My thoughts on #Spectrum10K

In case you haven’t heard, Cambridge Autism Research Centre, lead by Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen, have launched a new research initiative. They want 10,000 autistic people to send them their genetic material. There has been a bit of fuss in the Autistic community because of the unsatisfactory answers given by Spectrum 10K when asked about data safety and the way some ‘Ambassadors’ have behaved, including naturalist Chris Packham calling anyone who disagrees with the research a science denier and conspiracy theorist, and ‘comedian’ Paula White calling a respected autistic autism researcher ‘brainless’.

I haven’t commented on any of the Twitter threads, but I’ve been reading them and taking in the information. The main issue is that there isn’t any guarantee about the security of the data, which may be sold to companies at a later date, and that some of the people and organisations involved, even tangentially, are known to want to ‘cure’ autism. Yes, we’re scared of eugenics.

Continue reading “My thoughts on #Spectrum10K”

Book Blitz: Siggy Loves Sausages, by Brian Frederick

Blurb 

A little dachshund ensues on a chase of something sparkly floating through the sky, vowing to return it to its rightful owner. Follow Siggy as he dashes through the village, saying hello to his friends and neighbours, but staying focused on the task at and. Will Siggy be able to keep his promise?

Come along for a joyful, rollicking tale with vibrant illustrations, sharing in the happiness and beauty of everyday life. Young children will enjoy the escapades of sweet little Siggy while learning lessons about keeping promises and unexpected rewards.

Buy Links

https://amzn.to/3joLnVC

Author Bio


Children’s book author Brian Frederick knew he wanted to be a writer at a young age, having won prizes and praise for his early stories. When he writes, he finds himself entering a bubble and his mind wanders in an imaginary world, providing him with great creativity.

Audiobook Review: The Ryan Green True Crime Collection, Volume 5, written by Ryan Green and Narrated by Steve White

By: Ryan Green
Narrated by: Steve White
Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 29-07-21
Language: English
Publisher: Ryan Green Publishing

ummary

Four chilling true crime stories in one collection.

Best-selling true crime author, Ryan Green, has complied four fascinating stories in one collection. Volume five contains some of Green’s most intriguing accounts of violence, abuse, deception and murder. Within this collection, you’ll receive:

The Texas Tower Sniper: The Terrifying True Story of Charles Whitman
Growing up under the brutal rule of his father took its toll on Charles Whitman Jr. He could not live up to the impossible expectations or accept the failures. His life started to unravel. He wasn’t going to slide into mediocrity or go silently into suicide. The world needed to know his name and what he was truly capable of, for the rest of time.

The Kentucky Cannibal: The True Story of an Outlaw, Murderer and Man-Eater
In 1850, Boone Helm headed “Out West” to chase the Californian Gold Rush. During his travels, Helm killed and consumed the flesh of his enemies and travelling companions, earning him the nickname “The Kentucky Cannibal”. In California, where violence was the law of the land, Helm’s savage set of skills could finally be recognised and rewarded.

Vampire Killer: A Terrifying True Story of Psychosis, Mutilation and Murder
In 1978, Richard Chase was influenced by constant commanding delusions that had devastating consequences on the City of Sacramento. The crime scenes were so disturbing that the police were not equipped to deal with them. Within the space of a month, six victims were found mutilated, disembowelled, abused and missing vast quantities of blood.

Gorilla Killer: A True Story of Betrayal, Brutality and Butchery
Before Bundy and BTK, there was Earle Nelson. Serial Killers were unknown to the American public in the 1920s but the local authorities and press were fast becoming aware of the devastating and horrific reality that unfolded before their eyes. The roaming “Gorilla Killer” became the first real ‘superstar criminal’ who everyone talked about and feared.

The Ryan Green True Crime Collection contains chilling accounts of some of the most brutal and bizarre true crime stories in history. Green’s riveting narrative draws the listener into the real-life horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller.

My review

I received an email from Ryan Green about a month ago, the day this audiobook was published on Audible and received a code for a free copy in return for an honest review.

Three of these books were new to me; I’ve listened to The Kentucky Killer before, so that one was not a surprise to me, and I’ve heard of the Gorilla Killer from a podcast. I’ve heard of Richard Chase but not the details, and I hadn’t heard of Charles Whitman at all.

