Category: books

Book Review: Birthday – Meredith Russo

Leave a comment

Two kids, Morgan and Eric, are bonded for life after being born on the same day at the same time. We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other. 

After reading Meredith Russo’s first novel and absolutely adoring it I knew I had to pick up this one as soon as I could get my hands on it. And, as I hoped, the book did not disappoint.

The fact this book is spread out across 5 years just adds to how impressed I was by it. It’s not easy to have characters show growth in such a short space of time and it was pulled off really well. Both Eric and Morgan evolve throughout the novel but also keep the essence of who they are when we meet them in the first chapter.

I think the book could have been double the length and I’d still have loved it. I can understand why it wasn’t but the issues within are so complex I wanted to know even more. In particular, I wanted to know more about the relationship between them both when they were small, more about Morgan’s mother and their relationship.

It’s undeniable that this is an incredibly tough read at times, I fought back tears while reading and wanted to reach through the book and hug both of the characters. That said, most of my love went to Morgan, I can’t imagine what it’s like to live in a body that isn’t mine and have to pretend around the people you love. It also made me consider the fact that we really don’t know what’s going on in a someones head and the need to be kind to people.

Meredith Russo herself is a trans women and I think this only adds to what we can learn as a reader. Russo is writing Morgan’s struggle with her body through the lense of someone who has been through it. We definitely need more own voices novels and Russo is one to watch.

I don’t think it’s going to be any surprise that I gave this 5 stars. This was incredibly well written and I felt very emotional reading. While I am not trans, I can appreciate that as Russo writes, she is writing from the heart. I’ve recommended this to so many friends already as soon as I finished it.

Book Review: Heartstopper Volume 2

2 Comments

“Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie’s gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn’t. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family … and himself.”

Heartstopper Volume 1 was one of my favourite reads of this year and then Volume 2 came along and cemented it. I’ve been a fan of Alice Oseman for a while – she’s a clearly a talented writer, but also seems like a lovely human being (I’m determined to get to a signing this year. Seeing as this is about Volume 2 it will contain some spoilers if you haven’t read the first book – so pop back once you have!

We start off with the aftermath of Charlie and Nick’s first kiss which I am ALL about and squealed when it happened, but was it the right thing to do? As both boys question what happened and how they feel about it I found myself rooting for them even harder than I had before.

Charlie and Nick are absolutely adorable but they also become real people and I feel in the second volume we get to know them much more. We meet their families, get to know their friends and how they feel about themselves and their sexuality.

I also appreciate the fact that Oseman doesn’t assume in this book. I’ve seen it before in novels were there is one kiss and suddenly the person is gay, there’s not thinking about it. For Nick especially there is a question mark, he does have to work himself out and there’s no pressure. Also there is fantastic representation of all those who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Also we had a short story at the back about Tara and Darcey. Can we please have more of that? Because I also love them and I would love to see more cute stories about f/f romance as well as m/m romance.

There’s no surprise that I gave this 5 stars. Alice Oseman knows how to write not only a love story but also a story about friendship which is rare. A truly wonderful and uplifting book and I can’t wait for Volume 3!

Have you read and of Alice Oseman’s books? Let me know what your favourites are in the comments below!

What I Read In July 2019

Leave a comment

Another month gone and 9 more books read. Yep, this month I managed to read 9 books and I’m pretty chuffed with myself! July was a super busy month so I didn’t have much hope. That said, it was a good mix of graphic novels, poetry, audiobooks and physical books.

Heartstopper volume 2 came out in July and it was just as perfect as volume 1 , perhaps even more so? I can’t say too much because it would spoil the first one but this is such a cute read and it’s going to be a TV show and I am SO THERE.

Next up was an ARC I was excited to receive because I LOVED Disconnected Vol 1 , this was just as good and I can’t stop thinking about it a month after reading. A full review to come closer to release!

I listened to Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come by Jessica Pan as an audiobook and it was an interesting book. Following Jessica’s attempts to be an extrovert definitely gave her some interesting challenges and also made me consider my own life as an introvert. I gave it 4 stars and would recommend giving the audiobook a go.

