was a bit of fun the darker stuff made it seem a little off-kilter.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?
Here we go again with a book of the moment making the list. This is obviously having a good run thanks to the TV series, but overall I don't think it has the staying power and will be forgotten soon enough. Always nice to see an Aussie author representing, though.

Review: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was quite insightful and full of practical wisdom and ideas that really make you think.

I like that it's short and easy to read, though to be honest it does seem to repeat itself a fair bit. I think that's intentional to kind of help the message sink in, but it had the opposite effect for me and made me want to skim.

It's an accessible kind of book that is a nice easy introduction to opening the mind. It essentially teaches strategies for looking beyond the material world so that one can feel happiness no matter what situation they find themselves in. I like that idea. I appreciate what this book is trying to teach.

Like many spirituality books, however, I was a little put off by the overuse of God. I think that it kinda makes me pull away a bit because everyone has different religious interpretations and beliefs so when a book tells me I have to be thankful to God I feel slightly resentful. Can't I just be generally thankful to whomever deserves the thanks?

Also, the end section seemed a little tacked on to me, like it was just trying to make up the page count. It was still interesting information, but once you finish the section on the fourth agreement you're really just ready for the conclusion.

Overall, though, I enjoyed it; I think there is a lot of wisdom here and it's short and practical enough that even those who may not be as spiritually inclined should get something out of it.

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Challenge Review: Scrublands

My #Dymocks52challenge 9/38 for Week 23.

Title: Scrublands
Author: Chris Hammer
Published: 25/7/18
First appearance in 101: 2019
Years in 101: 1
2019 101 ranking: #57
Rating: 4 stars

Why I chose this book:
This has been incredibly popular among my Aussie Readers group on GR, and ended up being a group read for another group. So naturally I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!

Thoughts:
Definitely understand the fuss. This is a fantastic illustration of a small Australian town plagued by drought, but it's kept interesting by the protagonist's investigation into a tragic crime committed a year earlier. There's a strong story full of twists to keep you entertained, but it also paints a magnificent portrait of the unforgiving Australian rural landscape.


You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

While it's a well-written book with some powerful imagery, I won't be surprised if this fades a little from memory. It's well-written but it's not really unique enough to endure the current onslaught of Australian crime novels set in the outback. Certainly one of the better releases of 2018, but not of all time.

Review: The Talking Cure: Normal people, their hidden struggles and the life-changing power of therapy

The Talking Cure: Normal people, their hidden struggles and the life-changing power of therapy by Gillian Straker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

'Acknowledging limits, and learning to negotiate them, is one of the primary goals of psychotherapy.'

What a brilliant book this turned out to be!

The workings of the mind absolutely fascinate me, and this book delves into the realm from two sides - not only do we see through the case stories how problematic behaviours can stem from unacknowledged history, we also learn the process of the therapist in unravelling the issues.

The cases themselves are fictional accounts built from numerous similar, real life accounts, lending credibility to the problems that arise and how these are addressed. It's quite interesting to consider that, while every person's problems may be unique, the similar manifesting behaviour is an expression of similar pain. It makes the cases easy to relate to, and there's likely to be times during reading that you'll discover greater insight into some of your own behaviours.

The format is this: an overview of a problematic thought pattern or behaviour is given, then the case story that represents it is summarised. We learn the scenario, and a little more about the specific issue that the client hopes to resolve through therapy. Then we are given the therapist's insight, where she discusses her own thoughts and feelings, and how these help her gain greater understanding of the client. They allow for deeper exploration of the issue, and the case turns towards productive strategies to help negotiate the issues. Concluding each case story is further information and a checklist to help readers identify these issues in themselves or others.

I really enjoyed reading the process, and I appreciate that there's no quick fix for these stories. The workings of the mind are complex, so it's naive to think a handful of sessions with a therapist is going to 'fix' you. I also appreciated that there is never actually the suggestion that someone needs to be 'fixed'; it's simply about addressing troublesome thoughts and behaviours and attempting to understand these to relieve some of the pressure they may cause.

'This whole book ... is about how we can accept that our actions are often driven by factors beyond our conscious control and yet strive to expand our choices so that we are always in the process of becoming.'

