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.

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 🙂

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!

BOOK CLUB: Spell on Wheels by Kate Leth

For our extra spoopy Halloween Book Club special, we all read the first volume of  ‘Spell on Wheels,’ a new comic book series about three young witches living and practising magic in America. In this story arc, their house is broken into, and various magical and sentimental items stolen, leading to a cross-country road trip to reclaim what is rightfully theirs and take down the thief before the thief takes THEM down. Let’s get crack-a-lackin!

SPOOKY SUNDAY: Horror Stories by E Nesbit

This week Spooky Sunday looks at Horror Stories by E Nesbit, an author best known for her children’s classics such as The Railway Children and Five Children and It. This is also the first short story collection I’ve tackled for Spooky Sunday and it’s interesting to see how this more concise medium tackles the task of creating a sense of creepiness. But can an author best known for enchanting children craft a truly spooky story? Let’s find out!

SPOOKY SUNDAY: The Ghost Hunters by Neil Spring

This week Spooky Sunday tackles a real life ghost story in Neil Spring’s fictionalisation of the investigation into Borley Rectory: The Ghost Hunters. Set over the first half of the twentieth century the novel follows Sarah Grey and her employer, paranormal researcher Harry Price as they investigate the place known as ‘the most haunted house in England’. Does this novel live up to the spooky reputation of its real life inspiration? Let’s find out.