Reasons To Stay Alive - Matt Haig

Synopsis:

What does it mean to feel truly alive?

This is the true story of how Matt Haig came through crisis, triumphed over mental illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again. Moving, funny and joyous, Reasons To Stay Alive is more than a memoir. It is a book about making the most of your time on earth.

Review:

Well what can I say? It took me a little while to finish this book, I had barely any time to read physical books from my shelves as I found myself taking on more and more Review requests but when I bought this book it took me a week to find the courage to open up the covers. I was not scared to read it as such, I guess I was just scared that I could understand everything Matt Haig spoke about.

To myself I have a right to feel scared about understanding every word Matt had written, because to me in my own mind, no one had ever suffered those things I had, but reading Reasons To Stay Alive, I became aware that I was never alone in the things I had suffered, and than my feelings and situations that I had experienced were in no way unique to me, they had been felt and experienced somewhere else too.

Like the synopsis says, the book is moving, funny and joyous, I could not agree more. The book covers so many areas throughout the struggle Matt faced with hid Depression and Anxiety, to read chapters like Things Depression Says To You left me feeling somewhat light in the chest, to know that someone truly understood, and not only that but to know that readers out there who may not be suffering from either Depression or Anxiety can now have an insight and help by offering out a hand to those who need it.

There are pages and phrases which really struck a chord with me which will cause me to re visit the book whenever the time is right to, reading this book felt like a warm hug offered from an understanding being, a warm hand to hold extended from the support of others.

There is a lot that could be said about this book, I could write a 6 pages 10 sized font essay about the book, its contents and Matt and I will resist that urge as much as I can. To Matt, a man to whom I extend a warm understanding hand to, an offer of support and encouragement through the days. To Andrea who with the power of love, support and friendship, guided, supported and encouraged Matt to the stage he is at.

A no doubt rating 5/5 a work of pure honesty and emotion. A recommendation to anyone, and I mean anyone, its a needed read to increase the understanding and break down the stigma of Anxiety and Depression alongside other mental illnesses that exist. I hope those who have read, are in the process of reading or will read this book will understand and enjoy this book as much as I did having passed the fear of  understanding everything it speaks of.

Sock

His curled nails scrape against the slabs as he charges backwards and forwards in the pursuit of a single and unclaimed Christmas sock. Backwards and forwards he goes, each time taking the sock back to a single person who in amusement, throws it into the distance before watching him closely as he darts off after it.

"Get in, the heating is on and the windows and the door is open." A voice echoes from the close by building.Climbing to her feet as the sock ends up in her possession once again. Soggy from its few minutes use she doesn't hold it too hard in the prison of a hand.

Inviting warmth hugs her, the small being taking off out of view into other company. The door closed and the windows too, the room begun to warm quickly, the cool outside was gladly welcomed in times like this.

She tosses the sock aside in front of the washer and takes a drink before straightening up her dressing gown which seemed to hold her together. It was a comfort for her,  the purple fabric was still soft but after its years on her, was worn but functioning as a comfort.

Walking through the rooms, pressing a single kiss to her earlier companions nose before leaving his company like he had hers. Climbing a hill to another comfort, a place where the minutes of sock throwing could replay in her mind, calming her, comforting her, the emotions soothing the aches both on the surface and deep within her.

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books On My Spring TBR

Eyes Like Lighthouses When The Boats Come Home - Dane Cobain

Gravedigger - Michael Israel Jarvis

Mistwalker - Saundra Mitchell

No Rest For The Wicked - Dane Cobain

Tales Of Blood And Sulphur - J.G.Clay

The Art Of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Vampire Diaries 1and 2 - L.J.Smith (this totally counts as two books)

Reasons To Stay Alive - Matt Haig

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post hosted by The Broke And The Bookish

Definitely Dead - Charlaine Harris

Synopsis:

Since Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has so few living relatives, she hates to lose one - even her cousin Hadley, undead consort of the vampire Queen of Louisiana. Hadley's left everything she has to Sookie, but claiming that inheritance has a high risk factor. Some people don't want her looking too deeply into Hadley's past, or Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous - and Sookie's life is definitely on the line...


Review:


Local Bon Temps barmaid and telepath Sookie Stackhouse is shocked when weretiger Quinn comes to see her in Bon Temps.the vampire queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, has requested Sookie’s services, the same services that Eric had requested before for a summit. It also happens that Quinn would like to start seeing Sookie romantically, and she agrees. She also needs to go to New Orleans to clear out her dead (vampire) cousin Hadley’s apartment, who was amongst the top on the Queens favouritesml.

The family of Debbie Pelt, the shifter that Sookie killed in self defence in the new year, is still looking for her, and are hooked on seeing Sookie to hear what she knows. Sookie however just wants to move on.

Sookie also has problems when she goes out with Quinn, leaving a furious Eric Northman behind. While on her date with Quinn, they are attacked by a pair of freshly bitten weres, both high on drugs. Neither has any idea why.

