Delve deep into the Rainforest. Start in Mexico City before starting on your journey, but what will you discover? Do you dare to go deep into the pages? Michelle Paver has previously written for young adults/children but this one is suitable only for adults. It is a great original, atmospheric read for autumn/Halloween and beyond. Check out the blurb and my review as part of the Random T. Tours below. Thanks to Orion for supplying the book for review.
Blurb
The jungle watches. The dead remember.
The virgin rainforest seems a paradise to Englishman Simon Corbett. A last chance to salvage his career. A final refuge from a terrible secret.
But the jungle is no Eden. It hides secrets of its own. It does not forgive.
As Simon is drawn deeper into its haunted shadows, he learns to his horror that the past will not stay buried. For there are places in the forest where the line between the living and the dead is thinner than the skin of water.
Review
Rainforest begins with a poetic yet powerful opening chapter, beginning to set the tone and the scene of nature, used in a metaphorical sense and the psyche. It sweeps you into the book in a flash to find out what’s really going on, what the thoughts keeping our main character awake. What has a dead woman got to do with it?
There’s also a sense of foreboding and sinister amongst the dangers of the rainforest. The writing is of very good quality, writing about such a place that has a quietness at times and also noise from the insects and animals that fill it amongst the colour of the trees and flowers. What becomes more mysterious is the muktan and its drug like effects.
Between a strange orchid, an underlying dark, haunting atmosphere, a bit of paranormal and the psychological, the Rainforest is a book that has you enter its secrets and grips, fast and hard. Its compelling nature means there’s no escape from the sinister pages until the end… You’ll have to find courage and dare to read the book to see what happens to the characters in the end…
review written by Bookmarks and Stages -Louise Cannon
What lies in the UnderNeath and what is it? This play gives the perfect chance to find out, in what is an intriguing piece of new writing, which is thought-provoking and makes you ask similar questions as to what the people in-front of you are asked and query themselves.
There’s a certain air of Life on Mars, in that everyone may not be alive and no one, except Neath, knows what’s going on. There are hidden secrets and confessions to be made in what is a mysterious holding room.
The play carries an interesting concept of having one person, Neath, who is 1000’s of years old and is the only one who knows what’s going on. The others are baffled and some, to begin with, don’t remember what happened. The play toys with the characters psychologically as they dig deep for their back stories and into what their deepest regret is to see if they can be released or not from the mysterious place they find themselves in. It’s strength was how each character dealt with their predicament. That’s where the real psychological impact lies, rather than totally in their stories alone. This is fascinating, but I felt a little more of the power of the human condition vibe. Intriguingly, the room itself, almost becomes a strong, powerful character as you wait to see what happens next and what hold it has on its captives.
It is thought-provoking and well acted in the formation of the actors who give a convincing performance whilst telling their stories and being baffled by what’s happening to them.
You can find out more here, if you dare to go to The UnderNeath
Interview hosted by Louise Cannon with Comedian, Robyn Perkins and Psychologist, Dr. Carolyne Keenan Shrink Wrapped: A Psychologist Analysis Live On Stage
Comedy For The Curious – Shrink Wrapped The Lounge at Laughing Horse @ The Counting House 31 Jul – 24 Aug 20:45 1 hour
Welcome, Robyn Perkins and Dr. Carolyne Keenan to Bookmarks and Stages. Thank you for your time in answering all my questions in an in-depth, fascinating manner.
Robyn Perkins is a multi-award winning comedian with hit shows such as Comedy for the Curious. She is said to like investigating life. She tackles big emotionally charged subjects and brings it back to the audience with relatable humour and anecdotes.
Dr. Carolyne Keenan is a fully-qualified, licenced, registered psychologist who is founder and clinical director @ Lotus Psychology Ltd. She has also featured on BBC Radio 1 in programmes such as the popular, Life Hacks, The Independent, Psychology Today and more…
The idea of bringing comedians on-stage together in a group therapy type of scenario, with a psychologist really analysing them, sounds a fascinating and original show. It’s a pleasure to interview you both about this, covering what you hope audiences will get from this, what psychologists really think of clients and so much more… The answers truly are fascinating and insightful. Firstly, we will check out the synopsis and then on to the Q&A before details on where you can catch Shrink Wrapped in Edinburgh.
Ever been deep in a therapy session and gone: I want to know what the hell she’s thinking? Well now’s your chance… with comedians in the hot seat. Join award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins and real-life psychologists (Dr Ruchi Sinha, Dr Carolyne Keenan or Dr Edel McGlanaghy) for the most entertaining therapy session you’ll ever witness. Guest comedians perform their best material, before submitting themselves to gentle psychological probing in front of a live audience. Don’t worry, we’ve got more safe words than a BDSM convention.
