4 stars - 56 / 100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs:Discussions of mental health, social anxiety, depression - 'I've been away studying and didn't make a sing4 stars - 56 / 100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs:Discussions of mental health, social anxiety, depression - 'I've been away studying and didn't make a single friend, and when I came back no one cared. Everything is so grey and I don't know what else to do. I have nobody, please help.' - In The Sad Ghost Club Vol.4 we're back with the gang, SG, Socks and Rue as they continue to navigate running The Sad Ghost Club. When they receive an anonymous note from within the group they're not too sure how they're going to help, but they're going to try anyway. But what helps one ghost might not be helpful to another and they still don't know who left the note... - I had no idea this volume was even coming out, I was under the impression that volume 3 was the final volume and I'm so glad it wasn't, I could read this series forever. It's so cute and so wholesome whilst still portraying and discussing mental health and lonliness and not losing the message that you are not alone. I loved how Socks and SG disagreed on how to deal with the note and the sad ghost in need of their help. It is important ot understand that sometimes when people ask for help, they don't always know what help they need or want and that just because a method has worked for someone in the past doesn't mean it will work with a new situation. It's something I don't see too much of in books that discuss mental health, showing different coping mechanisms and what can happen when two people want to help but their ideas clash. - The constant mention of Pikachu's Adventure made my millenial pokemon loving heart so happy. The 'Vacation Episode' was so cute and loved the club came together to get away for a night and support one another. So hello, Pockets????? Cats and bowties will never fail to make me happy. I am so happy I got this volume and I hope we have a few more coming. They're so life affirming and for my fellow Sad Ghosts, they'll make you feel less alone....more
**spoiler alert** 4 stars - 42 /100 - Paperback / Annotated Thank you to PrideBookTours for sending me an early paperback copy in exchange for an ho**spoiler alert** 4 stars - 42 /100 - Paperback / Annotated Thank you to PrideBookTours for sending me an early paperback copy in exchange for an honest review - I am a weapon at the ready, and still my mother speaks as if she is unsure of what do. "I will end him," I say. "One way or another." - Sleep Like Death is the second re-telling from Kalynn Bayron [the first being Cinderella is Dead and after finishing this I really want to get to] and follows Princess Eve who has trained her entire life to fight the Knight, an elusive figure of black armour and smoke who seeks out those most deseperate and offers them a wish, at a price. But her mother has been keeping secrets from her and this all unravels when Eve sees a man in a hidden mirror in her mothers bed chamber, he knows who Eve is and why the Knight is tormenting her kingdom... - I absolutely adored this. I knew it would be something I'd love, I am a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings, fairy tales being one of my favourite things. This is my read by this author, I have three of her other books on my TBR and now cannot wait to read them. The writing was stunning, it's paced really well, the world building is done with the story instead of info-dumping in the beginning. I will say there is a bit of info-dumping towards the third act but it didn't bother me. I liked learning stories within this world and all the references to Snow White. Eve is a brilliant female lead character, she's stubborn and confident, leaning toward arrogance but she cares for her queendom, cares for her friends and in the end only wants to serve her people. We need more female main characters like her, strong and clever but also reckless when emotions are involved. It makes her feel more real. I really enjoyed the relationships she had with all the side characters, especially Claude, his boys and Nova. Oh Nova...I love you and will defend you to end of the earth. Their chemistry was amazing, the banter is perfect. It's enemies to lovers at it's finest and whilst it isn't the slowest burn, it's still done really well. You feel their connection right away, and I am sorry the whole him stitching her up whilst telling her you notice her staring and you stare back? *giggles and kicks feet* Loved it and love them! - The magic that Eve weilds is really unique and beautifully desrcibed. She make weapons out of anything, flames, ice, smoke and even lightning. I really enjoyed learning how Eve used her powers and the after effects of them, magic has a price and that always makes it more interesting. I have made weapons of thunder, of lightning, of ice and snow, but the night sky is not for making tools of destruction. It is for nuturing and comfort, for protection. In my mind's eye I see the nighttime sky fold over on itself like a flag in the wind. I imagine what it would feel like to touch it and, as I do, my fingers brush against something bilowy and soft as goose down. I close my fingers and grasp, then I wrap it around myself. Cloaked within the night itself, I feel safe. - Overall this was great, I really like the story and the romance, the world building and call backs to the original fairy tale. I can't wait to start Cinderella is Dead. ...more
5 Stars - 35 / 100 for 2024 - eBook / Annotated - Try to make it to the morning. Try to find your heart in the newsprint. Please. I'd rather be alive th5 Stars - 35 / 100 for 2024 - eBook / Annotated - Try to make it to the morning. Try to find your heart in the newsprint. Please. I'd rather be alive than holy. I don't have time to write about the soul. There are bodies to count. There's a man wearing his wedding tuxedo to sleep in case I met God and there's a brick of light before each bombind. - I can't hear you. I can't hear you under the missiles. A plant waits for fire to grow. A child waits for a siren. It must be a child. Never a man. Never a man without a child. There's nothing more terrible than waiting for the terrible. I promise. Was the grief worth the poem? No, but you don't interrogate a weed for what it does with wreckage. - The Moon that Turns You Back is a poetry collection by Hala Alyan a Palestinian American poet, novelist and clinical psychologist on her experiences. I am really enjoying poetry recently, it was a genre I never really read, mainly because a lot of poetry makes me feel like an idiot, but I found myself really wanting to read it more. Upon looking for Palestinian voices, I found this poetry collection and I'm so happy I did. This is beautifully written and whilst I did find myself a little lost during some of the verses and was understanding the majority of the poems. Something I do always struggle with when reviewing poetry is how to review it...I feel all I can say is it's beautifully written and for an ebook edition it's structured well. I would highly recommend it, especially if you're like me and are a bit of poetry newbie. - Today i cut calories but at night I eat worms. I won't say what I paid for this mattress. You can't put a price on good sleep. You can't put a corpse back together. One bomb dives into the sky like a rose. If I don't say rose, you'll skip ahead to the end. I think I'm in love with the murdered poet. - ...and the day will come when a young woman in Beirut will muscle her way through a nightclub and dance until her feet hurt, and I won't be on this earth anymore....more
