I feel it's about time to talk about some of the books I like and love. I don't truly consider myself a 'bookworm', I have mentioned my distaste for literature in previous posts. That has fortunately diminished and I love to get myself stuck into a good book! I must say, some of the things I've read aren't the best of literature, but they are no 50 Shades of Grey (only going by ear that it's a terribly written book). I'll be blogging a 'Book of the day' post whenever I can as I approach university, and then I'll give you my review on the books I'm reading for my modules when I begin my courses too! So, today's book is:

Wasted by Marya Hornbacher. 

This is a book about a ten year battle with anorexia and bulimia, and unlike other memoirs or books about eating disorders, Hornbacher doesn't look for things or people to blame, she accepts - in time - the fact that she was a very unwell and mentally ill young women. Throughout her struggle, though acting tough, she recognises her cries for help which not everyone hears - eating disordered people are notoriously well-known for their denial. I can't say it's the most amazingly written book, it's raw and feels as if the editor hasn't done their job quite as well as they should have done, but I think that's part of the reality of it. Her age at the time of writing Wasted - 23 - has often been to blame for some drivel that arises. Throughout the book her arrogant, obnoxious attitude sometimes becomes frustrating but, many people - myself included - can see at least an inkling of their own behaviours and desires within her deleterious lifestyle.

The pace is perfect, you follow her life and when she refers to something earlier in the book it's easy to remember that minor detail that connects the events in her chaotic time line. It's a haunting story with victory and tragedy along the way, this makes you want to read onto that very last page and beyond - I can guarantee that most of the people that have read this didn't take long to search for Marya Hornbacher once the book had been set down, just to know how she's doing now. 

The read is, over all, gripping. I've read Wasted a fair few times, perhaps due to my intrigue into the psychology behind calamitous self-destructive behaviours, but more so because Hornbacher's story is inspirational. She pulled herself out of hard situations - which at first you don't sympathise with her for because she got herself into the situation in which her only choices were to live or die - but it's obviously not hard to see her vulnerability.

The only criticism I can give about this book is that she goes too in-depth about her disorder in places - perhaps to make her readers truly understand her pain - but this leads to dangerous tips for those like her, which I honestly don't believe were her intentions. When I say her story is inspirational, you do have to overlook certain things, like the detail she goes into, to recognise her successful recovery and that is what she in fact wants for her readers who are in the same boat. I would recommend this to those who enjoy memoirs or informative books about disorders, but don't use this book as a bible. Marya Hornbacher is a lucky survivor of two hideous disorders and she does go into great detail about how close to death she was, it's not a book of secrets, it's a deterrent.

I hope you'll look forward to more of my book reviews!

MissIsGoode