From The Review Pile (94)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

-----------------------------------

This week, I'm going to showcase The Tattooist of Auschwitz!

This year marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, meaning that there have been plenty of books available on the subject of the camp and the Holocaust. This has meant that I've been lucky enough to have purchased a plethora of books, both non-fiction and fiction, regarding one of my special interests. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a book that has been on my radar for a couple of years now but I have only recently picked it up with it's follow up story, Cilka's Journey. I have seen so many incredible reviews of this book and I really hope that it lives up to my expectations. I'm looking forward to reading it as soon as possible!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Paperback, 320 pages

Published 4th October 2018 by Zaffre 

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. 

And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

Love as Always, Mum xxx

Love as Always, Mum xxx by Mae West (with Neil McKay)

Paperback, 272 pages

Published 6th September 2018 by Seven Dials

Shelves: abuse, books-i-own, crime-thriller-mystery, memoirs-biographies-etc, mental-health, misery-lit, non-fiction, read, read-in-2020 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

The true story of an abused childhood, of shocking brutality and life as the daughter of notorious serial killer, and master manipulator, Rose West.
You're twenty-one years old. Police arrive on the doorstep of your house, 25 Cromwell Street, with a warrant to search the garden for the remains of your older sister you didn't know was dead. Bones are found and they are from more than one body. And so the nightmare begins. You are the daughter of Fred and Rose West.

It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes.
Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?

Anybody who knows me well knows that I can never resist watching the latest true crime documentary on TV or resist the temptation of scouring over a true crime article. It seems like I'm not alone and as the interest in both solved true crimes and mysteries seems to soar, there are always some cases that you know that almost everybody will have come across at some point. One of these is the infamous case of Fred and Rose West, a couple who abused and killed their acquaintances and their own daughter.

There are countless documentaries and books written about this couple - a lot of which I have watched, read and studied, but what sets this one apart is that it's written by Mae West - one of their surviving children.  As soon as I saw that this was written by someone who has personally had their life directly affected by the actions of the couple, I knew that I had to read it to gain a true insight into what really went on in the lives of the Wests and those who knew them. 

Whilst I already knew a lot of detail about the case, this book offers a whole new perspective - that of a child who knew Fred and Rose well before anybody else did. This is a memoir from someone who trusted and most significantly, loved these two people who, to the majority of people, will never seem deserving of it. It's important to note that although I keep referring to Fred and Rose, this book isn't just about those two people - it centres around the family dynamic of the Wests and we get great insight into her relationships with her siblings throughout Mae's life, both before and after her parent's convictions. Reading Mae's writing about her late sister is particularly moving and heart wrenching. 

It is interesting to see how Mae's thoughts and feelings evolve and change throughout the whole of her life  and as you read, you can really see how her experiences change and shape her thought and feelings. It can also, however, be frustrating at times, seeing how Mae is clearly being manipulated and twisted by her mother in particular. There were points where I wanted to throw the book in frustration, seeing what Mae could not at the time, but this also brought the raw authenticity of the book into view. Mae is clear and honest within this book - she recognises some of her naiveté but also still holds on to the fact that she is still a daughter who is in want, or perhaps even need, of a loving mother. The conflict in her thoughts and feelings makes for a very interesting, albeit very sad, read.

If you know this case, it's likely that you will know some of the horrific things that went on within 25 Cromwell Street, but in this book you begin to learn even more. I wasn't expecting to learn much new information about the crimes themselves and I was left speechless after reading some of Mae's recollections, not only of the murders but also of the abuse and torment that came before and after. 

There are some very graphic and traumatic scenes described in detail which seem even more poignant when they're being described by the victim. The Wests did not only inflict physical abuse on their children - the mental abuse seemed equally, if not more, torturous. This is definitely something to be aware of when reading - prepare to take a lot of breaks as it can become very mentally draining. 

For anyone who is interested in true crime, especially in case of the West family, this is an absolute must read. Whilst I didn't find the actual writing to be fantastic - unfortunately I found that sometimes the book seemed a little disjointed and  quite repetitive, the content alone is gripping enough to recommend. I applaud Mae for her honesty, the raw emotion she displays in this book as well as the admirable strength she has used in order to make a life of her own.

I'm back!

Hello everybody! 

This is my official announcement that I'm back and reviewing again after a long hiatus. 

I want to say a huge thank you to those who have continued to follow me via my various social media platforms and many thanks to those who have discovered my reviews during my leave and have responded to those.

Of course, I will hope that there are and will be lots of new readers too and so I'd like to say a big hello to all of you too and I hope you'll enjoy your experience here.

I'm very excited to be back and to be sharing what I'm reading and my thoughts with you all. Due to the success of my previous blogging and reviews, I have decided that reviews should stay similar to what you've previously seen, but you may notice a few changes in formatting and the aesthetics of the blog. My main focus of this blog has always been the books that I read and my thoughts upon the and that will definitely remain the same.

I look forward to sharing more with you, taking suggestions from my readers and hopefully seeing all of your lovely responses!

Thank you,

Stephanie

Stacking the Shelves and Showcase Sunday (92)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea.

These memes are a replacement of The Story Siren's In My Mailbox.

Stacking the Shelves and Showcase Sunday make a place to showcase your new books, whether you obtained them through the post or otherwise.

I received three books for review this week. The first was Searching for Sky which looks very interesting. I also recieved The Winner's Curse and a book which perhaps has the strangest name ever - The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe - I can't wait to see how that one turns out! I also couldn't resist picking up Cryer's Cross as I found a brand new hardback in Poundland - bargain!

Have a happy weekend!