4 Stars - 38 / 100 for 2024 - eBook / Annotated - TW/CWs: Racism, generational trauma, difficult maternal relationship, discussions and depictions of ea4 Stars - 38 / 100 for 2024 - eBook / Annotated - TW/CWs: Racism, generational trauma, difficult maternal relationship, discussions and depictions of eating disorders, unhealthy / toxic relationships, cheating, homophobia - I'm aware I can be exhausting - "you exist too much," my mother often told me. - You Exist Too Much follows our very unreliable and unlikeable protagonist as she navigates love, loss and a very difficult relationship with her mother and culture. From her dissassociative connection with her country and culture to her unhealthy obsessions with unattainable people which lead her to hurt people and herself, this is an ammersive experience and a very honest but flawed person. - I am struggling to put into words how amazing this book was. I went into it mostly blind, which I recommend others do too, and was blown away by how beautifully this is written. It very lyrical and very descriptive and the fact this is a debut is so impressive and I look forward to more of this authors work. The character and her identity really does remind of Fleabag, she's unreliable in the way she describes her experiences and those around her, she's incredible self-destructive and impulsive, and whilst there are reasons she is this way, for a long while through this story she doesn't really do anything to change. I am so here for more unapologetic unhinged messy female characters, our MC here is a MESS and even though she does bad things you still kind of want her to grow and get the love she deseperately craves. - I didn't know anything about love addicition before reading this and I found that aspect and the parts of her in therapy so interesting, the way she uses sex as a coping mechanism whilst never letting anyone get too close was very well done. I decided to take away a star for the following things, I wanna make it clear, this is a brilliant book, but these two things quite work for me:
- The way the story hops from the past to the present can be a little confusing, like if I had listened to the audiobook I think I would have been lost. The way time passes can also cause some confusion.
- This is a personal one for me, but the way the characters bisexuality is shown can be a little too stereotypical, the promiscuity and impulsiveness and the cheating. It's bisexual stereotypes we've seen before and whilst there's nothing wrong with being bi and hypersexual, there was one part that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. 'Isn't everyone bisexual nowadays' is one quote I didn't really like.
Because, no, no they're not. As a bi person this something the community gets told an awful lot and it's pure narrowmindedness. I think the author didn't intend this, they're bisexual themselves from my knowledge, it's just a take on a sexuality I disagree with. - Overall I really enjoyed this. It's thought-provoking and delves into the mind of a geniunely damaged person trying to do better, I do by the end our character has changed and has developed. I really enjoyed the open ending as well, I feel it was the only way to end it. - To be a woman who desired other women seemed even worse, especially shameful and shocking in its lack of reverence for the male-centric culture. Why would you want to exclude men, the stronger, better gender, from the equation? ...more
5 Stars - 40 / 100 for 2024 - Paperback / Annotated Thank you as always to PrideBookTours for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review - The ve5 Stars - 40 / 100 for 2024 - Paperback / Annotated Thank you as always to PrideBookTours for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review - The very first Pride was a riot. People got mad at the ways they were being treated and then they did something about it. They threw those first bricks and demanded to be seen as who they are, no more, and certainly no less. Maybe it's time for me to starts harnessing my rage in a more productive way tooo. - Something to be Proud Of see's chaotic bisexual and autistic Imogen and gay football captain Ollie joins forces with other classmates in an effort to host the first ever PRIDE event in their hometown, making it more accessible so everyone can celebrate. But between divorcing parents, narrow-minded headteachers and fear of failure, it might not be as easy as it seemes... - To quote Imogen, *ahem* HOLY MOTHER OF ALL SHITS! This was phenomenal, hand on heart this is one of best LGBTQ+ books I have ever read and is an astounding debut. I cannot wait to see what Anna Zoe Quirke comes out with next! So, I realised I had actually only read one other book where the main characters was austitc, that being 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime' by Mark Haddon and that was a long time ago. This book opened my eyes to so many things I was totally guilty of being unaware of. Like how PRIDE can be so overstimulating and not always accessible to everyone because of where it is held or events that are on. I feel books like this are going to change the way a lot of people see PRIDE in the future and hopefully we can all be like Imogen and implament changes to ensure everyone not only feels welcome but also feels seen and safe. - The relationship between Imogen and Ollie is honestly so beautiful. I adored their connection, bonding over things they have in common and finding ways to work with eachothers differences. We need more books where friends say 'I love you' to one another, we need more queer-platonic relationships! Imogen is fucking hilarious. I laughed outloud whilst reading this multiple times, the whole book is funny but some of Imogen's quips had me rolling!!! Examples(I struggled to wittle it down so have three of my favourites) - You mean besides the fact that he runs a meth lab, kicks puppies for fun and is absolutely riddled with STIs?
