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stuckinthebook's Reviews (248)
This book was beautifully written but I found it slow and a little hard to understand what was going on. I think it is definitely a beautiful message about life and grief but unfortunately, it wasn't for me.
The Black Kids is a coming-of-age debut novel by Christina Hammonds Reed which explores race, class, and violence as well as the importance of being true to yourself.
One of the reviews I read of this book stated that ‘it should be essential reading for the classroom’ and I definitely agree with that statement. It is set during the 1992 LA uprisings which I shamefully had to research whilst reading the book. What I hadn’t realised is that in 1992, there was uproar in LA after a trial jury acquitted four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for using excessive force in the arrest and beating of Rodney King, which had been videotaped and widely viewed in TV broadcasts. I found it extremely moving that it is evidently clear that history always seems to repeat itself, especially when it comes to racism and inequality.
Throughout the book, we follow the life of Ashley Bennet in the midst of the riots. I really liked the character but she came across very weak and tried to please everyone, which we know never works. I found it interesting that Ashley doesn’t feel like she can relate to the other black students or other black people int the community because of her families wealth and her upbringing. Christina Hammonds Reed does a great job of helping readers to understand that everyone is different. Not all white people are the same, and neither are all black people.
I also think that the author does a great job of exploring how it is sometimes difficult for young people to fully understand what is happening in the news. Once you are a certain age, are you expected to hold your own opinion of events or do you just turn a blind eye and leave it for the adult to sort out.
There are a lot of contrasts within this story and I really enjoyed these clever little moments. Overall, the main story really hit home as only a few months ago, we were protesting and rioting about a similar event in America. I think it is important to educate people on events like this because they are always sadly reoccurring.
One of the reviews I read of this book stated that ‘it should be essential reading for the classroom’ and I definitely agree with that statement. It is set during the 1992 LA uprisings which I shamefully had to research whilst reading the book. What I hadn’t realised is that in 1992, there was uproar in LA after a trial jury acquitted four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for using excessive force in the arrest and beating of Rodney King, which had been videotaped and widely viewed in TV broadcasts. I found it extremely moving that it is evidently clear that history always seems to repeat itself, especially when it comes to racism and inequality.
Throughout the book, we follow the life of Ashley Bennet in the midst of the riots. I really liked the character but she came across very weak and tried to please everyone, which we know never works. I found it interesting that Ashley doesn’t feel like she can relate to the other black students or other black people int the community because of her families wealth and her upbringing. Christina Hammonds Reed does a great job of helping readers to understand that everyone is different. Not all white people are the same, and neither are all black people.
I also think that the author does a great job of exploring how it is sometimes difficult for young people to fully understand what is happening in the news. Once you are a certain age, are you expected to hold your own opinion of events or do you just turn a blind eye and leave it for the adult to sort out.
There are a lot of contrasts within this story and I really enjoyed these clever little moments. Overall, the main story really hit home as only a few months ago, we were protesting and rioting about a similar event in America. I think it is important to educate people on events like this because they are always sadly reoccurring.
I think Matt Haig is probably one of my favourite authors because of the way he perfectly sums up thoughts and feelings. Every time I read one of his books, it’s like a lightbulb goes off in my head and suddenly understand my feelings.
The Midnight Library follows the life of a young woman named Nora who finds herself in between life and death, with the opportunity to live any life she ever wanted. I really enjoyed this concept as I’m always daydreaming about what my life would have been like if I had continued playing rugby, or had chosen a different degree, or have taken that job in Spain…
As a believer of everything happens for a reason, I loved this concept of the library of lives and I found myself really rooting for our protagonist, Nora. I thought she deserved SO much more and my heart broke for her so many times.
The beginning of the book is a little heavy because there is a lot of discussion about depression and suicide but I think it was an extremely poignant depiction of how mental health is so important and gives the reader an insight into how depression affects every day thinking.
This book is one I’m adding to my list of 5-star readings because I loved every second of reading it. I also enjoyed how it made me question if I have any regrets about my life and the missed opportunities, but it definitely emphasised the fact that things certainly happen for a reason.
The Midnight Library follows the life of a young woman named Nora who finds herself in between life and death, with the opportunity to live any life she ever wanted. I really enjoyed this concept as I’m always daydreaming about what my life would have been like if I had continued playing rugby, or had chosen a different degree, or have taken that job in Spain…
As a believer of everything happens for a reason, I loved this concept of the library of lives and I found myself really rooting for our protagonist, Nora. I thought she deserved SO much more and my heart broke for her so many times.
The beginning of the book is a little heavy because there is a lot of discussion about depression and suicide but I think it was an extremely poignant depiction of how mental health is so important and gives the reader an insight into how depression affects every day thinking.
This book is one I’m adding to my list of 5-star readings because I loved every second of reading it. I also enjoyed how it made me question if I have any regrets about my life and the missed opportunities, but it definitely emphasised the fact that things certainly happen for a reason.
