marianneiriss's reviews
181 reviews

Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear by Jan Bondeson

challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, and Murder

S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Life at the Extremes by Frances Ashcroft

adventurous challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

4.5

I reread this recently whilst studying the first year of my medical degree, as I remembered from my first read of it that it was fascinating and contained plenty of physiology in an easily readable format. I don't usually enjoy physiology, but I have found this book extremely interesting, and it has definitely helped me put some of what I have learnt in the first year of my degree into context.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Medical content

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

adventurous dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Mustn't Grumble: The surprising science of everyday ailments and why we're always a bit ill by Graham Lawton

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Blood, and Dementia

Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Vomit, and Medical content

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, and Medical trauma

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Sexism, and Gaslighting

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail