Review: Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

Publication Date: March 2022

Publisher: Penguin Books

Source: Borrowed from library   [ Goodreads ]

Blurb: 

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing.

But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality. Forced to resign, she reluctantly signs on as the host of a cooking show, Supper at Six. But her revolutionary approach to cooking, fueled by scientific and rational commentary, grabs the attention of a nation. And soon a legion of overlooked housewives find themselves daring to change the status quo. One molecule at a time.

This is potentially a controversial post but I just don't think this book lived up to the hype at all for me. 

Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney

Publisher: Faber & Faber
Publication Date: August 2018
Source: Own 

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Blurb: 
At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal.

A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.

 This book is one I had been meaning to pick up for the longest time. It had been recommended to me by everyone and the BBC making a TV show of it definitely pushed me over the edge to picking it up. 

I was so glad that I did. 

If I had to describe this book in one word: raw. 

This book is just so extremely raw - emotionally, physically and in writing style. 

Relationships really drive this novel from its core. Whether from the characters relationships with themselves and with each other. The characters grow over the course of the novel in many directions. The novel takes place over many years from Connell and Marianne being in secondary school to going to college to their adulthood. This long journey of the novel really gives the reader a more complete and long view of their lives. 

One of my favourite characters in the novel was Connell's mum. Connell and his mother have such a loving and caring relationship. His family is working class and his mother is actually the cleaner for Marianne's family. Connell's mum is so straight-talking, opinionated, unapologetic, caring ad warm. She is one of the best mother characters I've read in a book ever. Connells mum calls him out on his bad behavior, praises him, looks out for Marianne and shows her real maternal love which she had never experienced. Their relationship is so beautiful and well written. 

Most Anticipated 2020 Releases

2020 has so many amazing releases on the horizon. I feel like this might be the year I ACTUALLY read all of my most anticipated releases! 
I've tried to narrow my list down to ten most anticipated, and 3 bonus mentions...let's get to it! 

What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Scheinmel  (February 2020) 
The girls at North Bay Academy are taking sides. It all started when Mike Parker's girlfriend showed up with a bruise on her face. Or, more specifically, when she walked into the principal's office and said Mike hit her. But the students have questions. Why did she go to the principal and not the police? Why did she stay so long if he was hurting her? Obviously, if it's true, Mike should be expelled. But is it true?

Some girls want to rally for his expulsion—and some want to rally around Mike. The only thing that the entire student body can agree on? Someone is lying. And the truth has to come out.

Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman (February 2020)
In this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private…

Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…?

Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: September 2015
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Own
Series: The Mortal Instruments #6

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Blurb: 
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

 Okay so, if you don't want to be spoiled for the previous Cassandra Clare books released before CoHF please leave, read the Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments and then return!

Spoilers ahead!

Character development Clary used to be so lost and helpless but is now badass. She really has come into herself and become more comfortable in the Shadowhunter world in the last couple books, especially since City of Lost Souls. Jace has also changed a lot, especially since City of Lost Souls. After being controlled by Sebastian in CoLS he had retreated into himself due to the guilt over his actions in that time but this book sees him become more open to accepting help from his friends. Jace finally begins to acknowledge that sometimes he has to let them help, and that they have all become his family. The Clace relationship also was so well written in this book as we see them become closer and stronger.

Review: Simon Vs The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Publication Date: April 2015
Publisher: Balzer + ray
Source: Borrowed from library

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Blurb: 
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Okay so I have NO IDEA why I put off reading this book despite the rave reviews...I completely regret it. So a preface to this review, if you have this book on your TBR- move that into currently reading ASAP. 

This book was the most heart warming, funny, happy, marshmallow fluffy book I've ever read. It completely captivated me from the first page and I sped through the book in 2 days. And that's pretty impressive as I was super busy but made the time to read the book because I just needed the joy in my life. 

The book focuses on Simon, an "in the closet" teen who finds himself becoming closer and close to a boy called Blue through email. Reading about their relationship and how much closer they were getting was so well written and cute. I loved how Albertalli portrayed their closeted emotions and the inner ups and down turmoil they were feeling in terms of self acceptance. Their conversations were totally adorable and I actually found myself re-reading their emails after I finished the book. 

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: December 2011
Source: Borrowed from library
Series: The Infernal Devices #2
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Blurb: 
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when it becomes clear that the mysterious Magister will stop at nothing to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, tortured Will and the devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal and fueled by revenge. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa is drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa answers about who she really is? As their search leads to deadly peril, Tessa learns that secrets and lies can corrupt even the purest heart.

So finally picking back up this series months after I was gripped by Clockwork Angel.. I know, I suck at being a blogger- can I insert "hectic life" excuses here?

Anyway, I'm so glad I started getting into this series after years of loving The Mortal Instruments, I am kicking myself fro not caving to the book peer pressure sooner! (Speaking of, please pressure me into reading some more of your favorite books in the comments below!)

So for me, Clockwork Prince was the character development book in the series. I feel like Clockwork Angel was the book to introduce the characters, story-line, villain and main story thread that will run through the series and this book was to delve deeper into the relationships and characters themselves while also engaging with the plot. 

The characters of the novel are really the main driving force behind this series. I think everyone who begins the series just wants to hear more and more of the characters and also have the plot and action going on in the background. The Will fan-girls would honestly pay Cassie for a 500 page novel of a week in the life of Will Herondale at this point! 
But back to my review..the characters definitely o through a lot of development as the reader begins to learn more about them and about what motivates them both individually and as their slightly dysfunctional Institute family. 

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: August 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Bought
Series: The Infernal Devices #1

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Blurb: 
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. 

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

I know, it's shocking that I have not read any of The Infernal Devices series before now...#BadBlogger 

I'm so glad to be finally getting back on the Cassandra Clare book wagon! I have just started reading more of The Mortal Instruments series and decided it was time to read The Infernal devices before I accidentally spoiled myself! 

So this book started off badly for me. It took me a long time, maybe 150 pages, before I felt any connection to the characters or felt the plots pace was picking up. The very beginning of the novel with the  dark sisters was written very slowly and I found myself quite bored. Thankfully, the book picked up and I found myself enjoying the steady pace of the novel. 

Tessa was an up and down character for me, I found myself loving her one minute and then cringing at her the next. I know the book is set in Victorian England, but Tessa's anti-feminist views and slight stand offish relationship with other women was not my favourite thing to read about. I especially cringed / eye rolled when she said she wanted to move into a flat with her brother and clean the house and cook for him all day long... 

Review: Internment by Samira Ahmed

Publication Date: 07 March 2019
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Review Copy (#Gifted)

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Blurb: 

Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.

Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today. 

 A big thank you to Atom Books for sending me this book in exchange for my full and honest review. 

This is probably one of the most scary and hard hitting books I will read. I found the novel so terrifying as the events unfolding in it could easily begin to happen tomorrow. The novel centers around Layla, a seventeen year old American Muslim whose life is turned upside down when her and her family are shipped off to an internment camp against their will. It is the life inside these internment "anti- Muslim" camps that really make for harrowing reading. 

Most Anticipated 2018 Releases

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed 
(January 2018)                             (Goodreads)

Maya Aziz is torn between futures: the one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter (i.e.; staying nearby in Chicago and being matched with a "suitable" Muslim boy), and the one where she goes to film school in New York City--and maybe, just maybe, kisses a guy she's only known from afar. There's the also the fun stuff, like laughing with her best friend Violet, making on-the-spot documentaries, sneaking away for private swimming lessons at a secret pond in the woods. But her world is shattered when a suicide bomber strikes in the American heartland; by chance, he shares Maya's last name. What happens to the one Muslim family in town when their community is suddenly consumed with hatred and fear? 




Sunflowers in February by Phyllida Shrimpton
(February 2018)                              (Goodreads)

Lily wakes up one crisp Sunday morning on the side of the road. She has no idea how she got there. It is all very peaceful. and very beautiful. It is only when the police car, and then the ambulance arrive, and she sees her own body, that she realises that she is in fact... dead. But what is she supposed do now? Lily has no option but to follow her body and see her family – her parents and her twin brother start falling apart. And then her twin brother Ben gives her a once in a deathtime opportunity - to use his own body for a while. But will Lily give Ben his body back? She is beginning to have a rather good time...