I'd best be off. Have a lovely catch-up. You'll have to regale me with stories later, Ben, sorry. I've got people to make laugh and parents to disappoint.
"I was like, I'm austitic? But I don't like trains, my maths skills are terrible, I don't resemble Sheldon Cooper in any way - this can't be right." - She is a menace and national treasure and I wish had I had a friend like her. Everyone needs an Imogen. Everyone also needs an Ollie because hi hey hello GREENIEST of flags and goodest of boys! He's a total sweetheart and I would do anything for him. Seeing the older sibling protective of younger sibling during a parents divorce really resonated with me and was beautifully handled. Him finding himself with makeup was also so cute, I felt myself tear up a few times, we love a man who fights toxic masculinity. I know he kinda was trying at the end but Ollie's dad is the king of all douche-bags and his mother is mother-fucking legend. Good for you Keiko, you go Keiko! - The side characters were also really fun, lots of diversity so we could see how pride is viewed from different perspectives. The whole premise of fighting for gender neutral bathrooms and facing the difficulties they did is so relatable and showcases how places will say they're inclusive but that inclusivity isn't insectional and is therefore worthless. It's such an important conversation and I'm glad teenagers are getting that in books today, God if this had come out whilst I was teenager I would have felt so seen and heard and loved. I have no complaints, this was perfect, I devoured in one sitting and adored every page. Per-fuckin'-fection. - "I'm also autistic. And very proud to be, just like I'm proud to be bisexual. But other Pride events wouldn't let me be proud of both of those things. In fact, I realised that most of them were completely inaccessible for disabled people, and I decided that needs to change. Because everyone deserves to feel pride in who they are - all of who they are, not just some of it....more
5 stars - 50 /100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs Discussions of terminal illness, depression, grief and death - When I’m sad, I read. I can go on reading fo5 stars - 50 /100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs Discussions of terminal illness, depression, grief and death - When I’m sad, I read. I can go on reading for hours. Reading quiets the turmoil I feel inside and brings me peace. Because when I’m immersed in the world of a book, no one can get hurt - More Days at the Morisake Bookshop sees a continuation of Takako's relationship with the Morisaki Bookshop and her eccentric uncle Satoru. I loved the first one so much, it did what I found most Japenese literary fiction does excellently, which is show people being people. The human condition is something I am finding myself loving even more in media recently, this story is beautifully paced slice of life perfect for book lovers. - It somehow feels incredibly luxurious to sit in your favorite coffee shop, reading a book, waiting for your boyfriend. - I loved the first but this one really resonated with me for some reason, I found it as heartbreaking as it was life affirming. I love Takoko's character development, she is far more confident in herself and her decisions now. Also her relationship with Satoru is beautiful, I realised I had never read a book about an uncle and niece before, I lost two uncles in the last two years so maybe this is why I found this so deeply sad. As someone who had adored books my entire life, Satoshi Yagisawa really understands how to write a love of literature and writing. If you aren't already a book lover, these books will make you one. I would say it's all vibes and not plot, but there is a plot, it's very slow and very human and I loved every page. I would read one hundred books set at the Morisaki Bookshop, the customers and the culture and sense of community are so beauitful. The story flows so smoothly, it discusses friendship, love, letting go and how deep down everyone is connected. - Listen, life is short. In the story of your life, you’ve got to avoid people like that. Choose to be with the people who really choose you, people who see you as irreplaceable. - Calling all booklovers, this will be your new favourite, I hope you love it as much as I did. ...more
4 stars - 57 / 100 - eBook / Annotated TWs Discussions and depictions of racism, racial profiling and racial discrimination, use of racial slurs, racia4 stars - 57 / 100 - eBook / Annotated TWs Discussions and depictions of racism, racial profiling and racial discrimination, use of racial slurs, racial motivated violence and murder - Twisted...Braided...Rows of healthy black corn...Natural styles inherited from our ancestors were degraded and demolished under the heavy weight of anger and jealousy. A line forcibly forged the illusionary dichotomy between good and bad. The straighter, the better. - Poemhood is a poetry anthology, full of history and folklore and the black experience. Gathered and afterworded by Amder McBride. I've been really enjoying poetry recently and this came highly recommended and I'm really glad I picked this one up. This is full of devastating experiences, brilliantly worded justified rage and the stark reminder that racism is a live and well. - Or when a hip-out geometry teacher pulled me aside, felt the need to explain that saying any version of 'n*****' was wrong because her own access was denied and thatI'd probably want to kill any white person showing their privilege...I'm not an angry black woman, only exasperated. - I've said it before and I'll say it everytime, rating and reviweing poetry is hard, poetry is a form of art that is hard to describe. It teaches you things, it makes you feel and usually afterwards you feel changed in someway. I would highly reccomend this collection, it is aimed at a YA audience so would be a good introduction poetry for those unsure of where to start. - Voices are important.They can yell, shout, scream, cry and talk. The voices and experiences of Black people are vast...Black culture, just like water, seeps into many asepcts of society....more