Without further ado, let’s begin with the questions I have for you:
Robyn, What gave you the idea to have a comedy show around the topic of therapy and then add in real psychologists into the mix?
It actually started in Adelaide when I had one of our psychologists on Comedy for the Curious (my science comedy panel show, also in Edinburgh). During the show, the psychologist (Dr. Ruchi Sinha) just read all of the comedian guests, from a psychological point of view. After the show, we chatted about how that would make an incredible show on its own, and the raw idea was born. From there, I have developed the idea into a full-blown panel show, developing the structure into what it is today.
Dr. Keenan, how did you become involved in this show and how is it being in the mix of a comedy show and at the same time giving your psychological opinion in front of a live audience?
I was invited to be part of Shrink Wrapped because I had already been a guest expert on Robyn’s show Comedy for the Curious. We had been working together for a while when Robyn came up with the concept for Shrink Wrapped. I’ve always believed psychology shouldn’t just stay in clinic rooms or textbooks, it should be part of everyday life. When Robyn described the show and the concept of combining comedy with psychological insights, I thought it was brilliant.
Being part of a comedy show is exciting and I love meeting all the comedians. It’s different from my therapy work but it uses the same skills- listening deeply, noticing patterns, and reflecting back what I hear. The difference is that on stage, we’re exploring these insights with humour, warmth, and openness in front of a live audience. I love that it makes psychology accessible and fun, while also highlighting the very real human truths that comedy often touches on.
Dr. Keenan, can you give an example of what do psychologists think of their clients, since that is a little of what’s billed in the show that makes it sound so interesting?
People often wonder what psychologists really think about their clients. The reality is, we’re human and often I’m thinking very similar things to what you might be:
“I wish they could see how great they are.”
“They really need to get rid of this idiot, they’d be so much happier.”
“I wish they would focus less on how much their favourite influencer has helped them and give the sessions we have been having some credit!”
In Shrink Wrapped, the audience gets a playful glimpse into how psychologists analyse behaviour and language. For example, a comedian might make a joke about not feeling good enough growing up and I might explore whether that contributed to their attraction to a job where they are constantly seeking immediate and positive approval from an audience. It’s done with kindness and humour though, not judgement, which is what makes it so engaging.
Robyn, Shrink Wrapped has done hugely well at the Adelaide Fringe having sell-out shows. What can people in Edinburgh expect and what do you hope they take away with them at the end of the show?
The concept of Shrink Wrapped seems to intrigue most people, but I think it is the structure behind it that gives the show it’s depth. I have worked with a few psychologists to refine a list of topics we explore across the shows (eg. Conflict, Trust, Romantic Relationships, etc.). Each show tackles a few of the topics in a group therapy session between 3 comedians and a psychologist.
Because the discussion is based in real therapy concepts, the show inherently flips between serious and funny, emotional and light hearted. Equally, I have chosen comedians who are, by nature, quite vulnerable on stage so the chat will occasionally reach emotional moments. However, with 3 comedians on stage at one time, this also means we are desperate to crack a joke if it gets too intense. It is the ebb and the flow of these moments that really makes the show special.
Additionally, since we are talking about real events and real people, we have found that audiences relate to at least one of the comedians on stage, in an ‘I do that’ or ‘that’s me’ kind of way. We are hoping that this can also spark conversations about mental health in a positive and fun way. I know using humour to explore mental health is not a new concept, but watching 3 comedians talk about their mental health in the form of a live therapy session is new territory we are excited to be exploring.
This year in Edinburgh, we are doing the Free Fringe (free entry with donations after the show), and while you cannot book ahead, based on feedback we have had about the show, we are expecting to be just as busy as Adelaide.
Dr. Keenan, what do you hope the audience will have learnt and take away with them by the end of the show?
I hope the audience leaves with:
A sense of relief – realising we all have quirks and struggles, and humour can be a brilliant way to explore them.
A new curiosity about themselves and others – understanding that behaviour always makes sense when you look deeper.
A feeling of connection – seeing comedians open up about their lives helps us feel less alone in our own messy human experiences.
Ultimately, I want people to feel entertained, uplifted, and inspired to reflect on their own lives with more compassion and humour.
For both Dr. Keenan and Robyn, how did you convince 8 comedians to be on stage doing some form of group therapy with 3 psychologists present. Was this an easy or hard task to do?
Dr. KEENAN: I think comedians are naturally curious and brave, they’re used to being vulnerable on stage and they quite like talking about themselves! When they realised this show wasn’t about picking them apart but about exploring their material and personalities in a fun, supportive way, they were on board.
