This book was depressing. As others have said in reviewing this - I'm not sure of the point. None of these stories were particularly novel. I didn't relate to any of them. Across these stories I felt as though desire was being presented as something that goes hand in hand with a complete lack of self esteem. Were any of these stories telling something new? I don't think so. The three tales are supposedly deeply intimate but all feel rather contrived and their lives have been boiled down to cheesy sex scenes. There are some truly cringy things in here and it basically boils down to women being desperate for men to love them. I found the brief hints about desire that *isn't* related to sex much more interesting. Women just *wanting* full stop. But that wasn't the point here and it was much less interesting.

*listened on Audible*

This was excellent. The kind of book that makes you rethink all your viewpoints and assumptions. I have always thought to myself that I am an intersectional feminist. That I appreciate and understand the nuances that race and class bring about. But this has certainly left me thinking.

I mean, he never fails for me! Even when it's not discworld.

Pratchett's usual philosophical musings wrapped up in a moving, tragic, funny and heartfelt story.

I really enjoyed this and the format made it easy to devour in a few days.

I've always had a romantic attachment to a lighthouse. I've no idea why because they were mostly filled with crusty men smoking and not washing very much.

But this novel manages to capture both of those perspectives - the romantic, poetic notion of the solitary man and his relationship between his soul and the sea - and the lonely, oppressiveness of isolation with the same people and no opportunity to break away.

The plot points in this novel weren't startlingly original - each character's history promises mystery and intrigue, secrets untold. These are all divulged at one point or another and they aren't particularly novel or interesting. Each character has a tragic backstory which may or may not appeal to your sense of sympathy.The more interesting thing is to chart the internal dissolution between the men, their battles with their own internal struggles and lament the wasted chances, the path not taken, the words not spoken and how isolation and close confinement affects their relationships with one another.

Well this one broke my heart.

I have a soft spot for WWI and WWII fiction. This one is going up there. It's not *perfect* but it's a beautiful exploration of male friendship and male romance among the ruinous effects of fighting at the front.

*listened on Audible*

I'm not a reader of self help books really. But, like most people I imagine, I can find it hard to make positive changes and stick to them.

I don't want to revolutionise my rather happy life. I just need reminding of the best ways to make good habits stick.

This book isn't revolutionary either. But it was a good tool to just reassure me that the techniques I do already use are effective, and to remind me of the other ways that I can reinforce or shore up the likelihood that I will maintain other habits.

The notion of making something obvious, easy, attractive and satisfying gives a good set of pointers when thinking about implementing new habits, and how reversing those points will aid the dropping of bad habits.

This approach is great because it can be applied to great big targets like academic or professional achievements but also to smaller every day things like taking better care of yourself.

Listened on Audible

I DNF this one. I didn't read much of it. The usual problem when trying to uncover the hidden histories - there isn't enough information. I didn't want to read about the Mary Rose - there is too much context here and it results in not actually finding out much about black tudors at all, and listening to a lot of history I'm already aware of.

I didn't think I was going to finish this.

The pacing probably needs a bit of work, but I don't know how because as a whole, it's a perfectly formed novel.

This is a gorgeous love story. It's about ancestry, and roots and the weight of those things and the power.

I adored Darwin. I wanted him to be safe and loved. Yejide was a harder one to understand - the weight of her ancestry is heavy and the nature of her character makes her a harder character to get a grip on.

I struggle a little with the dialect and the grammar - it always feels hard to settle the reading of a dialect so different to my own and it feels peculiar in my very English mouth and mind but I did settle to it by the end.

Really recommend.

I'm still loving it. The execution isn't great - some of the dialogue is cringe as hell but I really love the world building and I'm really enjoying the story. The writing isn't great. But I am a sucker for an emo anti-hero so it was bound to charm me. And yeah, obvs team Rhysand.

DNF at 80 or so pages in. Mind-numbingly boring. I have too many interesting books to read to give it further effort.

The FMC is pathetic and wallowing. The crush she has on the other FC is cringeworthy. I know she's young but still. The academic aspect is boring. I just know this is going to be one of those books where I read the whole thing waiting for it to kick off and it'll just get to the end with nothing happening.