5 Stars - 15 / 100 for 2024 - Paperback / Annotated *Thank you to Pride Book Tours for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review* - TW/CW: Disc5 Stars - 15 / 100 for 2024 - Paperback / Annotated *Thank you to Pride Book Tours for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review* - TW/CW: Discussions of homophobia, transphobia, deliberate misgendering, invalidating non-binary identities, discussions of section 28 and effects - ...when I realised that I didn't have to accept the labels - that some other people choose not to either - then I could show people the person I was but had kept hidden away. Right now, changing my hair or what I wear is one part of feeling more comfortable in who I am, and in showing that to the world, but it's not the only way. - I am in love. When Pride Book Tours announcement this one I RAN to sign up for a copy and I am so happy I received one because this was a brilliant story and I adored every page. The Fights That Make Us follows Jesse who has recently come out as non-binary and is struggling to find their place at school and just in general. When their mother's cousin Lisa passes away, Jesse finds her diary. In 1987, and Lisa is falling for her best friend but new laws are being brought in that will change everything for LGBTQ+ people in the UK, in particular Section 28. Jesse is interested in Lisa's life and deeply saddened and even horrified by her stories of living a hidden life and attending history changing protests, Jesse is determined to shine a light on this history they believe should never been forgotten... - I'm better at knowing what I don't like, rather than what I do. And anyway, it's only recently that I've started looking in the mirror and reocgnizing the person looking back. Simran calls it 'finding my style'. But I think it's more like finding a aprt of myself. - I was expecting this to be dual POV which it is, but Lisa's POV is told via her diary entry that Jesse is reading which I really enjoyed, hearing about what life was like for a very closeted Lisa in the eighties then hearing what Jesse thinks about it all after was really nicely done and it's breaks the story up nicely. This is really well paced for a middle-grade, something I find some of them struggle with. Jesse and her best friend, a pansexual girl called Simran (who is a legend and I adore her) decide to use Lisa's diary for their history project, Jesse becomes a little obsessive about it all. I suppose a young LGBTQ+ person, finding out how a relative you had suffered would be a difficult thing to comprehend and process. When their teacher has to leave for her maternity leave earlier however a new substitute takes over and essentially cancels the personal projects, she also misgenders Jesse and pulls the whole 'you can't use they as a singular' nonsense. I usually really dislike homophobia / transpohobia in middlegrade and YA because it's often used as the only drama but here it's handled well, because they are teachers like this in the education system, Jesse is evenutally brave enough to tell their parents who contact the school and the issue is resolved. Jesse decides to still confirm their project and in the end makes an exbition at their local LGBTQ+ bookstore / coffee shop and even finds the girl Lisa fell in love with all those years ago... - Also, side note, supportive parents. SUPPORTIVE. PARENTS. We LOVE to see it, we need to see it more, give me all of it! This particular quote really made me tear up: Once, when I borrowed Mum's laptop for something, I saw she had a website open, with blogs from parents of non-binary kids. It was nice to know she was trying to understand it better... - I teared up multipl times reading this, I needed this a gender questioning teenager, when they weren't really words for what I felt at the time. Well, not words I knew anyway. I am so happy younger LGBTQ+ people have access to books and stories like this, books like this will save non-binary and trans kids because they deserve to grow up. I wasn't worried about whether Ms Grant thought I was stupid any more. I was thinking about what she had said and how it made me feel - that the people and events that everyone said were so important weren't the only ones that mattered. So maybe there was a place in history for people like me, not on the edges of the story, but right in the centre....more
5 stars - 46 /100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs: Death, death of parent, animal death, grief, terminal illness, cancer, infertility, mental illness, suic5 stars - 46 /100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs: Death, death of parent, animal death, grief, terminal illness, cancer, infertility, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, abandonment - 'The past doesn't change, either?' 'No, it doesn't.' 'Then why do I feel like I have returned a completely different person?' - The latest venture in the cafe where you can return to past or the future... This is the first book in this series I have given five stars because I have been chemically altered by this book and I will never be the same. - 'I've been waiting for you...I've been waiting for you to come from the future.' - I said in my review for 'Before Your Memory Fades' that I struggled to connect to the characters despite them all being very well written. I struggled with the pacing and overall flow of the previous book and this was such an improvement, it was shorter and feel the pacing was really perfect. Toshikazu Kawaguchi has this brilliant way of writing slower moments, I do find a lot of Japanese literary fiction does this which is why I love it so much, it brings the simple things to life. It doesn't shy away from the cruelty of the world, how bad things happen and there is no cure for grief, there's no hiding from it either. - 'You cannot change the present no matter how hard you try...What a cruel rule...' - I still find the explaining of the rules to every customer a little repetitive, I think this