This is a perfect, relaxing read. Lucie wants a baby but she’s single and scarred from her previous relationship. One of her best friends provides her with the solution. Online dating for co-parents where she meets Colin. This is a messy and charming will-they-won’t-they. It’s funny and full of joy and chaos. It also reflects the cultural pressures of family who expect certain things from their children. It made me want to call my best friend and hug my partner. 

This is an emotional five stars rather than a literary one. We need both

An absolute delight. I was sold on Adrift in Starlight from the blurb, but it delivered so much more than I could have hoped. Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and the Wayfarer series and the recent She-Ra reboot. Also reminiscent of an extended holodeck episode from Star Trek. I loved Tai. I liked Aisha. All the smaller characters are great. As a demisexual, I found the gender non-conforming aspects rep good but I would defer to others with more lived experience. The worlds are great. The plot is silly but delightful. It’s a book to be enjoyed rather than analysed. I’ve recommended it to tons of people. I hope it gets the love it deserves.

This is a brilliant, thorough, and exciting encyclopaedia of Black American women from across different walks of life from scientists, entrepreneurs, musicians, authors, astronauts, and activists. I was so excited to discover that it is trans-inclusive and includes activism for women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights. The authors do not shy away from details about enslavement, assault, and abuse in among the biographies although the book is very clearly focused on the power and impact of these individuals. 

The style and tone is centred in Black excellence and celebrates lots of first (and only) stories as well as a capitalist gains, which won’t be for everyone. I listened to the audiobook, which is very enjoyable, but would definitely opt for a hard copy where you can look up/discover new women each time you pick it up. 

Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. 

Hooked was a big surprise to me. I was intrigued by a queer retelling of Hook’s story and therefore, read it from that perspective. I suspect the book will produce a range of strong reactions from different readers. As someone who doesn’t like Peter Pan and whose closest familiarity with the story is the kids film Hook, I think it works fine for readers with the most basic grasp of the Pan universe. I have no doubt that some of the characters (especially the pirates) are richer if you have more book knowledge than I do but it was totally understandable without knowing who they were.

I always thought Hook was the most interesting character in Peter Pan and I think that this novel makes the most of him being both a monster and a vulnerable person. I liked that no one is wholly likeable (except Samuel who felt very flat). I also thought that actually providing some queer context for James Hook worked even though I was surprised about how that manifested.

The pacing of the book is very mixed and I am uncertain how useful the time jumping is. HOWEVER, I did enjoy reading it and wanted to know what happened. James Hook and Wendy feel as I remember them and I think that we get a satisfying reckoning with the cruelty in Peter Pan while also thinking about how villains are made. Lots of potential. Definite romantic appeal to those who do like Peter Pan more widely. I found it compelling. A perfect holiday read or something I’d have in the library for older teenagers who like retellings.

Note: this book covers post-traumatic stress at length, includes varieties of drug use, and has quite a lot of violent scenes. It is not a middle-grade or young YA story. 

This is a very relaxed and soft book to read. I approached it slowly, like a series of mindful exercises but I am sure you could read it in 1-2 sittings if you wanted to. It is structured around short sections of personal account, notes, and exercises for reflecting and focusing. It invites you to breathe and be present, to feel rain and wind, and experience the good and bad things. I think the structure and the illustrations are a real strength. Consciously or otherwise, this is a very dyslexic friendly book (or it was for me).

Stalls openly notes his positionality at the beginning of the book, which I found helpful. While I think the methods and issues covered are touched with genuine care, I also think that there are some quite simplistic ideas/advice that may relate to Stalls’s lived experience. He invites us to be open, kind, and critical, but I did frequently wonder about the roots of some of the concepts and the call to be emotionally open, slow down, and be vulnerable. I got this book because I find thinking/reading about being in nature mindfully very helpful. As an urban city child who retreats away from naturalness when stressed, I need the steer. 

Overall, I liked this but it hasn’t pushed me to walk and I didn’t overly connect with the style of self-expression. That said, I found it a very calm read and I know someone for whom this will be perfect. 

A fun, character-led adventure about redemption, revenge, and saving a world restricted by a magical storm that curses people it envelops. I would have LOVED this book as a 13-year-old. Parallels with Daughter of the Moon Goddess, chaser for the Broken Earth trilogy (for young readers). Lots of likeable characters, combat, quests, magic, and code-breaking. The audiobook is also very well done.