This ARC was sent to me by Hachette and I couldn’t believe my luck when it arrived and it was such a beautiful book! I’m really enjoying these millennial fiction books at the minute because they are so relevant and show that young people don’t have it easy.
The comedic elements in this story were comedy GOLD! Hannah Tovey’s humour is second to none there were numerous times during the book where I literally laughed out loud.
The Education of Ivy Edwards follows the story of a thirty-one-year-old who’s fiance breaks up with her unexpectedly one day and her whole life as she knows it turns upside down. She has to learn how to be single and find her happiness again. Her only saving grace is that she has a job (albeit it is one where she works for an absolute psycho) and she has friends that love to party so she can basically drink away her sorrows.
Ivy’s mother is one of the funniest characters I’ve ever read and maybe that is because she reminds me of my mum at times. Ivy’s mother over-dramatically reacts to the smallest of inconveniences and doesn’t seem to care that both her daughters are struggling with the bumps in the road that life keeps throwing them.
There were some moments in which I found quite random and didn’t seem to add to the story and some of the characters in the book, like her sister and her friends were unbearable but overall, I really enjoyed this fantastic and funny story. I particularly loved reading Ivy’s journey to self-love and acceptance and her story definitely showed that adult life can be HARD and it’s OK to go off the rails sometimes.
The comedic elements in this story were comedy GOLD! Hannah Tovey’s humour is second to none there were numerous times during the book where I literally laughed out loud.
The Education of Ivy Edwards follows the story of a thirty-one-year-old who’s fiance breaks up with her unexpectedly one day and her whole life as she knows it turns upside down. She has to learn how to be single and find her happiness again. Her only saving grace is that she has a job (albeit it is one where she works for an absolute psycho) and she has friends that love to party so she can basically drink away her sorrows.
Ivy’s mother is one of the funniest characters I’ve ever read and maybe that is because she reminds me of my mum at times. Ivy’s mother over-dramatically reacts to the smallest of inconveniences and doesn’t seem to care that both her daughters are struggling with the bumps in the road that life keeps throwing them.
There were some moments in which I found quite random and didn’t seem to add to the story and some of the characters in the book, like her sister and her friends were unbearable but overall, I really enjoyed this fantastic and funny story. I particularly loved reading Ivy’s journey to self-love and acceptance and her story definitely showed that adult life can be HARD and it’s OK to go off the rails sometimes.
I have to say that I had seen this book everywhere but never really delved into what it was about until my friend told me. Then when it was picked for book club, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
It took me a while to get into and throughout the whole of the book, I found it difficult to read. There are some extremely graphic scenes in this book and I don’t know whether it was because I was reading in the car but I felt quite nauseous when reading about Tara’s experience on the farm.
Educated is a memoir based on a young woman’s experience of growing up in an extremist Mormon family in America and we follow her on her journey to education, even if it means that she loses everything that was important to her growing up.
I had never really known about Mormons and this book does a great job of educating people on how other religions/societies choose to live. Obviously not all Mormon families are extreme like Tara’s was, but I’m so glad she shared her story and her experience so people can understand how hard it was for her to get to where she is now. She is one of the strongest people out there; there were so many chances and opportunities for her to just give up but she didn’t. She fought for her freedom and chance of a new life and I’m so glad she did.
Tara always believed in the best in people but was always let down by those around her. In my opinion, she trusted too many people but I have never been in her situation so I guess it is hard to comprehend how I would respond to the things she was experiencing. The more I read this book, the more I found myself getting angrier and angrier at her family, her mother, her father, her siblings and sometimes even Tara herself.
I think this story shows how family love and loyalty can make you put up with awful treatment and situations because they are your blood. They say that blood is thicker than water but sometimes, you have to cut all ties for a better and happier life.
It took me a while to get into and throughout the whole of the book, I found it difficult to read. There are some extremely graphic scenes in this book and I don’t know whether it was because I was reading in the car but I felt quite nauseous when reading about Tara’s experience on the farm.
Educated is a memoir based on a young woman’s experience of growing up in an extremist Mormon family in America and we follow her on her journey to education, even if it means that she loses everything that was important to her growing up.
I had never really known about Mormons and this book does a great job of educating people on how other religions/societies choose to live. Obviously not all Mormon families are extreme like Tara’s was, but I’m so glad she shared her story and her experience so people can understand how hard it was for her to get to where she is now. She is one of the strongest people out there; there were so many chances and opportunities for her to just give up but she didn’t. She fought for her freedom and chance of a new life and I’m so glad she did.
Tara always believed in the best in people but was always let down by those around her. In my opinion, she trusted too many people but I have never been in her situation so I guess it is hard to comprehend how I would respond to the things she was experiencing. The more I read this book, the more I found myself getting angrier and angrier at her family, her mother, her father, her siblings and sometimes even Tara herself.
I think this story shows how family love and loyalty can make you put up with awful treatment and situations because they are your blood. They say that blood is thicker than water but sometimes, you have to cut all ties for a better and happier life.
