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February 11, 2018

REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton

February 11, 2018

Book cover & rating - REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn HamiltonThe first 200 pages were not written well. I was bored and felt growing discomfort with the mangled Middle Eastern culture this fantasy book was premised on. At least the next 150 odd pages picked up a little in terms of plot and also storytelling, so I didn’t end up thoroughly hating Rebel of the Sands. Still, this book has so many problems, I’m relieved I didn’t order the sequels before finishing this one first.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: ableist, abuse, alcoholism, assault, beliefs, betrayal, canadian authors, choices, cousins, death, disability, diverse books, domestic violence, ethics, family, gender, ghouls, half-siblings, identity, insurgency, jinn, magic, murder, mythology, on the run, poc characters, relatives, religion, romance, royalty, secrets, self discovery, shapeshifting, siblinghood, truth, violence

December 19, 2017

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS edited by Ruth Bennett

December 19, 2017

Book cover & rating - I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS edited by Ruth BennettHome means so many different things to different people, and I’ll Be Home For Christmas definitely captured that through the various short stories. Although, anthologies usually leave me with mixed feelings. I’ll Be Home For Christmas was no different. While I adored most short stories and the poem at the beginning, there were a few that I didn’t enjoy, and a couple of which that even left me confused.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, anthologies, british authors, christmas, culture, diverse books, divorce, family, family problems, friendship, hardship, identity, lgbtq characters, multiculturalism, on love, orphans, poc characters, poverty, realistic fiction, romance, sense-of-belonging, short-stories, winter

November 26, 2017

THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas

November 26, 2017

Book cover & rating - THE HATE U GIVE by Angie ThomasNo contest, The Hate U Give is the best young adult novel that was published in 2017. It’s filled with heart and soul, takes an honest look at racial discrimination, and doesn’t hold back any punches. It’s so honest and raw that it hurts to read and it’s precisely because of that that everyone and anyone, young or old, needs to read The Hate U Give.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: american authors, dating, death, discrimination, diverse authors, diverse books, domestic violence, drug abuse, drugs, dysfunctional families, family, family business, family problems, friendship, funerals, gangs, grief, half-siblings, high school, hope, identity, inequality, justice, media, murder, own-voices, poc characters, poverty, race relations, racism, realistic fiction, relatives, riots, sacrifice, siblinghood, suffering, violence

July 20, 2017

THE SUMMER SEASIDE KITCHEN by Jenny Colgan

July 20, 2017

Book cover & rating - The Summer Seaside Kitchen by Jenny ColganThe atmosphere of The Summer Seaside Kitchen was incredible. Even though Mure isn’t a real island but an amalgam of various islands of the Northern Isles, it completely came to life. I could picture the scenic views, the landmarks and houses so perfectly, I very nearly felt as though I had been transported to Mure myself. The more I read, the more I fell in love with the island. That’s how well Jenny Colgan detailed everything!

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: british writers, family, food and drink, friendship, identity, lgbtq characters, relationships, restaurants, romance, scottish writers, self discovery, siblinghood, work life

June 20, 2017

THE INEXPLICABLE LOGIC OF MY LIFE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

June 20, 2017

Book cover & rating - The Inexplicable Logic of my LifeAfter reading and enjoying Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe last year, I couldn’t wait for The Inexplicable Logic of My Life to be released. On several counts, Sáenz’s book lived up to my expectations. The prose, though simple, once again was stellar! I love introspective characters, and after reading two books from Sáenz, I’m convinced that he’s a master at writing them. And while single parents are ubiquitous in YA fiction, Sal had an adoptive father who was gay, thereby expanding representation for non-traditional families.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, adoption, beliefs, cancer, car accident, death, diverse authors, diverse books, dysfunctional families, ethnicity, family, family life, fathers and sons, friendship, funerals, grandparents, grief, hardship, high school, identity, lgbtq characters, life, on love, orphans, parenthood, poc characters, realistic fiction, self perception, single parenthood, solid platonic friendship

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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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