I picked up Look Closer by Stewart Lewis at YALC last year and didn’t get around to it but I’m really kicking myself for not getting to it. Tegan’s story is touching and looks at the abilities she gains while grieving her father’s death.

I finally got around to The Power by Naomi Alderman for my new book group I’m a part of it’s set in an alternate world where women can use an electrical current that runs through them and they gain power all over the world. I liked this book and gave it a 4/5 stars – my book group liked it too!

Next up, Calm the F**k Down by Sarah Knight. I like Sarah Knight’s book for the pick me up they give me. She’s straight talking and I always feel more focused after listening. I’m already working on when I should use my freak out funds, 4.5 stars.

I read 2 of my YALC books in July. First up was Misfit by Charli Howard, a memoir of her life living with an eating disorder and in the modelling world. This was a 3.5 star for me and quite hard to read. I’d definitely say to go into this knowing it could be difficult if you’ve had any problems with eating or weight in the past – just a heads up.

Next was There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker. I’d picked this up in the bookshop a few times and then saw it half price at YALC. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I gave it a 2 star rating – there were a few poems I liked but overall I just couldn’t get on with the style.

I just finished Vicious a few hours before midnight on the 31st July and wow, just wow. I can’t believe I waited so long to pick up a V.E Schwab. I met her at YALC and she was absolutely lovely (I was half way through this when meeting her) and very excited that it was my first novel of hers. I’m now eyeing all her other books and can’t wait to get on to Vengeful.

What did you read in July? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: White Rose – Kip Wilson

Leave a comment

Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators.

I heard about Sophie and the White Rose a while ago after watching a short documentary so when I heard that this would coming out I was intrigued – particularly as it is written in verse. The book spans a few years of Sophie’s life as she tries to make sense of the world around her, be a young woman and fight for justice.

This is very much Sophie’s story. While, of course, the others members are mentioned if you’d like to know more about them there is definitely more research that can be done and that’s something I will undertake myself. We see events unfolding through her perspective, which her feelings towards those she loves and what her motivations would have been.

The book is a fairly quick read as it is written in verse, which isn’t something I pick up often. While I do appreciate the way it was written and think it was impactful I felt there was a certain level of information lacking so if you’re looking for something with a lot of detail this might not be the right book for you. That said, Sophie and her story does really come alive in this, so I would still recommend picking it up as a starting point to her story and that of the White Rose.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars. It’s a really clever way to tell Sophie’s story and I think it will definitely show a whole new audience her courage and bravery in the face of the Nazis. As mentioned I would have liked to have known more about the others who were executed alongside Sophie but this her story and what lead to the end of her life.

My YALC 2019 Haul – Part 1

5 Comments

Another year, another amazing time at YALC. If you’re not part of the bookish community in the UK you might not have heard about the Young Adult Literature Convention. Let me tell you it is a treat! A big hall full of panels, authors, publishers, freebies, giveaways and Jason Mamoa sightings. The event is part of London Film and Comic Con and probably my favourite weekend of the year.

This year I decided my posts we going to be all about the books, partly because I came home with 25 new additions (hey! they do great deals) and partly because I was a terrible blogger and took hardly any pictures at all. Not only did I come home with a stack of books but I also met the amazing V.E Scwab (she signed for over 400 people, I was number 362), finally met the lovely Lucy Powrie who wrote The Paper and Hearts Society and Laura Bates a badass feminist who wrote Everyday Sexism, Girl Up and Mysogynation.

It was an absolute dream but let’s get down to what you’re really here for – the books.

I hit up the Barrington Stoke stand and picked up these books. You’ll be hearing a lot more from me about Barrington Stoke – they produce books for young adults with Dyslexia that are actually for young adults.

