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Showing posts from June, 2020

Review: Procrastination: The Thief of Time by Sophia Kaankuka

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I don't usually read non-fiction and rarely any self-help, but I made the exception for this one. I did enjoy some of the tips to avoid procrastinating within this short book, and I felt like these were really helpful. I also did like that the book was short, so I didn't have to procrastinate reading it. I also loved that this title was in many cases direct to the point. What I didn't enjoy so much was some of the formatting within the book, in which there was often mismatched titles- switching between :- and :, or not coloured and bolded, and in some cases the page spacing between sections were different. I also wished that some of the points discussed had more in-depth examples, but I believe that is a matter of personal preference. Rating: 2.5/5 I was given a copy of this title by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

So. I got caught in the hype, and I guess this one was actually okay! I was initially hesitant, given that I really dislike Snow, but I gave this one a shot on audio. I found that the chapters were super long, but at least the story kept moving throughout each of the chapters. I loved how there was quite a bit of drama throughout, and interestingly enough- I found that the backstory gave me a bit of a better context for the original trilogy. I really sympathised with Sejanus Plinth and Lucy Gray Baird in this one, but then again, I also have weird tastes. I also loved reading the bits about Tigris, as I felt she didn't have a lot of page time in the trilogy, and would've made for an excellent insight in those. This one really didn't make me stop hatin' on Snow, but then again, I don't think anyone can actually blame me for that one haha. Rating: 4/5

Review: Oracus: The Lavorian Rider by Paul Gaskill

A book filled with adventure- what else could I ask for? I felt that this one was a little hard to get into at the start, but then once I got into it, it was such a fun read!  I felt that the world was built very well, however I feel like I wanted more from the characters. Despite this, I really enjoyed the plot and I felt that it was written well in a retro-esque type of way. This was interesting, as I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked this one out! Rating: 3/5 I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Review: Night Owls and Summer Skies by Rebecca Sullivan

Imagine being dragged off to a summer camp by a parent you barely see. That’s what happened to Emma Lane in Night Owls and Summer Skies. Emma Lane is a seventeen year old girl, who was pushed into visiting her mother. Emma thought that she’d be spending time with her, however, turns out her mum had other plans- dragging Emma to Camp Mapplewood, and going overseas with her new husband. Emma’s mum hoped that this camp would ‘straighten’ Emma out (which Emma points out is very homophobic) and help her socialise more. The main problem Emma faces is that she went to this very camp when she was younger, and got stuck high up in a tree. This led her to despise everything relating to camping, as well as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder alongside depression. Sullivan touched on these sensitive topics in a way that makes it relatable for the reader, without saying anything overly offensive, with characters pulling up other characters in their own way if they step over the line.

Review: Dead Ringer by Nicola Martin

A rather interesting thriller, with an interesting premise.  I loved how the story started out with an app advertisement, it's something I don't see in a lot of books, and I found it refreshing. The idea that the app could find some look-alike was also wild- I can't imagine finding a person that looks like me! I found that whilst listening on audio, the two voices melded together a little, but that was probably due to me zoning out at times, and not to do with the actual writing itself. I can understand Ella's way of life- being super quiet and reserved, as I am also that. To essentially switch places with someone that is loud is something that I'd be super uncomfortable with. Mixing that with lies and deceptions would make me super nervous, which I noticed Ella do as Jem often. I felt like I really didn't like Jem as a character, given her noisy personality, but I really enjoyed how the characters were developed as the story progressed. Overall, I couldn't

Review: Every Move You Make by Deborah Bee

Looking for an extremely chilling, creepy crime read? Every Move You Make by Deborah Bee is not one to miss! It starts with Clare James bursting into the police station, wearing nothing but a dressing gown and smelling like paraffin. Clearly needing to speak to someone at the station, she finds herself talking to DS Clarke, who finds it tough to believe everything that Clare claims. When DS Clarke goes to investigate, she doesn’t find anything that matches up at Clare’s house with the claims that Clare had made. In fact, it appears to be the exact opposite. It was tough to read how abusive Gareth James was, and some of the horrific things recounted by Clare had me scared for what would come next. This is in combination with the intertwining of Gareth’s comments that appear to flash through Clare’s mind at anytime that she became nervous had me gritting my teeth. Admittedly, this is a rather tough read, that touches on many very sensitive topics such as domestic violence, sexual abuse,

