Girl Unmasked by Emily Katy

 

To the outside world, Emily looks like a typical girl, with a normal family, living an ordinary life. But inside, Emily does not feel typical, and the older she gets, the more she realises that she is different. As she finally discovers when she is 16, Emily is autistic. Girl Unmasked is the extraordinary story of how she got there - and how she very nearly didn't. Still only 22, Emily writes with startling candour about the years leading up to her diagnosis. How books and imagination became her refuge as she sought to escape the increasing anxiety and unbearable stresses of school life; how her OCD almost destroyed her; how a system which did not understand autism let her down; and how she came so close to the edge that she and her family thought she would never survive. In this simple but powerful memoir, we see how family and friends became her lifeline and how, post-diagnosis, Emily came to understand her authentic self and begin to turn her life around, eventually becoming a mental health nurse with a desire to help others where she herself had once been failed. Ultimately uplifting, Girl Unmasked is a remarkable insight into what it can be like to be autistic - and shows us that through understanding and embracing difference we can all find ways to thrive.

Trigger warnings for this book, review mentions the word suicide.

I’ve followed Emily on Twitter for a while now, and was really looking forward to reading her book when it was released. I bought this with my audible credit and I’m so glad I did. Listening to Emily read her story was probably the best way to read the book. I loved listening to the emotion in her voice. 

Our children are both autistic. We were lucky to have them diagnosed really early on (both 2 ½ years old), they are now 14 and 15, and doing so well. They’ve had their issues, and still do, but we manage it with different strategies. Listening to Emily talk about the difficulties she had in school, knowing something was different but not knowing what or why, made me think back to our kid’s time in primary school. I’m glad Emily did have people around her in school who had a feeling she was different, and had ways for her to cope, and places she could go if she needed to. But boy did my heart break for her talking about when she ran from school, the depression, the suicidal thoughts, attempts, and incarcerations. This lovely lady has gone through so much. I’m so happy that she feels better knowing about her autism diagnosis, and she sounds like she is doing really good. I love that she had a great group of friends looking out for her as they all grew into young women, and I hope they’re still all there for each other now.

I laughed out loud at so many things, and cried a few tears at certain points too. I’d definitely recommend reading this one, I wish more people understood Autism a bit more. 

Emily, you have done amazing, you are a wonderful lady, and I wish you all the best for your future. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

 

So, I’ve written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities (‘It’s a piece of cake! Just do four hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!’), I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I’ve recorded and can’t wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child. 

This certainly doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement. 

‘There goes my hero, watch him as he goes, there goes my hero, he’s ordinary’

Dave Grohl is an absolute legend. This could be all I would need to say haha, but I will say a bit more. First off I’ve always loved Dave, and after reading this I love him even more. The lengths he will go to to make sure his children are his number one priority. The story he told of changing a concert date, flying from Australia to the UK, for one night, (actually it wasn’t even a night, it was a few hours), then back to Australia to do the final show the next day. All because he promised to take his girls to the daddy/daughter dance. Hes amazing. 

I flitted between reading this in hardback and listening on audio, and the narration was really good. Obviously it would have been as it was read by Dave himself, and he is really funny. I loved listening to him talk about the early days of his career, I didn’t know much about it. But the Foo Fighters era was the best. Oh talking about his falls on stage, the doctor who sat with him holding his foot in place while he finished a gig, he’s got a whole load of stories to tell. I could listen to him all day.

This guy is a genuinely nice guy, and I would love to meet him 9not gonna ever happen), or even see the Foos in concert.

If you like music bios, I’d recommend this one.

Drowning by T.J Newman

 

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors-but it's too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.
Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent - Shannon's mother and Will's soon-to-be ex-wife - who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There's not much time.

There's even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family's desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them - against impossible odds.

This one was mine and Kaths March buddy read, we read Falling together last year and loved it, so I knew we’d enjoy Drowning.

Wow, TJ Newman can write. I don’t get how she wrote her books while being on a plane as a Flight Attendant though! Her books are loaded with fear, they keep you right on the edge of your seat or sure. I remember reading a certain part and gettin that awful feeling of claustrophobia, anxiety was definitely up! She knows how to get your imagination going, and I could picture it all so well.

I loved the characters, Will and Shannon were great, but Chris was one of my favourites. I can’t imagine working on a disaster like that, let alone knowing your child is down there. Such a brilliant book, I’d honestly recommend both of her books if you like thrillers.

Maman by F.E Birch

DS Joanna Armstrong, a top child protection detective, becomes the accused when one of her twin babies develops facial bruising - sending her into a spiralling post-natal psychosis.

Her life falls apart in an instant. Her team are torn, the doctors think she’s fabricating her illness, and even one of her own colleagues appears hell bent on destroying her.

Can Joanna to clear her name when everything seems stacked against her? Can she break through all the prejudice before time runs out? Or is she really mad like they all say?

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!!!

Thanks so much to Heather Fitt and Overview Media for asking me to join in the tour for Maman by FE Birch. Happy to be starting it off today!

