Book Review: Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown

Mel B, Scary Spice, her of the leopard print catsuit and loud mouth, has certainly had a tough few years. I’d heard a lot of the rumours surrounding her infamous marriage breakdown to then husband Stephen Belafonte, and the rift with her family, but quite honestly I didn’t expect her to be quite so upfront about what really went on behind those closed doors for ten years. This really is brutally honest, and I admire the courage and strength that it must have taken for her to put this all to paper. The emotional abuse she had to deal with (and her children had to deal with) is awful, and you can feel that pain written in every word. At her worst she was a shell of her former self, locked in a battle with drugs and alcohol to try and block out her life.

This is a book primarily about Mel’s relationships with men. If you’re looking for memories of her time with the Spice Girls, this isn’t the book for you (although they are mentioned, and it’s a joy to read when they are). It’s squarely focused on all the men who’ve made an impact on her life, starting with her father, through to Jimmy her first husband, Eddie Murphy (the supposed ‘love of her life’) and, of course, Stephen. She discusses what she feels caused her to pick the worst kind of man imaginable, and also offers up that grain of hope that even if you are stuck in an abhsive relationship there’s always a way out. It might take time - it took Mel an additional three years and the death of her father to finally leave Stephen for good, but it can be done. 

At times I found the writing a little all over the place, and some sentences or paragraphs were repeated several times throughout the book (such as Mel reminiscing about when she bought her parents a house, which she explains no less than three times). There’s also no clear structure or timeline, going from that fateful night before the X Factor show when she tries to commit suicide, back to her childhood, Eddie, Stephen again, back to Jimmy etc. It feels chaotic, and this is a big reflection of Mel B herself who comes across as quite the whirlwind. Some focus would have helped however, as at times I struggled to get to grips with the time frames. 

A raw, sometimes difficult read, that I hope helps Mel deal with a truely traumatic time in her life. I hope she can finally accept herself, and find the peace she certainly deserves.

Book Review: A Better Me by Gary Barlow

I was always a bit too ‘young’ for Take That the first time round. The band split when I was in primary school, and I was much more interested in making up imaginary games than crying over a boyband. However, when they returned following a documentary in 2005, their music had evolved, I’d grown up, and it was the right side of pop for me to enjoy. 

Gary has always struck me as quite a private person. The driving force behind the original band in terms of musical direction and creativity, but not really someone who enjoys the fame - and indeed this really comes across here. Although we get snippets of deeply harrowing parts of Gary’s life from recent years, such as his obsession with food, his depression following the band’s initial breakdown and the deeply harrowing time in 2012 when he lost his baby Poppy to stillbirth, sometimes I still felt he was holding back. He doesn’t really give anything away that we, the public, don’t already know about and I think this is because he’s become wary over the years of giving too much of himself. Years of ridicule over your weight, your unsuccessful solo career when your band mate has become a global phenomenon, and just generally being seen as a laughing stock in the music industry for a while would be enough to make anyone quite closed off.

I particularly liked the stories about the various tours that Take That have done in recent years (from a personal perspective I went to see the Progress tour and it was nice to get an ‘inside look’ at what went into making such an enormous and enjoyable stadium production), and Gary’s side of the story with regards to mending bridges with Robbie. Again, I felt like a lot of this aspect is heavily edited. Gary mentions that this is just his ‘side’ of the story, but I felt there was a lot more to that little reunion than is mentioned, and Gary remains quite guarded about the subject throughout. 

There is hardly any mention of Take That from the 90’s other than a brief run down of how Gary joined the band, which was a little disappointing. Gary, again, mentions that it’s all be told before - but a part of me felt like this was a bit of a cop out to tell some really interesting stories about what went in back in the original haydays of the band. 

An interesting read if you like Gary and Take That, with some really emotional sections on stillbirth and the hopelessness and despair that brings. But it’s rather heavily edited by Gary himself.

Book Review: When the Dog's Don't Bark: A Forensic Scientist's Search for the Truth by Angela Gallop

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

When the Dogs Don’t Bark follows forensic scientist Angela Gallop as she discusses her 40 year career within the profession. What follows is an outline of a number of her most memorable cases interspersed with the history and development of forensic sciences within the UK and it’s importance in the conviction, and defense, of individuals accused of a variety of crimes. 

