Author: ObvItsAmy

Books

What I thought – Books I read in February

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This month I read two books only, I’ve been doing a lot of stitching which I will share with you in a seperate post, however I loved both!

Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Audio book

The first book I read was the audio book version of Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and I absolutely loved it. Now, I tried the book version of this a few months ago and I struggled to get into it, however audible had a buy one get one free offer and this was reviewed so highly I thought I’d give it a shot. The narrator for this book was Jot Davies and he was incredible, I actually think I came away from this thinking it was my favourite audio book I’ve listened to so far. Jot’s voices for individual characters were convincing and not cringe-worthy (we’ve all listened to an audio book when that happens…), I genuinely felt so invested into the book. This was a 17 hour long audio book which I listened to in HUGE chunks because I was so in love with it. I always listen to my audio book at speed x1.25 and sometimes this can distort the voice, however because Jot reads the book quite slow it sounded absolutely fine – this can sometimes be a make or break for some people!

If you are someone who was not feeling the book I highly recommend the audio book as I loved it, there were twists and turns around every corner, each character was developed so well that when you switched between them you felt as though you knew them. I love dark fiction and although this may not have been as dark as something like The Corset (which I read previously) I still really loved the vibe of Evelyn Hardcastle. The only way to describe it is like a real life game of Cluedo, that I would love to play.

 

What Makes Girls Sick and Tired – Preview

The second book I read was one I received through Netgalley, What Makes Girls Sick and Tired.  I put together a few words and popped it up on Goodreads so I’ll paste those below.

A short but straight to the point read – as a woman myself I can completely relate to almost all of the examples of things included in this book. It’s frustrating that we have to keep reminding people of simple things but this book does it in a very blunt way which I really liked.

The illustration was presented nicely and this would be a good book to have within schools to educate both young boys and and girls.

I think this is a really powerful and important read for everyone and if you get a chance to give it a quick sit-down I recommend it, some of the stats featured in the book are also a fascinating reality check.

I am aiming to read around 4 book in March – including a few graphic novels on top which I received for my birthday. Wish me luck and see you all soon!

-Amy x

*please note I sometimes use Amazon Affiliate links within my posts, you do not have to use these but any revenue will go back to my website 🙂

 

Books

My Son, The Killer – Review

by ObvItsAmy2 Comments on My Son, The Killer – Review

I have been reading this on and off since around October, but I finally sat down and finished it this week and thought I would put together a review for you. (Just so you’re aware I received an ebook version via Netgalley.)

I really wanted to read this because as most of you know I love True Crime and this was a story I’ve read about and listened to podcasts about, if you are not aware this book is based on Luka Magnotta the Ice Pick Killer who appeared in the video ‘1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick’. I will pop the description below and begin my review after that. This book is available to buy now.

Description taken from NetGalley:

“In 2012, the Canadian Press ignited a firestorm of criticism by naming killer Luka Magnotta as its “Newsmaker Of The Year.” But while the recognition was questionable for its sensitivity, there’s no doubt that few people had captured the public’s attention like the young murderer and internet sensation. A male escort and sometimes model, Magnotta had earned his notoriety by videotaping himself stabbing Chinese student Lin Jun to death with an ice pick and dismembering the body, before posting the video online. After mailing Jun’s hands and feet to elementary schools, he then led Interpol on a manhunt that ended when he was arrested at an Internet café in Berlin where he was reading news stories about himself. An international celebrity in a macabre sort of way, with a legion of fans, Magnotta was brought back to Canada, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to prison. During this time, Anna Yourkin, his estranged mother, troubled by Magnotta’s abused childhood and her role in that, reconnected with her killer son. Despite his internet fame, Magnotta never agreed to any in-depth interviews. Now Magnotta has given award-winning journalist and author, Brian Whitney (RAW DEAL, THE SHAWCROSS LETTERS) an exclusive look inside the mind of this “social media” killer. Joining Whitney to tell this unique true crime story is Anna Yourkin. The book also contains exclusive photos provided by Yourkin.”

Click read more to read my full review.

Continue reading “My Son, The Killer – Review” →

Books

What I Thought – Reads of January

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In January I did not read a lot and this was down to many things, work was very busy for me, also Resident Evil 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3 launched too! So I’ve actually spent a bit more time playing games than reading, which in the light of the things isn’t necessarily a bad thing, sometimes it’s nice to switch things up.