So this book was not what I was expecting at all. I loved it! I was gripped from the start, wondering what on earth was going on. Joanna is going through so much, and it really shows bless her. I felt so bad for her, and was rooting for her the whole way through. 

A great story of absolute suspense, I’ll definitely read more of FE Birch’s work!

Thanks once again to Heather, Overview Media, and of course Ms Birch herself. Remember to check out the other stops on the tour.

Quite by Claudia Winkleman

Funny, moving and truthful … Quite

Claudia Winkleman’s warmth, humour, no-holds-barred attitude and smoky eye have made her the favourite broadcaster of millions and a much-loved household name. 

In this, her first ever book, Claudia invites us all into her world. This is a memoir with a difference (owing to its lack of a plot – genuinely, how do people do that?), and Claudia shares her observations on topics such as the importance of melted cheese, why black coats are vital, how it’s never okay to have sex with someone who has an opinion on your date outfit, how nurses are our most precious national treasure, and why colourful clothing is only for the under 10s (if you’re reading this sporting a bright red jumper and you’re 9, great! If you’re older, sorry). 

This is a love letter to life – the real, sometimes messy kind. Quite celebrates friendship, the power of Art, the highs and lows of parenting, and of course, how a good eyeliner can really save your life.

Heartfelt, wry and unmistakeably Claudia, this book gets to the heart of what really matters.

I listened to this out of the blue on Audio and really enjoyed it.

I love Claudia's explanation near the start on why ‘Quite’. It’s a good word, as she says if something is quite nice, you like it, it’s good, doesn’t have to be perfect. I also love the way she talks about sleep, naps and laziness. She sounds like my kind of gal! Her mother was told by a doctor when the kids were young, that their brains need sleep so never to wake them. Therefore she encouraged naps and lie ins, and Claudia does too. She talks about the different kinds of naps (morning, late afternoon etc), and how to get the most out of them. Sounds funny but honestly I was very intrigued haha.

There is so much going on in this book, it’s like a guide to life via Claudia, and she lives it exactly how she wants. I love her, shes awesome, I’d definitely recommend this one.

We Play Games by Sarah Denzil

 When the rules turn deadly, winning is everything.

The perfect couple. The perfect marriage. The perfect game.

Effie and Ben May have everything. Success. Beauty. Glamour. But beneath the charming smiles and expensive clothes, a twisted game is in progress.

A game for which only they know the rules.

Leaving their fast-paced London life behind them, the Mays move to the exclusive gated community of Ivy Oaks. Here they can settle down and start a family in this quiet, safe little neighbourhood. At least, that’s what they tell their new neighbours.

But the truth has deadly consequences.

While Effie and Ben scheme and manipulate those around them, they fail to notice their carefully cultivated façade crumbling away. The perfect couple soon turn the game on each other, breaking all the rules. But when the stakes are life and death, losing isn’t an option.

As the final cards are dealt, who will play the winning hand and who will pay the ultimate price?

I love audiobooks, but I just can never seem to get along with fiction on audio, Biographies all the way. BUT…. Sarah Denzil has changed that! I decided to give We Play Games a go, I love Sarahs books and I thought this one sounded good (also its free on the audible plus catalogue). 

I got into it quite quickly, I think the multiple narrators helped a lot, Billie piper playing Effie,and Dan Stevens playing Ben, so having the different voices etc was a good thing. We know from early on that Effie and Ben are no normal couple. They’re not nice people really. They move around a lot, and find new targets to manipulate into giving them money etc. So yeah, lovely couple! I actually enjoyed the games turning (no I'm not sadistic), I liked them kind of getting a piece of their own medicine, liked watching them squirm knowing the other was doing something different. 

A few twists threw themselves in there, which I didn’t expect, and when someone in the book mentions Loki the Labrador, I had to check my dog (Loki the Labrador) was still here haha. I liked the parts which referred to online chats with random people, who were brought together by Ben and Effies past too, gave you a deeper look into their lives.

A really good story, well written, and well voiced by the actors too. Would definitely recommend.

Process by Lucy Spraggan

 

The chart-topping singer/songwriter's powerful story, told for the first time, in her own words.

This is a book about the vicious impact of trauma across a lifetime; it is about Lucy’s successes and mistakes, her journey towards sobriety, calm and something like peace. Most of all, Process is an extraordinary story about a gifted artist, and an expose of the toxic underbelly of noughties celebrity culture and reality TV.

I remember Lucy being on X Factor, she was really bloody good. I also remember her seeming to fall off the face of the earth. Now I know why.

I listened to this on audiobook, and I’m glad I did. Lucy tells her own story in her own voice, and I learned so much about her that I never knew before. I didn’t know she was a worky-ticket when she was a teenager, very rebellious, always getting into fights, and it was only after hurting someone quite bad, she realised what she was doing. 

What happened to her during X Factor was awful, something no one should ever have to go through, and my heart broke for her as she talked about it.

Her love for music is what really stood out though, she has sang forever, and enjoy it so much. I love her song Tea and Toast, I’m sure everyone does, and I had it on repeat after listening to her book. I’m glad I read this, she’s come such a long way. I’m so glad shes happy now.