What immediately comes across while reading this is just how complicated and varied forensic science is. Far from standing in ditches collecting evidence from a crime scene, forensic scientists are wide reaching and branch into different specialties, from chemical, entomology, and one of the fastest growing - digital forensics. Often they must possess a thought process a little ‘outside the box’ too by taking the extra step of recreating scenarios in labs to determine the most probably outcome and unlock the truth about what happened at the crime scene. Two instances that stand out are when she mentions recreating the action of pushing a mop around a kitchen floor to exonerate a man accused of murder, and shooting a suspended pig carcass with a shotgun to discover where a specific shot went. 

Other than a few glimmers of interesting cases and scenarios, this was a rather dry book to get through unfortunately. A lot of time is spent describing the different kinds of forensic scientists there are, and the various techniques which are used. It’s very science based, and talks in great detail about methodologies. There’s also a lot of detail regarding Gallop’s professional career and various businesses, however I found this could have been condensed, as it really took away from the more interesting cases. I think the book was approached very much like a scientific report, using cases to back up Gallop’s explanations of various techniques instead of letting the cases speak for themselves. It feels almost clinical at times, and there’s just no heart to the stories. A lot of the cases she mentions, she states she doesn’t know the outcome, and this got very frustrating at times as it came across as feeling unfinished and a little emotionless. Perhaps some more of her own personal background may have helped here, as we learnt a lot about her professional life but hardly anything personal.

I do find the synopsis a little misleading, as there’s no real depth to any of the memorable cases, sometimes they consisting of only a few paragraphs, and they are rather few and far between. The bulk of the book is centered around Gallop’s career and her explanations of what forensic scientists do. In this regard it’s meticulous in its presentation, but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. 

Interesting if you want to expand your knowledge of what forensic science is, but don’t go into it expecting lots of true crime stories or cases.

Book Review: Under the Wig: A Lawyer's Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence by William Clegg, QC

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I’ve always been interested in the law. Not to the extent that I’ve wanted to be involved career wise (I’m firmly in team health professional), but I think it’s more an interest in the unknown and archaic world of the British justice system. It’s riddled with traditions that make it distinctly unique (mentioned here are the ‘nosegays’ given to judges at the Old Bailey, and the displaying of one of the great swords of the City of London in the court of the most senior judge) and I just find that fascinating. Under the Wig helps lift that lid into this rather closeted world, and really brought to life a world I, respectfully, hope never to be deeply involved in. 

This read like a memoir in part, as we follow William Clegg QC he starts his career in law, eventually leading to him ‘taking the silk’ and becoming a barrister and head of chambers. Interspersed between this are the stories of some of his most memorable cases in the world of murder, fraud and war criminals. I liked this method of writing, because it broke up would could have been an otherwise ‘dry’ subject with injections of humour, compassion and humility. Law is so complicated, and the book needed this touch of ‘down to earth’ to appeal to a wider audience. 

There were a number of topics that I had no idea about, especially Legal Aid, that I found really interesting. There was a distinct amount of passion for the subject of ‘pro bono’ cases, and the reduction in government funding that has a massive knock on effect in the profession that I had no idea about. Everything in law seems to have a cause and effect that influences everyone from the secretaries and clerks to the solicitors and barristers. It’s stressed a number of times that it’s seen as a family, and this was very endearing to me. 

It was also really interesting to read a book from ‘the other side’, from a defence perspective rather than prosecution. This was particularly true in the Miss Yeates murder trial, where he was on the defence team. I found myself on a couple of occasions comparing it to a number of FBI heavy novels I’ve read (Mindhunter springs to mind), and seeing the various methods employed by both, and the differences they have. It was fascinating. William Clegg QC is very much anti capital punishment because of possible miscarriages of justice, and I thought he did a good job of putting his reasons for this across. 

I did find at times that the author comes across as quite reserved, as if he’s holding something back. I think this is a downfall to his profession, where the poker face is key, but I really wanted a bit ‘more’ emotion. He readily admits at one point that he’s not sentimental or emotional, rapidly moving on from case to case (a decent coping mechanism with such a heavy workload) but I think I could have connected better with him if he’d shown a bit more vulnerability. 

An excellent read into a world that before now has been largely hidden from me. Highly recommended for lovers of the law and true crime to gain a truely unique perspective from the defence side.