The Corset – Audiobook

THIS WAS SO GOOD! Oh my god, I went into this pretty blind – I’d had it recommended to me by a friend who hadn’t actually read it but people had been telling her how good it was. Now I must say this book was so much darker than I thought it was going to be and the ending has a pretty big twist (that I did kind of figure out but it still really got me even at the reveal), as you all know I love dark books so this was a very pleasant surprise.

I did actually begin reading the book version of this and in the end I found I couldn’t quite get into it, so one month I decided to spend my audible credit on this as the reviews were positive. I’m so glad I did because it changed my perception of the book completely – I throughly enjoyed this audio book and highly recommend picking it up if you have a spare credit and are looking for a new novel with a dark undertone.

My Son, The Killer – Preview

I love true crime and I requested this the second I could! However I haven’t finished this yet, but I read a good chunk in January (it is an early copy from NetGalley) and so far I’m finding it okay. It is split into two perspectives, the Mother (Anna Yourkin) of Luka Magnotta (the infamous Ice Pick killer) and Brian Whitney who comes into contact with Luka quite a few times to ask him his accounts and more about his upbringing.

I am a good half way through the book and so far I’m finding it okay, but not really loving how much is about his past rather than what he actually did. I think it’s almost sympathising with him and upsets me more than it’s not about putting down the person who murdered someone for ‘fame’. However I’m going to stick with it and expect a full review from me in Feb! 🙂

So these are the two books I have tucked into during January, what have you been reading?

-Amy x

 

*I use amazon affiliate links on my website, so if you purchase through them I gain a little bit of income to improve my site 🙂

Free Patterns, Rupaul inspired, Stitching

Pattern – Choices

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Pattern – Choices

Hi all!

I hope you’re having a lovely week today I thought I would share another iconic RuPaul’s Drag Race quote for you. This one is simply ‘choices’ and is one of my favourite from the whole show!

You can download this pattern for free here!

This pattern is one of my most simple and this would be great for a beginner!

I’d love to see people’s take on this pattern – feel free to tag me on Instagram/Twitter or use the hashtag #ObvItsAmyStitches!

-Amy x

Free Patterns, Rupaul inspired, Stitching

Pattern – Sickening

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Pattern – Sickening

Hello!

Just a little short blog post from me as I realised I haven’t shared a pattern with you all in a long time and recently I’ve been getting commissioned to make a few designs – all my patterns on here are free however. You can click on the tags section and find one marked as ‘free patterns’.

And as Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars has started again I thought I would share one from one of the fabulous contestants, Latrice Royale! So far most of my patterns have been quotes, but once I have a bit more spare time on my hands I’d like to begin making more creative pieces. For now enjoy!

I would say this pattern would be great for someone who has done a simple pattern in the past – so a beginner.

You can download this free sickening pattern here.

I’d love to see people’s take on this pattern – feel free to tag me on Instagram/Twitter or use the hashtag #ObvItsAmyStitches!

-Amy x

Audio

My favourite Podcasts

by ObvItsAmy2 Comments on My favourite Podcasts

Hello! Today I thought I’d share some of my favourite podcasts with you – now I know I can’t add my favourite podcasts to Goodreads (not even the ‘story’ ones, boo!) but if I’m honest I spend more time listening to Podcasts than reading these days. I tend to have one playing on my commute, while I’m working, in the bath, etc.

By now you will know the kind of books I read and my Podcasts are pretty much a reflection of my reading habits. The two genres I listen too are pretty much True Crime and Comedy!

I also want to recommend the app I use as it’s the best Podcast app I’ve found so far – it’s called Pocketcast. It’s not free, but it is super cheap and worth it, it’s tidy, easy to use, updates the podcasts for you and allows you to search popular podcasts in your area! (this isn’t sponsored)

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My Favourite Murder

This is a true crime podcast with a twist, the co-hosts are two comedians (Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark) who talk about their ‘favourite’ murder each week but in a much less serious way that usual true crime podcasts. They have an amazing chemistry and are fricking hilarious. If you’re looking to listen to true crime podcasts which do not go into too much of the nitty gritty and the hosts have a laugh then I recommend this! SSDGM