Almost Love by Louise O'Neill (Adore Louise- Can't wait for more of her work to be released!!)
(March 2018)              (Goodreads)

When Sarah falls for Matthew, she falls hard.

So it doesn't matter that he's twenty years older. That he sees her only in secret. That, slowly but surely, she's sacrificing everything else in her life to be with him.
Sarah's friends are worried. Her father can't understand how she could allow herself to be used like this. And she's on the verge of losing her job.
But Sarah can't help it. She is addicted to being desired by Matthew.

And love is supposed to hurt. Isn't it?

Clean by Juno Dawson  (April 2018)  (Goodreads)

'I can feel it swimming through my veins like glitter ... it's liquid gold.'

When socialite Lexi Volkov almost overdoses, she thinks she's hit rock bottom.
She's wrong. Rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility.

From there, the only way is up for Lexi and her fellow inmates, including the mysterious Brady.
As she faces her demons, Lexi realises love is the most powerful drug of all ... 

It's a dirty business getting clean ...




The Invasion by Peadar O'Guilin (Sequel to The Call)
(March 2018)                                     (Goodreads) 

In a world where teenagers are trained for the most horrific 3 minutes of their lives, Nessa and Anto have both survived their Call, but fate has a cruel way of rewarding them. Nessa is branded a traitor as no one believes that someone like her could survive the experience. She's thrown in prison and eventually sent where all traitors are sent - back to the horrifying Greylands, but this time there's no way home. Anto is packed off out of the way to join the militia. Ireland is being invaded and the enemy are building their army from the very people defending it. However, Anto can't get Nessa off his mind, he knows in his heart that she's innocent and he'll go to any length to rescue her. The final chapter in this thrilling and fast paced adventure with the power of true love at it's very core. 

See my review of the first novel, The Call Here!

The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont
(March 2018)                                             (Goodreads)

In this luminous volume, New York Times bestselling writer Julia Pierpont and artist Manjit Thapp match short, vibrant, and surprising biographies with stunning full-color portraits of secular female "saints" champions of strength and progress. These women broke ground, broke ceilings, and broke molds--including

Maya Angelou - Jane Austen - Ruby Bridges - Rachel Carson - Shirley Chisholm - Marie Curie & Irene Joliot Curie - Isadora Duncan - Amelia Earhart - Artemisia Gentileschi - Grace Hopper - Dolores Huerta - Frida Kahlo - Billie Jean King - Audre Lorde - Wilma Mankiller - Toni Morrison - Michelle Obama - Sandra Day O'Connor - Sally Ride - Eleanor Roosevelt - Margaret Sanger - Sappho - Nina Simone - Gloria Steinem - Kanno Sugako - Harriet Tubman - Mae West - Virginia Woolf - Malala Yousafzai




Releases without covers: 

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman   (January 2018)    (Goodreads)
For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world.
Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Because that’s the problem with dreaming – eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.


When the surface breaks by Louise O' Neill (May 2018) (Goodreads)
Louise O'Neill's reimagining of The Little Mermaid. The book is set beneath the sea, off the Irish coast, featuring a young mermaid, Gaia, who dreams of being human but could face a heavy price for her aspirations.

How Do You Like Me Now?  by  Holly Bourne  (June 2018) (Goodreads)
The debut adult novel by bestselling author Holly Bourne is a blisteringly funny, honest and moving exploration of love, friendship and navigating the emotional rollercoaster of your thirties. 

Releases without info: 

Girl Thursday by Joanna Nadin (April 2018)

I loved Joanna's Rachel Riley series so I'm really looking forward to this YA book. I adore the simplistic cover too!














What books are you looking forward to in 2018? Let me know below!

Review: Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

Publisher: Little Brown UK
Publication Date: July 31st 2016
Source: Gift

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Blurb:

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

 I can not describe the sheer joy I felt when my dad & sister got me this book as a present! I love them so much and could not wait to dive straight back into the Harry Potter wizarding world. Here is my *spoiler free* review. 