Book Review: Listening to the Animals: Becoming the Supervet by Noel Fitzpatrick

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Noel Fitzpatrick is perhaps best known in the UK for his tv programme ‘The Supervet’, which centres around his small animal practice treating exceptionally difficult cases with a certain degree of innovation and passion. His book looks deeper into this passion for his work, as well as expanding on Noel’s life growing up in rural Ireland, and his difficult route to the so called ‘field of dreams’.

I have so much respect of Noel. He has a wonderful work, and life, ethic - believing that you can achieve anything if you work hard enough for it. And he has shown that himself from the large amount of time and effort he’s put into his profession, advancing veterinary medicine to the benefit of thousands of animals.

Reading about Noel’s upbringing on a rural Irish farm, there’s a vulnerability to his writing that makes him instantly endearing. It really feels like he’s writing from the heart and you can feel his passion and warmth. He writes honestly about his struggles with bullies and the isolation he felt, and growing up with the beloved farm dog Pirate, who was his only confidante. At times I was truely brought close to tears.

I particularly enjoyed the later chapters, as we join Noel on his quest to secure his own practice and improve the veterinary medicine specialisms of orthopaedics and neurosurgery. I have a dachshund myself, and I know that in the future we may have back problems in Monty that 10 years ago would have meant he would have been put down. Now, thanks to Noel, there’s a hope within the field that he could undergo procedures that could lead to a long and healthy life. That’s all down to Noel and his absolute belief in what he does. Thank you Noel. If only more people had the compassion you show for our four legged family members.

If anything, I would have liked to have read more tales from the various practices he ‘locumed’ for, as I think he spent a greater amount of time describing his experiences on farm animal cases (which I still really enjoyed - especially the story about the drunk lads and the cow ceasarean!). But, honestly, I really enjoyed this. A must read for any animal lover, told with no end of enthusiasm and love.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: The Secret Teacher: Dispatches From the Classroom by Anon

The Secret Tracher follows an anonymous NQT during his first tumultuous years at an inner city school. We see the changing nature of the job, the politics and harsh working environments but most importantly we see the children he teaches and how he learns to adapt and learn from them to become a better teacher.

This was an ok read, perfect for this time of year as we gear up for ‘back to school’. The setting was explored well, and there’s the full range of characters from various background you would expect from an inner city school - from the overachieving or troubled pupil to the ‘perfect’ teacher. At times I found the author skimmed the surface of these characters, going into very brief detail about them before moving on to someone or something else. This meant I didn’t really get any kind of emotional attachment to anyone.

I also found the author a bit standoffish and condescending at times, meaning I struggled to connect with him too. He could come across as quite abrasive, making fun of some of the children he teaches and his colleagues in a way that was quite mean and unnecessary. It felt like he was laughing at the pupils and his colleagues rather than with them, which I didn’t like. I think that if we perhaps knew more about the author he would have appeared more ‘human’.

The writing also jumps from being quite engaging in places to just being a bit dull. I’m not a teacher myself, and have no interest to be, so the sections on the work aspect of the job as opposed to the more emotional side involving the children I just didn’t find interesting. It also doesn’t flow particularly well, with only a rough timeline of events over the course of a few years meaning it was hard for me to read.

I think I’ll stick to my preferred medical biographies, but this might appeal to those within the teaching profession who can perhaps relate to the highs and lows of teaching.

 - 3 stars

Book Review: Unnatural Causes by Richard Shepherd

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this on Netgalley, I was intrigued. I was already reading a book on the concept of death and what comes after for bodies (The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers) so I was fascinated to read about the work of a pathologist in a world that still feels very inaccessible to the general public. The book encompasses many famous cases that Richard Shepherd has been directly involved with during what could be called the ‘golden age’ of pathology,  as well as examining the personal troubles pathologists may face in the course of their career.

My first thought while reading was just how ‘human’ Richard Shepherd came across in his writing. He treats his patients with obvious care, and has a great passion for the profession and with passing that knowledge on. It was lovely to read about an individual who actively seeks to improve their profession, not only for their own benefit, but for the greater good. His writing certainly made the concept of post mortem more acceptable and less ‘scary’ or morbid.

I found the content itself rather mixed. I think this is a result of the fact it was written over a long period of time, and is full of information, but unfortunately not all of it is that compelling. I loved the chapters based around his work and cases, which ranged from mass disasters like the Marchioness sinking to famous cases such as the Stephen Lawrence murder and Princess Diana. These cases are often described quite clinically, with a detached scientific approach, of how the autopsies are carried out and the processes and agencies involved. It’s empathetic and to the point but without getting too personal. The earlier sections also include some almost ‘Sherlock Holmes’ style deductions to cases that helped determine what happened to the deceased, which I really enjoyed. However, these become less frequent as the book progresses due to the changing nature of pathology as a profession and the introduction of DNA evidence.

