Review: PROUD – Stories, Poetry and Art on the theme of Pride

By Michelle Nathan

 

Starting the year off with a bang, I was so excited to receive an ARC of ‘PROUD – Stories, Poetry and Art on the theme of Pride’ on NetGalley, after hearing about it a few months ago, and it did not disappoint. This collection of short stories, poetry and artwork shares tales from a multitude of perspectives from those within the LGBTQ+ community, and it is stunning. From gay penguins, to a queer retelling of ‘Pride & Prejudice”, and even a sprinkle of Dungeons & Dragons, this anthology has a bit of everything. Sweet, funny, sometimes sad but always hopeful, I was left with that glorious warm glow in my stomach and smile on my face that only comes from reading something that genuinely lifts my spirits. Click below for the full review!

REVIEW: XX BY ANGELA CHADWICK

By Michelle Nathan

Hi friends! So discovering NetGalley this year has been a dream – it really is the gift that keeps on giving! I acquired ‘XX’ by Angela Chadwick back in October, and while it took me a few chapters to warm up to it, by the time I got to the end I was savouring every last page. Chadwick has crafted a beautifully honest and realistic portrayal of how the world would react to the scientific advancement of two women being able to have a baby together. It is a unique take on what it means to be a parent above and beyond your biological connection to your child – something which many people have experienced before, but not quite like this. Click below to read the full review!

BOOK CLUB: The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

Y’all ready for a fun, chatty Book Buds Book Club post from this month’s hosts – Rosie, Mim and Kate?! This month we read The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar – a novel so rich and multi-faceted that we had an hour long discussion about the many marvellous characters and themes. And, of course, a lengthy delve into the history of mermaids (naturally). Hope you enjoy!

 

Warning: Thar be major spoilers for the book within

 

Half-and-Half Books: From ‘wow’ to ‘meh’ and back again

By Rosie Wiggins

 

I recently finished a book called The End of the World Running Club, which I picked up because I convince myself to exercise by pretending I’m surviving an apocalypse and need to train. True story.

After a powerful and truly horrific opening chapter, in which the apocalypse hits in real time and in full devastation, I was ready for a story that would change my life, blow my mind, clear my skin and water my plants. What I got was… not that. But it wasn’t not not that, either.

This is how to handle ‘Half-and-Half’ books: books that leave you gripping the pages with tension in one chapter but falling asleep in another, and flit between the two extremes for their entire run.

Minor spoilers below. 

Review: The One Who Wrote Destiny by Nikesh Shukla

By Michelle Nathan

 

Another lucky acquisition from NetGalley, The One Who Wrote Destiny by Nikesh Shukla is a book I have been excited to read for a while now. This book is wonderful in many ways, but I especially loved how it made me feel connected to my family and Asian heritage while also reminding me, and consolidating a belief I already hold strongly, that no one person’s experience is the same. As a group, first generation Asian immigrants and their children have certain shared experiences, of course, but all of us have lived very different and individual lives as well. Shukla does an amazing job of balancing these two ideas of shared and individual experiences pretty much perfectly in this book – which is something that I go into (alongside much more!) in my full review below.

BOOK CLUB: A WRINKLE IN TIME BY MADELEINE L’ENGLE

With the UK release of the film adaptation of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ just around the corner, we thought it was about time we posted our Book Club round up of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic children’s book. A sci-fi adventure that has stood the test of time, being first published in 1962, the buds actually had pretty similar views on this month’s choice; it had a lot of potential, with it’s whimsical characters, imaginative setting and intriguing set-up, but unfortunately never quite packed the punches that it promised to deliver. Read on for our full discussion!

Review: ‘The Illumination of Ursula Flight’ by Anna-Marie Crowhurst

By Michelle Nathan

 

Hello lovely Book Buds! I was lucky to receive an ARC of  ‘The Illumination of Ursula Flight’ by Anna-Marie Crowhurst from NetGalley, and had many thoughts and feelings about it (as per usual…!) Read on for the full review, and hope you enjoy 🙂

Galentine’s Reading Recommendations 💖

First thing first, Happy Galentine’s Day (and Happy Pancake Day – what a great combination)! You may remember that Mim picked out a few of her fave female friendship focused reads last year on this most blessed day of Galentine’s, so this year I thought I have a go too. Like Mim, I ended up finding this way more of a struggle than I thought it would be! Female friendship is really underrepresented in adult fiction, where female characters are more often surrounded by a cast of men, whether they’re romantic interests or not. Children’s and YA lit seem to be a little more populous with gal pals – probably because their characters are less occupied with romantic partners or their co-workers in a male dominated workplace – but as I’m not a wide reader of either I’m going to stick to what I know and the few gems I have found.

Recommend to a Friend – Ms Marvel Volumes 1 – 5

Hello friends! Today we’re trying out a new format called ‘Recommend to a Friend,’ where one Bud recommends something that they think another Bud will enjoy, and we see if it’s a match made in heaven or a hellish experience they’d rather forget (hopefully the former!) I lent my collection of ‘Ms Marvel’ comics (Volumes 1 – 5) to Elen and Kate, so let’s see how they fared with them!

SECOND CHANCE: MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

It’s now been over a year of Book Buds and to commemorate this  momentous occasion I decided to take another look at our first ever book club entry Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. As the original post makes clear this was far from my favourite of the books we’ve reviewed, however my biggest problem with Miss Peregrine was that I wanted to like it and felt the book kept wasting its potential. So one year removed from my frustrated ranting I decided to give Miss Peregrine a second chance. Did it manage to redeem itself? Find out below!