So this book is not a book, it is a script. I do have to admit that I was at first a little skeptical about reading a play's script as I have not read a play since secondary school. Although it was a little jarring at first, I soon got used to the idea and quickly it felt like reading a normal book as I was swept up by the story.

The Cursed Child tells the story of Albus Severus Potter, a boy who has had to grown up in the shadow of his dads legacy. Being Harry Potter's son has taken it's toll on Albus and through the course of the story we see how this affects Albus's life at school, his relationship with his father and also shows the expectations others have towards Harry's children. 

Albus is a character that the reader / audience take into their heart from the very beginning. Albus is so like his dad in certain ways, such as his spontaneous nature and bravery, yet is also struggling with thinking he will never live to be like dad. 

Book Recommendations Based On Your Favourite Pokemon | Pokemon Go!

So this month, the world has been captivated by the release of Pokemon Go.

If you've been living under a rock, you might be unaware as to what this is. Pokemon Go is an app created by Nintendo which allows the mobile phone holder to live out their childhood dreams of actually being a Pokemon master by catching, evolving and battling Pokemon.

I've given in to my Pokemon Go addiction. I was a huge fan of the TV show as a child and my seven year old self would be over the moon if they knew about this app.

So I've decided to combine two loves, one old and one new ; Books + Pokemon Go! Find a cool book recommendation based on your favourite type of Pokemon below. 


Click the books cover to be taken to my review! 

If you're a fan of water type Pokemon, try a contemporary read.

I recommend these; 

If fire type Pokemon are you're favourite, you should pick up an action packed novel!

Movie Review: Mockingjay Part 2

So you may or may not know, that The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my favourite book series of all time. It is also the first dystopian series I read.

I also am a big fan of the film adaptations and feel they have been done well. Usually I'm so hesitant about book to movie adaptations because I think all book lovers have felt the pain of having their favourite book turned into an awful movie.

In terms of Mockingjay Part 2, I left the cinema thinking of just how well the movie portrayed the book and stayed so true to the book. I absolutely loved the movie and I think if I had to rank the film series from least favourite to favourite, it would read;

1. The Hunger Games
2. Mockingjay Part 1
3. Catching Fire
4. Mockingjay Part 2

So lets talk a little about what I felt about the movie. 

First off, let me apologise if this review reads as being a little disjointed. I just have too many feels about this movie to organise my thoughts! 

Okay so one of the scenes I really enjoyed because it was so action packed was when the "star squad" aka squad 451 went to the Capital. The scene when they were in that courtyard and the pods went off....oh my god so intense. I loved how they portrayed the pods in the movie.

  I also loved the relationship between Finnick and Peeta in this film, the constant checking he was fine and talking to him and reassuring him. Honestly Finnick is the best kind of person. I also was somewhat sad the film did not fully show the friendship that grows between Johanna and Katniss.

Review: Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

Publication Date: September 3rd 2015
Publisher: Quercus Books
Source: Review copy

[ Goodreads ]             [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 

It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O'Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident. One night, there's a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma. 

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there. She doesn't know why she's in pain. But everyone else does. 

Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. But sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes...

A massive thank you to Quercus publishing for sending me a review copy of this novel. 

If you don't follow me on my Twitter or Instagram, you are probably unaware of the fact that I am a huge fan of the marvel that is Louise O'Neill. I read her debut novel back in January and was so very excited to read this, her second novel, as soon as possible. 

To sum up Asking For It in a sentence, I would have to describe it as being brutally realistic, sharply written and overall an extremely important novel. The novel touches on so many incredibly important topics such as consent, rape, victim shaming, the horrors of social media, family and gender inequality. Although I can not say it is a comfortable read, I was physically appalled and feeling sick at some parts of the novel, it is a necessary read.

Asking For It centres around the protagonist Emma, an 18 year old girl who goes to a party, drinks too much alcohol, takes drugs and passes out. It is the next day when she realises what happened to her and was done to her while she was incapacitated that sets the main plot of the novel going.