4/5

As a long time fan of Critical Role, when this went on sale I snapped it up. Finally got around to listening to it and really enjoyed hearing about my favourite sneaky twins. The book follows Vax and Vex in their earlier years, switching between their childhoods and an entanglement involving the Clasp, a rural town, a mining community and a horde of ashen undead.

- Being familiar with the protagonists and the world already, I sank easily into the story and enjoyed the references to the campaign. However, I'm not sure if someone unfamiliar with the context would find that as simple to do.

- I really enjoyed the story of the feud between a rural town and a mining community and loved the ashen undead creatures (as a DM, I need to find a stat block for these). I do wish more time had been spent on the creatures and the lore behind them.

- The characters outside of Vex and Vax were... alright. Honestly, I don't think any particularly stood out to me though they were well enough in the context of the plot.

A fantastic book for Critters but if you're not already invested in the fandom it may be a little less enjoyable.

5/5

Ever needed a reasonable brief but detailed description of life, the universe and everything? Look no further than Cosmos. Sagan takes the reader on a tour of the stars, physics, the history of learning and humanity's place in the universe.

- Despite being originally published in 1980, Cosmos remains correct about the majority of its content and future predictions. Yes, of course there are little points that have since been disproved, reworked or new findings have changed our understanding button the whole, Cosmos is an accurate and rational read.

- The level of detail and information contained in this book is astounding. What is even more amazing is that Sagan conveys this information in a way that makes it understandable and enjoyable to the lay reader. No need for a PhD in astrophysics, just a basic grasp of high school scientific principles and a willingness to listen.

- I suppose feelings are an odd thing to discuss when talking about a scientific and factual text but I cannot discount how this book made me feel. I felt wonder and awe, both pride and sadness at being part of the human race and at the end I was left with a yearning for more, to know more, to experience more. 

A book I think everyone should listen to once, to educate and improve our species and planet.

4/5

Recommended to me as a joke. Well jokes on them because this interspecies romance is oddly cosy and quaint. Violet needs to pay her rent and so takes a job at Morning Glory Milking Farm, helping to milk minotaurs. She develops a bond with one of her clients and things go from there.

- As with most creature romances I've read, I was expecting Morning Glory Milking Farm to be a poorly written, so bad it's funny collection of smut from beginning to end. Whilst there is indeed some smut, the story is not bad at all. My favourite part was the cosy interspecies world the author has created and the descriptions of the community. The smut takes a backseat to this and I never expected this to be a cosy fantasy romance but I thoroughly enjoyed the world.

- The copy I have hasn't been particularly well formatted or edited. Sometimes there were clearly spelling or punctuation issues that should have been caught before publishing and the formatting meant that sometimes the reader is whiplashed from one topic to another.

- The smut itself is pretty good. I've read better and I've read way worse. I like that there's build up and intention to it though rather than just pure sex from page one. No cheesy porno plots here.

Definitely adult but if you're looking for something fantastical and cosy with a little spice to it, this hits the spot.

2/5

Acquired via a Reddit post, this book had promise. Very basically it's about a mismatch family of magical people attending the deathbed of two of the characters' father.

- So...if you like chaos within your reading then this is your jam. For the first three quarters of the book I had no idea what the point of this book was, there were lots of POV switches, plot points, attempts at humour. Sadly they all felt jammed together like someone got a really big hammer and bashed the wrong shaped pegs in incorrect holes via brute force. The last quarter was a little redeeming but just as chaotic.

- The premise of this book (found family, magic) should have been ideal for me. Sadly most of the characters are boring and/or annoying for most, if not all, of the book. One character did improve in my estimation towards the end but otherwise quite flat.

- The tone was just weird. I feel the author was trying to make it modern and gritty with some naughty humour but it just felt forced and fake. At least it was short.

I tried. I won't be carrying on with the series but maybe it just wasn't the right style of book for me. If you feel like trying it, at least it's a quick read.

3.5/5

A curious novella from H.G. Wells. Edward Prendick finds himself on a mysterious island after being rescued at sea. Dr Moreau and his assistant Montgomery have been conducting experiments on this island and soon Prendick becomes all too well acquainted with the results.

- The Island of Doctor Moreau is a book that makes you think. It summons forth questions regarding humanity, ethics, morality. What makes a human? 

- The prose in this book is definitely of its time. Despite being only 140-odd pages long, this took quite a bit of concentration to work through the Victorian style of writing. Some of it was definitely overworked and could have been more concise.