I picked up The Disconnected by Keren David which is about winning a large sum of money if you can stay disconnected from your phone – perfect for a social media obsessed person! Next up I picked up The Last Days of Archie Maxwell by Annabel Pitcher, which is family centred and gritty from what I’ve been told. And I was also gifted a copy of Firebird by Elizabeth Wein which is set in Russia during WW2. All of these are shorter reads and I’m looking forward to getting through them

Let’s just put it out there, I’ve never read an Adam Silvera book. So of course I bought 3 – What If It’s Us with Becky Albertalli, They Both Die At The End and History Is All You Left Me. I’ve heard really good and emotional things about all of these books so hoping I love them all! I am ready to cry a lot.

I’d not heard of Can Everyone Please Calm Down: A Guide To 21st Century Sexuality before this weekend but it looks like an interesting read. I’m always keen to read more books about sexuality and learn. Next up is The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes a story about a group of women who go after men who hurt women. I’ve wanted to get my hands on this for a little while so it’ll be interesting.

I also picked up another book by Moxie author Jennifer Mathieu – The Truth About Alice. This is a novel about rumours and thinking about what we really know about what we hear? I’m really looking forward to this one.

I also picked up Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan after buying Moonrise at YALC last year and absolutely loving it – the blurb says it has the power to make me ‘laugh and cry’, I’m here for that. Next up is The Stolen Ones, set after WW2 with a mystery element – is Inge who she really thinks she is? And I also picked up You Got This by Bryony Gordon, I love Bryony’s other books (The Wrong Knickers and Mad Girl are the two I’ve read) and this is all about positivity.

And that’s not all! Make sure to come back tomorrow to see the second half of my YALC book haul!

Book Review – Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

6 Comments

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

Are you ready for one of your favourite books of the year? You might have seen this book all over social media and rightfully so. I heard about this earlier in the year and so I pre-ordered it and then it went to sold out on the day of release, my local bookshop was also meant to have it on order (I covered my bases) and it had run into issues with the publisher. I waited 2 agonising weeks before I finally got it in my hands. It was SO worth it.

Our protagonist is Alex, the first son of the United States after his mother becomes president he meets all kinds of people along with his sister June and their best friend Nora. One of those is Prince Henry of Wales and the two instantly hate each other. So when they both cause a scandal at a royal wedding it’s time for damage control, but no one intends for it to become more.

To me, and a lot of other people on the internet, this book is perfection and as it’s a debut I can’t believe how well written it is. I fell in love with Alex and Henry equally as an enemies to friends to lovers situation unfolds. They really came alive to me as did the other characters. I adored all of the other characters too June and Nora were amazing and the book has so much representation I could write a whole post on just that.

It’s also told in a mix of Alex’s perspective and emails between the two which I absolutely loved and adds to the humor and romance of the two. These are two guys trying to work out their feelings and falling in love. They make mistakes, they try and navigate whether they can make it work with such public lives – all in all they just feel like real people.

It is worth noting that this is very much a New Adult novel meaning, yes, there are sex scenes and they are excellent. The author doesn’t shy away from the fact that two young people in love will have sex *shocker*. But it’s definitely done in a natural way, there’s no scandal about sex and it happens when it happens. It was quite refreshing to read about characters having a sex life not just ‘and then we went to the bedroom..’ because sex actually happens.

What makes this book so worthy of all the praise it is getting is that this is a genuine love story that many of us would love to see in the world. The sons of two of the most powerful families in the world falling in love? I’d love to see that and maybe one day we will see more LGBT representation in powerful positions. My heart melted for these characters and I loved getting to know their lives, their friends and you can bet I carried on thinking about this book long after I finished it.

Is there any other rating I could have given this book other than 5 stars? I’ve been recommending this book to everyone I think would enjoy it. It’s a truly wonderful novel and definitely a contender for my favourite book of the year.

My5 YALC 2019 Book Recommendations

My 5 YALC 2019 Book Recommendations

4 Comments

YALC is fast becoming one of my favourite events of the year a whole convention of bookish people. My kind of people. Last year I had such a great time I had to split my post into 2, part 1 was about the day itself and part 2 was my huge haul. This year I’ll only be going on the Saturday but with 3 days of amazing authors I wish I was going for all 3, maybe next year I’ll treat myself.