I think therapy is often demonised in popular culture, meaning that so many people are afraid to seek help because of the fear that seeing a therapist means admitting there's something 'wrong' with them. This book works hard to demonstrate the value of talking through one's problems, and provides logic for choosing a trained professional as the sounding board. Seeing a therapist doesn't mean you're 'messed up' or 'broken' or any of the ridiculous ideas that seem to be associated with the clientele of this profession. Seeing a therapist demonstrates a desire to better understand the workings of your own mind so that you can better negotiate the world around you. That sounds pretty intelligent to me.

I have so much respect for people who can unravel the mysteries of the mind as comprehensively as these authors. What an asset to society they are, and we are fools not to take greater advantage of their skill.

This is such a fantastic, accessible book for people to develop a greater appreciation for the power of talking. For professionals, for carers, for people who just want greater insight into how the mind works - this book is an incredible tool. I highly recommend it and hope it achieves its goal of helping more people to appreciate the benefits of therapy.

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Review: Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the longest it's ever taken me to read something I've enjoyed so thoroughly. I had to take regular pauses because it's so dense, and if my heart wasn't in it I read something else instead rather than risk missing bits through lack of attention.

Imagine Wonder Woman gave birth to a girl who was even more badass than her mother and was raised by wolves. And her sole goal in life was to tell stories to women to inspire them to be just as badass and basically wreak femininely havoc on the world.

It is not an easy read. The language is fancy and elaborate (I'm pretty sure she made a ton of words up but I'm okay with that) and the material is so rich that every sentence is a loaded one. There are themes that will make you feel uncomfortable, and if you're a bit cynical there'll probably be a lot of eye-rolling. But if you approach this with an open heart and mind, I promise you will get so much out of it.

This book is like a fluffy wolf cub that you wanna cuddle coz it looks so cute and friendly but then when you go to stroke its furry little head it's face launches towards you and you feel the searing pain of teeth in your hand as it rips a chunk out of you. And you wanna get mad at it but then it looks all cute and starts licking the wound and you kind of just think, well, it is a wolf cub, after all ...

I love myths and legends. I love how stories from the past and from different cultures can teach us so much about our present-day lives. To see them so thoroughly explored here was absolutely fascinating. Each story is delivered then followed up with a chapter that divulges how the story can represent a facet of the female psyche. Familiar stories like Bluebeard and The Ugly Duckling took on new meaning. I love symbolism, and when the dots were connected I could see the new picture quite clearly. There were so many times I picked up this book only to find the next portion I read directly related to a current aspect of my life.

I've never considered myself to be a feminist, so parts of this did make me feel a bit awkward. But it also allowed me to understand a bit about that awkwardness. It is an incredibly empowering book, and I do certainly feel more comfortable in my feminine presence. I'm a woman, yo. I am a strong, beautiful, wild creature that cannot be contained by the rules and regulations of a rigid society. *flexes*

That being said, I do wonder how this would be received by non-traditional genders. (Forgive me if that's an offensive term, I am consciously incompetent on the subject). I really appreciate that it inspires women to be badass and embrace their wild woman, but I wonder if that means it will be less relevant to non-female readers?

BE WARNED: This book may make you want to strip naked and dance under the moonlight. It may make you want to sell everything you own and journey out into the wild world with nothing but the clothes on your back. It may make you want to quit your job, bathe in the ocean, practice witchcraft, or howl at the moon. It may awaken your soul in unexpected ways.

It may also have you scratching your head wondering what the heck is going on. If that's the case, put it down. Give yourself time to grow. Pick it up again when you feel a little more open to new ideas.

Honestly this is such a wonderful, empowering book and I cannot recommend it highly enough to woman looking for strength, growth and just that little something that might be missing in life.

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Review: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three stars for the book itself but a solid five for its ideas.

I love the concept of using your imagination to change your life. It makes a lot of sense to me and appeals to the creative me. One of my favourite literature quotes is, 'I like them to talk nonsense. That is man's one privilege over all creation.' I love that there is no limit to what our minds can do. And to harness that power to alter one's life for the better is a truly inspiring idea.