When Nancy Hennessy is murdered, she leaves behind two best friends, an adoring husband and daughter, and a secret lover whose identity she took to the grave. Nancy was gorgeous, wealthy, and cherished by those who knew her—from the outside, her life was perfect. But as the investigation into her death flounders and her friends Eleanor and Mary wrestle with their grief, dark details surface that reveal how little they knew their friend, each other, and maybe even themselves.
The book follows three women who lead very different lives to one another. One is gorgeous and rich, the other has always put her career first and the third had children young and from there, being a stay-at-home mum was her only option.
Imperfect Women is kind of a murder-mystery but also a great depiction of womanhood. As I mentioned before, it follows three very different women and how their careers, children, and relationships have ruled their life. There are a lot of controlling men in the novel and there were numerous times where I was left with my blood boiling.
Although it is fantastically written, I did manage to guess the plot pretty quickly but maybe that’s the beauty of this novel; that you know who did it but you’re desperate to find out HOW. One thing I definitely didn’t guess was all the other exciting and gob-smacking moments throughout the novel.
The novel is split into three different parts and in each part, we are introduced to a new narrator and their story. I found it interesting that I also disliked all three women at some point throughout their stories but I think this was intentional by the author; proving once and for all that not all women are perfect.
Imperfect Women is one that was gripping from the start and was extremely easy to read. I thought it gave such a true representation into how there is always one rule for women and another for men in all aspects of society.
The book follows three women who lead very different lives to one another. One is gorgeous and rich, the other has always put her career first and the third had children young and from there, being a stay-at-home mum was her only option.
Imperfect Women is kind of a murder-mystery but also a great depiction of womanhood. As I mentioned before, it follows three very different women and how their careers, children, and relationships have ruled their life. There are a lot of controlling men in the novel and there were numerous times where I was left with my blood boiling.
Although it is fantastically written, I did manage to guess the plot pretty quickly but maybe that’s the beauty of this novel; that you know who did it but you’re desperate to find out HOW. One thing I definitely didn’t guess was all the other exciting and gob-smacking moments throughout the novel.
The novel is split into three different parts and in each part, we are introduced to a new narrator and their story. I found it interesting that I also disliked all three women at some point throughout their stories but I think this was intentional by the author; proving once and for all that not all women are perfect.
Imperfect Women is one that was gripping from the start and was extremely easy to read. I thought it gave such a true representation into how there is always one rule for women and another for men in all aspects of society.
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I had heard mixed reviews of this book, with some people on social media loving it and others not convinced. So I was excited to finally get around to reading it myself, as it’s been one on my TBR for quite some time now.
I was thrilled to read that the author, Mike Gayle, studied at Salford University which is just around the corner from me and it isn’t often that you see authors who studied in the North get the recognition they deserve.
If you didn’t know, Half A World Away is about two people who were separated when they were young and put into care. One of them went to a lovely and wealthy family, whereas the other stayed in care until she was legally classed as an adult, and left to fend for herself.
After some years, the two are finally reunited, but it’s clear that their history and different experiences have had a long-lasting effect on the both of them and they must go against everything they’ve ever known to make sure they don’t lose everything they love.
What I loved most was the difference between Noah and Kerry’s life as it added to the story. The two characters were strong for different reasons; Kerry because she had to be a mother to Noah when she was a baby herself as well as deal with being in care her whole childhood and Noah because he had to continue (and succeed) with his life despite the demons inside his head that he had never fully addressed.
For me, Half A World Away was a really easy read and was full of loveable characters, especially the children who offered a breath of fresh air and elements of comedy to the story.
I guess the one thing I probably didn’t enjoy was I found Kerry’s character voice quite exaggerated and forced. I feel like the author included old and not-that-common colloquialisms to differentiate between her and Noah but it wasn’t necessary in my opinion. But once I got over her character voice, I just settled into the story and enjoyed every bit of it.
I was thrilled to read that the author, Mike Gayle, studied at Salford University which is just around the corner from me and it isn’t often that you see authors who studied in the North get the recognition they deserve.
If you didn’t know, Half A World Away is about two people who were separated when they were young and put into care. One of them went to a lovely and wealthy family, whereas the other stayed in care until she was legally classed as an adult, and left to fend for herself.
After some years, the two are finally reunited, but it’s clear that their history and different experiences have had a long-lasting effect on the both of them and they must go against everything they’ve ever known to make sure they don’t lose everything they love.
What I loved most was the difference between Noah and Kerry’s life as it added to the story. The two characters were strong for different reasons; Kerry because she had to be a mother to Noah when she was a baby herself as well as deal with being in care her whole childhood and Noah because he had to continue (and succeed) with his life despite the demons inside his head that he had never fully addressed.
For me, Half A World Away was a really easy read and was full of loveable characters, especially the children who offered a breath of fresh air and elements of comedy to the story.
I guess the one thing I probably didn’t enjoy was I found Kerry’s character voice quite exaggerated and forced. I feel like the author included old and not-that-common colloquialisms to differentiate between her and Noah but it wasn’t necessary in my opinion. But once I got over her character voice, I just settled into the story and enjoyed every bit of it.