is done to each book can be a standalone and read in any order, but most people would read this as a series. Havuing the rules in the front of the book is a good way to keep readers in the loop without constantly reminding them of things they already know. I sobbed during this book, like full on ugly crying, all of these novellas are heartbreaking as books that deal with death and grief tend to be, but this one really got to me. Out of the series this one really shows the ugly side of grief and regret, our customers we meet this time aren't always the best people but they are REAL people. This author's especiality is writing the human condition and he never fails to flesh these characters out not matter how little page time they actually have. - There are many crosswroads in life. All regrets stem from what happened at one moment we never imagined would happen to us. When our own action brings about an unexpected result, how can we not experience huge regret? After all, do we ever get another shot? - I loved this, it was so devastating but also life affirming. This series means so much to me, every book I finish I feel I am changed in some way and isn't that the whole point of literature? I'm not the same person I was a book ago and I'l only be this one until I finished next....more
4 stars - 12 / 100 for 2024 - Paperback, annotated - TW/CW: References to suicide and suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, eating4 stars - 12 / 100 for 2024 - Paperback, annotated - TW/CW: References to suicide and suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, narrator has implied undiagnosed depression. - As far as I'm concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain. I read this in 2022 and never reviewed it properly, so upon my re-read this year I wanted to review it. When I initially read this it was a 3 star, I didn't really get it at the time, I had just read Heartstopper so was on an Alice Oseman binge and this didn't give what I wanted it to. But upon my re-read last year and this year, this book has actually become a comfort read for me (before you ask no I don't where the comfort is either, but I am Tori and she is me) Tori Spring is a great character and the main reason for this is her unreliability through her narration, she's incredibly cynical and looks down on most things - I get when people accuse her of 'not being like other girls' but some people with depression geniounely are this way. Also her parents suck and her brother is ill and she's numb, so, ya know, I get it. - I think you should know that I make up a lot of stuff up in my head and then get sad about it. I like to sleep and I like to blog. I am going to die someday. - I geniunely enjoyed the mystery element more when I re-read it, I think when I read it the first time I just wasn't in the right headspace, I do think you need to be in the right mood to read this cause it is not the happiest book, which is fine, it doesn't have to be. But if you're already feeling low, this ain't gonna help ya. I adore Michael Holden, I am the captain of the 'Sprolden' ship, they really are perfect for one another and in season 3 we are gonna finally see them together and I honestly can't wait. He does give off 'manic pixie dream girl' vibes but I don't hate that, he's a quirky person who clearly loves being alive which is great contrast to dark cloud that is Tori. - The little snippets of Nick and Charlie we get are lovely, I like how they have a great and healthy relationship. They really are the goals, we see the darker side of Charlie's mental illness here which I hope the show doesn't gloss over in the next season. I really appreciate how Charlie's OCD is shown and the self-harm scene was done very respectfully, showing the ugly side and not romantising it like some YA books have done in the past. My brother, my little brother, he's soooo perfect, but he's- he doesn't like food, like, literally doesn't like food, or, I don't know, he loves it. He loves it so much that it has to be perfect all the time, you know? And then one day he got so fed up with himself, he was like, he was so annoyed, he hated how much he loved food, yeah, so he thought it would be better if there wasn't any food. But that's so silly! Because you've got to eat food or you'll die, won't you? - Overall this is probably Alice's weakest book, because everything else I have read has been perfection and this has its flaws, but it was written when they were younger and I do take that into account. It's still a story I love that I will go back to over and over again. ...more
I believe this book maybe the last in this series and I'm happy with the end, SG, Socks and Rue run their club together but Rue maybe taking on a littI believe this book maybe the last in this series and I'm happy with the end, SG, Socks and Rue run their club together but Rue maybe taking on a little more than they can handle. The way these characters help each other and talk to each other warms my heart. Again, mental health is shown so beautifully in this series, never afraid to shy away from the uglier side of anxiety and feeling alone. I am a sad ghost and I'm happy this series exist so I know I'm not alone. This is a must read for anyone who has ever felt like a burden or not felt good enough, I hope it brings you the same comfort it brings me....more
TW - This book was published in 1910, therefore some of the language used to describe POC is very outdated and the use of the word queer to describe tTW - This book was published in 1910, therefore some of the language used to describe POC is very outdated and the use of the word queer to describe things that are odd it frequent
But she was inside the wonderful graden, and she could come through the door under the ivy any time, and she felt as if she had found a world all her own. This is one of my all time childhood favourites, I adored this book and the 1993 movie (I haven't watched the 2020 adaption yet but I want to) I decided to re-read this as I want to write my own retelling one day, so I annotated this with that in mind.