There are also some truly heartbreaking chapters dedicated to the difficult, and often controversial, subject of child autopsies. The subject is dealt with delicately, with a range of cases explored, while still managing to convey the emotional difficulties encountered by all involved.

I would say that the book does tend to jump from case to case quite rapidly, sometimes disrupting the overall flow of the book. As it progresses these examples of cases also become less frequent, which was a shame as I found them so interesting. However, the latter half is compelling on a more personal level, as we see the harsher realities of experiencing so much death, as well as the often unnerving cross examinations in court which can lead to self doubt and PTSD. I personally would have preferred less focus on the author’s private life as I was less interested in it, however it does make him feel more approachable.

A thoughtful insight into a closeted world that’s told with obvious passion and extensive knowledge of the subject.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: It'll Be OK, It's Just A Hole In My Head by Mimi Hayes

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

‘I’ll be OK...’ are the memoirs of Mimi Hayes, focusing on the initial diagnosis and her subsequent recovery after a brain haemorrhage caused by a cavernous hemangioma (which she calls an angioma). It covers the difficulties she faces getting her initial diagnosis and the rocky road to resuming a normal life after surgery.

I have a personal history with regards to brain injuries like this, and I work everyday within a busy Neuroradiology department. As such, I feel a certain affinity towards stories involving anything neurological and was initially drawn to these memoirs because of this. The author is endearing as she takes us through her story, and I instantly warmed to her as she recounts her ‘back story’ of sorts in the build up to her haemorrhage. Her story is easy to follow, and I found the writing style matched well with the author’s obvious quirky personality - although I admit that at times I found the endless movie references a little grating. It felt almost as though she was using humour, along with the movie references that often ended up going off on a tangent, to deflect from digging deeper into her emotional state at the time. This often took away from the more serious points that she was trying to get across. 

I would perhaps have liked some explanations in terms of how the American health care system works in comparison to my own beloved NHS. Beyond knowing that you need health insurance, I have no idea how Americans access healthcare, and I think a small paragraph outlining how this system works may have allowed me a greater degree of understanding with regards to the difficulties Mimi encounters when initially trying to gain a diagnosis from her doctor. Perhaps a more detailed outline of what a cerebral hemangioma is also would be helpful to readers who perhaps don’t know what they are (and their tendency to bleed).

I liked the photos that we’re scattered throughout. They added a more personal touch that allowed me to connect with Mimi and put faces to names. I also loved the interactions between Mimi’s family, especially with regards to the Halloween costume ‘incident’. They were written about with an obvious amount of love that just jumped off the page and was wonderful to read about.

Granted this isn’t The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, but I enjoyed this, and with a bit of tighter editing to decrease the amount of times this went a bit off topic, it would make a good account of one individual’s recovery following brain injury.

 - 3 stars

Book Review: The Unmumsy Mum by The Unmumsy Mum

I liked this. There’s a certain amount of solidarity you share with someone who’s gone through a similar parenting experience to yourself. I’m a seasoned mother of two (soon to be three). I know it isn’t all baking (I hate baking) and doing ‘fun’ things with chubby cheeked angels - but it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who knows this. Parenting is hard work. It’s boring at times (ten episodes of Hey Duggee in a row is enough to drive the sanest person over the edge), and lonely. A trip to B&Q is often the only light on the horizon of an otherwise groundhog style day.

But you know what? It’s ok not be be ok all of the time. Mum guilt is real, but it’s also ok to draw a line under today and start again. I think that’s what I gained most out of this book. There’s power in the perspective and reflection, and I enjoyed reading about the good times and the bad. It’s what life is all about.

It wasn’t a perfect read. A lot of this feels rather gratuitous, and more a personal memoir for the authors’s boys (nothing wrong with that, but I found the sections where she speaks directly to her children a little grating). It’s also a little outdated now as the author has since gone on to have another child, which changes the tone of some of her comments about the baby period being over. Again though, that’s life, circumstances change and families expand. I guess it means the author will just have to write another book as a mum of three.

I’d recommend this to all newbie parents. In fact, just all parents. We’ve all been there.