Leaving for New Orleans when the queen’s emissary, Mr Catialades, collects her, they learn that his niece Gladiola,a half demon, was killed to prevent her from delivering the message to Sookie about the queen sending to have her collected.

Bill accompanies Sookie and upon arriving in New Orleans Sookie finds that a talented young witch named Amelia Broadway has cast a stasis spell on the apartment to keep it from smelling bad. Things go terribly wrong when Sookie opens the apartment, considering the next night an unknown vampire rises, who was trapped by the spell, attacking both Amelia and Sookie.

Hadley had changed the man, who becomes known as a were named Jake Purifoy. Eric then visits Sookie in the hospital, and has an argument with Bill, who has also turned up. Eric then forces Bill to reveal his true agenda with Sookie which leaves her heartbroken.

After the narrow escape there, Sookie learns from Amelia that she can get some witches together to magically recreate the evening of Jake’s turning. Naturally, Sophie-Anne is interested, and attends the ritual.

Sophie-Anne also confides in Sookie that Hadley had stolen a bracelet from Sophie that was given to her by her new husband, the king of Arkansas, Peter Threadgill, and that she has to produce it on the wedding night, and that Sookie must help her find it.

Sookie obliges of course as it's in her nature to help,because there will be major issues if Sophie-Anne cannot show it. Quinn assists Sookie with the sorting and packing of the apartment, and there they are savagely attacked and kidnap them both.

The first thing i should say is that there is a short story called One Word Answer that can be read before this, apparently if you dont this book makes no sense but I didn't read it and I managed to understand every part of this book so reading One Word Answer is a choice not mandatory.

Although reading these books and reading a lot about Eric has been kind of amazing, to have him not so massively involved in this book was a kind of nice break? It gave room to learn more about Quinn who has my interest at every moment I see his name. He seems to be such a mystery, which makes me even more interested in his character.

I must say that these books are pretty addictive which you guys probably already guess from my reviews.

There was a lot of things that happened in the book and it was nice to have several things to concentrate on and remember. It was action packed and there was never a dull moment for me.

Overall the book gets a 5/5 and I bet that isn't too much of a shock to you. The series has gotten my attention and I hope someone out there is itching the read this series. Part of me didn't enjoy this book as much as I have the rest of the series but it seems that I still adored it that much I gave it a top rating.

Paparazzi For Good

A sausage maker is getting paparazzi to re focus their cameras onto the real stars of the world, those who do good for others.

Amateur photographers can also have a shot at getting paid the big bucks for these kind of snapshots, earning $500 for capturing the best weekly picture of someone committing an act of kindness.

Jimmy Dean launched this refocus, now named "Paparazzi For Good" to use professional celebrity photographers at their going rate to capture these moments of everyday people helping out others.

Paparazzi For Good, part of Jimmy Dean’s “Shine it Forward” campaign, which was extended to the general public last Friday and the company says it will choose the best photo of the week and pay $500 for the submission.




Paparazzi For Good

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Characters I Love But Others Seem To Dislike

Unfortunately due to my lack of book reading friends and such I actually can't make this list. The few friends I have who are into books, tend to have the same opinion on characters as I do.

It does make me a little sad that I haven't been able to do its list even though I tried so many times. I hope you all forgive me.

However Top Ten Tuesday is bought to our by

Dead As A DoorNail - Charlaine Harris

Synopsis:

Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural—but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time—a transformation he embraces more readily than most shape shifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks—unless the killer decides to find her first…


Review:

So this is yet another gripping instalment of  the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, the telepathic cocktail waitress from Bon Temps.

When you look back at all of the regular characters that we've seen so far in the series, they're all here in this single book. With a few more editions to those characters is Charles the vampire doorman and Quinn the mystery shifter who the werewolves have hired as their host to their leadership contest.

Sookie seems to have a large romantic following from the shifter and vampire community,  The vampire romance coming from the obvious Eric and Bill, the shifter romance from Alcide the were, Calvin, Sam and now in this book even Quinn seems to shows interest. I find Alcide and Sam the more matching of the Shifter community in the book, Clavin seems to be too much of a far fetched love interest, in my eyes he doesn't suit Sookie well in any way, but hey what do I know?

The book has Three plot lines, yes you heard, THREE. But don't worry they all wrap up nicely and work along with each other throughout the book, There is the usual concoction of mystery and the supernatural which Charlaine Harris makes work well.  Harris has her own unique way of blending extraordinary supernatural rituals with the ordinary mundane routines of every day small town life and making it work so well.  

I do have to admit this book was slightly more gripping than the last, maybe it was down to the mix of plot lines I'll never know but with me saying that I'm still completely in love with this series, Charlaine has done a great job in getting me hooked. I give this book a rating of 5/5 and I'm definitely going on to read the rest of this series.