- The Beast People were easily the most interesting and, ironically, the characters I empathised with most in this book. They oddly seemed more understandable and relatable than the human characters.

If you like books that make you think and question, early sci-fi or simply novellas, you could do much worse than this.

4.25/5

The cover and premise of this book intrigued me for a long time. When I received it as a Christmas gift I started reading and slowly made my way through it. Entangled Life talks about different aspects of fungi, their evolution, symbiosis and  integration into almost every aspect of life on earth.

- Entangled Life is divided into chapters, each detailing a different aspect of fungi: We look at how fungi have evolved over time, have collaborated and adapted; Fungal biology, networks and how obscurely different they are from other forms of life; how humans work with fungi and how fungi interacts with other life forms like plants and insects. This exploration is fascinating, deep and ultimately mysterious too.

- This book is incredibly well referenced. The notes take up a good quarter of the book and the references section is thick too. Sheldrake has clearly made sure that anyone who wishes can pursue further reading.

- Okay, yes, this book is clearly science based. However, it does have a magical tone to it. Maybe it's just my perspective but learning about all the incredible things fungi do and hints at the things we don't understand just tantalise me. This book has inspired my creative side to include them in my D&D campaigns as well as other works of fiction.

For the nature enthusiasts, those who enjoy science and the exciting possibilities of our fellow life forms and anyone who enjoys a well structured and evidenced read.

4.5/5

Jamie is in Year 6 and making choices about secondary school. In their town there's a school for boys and a school for girls. But Jamie is nonbinary, so where do they go? This middle grade book explores some of the challenges faced by nonbinary children in the UK.

- As a middle grade book, Jamie is written for kids and we follow the story from Jamie's point of view. As a resource for children this book would be an excellent way for sparking thoughts about the way society and infrastructure are and how the systems make the world a challenging place for trans children to navigate. As an adult, I appreciated the way different adults reacted and behaved as an example of how just because we're "all grown up", doesn't mean we know everything and that adults are capable of and should be open to change.

- As a nonbinary individual, this book gave me so much joy and euphoria. The way Jamie talks about themself, how they learn and grow through the book and the kids-eye perspective gives me hope for the future in an increasingly transphobic and discriminatory country. 

- I loved the inclusive of low level background queer characters who were their own people and not just stereotypes. I also enjoyed the little definitions at the end of each chapter and think this is an excellent way to increase young readers' knowledge without overwhelming them.

Positive, thoughtful and ultimately a joy to read. I will be saving this for my own kid for when she is old enough to read it herself. 

5/5

A truly epic, complex and engrossing fantasy. Wyrms return to the world, causing upheaval in the lives of the four main protagonists. 

- The characters followed in this book are truly wonderful. We get to follow a royal princess, a bereaved mother, a godsinger who has only lived on a mountain and a foundling mentored by a king. Each of these characters made me feel so much and I grew to love them all in their own ways.

- This world is truly epic and well built. Each facet has its own nuance, beliefs, culture and so much more. The lands are alive and it feels like Shannon spent a long time making it just right.

- A slightly specific point but as a midwife myself I applaud Shannon for how well the pregnancy and birth scenes of this book are done. Often in fiction these things are poorly done but I came away from those feeling like everything that happened was accurate and likely.

- If you've read The Priory of the Orange Tree and just happened to wonder, then yes, this is gay. Enjoy.

One of the best epic fantasy books I've read. I hope Shannon obliges us with further books set in this world.

3.75/5

A YA book about two young Bengali women who agree to pretend to date. Hani wants her friends to take her bisexuality seriously, Ishu wants to prove she's on track to her parents by becoming Head Girl.

- The characters are sweet and appropriate for the target age of this book. At 31, some of the high school drama didn't really engage me but I think teenagers would identify much more with the characters.

- The book tries to engage with some tough subjects but I'm not sure it hits the mark all the time. There's systemic and microagressive racism, homophobia, biphobia, and Islamophobia. The book does show that not all issues are simple and easy to solve and that everyone makes mistakes and should be open to learning.

- The cultures of the two protagonists were fascinating and I've now got a list of things to look up so I can understand them better. This would be a good introduction to non-western cultures as a conversation starter.

Queer, addresses lots of issues within society and introduces Bengali culture to those not already familiar. Would recommend to younger teens.