Here are 5 books and authors that will be appearing this year who I highly recommend checking out.

Heartstopper Volume 1 & 2 – Alice Oseman (appearing Friday)

Alice Oseman is an incredible writer with three novels under her belt, one amazing graphic novel and her second graphic novel out in July she is killing it. Aslo after following her on social media for the past year she seems like a lovely person too.

Heartstopper is a sweet story of two guys falling for each other and is one of the most wonderful graphic novels I’ve ever read, review here. It has all the heart and feels you need and as I write I have volume 2 staring at me to devour once I’ve finished writing this (see, always thinking of you guys first). Also her novel, Radio Silence is one of my favourite YA novels.

The Paper & Hearts Society – Lucy Powrie (appearing Saturday)

The lovely Lucy Powrie announced her first novel and the promise was a novel about books and friendships. I was gifted a copy by the publisher to give a review after requesting it.

If you like to read about bookish love, friendships and tackling anxieties. You can read my full review here.

The Exact Opposite of Okay & A Girl Called Shameless – Laura Steven (appearing Friday)

Ok I might have slipped 2 in here but they are part of a series and I love them equally. Laura Steven is one of my favourite YA authors and these two novels are absolutely hilarious. Fun, feminist and fiesty I don’t think I could recommend this more.

You can read my review of the first book The Exact Opposite of Okay here.

One of Us Is Lying – Karen M McManus (appearing Saturday)

This was an excellent thriller that I read back in 2017, think The Breakfast Club with added murder. I absolutely loved it, I haven’t gotten to her latest release Two Can Keep A Secret.

If you’re looking for a good thriller I’d recommend picking this up before the next in the series comes out. My review is here.

The Year I Didn’t Eat – Samuel Pollen (appearing Sunday)

I was asked earlier in the year if I’d like to be sent a copy of Samuels debut novel about a young boy with an eating disorder. This is a really important book that I hope does well because it truly deserves to.

We’re really lacking in YA books with male protagonists who have eating disorders, I can only think of two I have ever read. You can read my full review here.

What are you looking excited forward to at YALC this year? Have you read any of the above? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: The Hormone Diaries: The Bloody Truth About Our Periods – Hannah Witton

Leave a comment

If you haven’t noticed, I think Hannah Witton is a great YouTuber and also seems like a lovely person. I’ve watched her channel for a few years now and loved her first book, Doing It so when she announced a book tied to her series The Hormone Diaries, I was in.

The book is a great mix of informative and funny with some great notes from Hannah around the edges. While this is definitely aimed at an older audience (hooray!) I still learnt so much, and this is from someone who’s been having periods for about 12 years at this point. There was so much I didn’t know!

Covering letters from Hannah’s followers around the world they addressed to things you might not expect like, ‘Dear my period’, ‘Dear my pill’ and ‘Dear menstrual cup’ . While it is amusing it’s also great to see so many experiences of hormones, contraception and the like. I found myself laughing, sympathising and nodding along the whole way through this book.

What I didn’t expect to feel when reading was powerful. I wanted to get up and shout I AM A MENSTRATOR because, if you think about it, we’re pretty badass. And although, in my opinion, periods are shit, most contraception is a nightmare and the thought of giving birth makes my vagina scream in protest – our bodies are bloody marvelous.

This is probably the most inviting book I’ve read in a long time in regards to the gender spectrum. Hannah doesn’t just assume that everyone who has a period identifies as a woman. She has used inclusive language throughout which is definitely the way forward. While I’m a cis female I can understand how this can be a big thing for others. Go Hannah!

It’s worth pointing out that thanks to Hannah and her book I’m now part of a wonderful group on Facebook where we all talk about hormones and periods. It’s fantastic and I’m so glad so much conversation has come out of this book – and will continue to!