Set in a gloomy manor on the Yorkshire moors, The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox a sour and unkindly child who grew up in India, neglected by her parents. After their death, she is sent to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor where she is horribly lonely, left to wander the halls of an unloved grand house. Once day she follows a robin and finds her late aunts garden, long left to decay and everything for Mary changes. Here she learns how to grow not just plants but also herself, becoming far kinder but neveer losing her fiery personality.
The use of older Yorkishire words and accent can be harder to read, I know I struggled just as much this time as I did as a child but this story in itself it just one of hope and learning. Mary is very unkind and unlikable at first, though you understand why, her character development throughout the book is honestly overlooked and I feel she is quite a powerful young girl character in a classic book. She's strong and doesn't stand down from her own thoughts and what she believes in. Overall this a classic I can come back to again and again, this must be my sixth read since I read it first as a child, I take great comfort in it. It's very slow pacing wise but the desrciptive language used to describe the graden, plants and seasons is beautiful. Also, Dickon is a great character, I remember always having a crush on him as a kind animal loving boy who helps Mary and is so kind to her even when she isn't to him straight away. Also Martha, a servant girl who tends to Mary, she's great as well....more
4 stars - 45 /100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs: Grief, discussions of terminal illness and death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and suicide - 'Well,4 stars - 45 /100 - Paperback / Annotated TWs: Grief, discussions of terminal illness and death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and suicide - 'Well, surviving alone is much the same as dying alone, don't you think?' - The third installment in this series sees us venture out of Tokyo, to Cafe Donna Donna where the ability to travel in time is contained in a single and once customers are told the rules they have choice to make. Would you go back in time even when you know nothing in the present will change? - So, I have finished this series (up till now, the fifth book is coming in September) and this was my least favourite volume. I found I struggled to connect to the stories as much as I have been able to before. I felt this installment dragged a little bit, I also was unsure why the location changed. We never see the outside of the cafe, so the location of the cafe is pretty irrelevent, again in the next volume we are back in Tokyo. I suppose the author just wanted to write about a different place? - This is still beautifully written and very tragic, which is what we have come to expect from this series. *insert Steve Carrell in the office saying 'I am ready to be hurt again' here* A peeve I have this time and something I found with volume two as well, there is a lot of repetitivness especially in explaining the rules to the customers wishing to travel within the cafe. If you have read the series one after another like I did this time for my read-a-thon, you know the rules, you understand how the cafe works. I suppose this is done so if you picked the books up out of release order you still get all the information you need. But it gets really annoying when every customer has to have the rules explained to them and to hear their internal dialogue expressing how the rules are cruel and unfair, which they are, but that's also the point of them. - Using the cafe to travel back or forward in time without being able to change the present is the choice all the customers have to make, after it all is it worth it? Our customers all have different reasons for using the cafes time travel, I do really appreciate how every customer we are introduced to feels like a fully fleshed out person with their own goals and lives outside of the story. Toshikazu Kawaguchi's real talent is in writing people, he truly understands grief and regret and anger and it's so beautifully weaved into his writing. I am often in awe of how freal some of the characters are when we often only get between twenty-thrity pages per customer. - Hakodate received its first snowfall of the year on 13 November, which was about ten days later than usual. The colloquial term for wind-blown snow on a cloudless day is wind flowers. True to that description, the snowflakes fall like flower petals dancing in the wind. The window of the cafe offered a vivid and beautiful biew of blue sky, and white snow on red autumn leaves. - Not my favourite by far but still a solid entry in a series that owns my heart entirely....more
Okay, so I have thoughts about thi**spoiler alert** First Read - Paperback - Annotated - Buddy Read 2022 - 3/5 Stars
New beginnings. I'm so over them.
Okay, so I have thoughts about this book - This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and whilst I did enjoy some of the book, it didn't hit the spot I hoped it would and I was left feeling a little disappointed.
So - 'Every Word You Never Said' follows non-verbal teenager, Skylar Gray, who has recently been adopted and has moved to a new town and started a new school - It is here he meets Jacob Walker, he's out and proud, wears nail varnish and plays guitar and Skylar falls pretty hard and fast - After Skylar wears a skirt to school, a new sexist dress code policy is announced and Skylar and Jacob find themselves in the middle of it all.