Review: Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi

In a need for a cosy historical fiction read to go with that tea or coffee you’re having? Rebel Spy has you covered. Set in the American Revolutionary War, it is filled with a little romance, camaraderie, and not least of all spies, it is sure to satisfy that cosy need! In this book (not to mention the cover is super stunning!), we meet Frannie, who somewhat finds herself on a ship, away from her step-father, Sewel, who sounded rather nasty and abusive. Frannie is relieved to be away from her step-father, however quickly finds out that she’s about to trade her life away in order to be able to gain passage to the ship’s destination- New York. The crew mistaken her for the rich Emmeline, who was thought to be rather well mannered and lady-like, things that Frannie is not. I liked that the book has a comparison between what Frannie was before the ship, and after, given that the social classes are vastly different to each other. I also enjoyed the character development of Frannie thro

Reading stats #22

Here's the stats for Wednesday the 27th of May to Tuesday the 2nd of June 2020! Books I've finished this week: 1. My Dear Ellie 2. Queen of Nothing Books I've started this week: 1. The Sentient 2. Moby Dick Reading goals update: 5/12 classics tbr 6/12 goodreads tbr 9/12 #loveozya tbr Reading stats: Smallest amount of pages read in a day: 39 (this was on Wednesday the 27th and Thursday the 28th) Largest amount of pages read in a day: 166 (this was on Tuesday the 2nd) Total pages read this week: 849 Average pages read per day: 121 pages

The Theory of Hummingbirds: A blog tour post!

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To celebrate the UQP release of The Theory of Hummingbirds, here's my blog tour stop for the #AusYABloggers tour ( more stops here )! Here's a brief synopsis: Alba has been best friends with Levi since forever. They’re both obsessed with hummingbirds and spend their lunchtimes hiding out in the school library. Alba normally doesn’t mind that Levi’s got a science theory on just about everything. But when he becomes convinced the school librarian has discovered a wormhole in her office, Alba thinks maybe he’s gone too far. Then there’s Cleo. That’s what Alba calls her left foot, which was twisted in the wrong direction at birth and has been strapped in a brace for most of Alba’s life. With the final cast about to come off, Alba is set on running in her first cross-country race. But what if Levi doesn’t believe she can do it? Alba’s only ever wanted to be ‘normal’, so why does it feel like she’s losing more than Cleo and a pair of crutches? My review: This was such a cute book! No

Review: Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora

Fragile Remedy is a fresh young adult dystopian that tackles the separation of rich and poor in a very sci-fi-like way. This is a gripping, fast-paced read, and it doesn’t slow down a bit- it will definitely make you forget the real world as you read it! Although I first found it hard to get my head around the world-building, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the mechanics of the world as the story progresses- where Gathos City sounds like a terrible place to live- with police patrolling everywhere you look, and people getting hurt (or worse) over this drug-like substance called chem, and living in this city means that either you fend for yourself, or you have to find a gang to survive. We also learn about what a GEM is, why they are only meant to live until about 14 years of age, and how they are used for organ transplants and other super nefarious things. For our GEM (genetically engineered medi-tissue) protagonist, Nate, he’s lucky to have a gang, who’s able to hide him for a while

Review: My Dear Ellie by Aisha Urooj

A sweet, wholesome story about friendship. I found this one was a quick read, filled with so much emotion and celebration of success in many forms. Whilst this had a quick view of the lives of Cassie and Ellie, I felt like I was missing a little bit of the character building and world building I so dearly crave in books.  I loved how there were feelings of elation and also bittersweetness. The optimism and tragedy themes were also done well in this book. Rating: 3/5  Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.