Is it any surprise that I gave this 5 stars. A great book and, once again, Hannah has pulled it out of the bag. I highly recommend this to anyone who gets a period or has to battle with estrogen on a regular basis.

Book Review: The Sun Does Shine – Anthony Ray Hinton

Leave a comment

As a poor black man in the deep south, Anthony Ray Hinton, didn’t stand a chance when the police accused him of multiple murders. Despite the fact he had a solid alabi, the gun they claimed he had used hasn’t been fired in decades and didn’t match the bullets used. Despite his innocence he spent decades on death row inching closer to death before finally being declared a free man.

Throughout the pages I found myself getting angry, frustrated and upset with the lack of care that the justice system had towards this man. The fact that they would not acknowledge the racist actions of the people within their institution is, frankly, disgusting. But that in itself is the power of this memoir.

It was important that Ray showed that he does have his own flaws. It would have been easy to portray himself as squeaky clean, instead he owns up to the dodgy checks or the stolen car in his youth. Should he have done them? No. But he did and he admits it. Those actions, however, do not make him a murderer, simply an easy target for injustice.

There were times that I felt conflicted Ray spoke with kindness about the men around him, despite the fact that some were rapists and murderers but, he reminded the reader, not all were guilty. Some of them yes, but not all. At the end of the book there is a list of all of the people on death row, I read every single one of them and broke down in tears. There will be people in that list who are innocent – who may die.

I gave this memoir, 5 stars, I felt so emotional while reading it as well as angry. The fact that it took so long for Ray to be freed, how much of his life he missed is disgusting. That said, this is an incredibly important read because these are stories that need to be heard. I urge you to read this to really learn about the injustices.

What I Read June 2019

What I Read in June 2019

Leave a comment

Hello, hello, hello!

June turned out to be a fantastic month for new releases, out of the 8 books I got through, half of them were new and I loved all 4! So, let’s crack on with what I read in June.

First up, Saved as Draft by N.D. Chan this was send to me by the publisher via Netgalley and is a mix of poetry and prose on their own relationships. I gave this 3 stars, while there were parts I enjoyed it wasn’t that memorable for me.

Next was a book I knew I needed as soon as I read, Royals – now renamed Prince Charming, the first in the series earlier this year. All I will say is enemies to lovers with a bisexual protagonist. It’s really sweet and I read it in a matter of hours – 5 stars.

It’s been a really long time since I read Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and I used to read it every summer growing up, I was feeling a bit down so I thought going back to one of my favourite books of all time was a good idea. I fell back into the world and of course it’s a 5 star read. Duh!

I also picked up some new poetry in June, now I will admit this was a cover buy. It is such a beautiful cover, I couldn’t say no. This Is The Journey was great introduction to Alison Malee, I’ll be trying her other works to see how I get on, I gave this 3 stars.

I listened to Phoebe Robinsons second book Everything’s Trash But It’s Ok after loving her first last year. Phoebe is absolutely hilarious but also has some great points about burnout, body image and recent politics. I’d highly recommend the audiobook because Phoebe is hilarious, 4.5 stars.

Also this month (a great one for new releases) was the amazing Hannah Wittons latest book The Hormone Diaries – The Bloody Truth About Our Periods. This was an excellent look at hormones, periods and sex and once again Hannah has done a great job, 5 stars and a review coming soon!

My final two books I didn’t think would make it by the end of the month that drove me INSANE because they are two of my most anticipated reads. Red, White and Royal Blue is one of the best, sweetest and most wonderful books. It’s up there as one of my favourites. The fictional First Son of the United States falls in love with the Prince of Wales. If that doesn’t pull you in I don’t know what will.

And finally some of my faves, The Try Guys , released their first book The Hidden Power of F*cking Up which went right in as a New York Times Number 1! This book is all about trying, failing and everything in between. I love their Youtube channel and they have done so well in the first year of a new business, a tour, a book. They are on FIIIIIIIRE! 5 stars, it really made me think about what I was doing with myself and how important failing is.

A good month for reading I think! What did you read? Let me know in the comments below.