So - Firstly I like Skylar and LOVE Jacob - Skylar is a sweetheart and I would honestly die for Jacob. The two of them definitely have chemistry but I feel like their relationship moves at a weird pace - It takes a while for them to get together and when they do somethings felt a little rushed - Like them having sex. Sex positivity in YA is important and this manages that, however I felt the sex wasn't needed in this instance, a personal opinion. I love Skylar's adoptive parents - They're very supportive of Skylar being gay and wearing skirts and do seem to really love him. The minor characters are okay - I really Iman, she's very kind to Skylar and helps him with nail varnish and shopping which was sweet. Jacob's parents - inhales deeply - are the WORST PEOPLE TO HAVE EVER EXISTED. So he's dad is a very religious person and his mum is a complete doormat that doesn't stand up for her son at all. I hate them - But we're meant to hate them so...
There are a lot of references in this book which I know divides a lot of people - I personally don't mind them but this book did have quite a few and some of them just felt a little unneeded.
I think one of the things that made this a 3 stars instead of a 4 star for me was that I was not expecting, nor was I ready for, the amount of religious trauma in this book. I found myself having to close it and put it down a few times out of sheer frustration. This was sold as a mixture of Heartstopper and Footloose and whilst I can see it a little bit, this is not a fluffy as I was led to believe - It handles a lot of deeper topics and sometimes can be awfully sad and triggering.
Whilst I really like Skylar - His disregard of Jacob's home life / situation is kind of sh*tty, Jacob's father is vile and Jacob is putting himself in potential danger by being Skylar's friend and fighting for him and I feel like that gets completely overlooked by pretty much everyone. Also he expects, after only two weeks together, for Jacob to say 'I love you' and is angry when he doesn't. I understand that as child in the care system, Skylar is very insecure in himself and seeks affection but he puts an awful on Jacob, again, without understanding that by being out Jacob could potentially be disowned / thrown out by his parents.
What made this a solid 3 stars however was the ending - The third act break up comes very quickly after Skylar and Jacob get together and I didn't care for it at all (the only third act break up I have ever enjoyed was in RW&RB so this isn't really on the author) - Jacob 'redeems' himself enough for Skylar by finally telling him he loves him but it's done in front of half the school which takes so much of the intimacy away. This had me feeling like the end of 'Love Simon' did - If you've read the book and watched the movie you'll know what I'm talking about. If characters do something intimate in front of people it feels, to me anyway, less romantic and more for show. If Jacob had pulled Skylar to side and said it it would have meant so much more.
So in the end the school revoke the sexist dress code which yay, we love that. HOWEVER - Jacob will have some major fallout to deal with and this isn't addressed at all. Nothing changes for Jacob, his dad doesn't open his mind, his mum doesn't stop being a doormat. Jacob is still in a very abusive and borderline neglectful household and I can't feel happy for him and Skylar knowing that this isn't a 'happy ever after' ending...
Side Note - The over-use of slurs in this is an issue for me. The 'r' slur and 'f' slur are used a lot and yes I understand that these words exist and that people use them - I don't need to read them. There are ways of showing ableism and homophobia without just adding slurs to one-dimensional bully characters.
So yeah, not a favourite of mine - Please check the trigger warnings for this because there are a lot.
"Pronouns?" she digs, but I like it. He/him, I say. "Cool! I'm she / her, Seth's a bitch," Imani says casually without breaking eye contact. ...more
5 Stars - 9 / 100 for 2024 - Annotated TWs: Discussions of war, displacement, fleeing war, islamaphobia, racism I search every day for a clue about w5 Stars - 9 / 100 for 2024 - Annotated TWs: Discussions of war, displacement, fleeing war, islamaphobia, racism I search every day for a clue about why I deserve to be here in Aunt Michelle's kitchen, safe and fed. When so many others just like me are not. Lucky. I am learning how to say it over and over again in English. I am learning how it tastes - sweet with promise and bitter with responsibility. - This book blew me away. I knew I would love it before I had even gotten a few pages in, Jasmine Warga's writing is so lyrical and beautiful. This book is told completely in verse, and similarly to Dean Atta, it reads as well paced story. Even if you're new to books told in verse, this is easy to read and understand. The story follows Jude, a young Syrian girl who, along with her pregnant mother, has to leave her home and immigrate to America. Here she learns that America is not exactly like the movies she grew up idolising, things are a little more complicated, bigger and very loud. She and her mother leave with Jude's uncle who has married an American woman and has a daughter named Sarah, who at first is rather unkind to Jude. Jude feels very out of place in her new home and school, but through her brilliant positive mind, bravery and determination she makes a space for her to belong. - I read about Europe and America no longer want to allow people who come from my country to move to their shores for safety. - This whole story is full of beautiful descriptions of Syrian culture and food, which i didn't know a lot about so that was really interesting, Arabic is a really beautiful language, there was a really helpful glossary at the back that helps with meanings and pronounciation. Throughout the story you feel the ache in Jude's heart for her home country. The worry she has for herself but more so for her family, her pregnant mother and her father and brother she had to leave behind. The book is of course deeply sad at times and it handles these heavier issues brilliantly, I feel like this is a book a lot of children should read at school to understand immigration and how it affects young people and their families. There were a lot of moments that had me very choked up, after a bombing happens somewhere, Jude faces a man who tells her to 'go home, we don't want you here' and that just broke me. How anyone could see a tragedy and blame an entire group of people, even children, and verbally abuse them in public. - I really loved this and cannot wait read to more of this author. I found myself annotating so much, there are so many beautiful quotes, I bought this after seeing Jason Raynolds (author of Long Way Down which I loved) and I am so happy I did. I think this book could be read with a younger person to start a discsussion on immigration, war and the discrimination minorities face when moving to a western country, conversations tht sadly are still very needed in today's climate. - Just like I am no longer a girl. I am a Middle Eastern girl. A Syrian girl. A Muslim girl. Americans love labels. They help them to know what to expect. Sometimes, though, I think labels stop them from thinking. ...more
**spoiler alert** Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. The king's ruled long enough - it's time t**spoiler alert** Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. The king's ruled long enough - it's time to tear his castle down.