Also, Robyn’s energy and the framing of the show as “science comedy” rather than “group therapy” helped. It wasn’t about fixing them – it was about exploring some of their material through a psychological lens. That made it feel safe and exciting rather than threatening.
ROBYN PERKINS: Similar to what Dr. Keenan has said – as a comedian we love talking about ourselves! But more than that, comedians are curious by nature. I have been overwhelmed by the number of comedians who have asked to be on the show. It’s been fantastic! No convincing necessary!
For both Robyn and Dr. Keenan, what did you both learn from doing this type of show that you would take forward into your careers moving forward and would you do something similar again in the future?
Dr. KEENAN: For me, it reinforced how powerful humour is in making psychological concepts accessible. People learn best when they’re engaged and laughing. I also learnt that psychology belongs everywhere – not just therapy rooms but in arts, media, and entertainment. I regularly take part in BBC Radio One’s Sunday evening show Life Hacks where we take topics that impact the listeners and explore the psychology behind them. We often have call in questions so I’m comfortable thinking on my feet and making these insights accessible and actionable but doing it in front of a live audience on stage has helped me practice those skills and feel even more comfortable with it.
I’d absolutely love to do something similar again. Bringing psychology to audiences in creative ways is something I’m deeply passionate about, and Shrink Wrapped has been a perfect example of how that can work- long may the show continue!
ROBYN PERKINS: I have learned I probably need to do more therapy! I have actually learned a lot about myself, both from comments about me and my set, but I’ve also learned things from watching others. I am hoping this show continues far into the future.
What made you choose Edinburgh Fringe for Shrink Wrapped and what are your plans for where this show can go next?
I go to the Fringe every year, and do the global festival circuit, so it was a no brainer to bring it to EdFringe! Through at least December, we are performing monthly at Top Secret Comedy Club in London at the moment. We will bring the show back to Australia next year. But also, we are looking to potentially start touring the show around theatres and the rest of the UK. The possibilities are endless!
Interview with Producer Nathan Hertz and writer Avra Fox-Lerner about Thinestra
Interview by Louise Cannon
Welcome Nathan and Avra to Bookmarks and Stages to talk about your film and more… Thinestra is a horror film that takes on the hot topic of diet pills where the type shown is like the popular one taken in the real world known as Ozempic that as a topic in the film and the answer is very personal to them and honest about mental health, diets and more…. We also talk about the film itself, classic horror like Jekyll and Hyde, how they celebrated the success at premiering at Raindance Film Festival, being picked up by Deadline and much more… The answers are in-depth, honest, personal and fascinating.
Without further ado, here is the synopsis and then we will get on with the interview, where you will also find links to where you can watch it…
Synopsis
A miracle drug delivers the overnight weight loss you’ve always dreamed of. But will it turn you into a walking nightmare? It’s a sweltering Christmas in LA. Penny—plagued by body dysmorphia and cycles of binge eating—impulsively takes Thinestra, a mysterious Ozempic-like drug. That night, she violently expels masses of fat in a painful and grotesque purge. But her discarded flesh returns… and like the Hyde to Penny’s Jekyll, PENELOPE is born. As her ravenous dopplegänger wreaks bloody havoc, Penny struggles to regain control. Can she overcome her hunger before it’s too late?
Styled as “The Substance” on Ozempic, “Thinestra” imagines a world not dissimilar from today in which quick weight loss drugs are readily available, but there is a price to pay. The cast also features Mary Beth Barone (“Overcompensating”), Brian Husky (“Veep”), Annie Ilonzeh (“SWAT”), Gavin Stenhouse (“Black Mirror”), and Shannon Dang (“Kung Fu”). “Thinestra” is produced by Alexandra Lubenova’s Dogplayer & Kelly Parker’s Mary Ellen Moffat, alongside Hitmaker’s Media and Stay Lucky Studios. Hertz, Joe Wesley, and both Macedo sisters act as executive producers.
What attracted you to the horror genre?
Nathan: I watched The Shining too young, and it kind of rewired my brain. I love the horror genre, but it encompasses a lot for me; I don’t make much of a distinction between horror movies and just… scary stories in general. I like to joke that Thinestra is Bridget Jones’s Diary meets The Fly.
Avra: I actually came to horror later, in high school. I was sick one summer and my dad had the entire Cronenberg canon on VHS. I spent a week sitting in a dark bedroom watching my way from Shivers to Dead Ringers and I’ve never been the same since.
2. The film covers the hot topic of weight loss pills, especially a fictionalised one called Thinestra, an Ozempic-like pill. What research did you do to make this believable and then credibly turn it into horror?
