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May 9, 2019

STEPSISTER by Jennifer Donnelly

May 9, 2019

Book cover & and 4.5-star rating for STEPSISTER by Jennifer DonnellyThe first time I heard the term “retelling,” I expected it to refer to reimagined fairytales. I didn’t exactly expect these to be simply be stories inspired by fairytales. Stepsister, however, is exactly that which I had originally expected of a retelling. It builds upon the well-loved fairytale of Ashputtel, blood and all. It was entertaining with its dark humour as it continued to tell the story of how it might have continued. Stepsister was more detailed since it’s a novel rather than a short story but stylistically, it still very much read like a fairytale.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, ambition, american authors, betrayal, bravery, death, despair, fairies, family problems, fate, feminism, forgiveness, friendship, gender, grief, hardship, hope, horses, jealousy, life, loss, magic, on love, poverty, relationships, retellings, romance, royalty, self discovery, self-esteem, single parenthood, sisters, stepsiblings, villains, war

February 26, 2019

HOW TO FIND LOVE IN THE LITTLE THINGS by Virginie Grimaldi

February 26, 2019

Book cover & and 4.5-star rating for HOW TO FIND LOVE IN THE LITTLE THINGS by Virginie GrimaldiDepending on how you look at it, quarter- and midlife crises books can add to the disillusion or be rather cathartic. Personally, I thought How to Find Love in the Little Things tended towards the cathartic.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: amnesia, break-ups, choices, dating, death, family, french authors, friendship, grandparents, grief, hope, life, mothers and daughters, psychologists, quarter-life-crisis, reconciliation, relationships, relatives, retirement-homes, romance, self discovery, siblinghood, sisters, translated into english, weddings, work life

February 20, 2019

ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas

February 20, 2019

Book cover & and 5-star rating for ON THE COME UP by Angie ThomasBooks about music usually are full of heart and soul. On the Come Up is no exception. In fact, it far surpassed more than a few of such books I’ve loved before. On that front, I actually am a bit surprised. I knew that coming from Angie Thomas, this one would be a good book. However, hip hop isn’t generally on my radar, so I did go in with slightly tempered expectations.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: ambition, american authors, assault, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, gangs, gay characters, grandparents, high school, hip hop, hope, lgbtq characters, mothers and daughters, music, musicians, organised crime, poc characters, poverty, queer characters, relatives, religious institutions, siblinghood, single parenthood, solid platonic friendship, surveillance, violence

November 27, 2018

I WANT TO GO HOME by Wesley Leon Aroozoo

November 27, 2018

Book cover & rating - I WANT TO GO HOME by Wesley Leon AroozooI Want to Go Home is a little different from most non-fiction books because the same material was used to produce a companion documentary with the same title. I’ve not watched the documentary but I did view the trailer. Based on the synopsis and the trailer, I expected the subject of I Want to Go Home to be Mr Takamatsu. As I read the book, however, I found this not to be the case.

· Categories: Non-Fiction Keywords: diverse authors, diverse books, grief, hope, lawsuits, memories, natural disasters, singaporean authors

February 14, 2018

SUNFLOWERS IN FEBRUARY by Phyllida Shrimpton

February 14, 2018

Book cover & rating - SUNFLOWERS IN FEBRUARY by Phyllida ShrimptonSunflowers in February is at its core a morbid book. Lily was in a car accident and woke up dead. Death is never an easy topic to face. What comes after death though, is a question I’m sure many of us do wonder about. Sunflowers in February grappled with exactly that, as Lily was in limbo, unable to move on.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: accidents, alcoholism, british authors, bullying, car accident, conduct of life, dating, death, despair, dreams, drink-driving, drug abuse, drugs, dysfunctional families, existentialism, family, family life, family problems, forgiveness, friendship, funerals, gratitude, grief, guilt, high school, hit-and-run, hope, life, life-after-death, on love, relationships, remorse, siblinghood

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About

Joséphine. Word reveller. Loves books. Reads books. Talks about books. Photographs books. When she’s not blogging, she can be found on Instagram under @wordrevel.

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