The Unmumsy Mum is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 3 stars

Book Review: In Search of Mary Shelley: The Woman Who Wrote Frankenstein by Fiona Sampson

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To coincide with the 200th anniversary of the release of Frankenstein, Fiona Sampson examines the inner influences and background of writer Mary Shelley.

I admit I know very little about Mary Shelley other than the fact that she married the famous poet Percy Shelley as a teenager and was widowed at a young age. I have also never read Frankenstein, but nevertheless I was intrigued to see what could possess a woman of this time to write something that is now considered a classic, in an era where women simply weren't encouraged to write 'this kind' of novel.

I found this well researched and thorough. Sampson manages to open up a notoriously private woman's life and fascinating past, where she was surrounded by some great intellectual thinkers of the time. It was great to see who or what influenced Mary to write her story. She manages to bring life to a woman tormented by her many pregnancies and infant deaths, and how her outpouring of grief and redemption comes in th form of writing. At times, these reads almost like a novel, and that's what makes it so engaging. It also flows well. Most chapters set up a scene before dissecting the chapter with various facts and interesting discussions. It's structured in such a way that it doesn't divert from the facts or diverge into various distracting sidestories, which I appreciated.

I do think I would have benefitted from reading Frankenstein before reading this. I think that's the main intention here, and although I gained a lot of insight into Mary Shelley, I would have gained more having read her novel first. I think I would have perhaps been more 'into' this as well having done that, as although I found the overall premise interesting I've found I'm maybe just not as interested in this time period as I am other periods of history. This is purely a personal preference however.

That said, this is a great introduction to Mary Shelley, a character full of intrigue with a fascinating past.

In Search of Mary Shelley is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 3 stars

Book Review - The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Makhne

A perfect book for Halloween.

The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures is a guide to the weird and wonderful bits of folklore and legend that roam our earth surrounding mysterious creatures. Each chapter presents a specific type of 'creature' for examination, before providing a number of local legends that relate to that creature with beautifully illustrated prints throughout.

The author does a good job at 'setting the scene' with these creatures. Each chapter is well defined, and categorised well, which makes the writing easy to follow and very engaging. This is certainly one of those books you can pick up and put down with ease, and the author also does a really good job at creating a decent atmosphere. Reading this late at night, I was certainly creeped out by certain chapters (the dolls and ghost in particular).

As with most books of this nature, I found some chapters more interesting than others. I was less interested in the 'flying animal' stories than I was with the dolls, ghosts and vampires. I also would have at least liked a mention of Whitby when discussing Dracula and Bram Stoker. I felt at times the writing was definitely geared more towards an American audience in this sense.

That said, I thought this was a very thorough introduction into the world of folklore, and it's certainly piqued an interest in this area for future reading material at this time of year.

 - 4 stars

Book Review - The Diary Of A Bookseller by Shaun Bythell

One of my favourite comedies from the early '00's was Black Books, a comedy set in a second hand book shop and starring Dylan Moran as a misanthropic book seller who hates people and drinks copious amounts of wine. This is the book equivalent to that comedy, and I absolutely loved it.

The book outlines a year in the life of Shaun Bythell, owner of The Book Shop, and his daily interactions with customers and excursions to source books. It's never pretentious, and often very, very funny. I particularly warmed to shop assistant Nicky, who is basically described as a wombling Jehovah's Witness, who often turns up to her shifts in the book shop in an all in one black ski suit with an accompanying assortment of food found in the skip behind Morrisons. The daily struggle with customers was also very funny and informative - I gained a particular fondness for regular customer Mr Deacon, but ultimately reminded me that I never want another career in retail!

The book serves as a great insight into the dying breed of booksellers, and provided a lot of information about books that I didn't know, such as books published before 1501 known as 'incunabula'. I liked the little excerpts from George Orwell which proceeded every month too, as they provided some cohesiveness to the structure of the book and made it feel less like a traditional diary.

I think the only section I didn't enjoy was where the author got sidetracked talking about fishing for a few pages in August. Again, they only lasted a few pages, but they felt a little bit out of place.

In all honesty, I think this is one of the best books I've read this year, and has had me heartily reminiscing about the old book shop that I use to frequent as a youngster. Now, unfortunately, it's been turned into a pub (!) but this book proves just how vulnerable and invaluable book shops are in our country since the rise of the ebook and major retailers. My only regret is that I read this on my kindle, but make no mistake, I'll be buying the hardback.

- 5 Stars