I do honestly believe that what we think, we can become. I've always believed that whatever I truly need, the universe will provide, and it's interesting to think that my believing that has made it so. I liked the way the analogies in this book made me see that subconscious mind from a different perspective. I just enjoyed the process of thinking about all the ways I could harness my own subconscious mind to alter my life for the better, and become all the things I want to be.

That being said, the overall delivery of the book was a bit off. It's heavily religious, with plenty of references to God and bible verses. The chapter on marriage was a bit of a tough one for me because it's all about praying with your husband/wife and there's zero consideration of atypical unions. That bothered me a lot, particularly with our country set to vote to give homosexuals the same marriage rights as heterosexuals. It's pretty important to me that their rights be recognised by society, so this chapter was a bit of salt in the wound.

There were also a LOT of examples/case studies, and for many of them I found myself becoming quite skeptical. Particularly when people who had never heard of the author were quoted as saying his phrases. There were also instances where a conclusion was left out and I couldn't help but question why. I'm sure there was a bit of literary license happening here but it bothered me that this wasn't disclosed.

All in all, though, I loved reading this. It'll probably be a bit much for non-religious skeptics, but I really enjoyed playing the ideas through in my mind and I look forward to the benefits of using my subconscious mind for happiness and prosperity.

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Challenge Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

My #Dymocks52challenge 8/38 for Week 22.

Title: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Published: 18/9/18
First appearance in 101: 2019
Years in 101: 1
2019 101 ranking: #24
Rating: 2 stars

Why I chose this book:
I almost didn't - this was my very last choice for the list. I'd only read one of Liane Moriarty's books in the past (The Hypnotist's Love Story) and wasn't too impressed so I haven't been in a hurry to read more from her. But with 3 books in this year's Top 101, she's pretty hyped, and as something of a hippie myself I thought the premise sounded rather intriguing.

Thoughts:
Tragically disappointing. 3 stars is generous, because this ended up being kind of offensive and ridiculous. I didn't mind some of the character development, but in general it was pretty underwhelming. Still not quite understanding the Liane Moriarty hype, to be honest!

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?
Not even a little bit. This was such a bland book and I've seen very few positive reviews of it so I'm actually shocked it made it on the list! Highly doubt it will see a second run.

Review: The Amateurs

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Okay wow this is definitely trash but I'm throwing it a bonus star because it actually caught me by surprise at the end there! How delightfully unexpected!

WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers

Plot: Five years ago, Aerin's sister, Helena, went missing. Her remains were found four years later, but her killer never was. Hers is one of many unsolved cases that are obsessed over by this weird online social network of amateur sleuths. Aerin reaches out to this group, and a bunch of them get together to solve the mystery.

Problem #1: The 'Case Not Closed' website apparently holds all kinds of miraculously available confidential information like case notes, crime scene photos and forensic reports. That sure is handy.

Problem #2: Seneca still gets all of her truly valuable information from Facebook.

Problem #3: And it's handy Seneca and her buddies are on the case because it seems the original law enforcement tasked with solving the crime were beyond incompetent. Alibis were never confirmed, leads never followed, searches never thorough. Everyone assumed Helena was killed the day she was taken and apparently zero alternatives were raised? Tbh I naturally assumed she ran away for "Secret Business" and then was murdered so it came as a surprise to me that this was a ground-breaking theory.

Problem #4: If we completely ignore the fact that the website has already been mentioned as having all the handy detective work available, it's totally okay because all you need to access the super secret police information is the right password. Thank goodness there's a really cute, totally naive, younger-than-the-others cop who has a thing for one of our leading ladies.

Problem #5: Drama queens. Some random blur behind a tinted window seems to be staring at you? (I'm super impressed you can tell that when you can't make out a face, by the way) Please make sure to scream loudly and run away in a panic. Someone's knocking at your door? Scream, call the cops. It's definitely someone trying to kill you. And it's okay that you're reacting completely irrationally for a normal person because, GASP! someone really IS trying to kill you! Like, OH EM GEE.