The narratives of each of these men is told in an easy to understand and easy to digest. Some of the material is very graphic so it should be approached with caution. The lives of the murderers is told in chronological order from birth to death. Some of the possible origins for their behaviour and their self-justification are explored.

Steve White is a very good narrator and he does the material justice.

Review: Billy Plonka and the Grot Laboratory, by Ian Billings


5- 12-year-olds
134 pages  

Blurb 

Billy Plonka – the Prince of Stink, the Monarch of Muck, the Sultan of Slime, the Duke of Dregs and the King of Kak. He’s the most extraordinary maker of GROT in the entire world, and he’s invited 5 individuals (Orson Ploop – An overweight kazoo playing protégé; Victoria Scabb – 259th in line to the English throne; Viola Mudguard – 11-year-old, ex-Wollywood star; Spike Peecee – A self-obsessed dweeb who can never disconnect from the Internet; and Marley Suckett – An anti-hero), to visit his world-famous Grot Laboratory, and step into an adventure they will never forget!

Your tour is about to start. Don’t wander off . YOU! Yes, YOU! I’m talking to YOU! Mr. Plonka would hate to lose you along the way… READ IT!!! 
BILLY PLONKA AND THE GROT LABORATORY- the 100% unofficial official parody of one of the greatest children’s stories of all time.

This modern re-telling of the Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ stays true to the wonderful wit of Dahl, but brings the tale into the modern age with a lovely twist at the end. Each character meets their grotty fate as they go on their tour of The Grot Laboratory – as the name suggests, a disgusting place full of scumpiddlinoxious fumes and materials. Words reminiscent of Dahl fill the pages – Whi-ffi (it’s like wifi only smellier), whazzplop and picklescooper to name but a few.

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Audiobook Review: The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri, narrated by Shiromi Arserio

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Audiobook
Published June 8th 2021 by Orbit
ISBN:154910487X (ISBN13: 9781549104879)
Series: Burning Kingdoms #1

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women–a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic–come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

Exiled by her despotic brother when he claimed their father’s kingdom, Malini spends her days trapped in the Hirana: an ancient, cliffside temple that was once the source of the magical deathless waters, but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

A servant in the regent’s household, Priya makes the treacherous climb to the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to play the role of a drudge so long as it keeps anyone from discovering her ties to the temple and the dark secret of her past.

But when Malini bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to steal a throne. The other is a powerful priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.

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I tried a weight management programme for 18 months and all I got was worse mental health

This is a long one, get comfy. I don’t talk about personal stuff much now, since my blog has evolved into a book blog from a general/mental health blog.

For the first time in 18 months, I weighed myself today. Last time I got weighed was at the start of 2020 when I was weighed at the start of a ‘get active’ programme with the local leisure centres, where I started swimming two to three times a week, and then a ‘weight management programme’ a few weeks later.

I will be talking about weight and BMI, so if that’s not a happy thing for you to think about, probably best not to read on.

I haven’t lost or gained any weight, but apparently I’m 6 centimetres shorter than I was in February last year…

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Review: Anthracite, by Matt Thomas

PAPERBACK 978-1-78965-147-8
5 August 2021
£10.99 / $14.99 / C$19.99 /€11.66
Science Fiction /
Humorous

Blurb

Deadbeat Kevin Jones finds himself kidnapped to an alternative reality where Wales is the single global superpower. Abducted from his mundane existence by the mysterious Gwen, she tells him there are forces seeking his destruction – he has to run or die. It turns out Kevin’s story holds the key to why all worlds but ours turn out the way they do – Pax Cambria.

Featuring a host of mysterious characters, cheese-on-toast based fast food, altright druids and the deadly all-knowing Taffia, Anthracite begins the battle to address the woeful lack of Welsh themed comedy cyberpunk. The fearsome Jones-Corporation might run the world but they have a dirty little secret they don’t want to get out. Swansea has never looked more like near-future LA. It’s already got the rain.

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Review: Fireborn, by Aisling Fowler


Publisher: Harper Collins
Length: 384 Pages
Publishing: 30th September 2021
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fireborn-1-Aisling-Fowler/dp/0062996711/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56554614-fireborn
 

Blurb

Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide.

Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other–and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve.

Ember is full of monsters.

Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them–so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her.

But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny–and the very fate of her world.

Continue reading “Review: Fireborn, by Aisling Fowler”