Sword and Scale

Sword and Scale is a much more serious true crime podcast with each episode going into a lot of detail about each murder (police calls, recordings, interviews etc) – this is not for the faint hearted and some of the episodes I’ve had to tap out of because they’ve been so hard hitting. One of my favourite episodes so far of this has been the Jonestown murders, which again has the full tape of when the ‘suicides’ commenced, so you might want to skip that part…

What’s the Tee

What’s the Tee features RuPaul and his co-host Michelle Visage while they discuss a variation of things, pop culture, advice and RuPauls Drag Race. They have some amazing guests and generally just have such a laugh, it’s a great one to put on in the background if you’re working. As a huge fan of RuPauls Drag Race I began listening to this and honestly, Michelle steals the show – she is incredible! I also think this podcast has introduced the world to squatty potties.

Getting Curious

I have only just started listening to this one and I’m gutted I did not begin listening sooner! This podcast is hosted by Jonathan Van Ness and each episode he explores various topics / things he is curious about. He gets experts in as they discuss topics that quite frankly everyone should know more about. Want to know why recycling is good? There is an episode, want to know more about what Trade Unions actually do? You bet there is an episode for that too. So not only is this an enjoyable podcast but it’s educational too!

Serial

Serial is an investigative journalism podcast and it is nonfiction, each season covers a different crime. The first season saw this podcast rise to fame, the season covered the case of the murder of Hae Min Lee where high school student Adnan Syed was convicted of her murder, despite there being what seems like a huge amount of evidence that suggests it’s not him. Because of this podcast a new trial has now been opened for Syed. I didn’t quite get on with Season two, however Season three is now the next on my list!

My Dad Wrote a Porno

Absolutely hysterical, this was recommended to me by lots of my friends last year and I decided to finally begin listening during my drives back and forth to visit my parents. Me and my boyfriend listen to this in the car and it is guaranteed to have us both in stitches – as you can guess by the title the main host of the shows Father has written a series of porn books, to which he narrates chapters of them to his two close friends each week. The writing…isn’t the best, but if you need something to make you laugh – listen to this!

Do you have any podcasts you’d like to recommend me? Let me know in the comments!

-Amy x

Books

What I Thought – Reads of Nov/Dec

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Audition 

Audition was a bit of a miss to begin with and then huge hit by the end. I really enjoy Murakami books because they’re easy and quite short reads but with a lot going on. The book started quite slow and to be honest I wasn’t quite sure where it was going to end up, however it did end with a huge (quite disturbing) bang and I loved it. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a more gory intense read, as I know Murakami books aren’t for everybody.

Sex Criminals #22-25 

(I started reading this in October, but read the majority in November)
I caught up with the latest volume of Sex Criminals and I enjoyed them. I was quite let down by the last 4-6 comics and felt like the story was becoming a little flat, but this volume really brought it back to it’s peak and I fell back in love with the characters. I would advise not to read this in public as it’s very graphic, unless you don’t mind people on public transport looking over your shoulder and seeing fully drawn out bondage / sex scenes…

SEX: The Summer of Hard

I picked this up because it went down in price on Comixology and was recommended to me because I read Sex Criminals. I didn’t really get on with this, I found the story confusing, it kept flitting backwards and forwards into present story and backstory. There were SO many characters introduced, all of which have a pretty intense past and I just didn’t find myself engaging with them at all. However, I think if the next volume goes down in price I may pick it up to see if it helps shed some light on what is actually going on.

Strange Weather In Tokyo

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. It has such a charm and beauty within it’s writing that I was engrossed and ended up reading it over the course of one day. I fell in love with both of the main characters, I laughed and I SOBBED at the end. This is such a stunning slice of life book which deals with some pretty hard hitting topics – I highly recommend you read this as you won’t be disappointed.

Little Darlings

I did really enjoy this book and I did a full review over here – please note that this review contains spoilers.

Snotgirl #12

Ooft, Snotgirl once again did not let me down, this episode was another great one! As usual the comic was left on a cliff-hanger (this is something the writer does very well), I don’t think this was the best one I’ve read to date but introduces a new character who you’re clearly either going to love or absolutely despise and it looks like she is about to mix up the plot quite a bit!

I’ll see you next month with my January reads!

-Amy x

*I use amazon affiliate links on my website, so if you purchase through them I gain a little bit of income to improve my site 🙂