Problem #6: The writing is so trash. I was so confused by time of day and location because it jumped around so much and there was at least one glaring continuity error where the gang seemed to be both in a hospital AND in Maddox's room? But hey you will always know exactly what everyone is wearing and what brand of EVERYTHING is in every location. I don't even know what half this stuff is, honestly.

Problem #7: The messy relationship dynamics are just so cringe-worthy. Firstly, please focus, kids. Secondly, these hormones are RAGING. It made me feel awkward. Which is weird coz I was a totally awkward teen myself so you'd think I'd relate on some level. Weird.

Problem #8: I mean the whole crime-solving thing was just so terrible . They jump from one lead to another because every single thing they discover gives them exactly the right info they need with zero struggles. They lie a lot but they also stumble onto 'groundbreaking clues' that, honestly? this is where I refer back to the incompetent cops. But also HI. HI????! I mean that was the worst fkn clue ever and I'm so mad because that is just lazy writing. Plus I was so confused about the actual progression of the case because they are also busy trying to hook up in between and just ... if I were to describe this story I would describe it as a chain of safety pins. Only some of the safety pins are open and just hanging there and then others are just randomly hanging off other safety pins and then the whole thing is rusted and bent and really instead of trying to salvage it into something recognisable you should probably just throw the whole thing away before someone gets hurt.

As someone who managed to read The ENTIRE The Lying Game series you would think I would have been a little prepared for this hot mess. I was not. It was a billion times worse than I was expecting.

And yet. That ending got me. Can someone tell me how the rest of the series pans out so that I don't have to read it? Pretty please? Also I'm so curious as to whether there's an explanation or it's just another continuity error regarding this spoilery part: (view spoiler)[Brett gets beat up by someone trying to warn them off? And if we decide (despite the final confusing revelation) that this person was Marissa, how do we reconcile that beating he copped with her being so weak she couldn't hold the shard of glass to Aerin's throat? I am confused. (hide spoiler)]

This is the perfect example of a YA book that should probably not be read by non-YA readers. Because there's so much wrong with it that more seasoned readers are likely to just cringe the entire way through, like I did.

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Review: Aurora Rising

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MOTLEY CREW!! MOTLEY CREW!! MOTLEY CREW!! MOTLEY CREW!! MOTLEY CREW!!

I LOVE ME A GOOD (BAD) MOTLEY CREW.

I am being spoilt for stars this year because here's another book that gets all of them! LOVED IT.

How do I even pick a favourite character when I love them all so much?

And the sass levels, THE SASS LEVELS , HAVE MERCY!

That part where Tyler ... and then with Kal when he's ... but they're not supposed to ... and poor Kat with her ... and in the spaceship when Auri ... but then BAMF!! BAMF!! BAMF!!! *happy sigh*

Of course I don't have proper words for this review. I was expecting good things. I got GREAT things. And mayyyybe some was kinda predictable but who even cares because it's all about the journey and the sass and the mystery and the MOTLEY CREW doing MOTLEY CREW THINGS.

I am happy.

This is a good book.

You should read it.

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Challenge Review: Circe

My #Dymocks52challenge 7/38 for Week 21.

Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Published: 10/4/18
First appearance in 101: 2019
Years in 101: 1
2019 101 ranking: #48
Rating: 2 stars

Why I chose this book:
Hello, have you seen the name of my blog? I'm pretty fascinated by myths and legends so this was an easy add when it came to filling the list. I'd read a lot of positive reviews and Circe is such a great, yet mysterious, character so I was really looking forward to her having her own story. Particularly when I enjoyed Song of Achilles (the author's previous novel) so much.


Thoughts:
Wow. Talk about disappointment. This was heartrendingly mundane. How do you take such an interesting character from one of the great Greek legends and turn her into a naive whiner who spends all her time mooning over boys and complaining about her family? I was expecting to fly through this book in a day or two but it took me almost two weeks, causing my first delay of the challenge. What a train wreck.

I did enjoy that brief glimpse of my boy, Icarus, though.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

Not even a little bit. The prose is for people who like minute details and vague opening sentences, but the story is pretty bland unless you're into vegetation and chores. Don't be sucked into the hype on this one or you may be sorely disappointed. I don't expect it to pop up on the list again next year.