Grieving by Ruth Coughlin

Ruth is a widow unfortunately to her husband William who sadly passed away from cancer. At the beginning of the book, we learn about how Ruth is coping with everything which is plain and obviously coated with sadness.  They had a life together in a marriage for over three decades, having that one person there for you everyday to going to having the other partners belongings everywhere but not them, not their physical presence, is a totally relatable and honest situation.

Ruth describes her husbands battle as he went through chemotherapy to help prolong his life and how it did shrink the liver tumor at first. It's unfortunate that liver cancer alike many other cancer forms often comes with a bleak diagnosis, however heartbreaking for the family and friends to accept.

Ruth and Bill went through so much together and in the book there are anniversaries remembered and happy times such as when Bill had his next novel published and celebrated with a party. Always managing to have as good a time as can be possible even when time is limited and unknown how long is left, Bill is an icon in the sense that the diagnosis didn't hold him back in his final months which is very admirable.

Heart wrenching and emotional, if you have been close to someone with terminal cancer as well, I hope you will read this book as well. I have had many family members in the past and currently fighting this horrible disease which takes so many from us each year. Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to review this book, its been emotional but worth it.

Hello Me It's You by Anonymous, Hannah Todd

As someone who knows others as well as myself, who have suffered with mental and physical health issues, this intrigued me to read this book. The publisher has very kindly allowed me a copy to review.

This book is a collection of letters written by people, mostly anonymously, years after they were around sixteen years old. Upon their reflection on their own personal struggle with mental health and opens up to us to read, empathise and realise again there should be no stigma around such a huge subject that effects so many of us around the world.

The author herself states in the beginning of the book, she herself was diagnosed with anxiety and depression which are two most aware of common mental health issues that effect so many of us.

In between each of the letters written, there is a quote to inspire and give us a sense of hope in a beautiful paintbrush style water stroke text.

The story's told in each letter are intimate and honest allowing us to feel how they feel/felt and allows us to think of how they tackled their health issues.

For me, letter 9 stood out for pain as I suffer with Fibromyalgia. As well as letter 10 during which is written, distraction is key as I have found that has helped me when I have an anxiety moment or think back on my own issues in my teens with more severe issues.

Overall this books talks on subjects of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self harm, body dysmorphia and more mental health issues so openly it's refreshing and I honestly hope we can stop the stigma.

If you are suffering with your mental health, there is help, this book may help open up otherwise please talk to a family member, friend, GP or if you are in school or college a counsellor or teacher.

Crochet Stories: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland by Pat Olski

I am a huge crafty person from painting and jewellery making as a young child, to now being hugely into cross stitching, knitting and crocheting.

As a child I think everyone gets introduced to Alice in Wonderland and the amazing story has every young child enchanted and wondering how likely the events are to occur to them too quite possibly! For me, little juice pots made me think and pretend I was going to shrink to the size of a small child doll.

This book was kindly sent to me to review and I loved the way the book reads. Not just straight forward into pattern after pattern of each character, between each one pretty much is an excerpt of a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Enabling a family friendly like feel to the book as a whole.

The patterns are intricate and finely detailed. Characters are portrayed as alike as I personally feel possible to the ones drawn in the picture books and all are sure to have children engrossed in the classic tale that will share the magic of storytelling from generation to generation.

My Battle With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Beckie Butcher

I was kindly sent this from a Goodreads giveaway.

Personally suffering myself from Fibromyalgia, a condition which very often can coincide with chronic fatigue syndrome I felt emotional reading this short insight into Beckie and her diagnosis journey.

I read it and cried and empathised with her journey as she realised her life was changing forever alike me to my own diagnosis.

In this book she talks about her faith a lot too and how she leant on her faith in God to help her through.

Beckie also talks about procedures she had experienced such as Nucca. In a hope to heal her body which unfortunately can't heal completely and is like a rollercoaster of one day being better, worse or manageable at best.

A lovely short insight to CFS and will be sharing it with my family to read as well.

Storm in a C cup by Caroline Flack

So, I love the X Factor and found a gorgeous white hardback copy of this book in a charity shop, upon reading it, I was so right to buy it!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this autobiography and found out so much about Caroline. The book let’s us view her life and see her dedication to her passions, family and friends from her little home town and from her immediate family to her celebrity family and friends such as Olly Murs and the rest of the X Factor family.

I had no idea the smiley and upbeat television presenter we see on TV had trained in the performance industry nor the plain fact she has a twin! (I could’ve googled that fact I’m guessing but in the book of course there are stories about the two and their family.)

Throughout the book I felt like she was open and honest about everything and laid her emotions bare for us to feel and we can commiserate or celebrate each moment she depicts with us from a terrible heartbreak, moving out and going to university and of course, being on stage. She has lived so far an amazing and interesting life of highs and lows with advice for how to cope with situations after they've happed and she can reflect with a more clear, open mind.

This book is an eye opening and honest look back on Caroline’s life so far, tear jerking and laughable in seperate parts, I sincerely hope you pick it up too!

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Girl hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe

Picking this book up at first, was due purely to the colourful imagery on the cover and then the title, I noticed was different to others I've read before as the book is titled girl heart girl and I found out, written by young YouTube Lucy who writes her memoir detailing her coming to terms with her sexuality and finding her girlfriend online.

The couple in real life were still together at the time of Lucy writing and are currently not together although they have a huge following on YouTube I have since discovered.

This book starts out with Lucy depicting the scene of her living in England growing up in Oxfordshire, moving to Plymouth to undertake her film degree and finding her way through all the scenes modern teenagers go through first, high school and dealing with sexuality, whether you like someone or not, dealing with homophobic people in her life and coming out to first her friends, then parents and family.

The memoir is also different in the way a young couple meet through online blog site Tumblr. A bit like a modern fairy tale as what fifteen year old doesn't use the internet!

This book will make you commiserate with the young Lucy, laugh and feel like you are a witness to the actions that have happened so far in her young life.

Simply unput downable, a pleasurable read from cover to cover!