Nathan: I guess my research was mostly first-hand experience. I’ve struggled a lot with body image and weight loss—so when I heard about the new drugs hitting the market, I jumped at the opportunity to try them. Unfortunately, my body had a really bad reaction, and I was sick for over a week! I was left asking myself the same question that Penny, the main character in our film asks, how far am I willing to go to lose weight?
Avra: It’s funny I first wrote this script before Ozempic was even an idea in the world. Like Nathan, I’ve struggled with body image issues. I grew up in LA, a heavy set teenager and the daughter of a heavy set mother. I watched my mom go through starvation diets and early diet pills that had pretty nasty side effects and was also friends with girls who had full blown eating disorders. I remember being angry at myself in high school for not having the discipline to be anorexic because I always got hungry and ate something. At some point I began to fantasize about a pill I could take that would just make the fat melt away, but I also understood by that point in my life that nothing comes without a price, and so Thinestra was born.
3. The film looks at mental health and body dysmorphia. How important is it that films portray these issues, and why did you choose to explore them as a main theme?
Nathan: I think we’re living in a time where people are performing “wellness” while secretly falling apart. They’re posting ‘body positive’ platitudes while scrutinizing their own reflections in private. So I think we’ve all become a bit too isolated in our issues on this subject—me included. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy… And when the villain is a distorted version of yourself—the part you’re desperate to escape—big bad body horror becomes the perfect genre to externalize that inner fracture.
Avra: I think there is a privilege of beauty that people don’t like to talk about or admit is real, but we are all subject to and affected by. It’s a knife that cuts both ways. In my opinion it isn’t doing great things for anyone, even those seen as “beautiful.” I believe, especially when we are young, we think – if I could just fix this one thing, everything in my life would be better. And especially for a lot of young women, that thing is the way we look. So it becomes an unhealthy fixation that is a stand in for everything we don’t like about ourselves. As Nathan says, body horror is a gift that allows us to externalize the internal. What is more horrifying than living inside your own worst enemy – your body?
4. There’s a Jekyll and Hyde theme with Penelope and her doppelgänger. How did you approach that without becoming too derivative, while still nodding to Stevenson’s novel?
Nathan: No mustaches! And… Jekyll and Hyde inhabit the same physical structure, whereas Penny is completely physically separated from Penelope (evil doppelganger formed from Penny’s discarded fat) yet linked psychologically. Penbelope is a physical manifestation of Penny’s binge state.
Avra: I think when writing horror, and especially monster horror, you’re essentially building off a collection of classic archetypes. There’s always a moment when a writer wants to reinvent the wheel and come up with a monster no one has seen before but … it never really works! I’ve learned to embrace the archetype monster as a base and then figure out what my personal take on it is from there. And I don’t feel like I see enough Jekyll/Hyde influenced stories! And it’s so scary!!
5. Congratulations on premiering at Raindance and being picked up by Deadline and others! What was that like and how did you celebrate?
Nathan: With a trip to London and one too many pints!
Avra: With a lot of dancing around my apartment and telling everyone I know!
6. Where can people follow you and where can they watch Thinestra? @nertzzz @thinestra www.thinestra.com @avra.jr
And we are just starting our festival year, so we have lots of exciting screenings on the horizon.
7. What’s next for you?
Nathan: I’m developing a new feature called The Green. It’s a 1950s-set horror film (subgenre: people hunting people) that takes place on a golf course. It’s got mid-century Americana, humor, and plenty of blood in the sand traps!
Avra: I’m working on a folk horror script called Safe Haven about the cost of safety in an unsafe world and directing a play in New York City this summer called Transgression that is only horror in theme, not in genre.
The Homemade God is a fascinating and absorbing read about sibling relationships and the cracks that fragment those ties. What happens to them when this occurs? I am delighted to review this latest book from Rachel Joyce. Thanks to Alison Barrow at Transworld Books UK/Double Day UK for the opportunity to review. Check out the blurb and my full review and buy links below.
Blurb
There is a heatwave across Europe.
Goose and his three sisters gather at the family’s house by Lake Orta in Piedmont, Italy. Their father, a famous artist, has recently remarried a much younger woman and decamped to Italy to finish his masterpiece. Now he is dead and there is no sign of a painting.
Although the siblings have always been close, as they search for answers over that summer, the things they learn – about themselves, their father and their new stepmother – will drive them apart before they can come to any kind of understanding of what their father’s legacy truly is.
Extraordinarily compelling, at heart this is a novel about sibling relationships and those hairline cracks that can appear within a family: what happens when they splinter, and what it would take to mend them.