Time has run out for Neil Josten - His days are literally numbered. But there's so much he still has to do, fixing Andrew and Aaron's relationship being one, getting Kevin to finally face and let go of Riko is another. Becoming friends with the foxes was never part of the plan and kissing one throws everything off. To make matters worse, Riko isn't the only person after Neil and a monster from his past has finally found him...
It's done, it's over - And I have no idea what to do with myself anymore. I read 'The Foxhole Court' really quickly and would have devoured the sequels just as fast but I decided to buddy 'The Raven King' and 'The Kings Men' with friends on Instagram so this has been going on since January. This series has claimed a piece of me, I really didn't imagine I would enjoy it as much as I did.
Andriel FINALLY happens in this book and am I so happy - When Andrew and Neil finally kiss, Andrew is off his medication and Neil looks like himself (red hair / blue eyes) and I think it's so poetic they don't start their 'nothing' until both their masks are off. Kevin Day finally develops a spine, Neil finally admits the Foxes are his family and fearlessly protects them and Riko gets EXACTLY what he deserves. I only wish the ending had been longer - I had heard the ending felt rushed, the epilogue in particular but overall I was more than happy with how everything was wrapped up.
"There is no 'this'. This is nothing." "And I am nothing," Neil prompted. When Andrew gestured confirmation, Neil said, "And as you've always said, you want nothing."
I really loved 'The Kings Men' - This series has it's issues okay and I am not defending any of them. The way that SA and mental health are handled aren't the best and belief does have to be suspended for this story to work. But once you get past all of that this series is just absurd and fun - It's dark for sure so please check the trigger warnings before starting it.
**spoiler alert** "Sometimes you're interesting enough to keep around. Other times you're so astoundingly stupid I can barely stand the sight of you.**spoiler alert** "Sometimes you're interesting enough to keep around. Other times you're so astoundingly stupid I can barely stand the sight of you."
Listen - This series is hot wet steaming garbage okay, but it's MY hot wet steaming garbage. I DEVOURED the first book - Thinking I would then devour the rest of the series, but I decided to buddy-read it with friends on Instagram which I am now really thankful for. One, because now I am taking my time. Two, I NEED someone to rant / rave to after each other section we read. If the first book is like being hit by a car, this one is like being hit with a freight train. I was really unsure of what was going to happen and I did not see it going the way it went AT ALL. So, obviously, spoiler central ahead. - One; we learn that Neil is totally f*cked because he's parents essentially sold him to Moriyama's as a child. He was supposed to be a Raven like Kevin but before he could audition fully for his place, he mother took him, and a lot of money, and booked it. - Two; Andrew is gay - I mean I knew this was coming I think because of various fanarts I've seen but I wasn't sure if it was just implied or actually canon. - Three; chapter eleven ruined my actual life, if you know you KNOW - Four; I have no idea how this series is going to end or what is going to happen next, but Riko needs to die in a firepit, Wymack is best grumpy-exy-vodka-dad (literally) and I am an official simp for anything Andrew Minyard.
I am fully aware this series can be viewed as problematic and I am by no means ignoring that, but I am enjoying this series and am glad I picked it up. If you're going in, don't go blind, the trigger warning list reads like War and Peace but please read because this book in particular contains some very dark scenes / topics.
He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream. Neil watched the ball hit the bottom. It was January. It was a new year. It was two days until Andrew's release, eleven days until the first championship match, and for months until Finals, Facing the Foxes on the court this spring would be the last mistake Riko ever made. ...more
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