Review
From the first page, transportation to a summer heatwave occurs where you can hear the sound of flip-flops. From that page, it’s easy to be drawn in. You’re there! Meet Goose, Susan, Netta, Iris and their dad, whom they refer to as daddy. It’s easy to get caught up in their lives and what seems cosy and close. It’s fascinating reading about what can be deep within people and Joyce doesn’t shy away from any of it. She has given her characters desires and fantasies, whether in a professional field or a relationship one. Expect the unexpected from this author and all tastefully written. I have to digress here and say that it’s rather fun seeing one of them want to be a chef like Lesley Waters, purely because when I was growing up, I saw her and the sense of fun she brought to cooking in the likes of Ready Steady Cook and now I rarely hear of her, so I thought this was exciting. Now, back to more important things like the book…
Vic Kemp is an interesting character who you see intriguing art from and hope it would be one day in the top art galleries. What you also see is the inner turmoil and strife of an artist that feels authentic. There’s also a developing and compelling mystery about the women who may or may not be just his muse… The observations of the human condition are profound, especially when it comes to Vic and Goose, both of whom tug at heartstrings.
There’s a wonderful sense of urgency in some of the plot, when it comes to their father’s death. It hooks you in even further as many questions are posed by the family as his life is delved deeper into, which gives a slight sinister and intriguing feel.
The complexities of the weaving of light and dark in human life in their circumstances, desires, secrets are expertly interwoven into an unravelling and uncovering major elements of the family Rachel Joyce has created. It makes The Homemade God intriguing and highly compelling. It also puts the reader through many emotions as it becomes increasingly involving the more you read into the characters and what is being portrayed.
Rachel Joyce excels at drawing readers into family relationships and developing characters and situations that are believable and some of which are relatable. The conversations that occur are natural and you can totally become involved in “listening in on them” in what is a compelling drama that unfolds. The dark humour that pricks the narrative and conversations is delightful!
I highly recommend Rachel Joyce’s books and this is another masterpiece!
You can pre-order now. Homemade God is published 17th April 2025:
*Please note I am not affiliated with any company.
About the Author
Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, The Music Shop, the instant New York Times best seller Miss Benson’s Beetle, Maureen Fry & the Angel of the North and a collection of interlinked short stories, A Snow Garden & Other Stories. Her latest novel The Homemade God will be published in April ’25 in UK, and June ’25 in US and Canada.
Rachel’s books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold millions of copies world-wide. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The critically acclaimed film of the novel, for which Rachel wrote the screenplay, was released in 2023 starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton, and in 2025 the musical will open in Chichester Festival Theatre, for which Rachel also wrote the script. Miss Benson’s Beetle won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2021, Rachel was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards ‘New Writer of the Year’ in December 2012 and she was shortlisted for the ‘UK Author of the Year’ 2014. In 2024 she was given an honorary doctorate by Kingston University.
Rachel has written many original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4 and she is currently adapting Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which will be aired later this year. You can follow her on Instagram at rachelcjoyce.
It’s time to get excited about the new book in the Sandlin P.I. series. You can read them as a standalone or as part of the series. Take a look below for the blurb and review.
Blurb
For three decades, Olivia Farnley used alcohol and drugs to try to block out the memory of the horrific murder of her mother which put her father in prison. Now she’s ready to face her past, and her hypnotherapist is sure he can help her to fill in the gaps.
During therapy, a key detail comes back to her, one that is so momentous that Liv is forced to share this new-found information with the police. When they dismiss her claims, Liv is left frustrated and furious. Then a chance encounter leads Liv to private investigator Hannah Sandlin , who, accompanied by her best friend Lottie, embarks on an investigation in the Spanish resort of Marbella
Amid the magnificent villas and infinity pools of Porto Banus, and the stunning beaches of Playa de la Fontanilla, dark secrets lurk. Once Hannah deploys her sharp investigative mind and shameless tenacity, she discovers what really happened to Liv’s mother, Susan, all those years ago. In the process, she uncovers some shocking secrets that the rest of the Farnley family have been trying their hardest to keep.
Can Hannah separate the lies from the truth and bring Liv the resolution she so desperately needs?
Review
Books involving a therapist of some kind can be fascinating and what makes this one particularly interesting is that it involves a hypnotherapist who can assist in people releasing vital memories to fill in Olivia/Liv’s gaps. It’s a hard one for the police to follow and cotton onto when she suddenly remembers something vital to do with a criminal investigation.
There are secrets to be uncovered, but where does the line stop between truth and lie?
New Memories has suspense and the intrigue of psychology making it a compelling read that pulls you into each page.
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 