3/5

I picked up this book to learn more about asexuality, the experiences of aces and how to be a better ally. This book covers these in a very roundabout and unclear way.

- You can tell this book was a passion project from the author. Their intent permeates every page and it is an enthusiastic book in that sense.

- This book is longer than it needed to be. The same points are repeated over and over unhelpfully and whilst the anecdotes are often related, they seem to just appear in the text. I found the structure and the meandering nature of the book frustrating at times.

- My other gripe with this book is the absolute vagueness and skirting around definitions. Almost every time the author attempts to define asexuality, the conclusion essentially comes down to "but there is no official definition for this and every person experiences asexuality differently". Whilst I appreciate this may be the nature of the beast and individual experiences and perceptions vary on almost any subject, it is again frustrating to have this point repeated again and again with no real purpose.

I learnt some of what I set out to learn. It was not terribly exciting, often repetitive and frustrating but it is a good resource for those wishing to understand the asexual experience. 

Queer Nursing by Liesel Burisch

⭐ 3.5/5 ⭐

As part of exploring and improving my professional practice, my knowledge with & history around infant feeding and my own relationship with my queerness, I picked up this short little book. It is most basically an inclusive guide for parents and parents-to-be about infant feeding.

- My absolute favourite part of this book is how open and inclusive it is. The opening chapter is solely dedicated to discussing the terms used in the book and why they are being used. There is no assumption of gender, relationships or orientation of the parents. In this way I think it is wonderful.

- Then follows the rest of the book which seems to be dedicated to a system for breast-/chest-/bodyfeeding. I don't claim to be an absolute expert in this field but professionally it is part of my role and systems tend to make me feel uneasy. The book does have some useful tips about preparation, navigating relationships in the early stages of parenthood and is among the less prescriptive feeding books I've read. Still, a system is a system and for all it is inclusive, I think this book misses the mark a little on the actual feeding advice.

- There are sections dedicated to ways of feeding that cater specifically (though not only) to the queer audience. Chapters on inducing lactation and supplementary feeding systems are very helpful and actually the first time I've encountered these in an infant feeding book!

A helpful little infant feeding guide which would be especially helpful for queer parents. Whilst the actual feeding advice is a little hit and miss, it is a good attempt at creating an inclusive and comprehensive feeding guide.

Audiobook narrated by Ian McKellen.

I have a massive book hangover. My love of this series is hardly a secret and to build up to this I reread (listened) to the entire series. Along the way I remembered my love for Torak, Wolf, Renn, Fin Kedinn and the rest of the cast of this amazing series. 

- I don't know if it's really possible to miss a time or place you've never actually been in but I miss this world like an ache in my bones. Whilst the story is wonderful, the world is beautifully portrayed and some of my favourite bits are where everyday tasks these ancient people are described and talked about. The depth of detail about nature and the lives of the "taillesses" has always left me in wonder and Wolfbane is no exception.

- The character development in this book is interesting and I like that some ground that hasn't really been touched before is mentioned. There's a section where a character talks about violence between a couple and threatens to leave if their partner ever lays hands on them again. There's also a very well portrayed same sex relationship and I love that these things were included and so well.

-The story itself was good, if slightly predictable at times and was very emotional at the end. My heart aches that I won't hear about the characters again as I desperately would love to remain with them forever.

Thank you Michelle Paver for this series. As a child and teenager I loved the original books. As an adult, revisiting them felt like coming home and was incredibly comforting during difficult times. These new stories have been wonderful and thank you for letting me metaphorically join the pack again. I look forward to when my kid is old enough that I can share these amazing books with them.

A cosy wintery third entry to the Witch Boy series. Aster's family and new witch student Ariel join in the family magic competition at Midwinter and chaos ensues. 

- The art style is beautiful as always and lends to the story very well. It's cosy and sweet.

- I love the subtle inclusiveness and representation in the narrative and how gently it is done.

A lovely book from a lovely series.

A cute and fun continuation from The Witch Boy. We see a new friend come into Charlie's life whilst Aster and his grandmother work on helping Mikasi.

- As before, the art style is gorgeous and definitely suited to the story.

- I felt the magic was explained less in this book than The Witch Boy and it sometimes felt like the magic just happened without knowledge of how it works.

- The new character is interesting and I like the development the existing characters go through.

If you liked The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch is a worthy and enjoyable sequel.

A sweet and thoughtful story of Aster who wants to learn witchcraft in a family where your assigned gender dictates the type of magic a person is allowed to learn. When his cousins begin disappearing, Aster has to use his skills to figure out what is going on.

- I love a book that challenges the status quo, especially where gender roles are concerned. The Witch Boy does this so well and in a heartwarming way.

- The art style if great and fits the sorry being told well. Each character has their own distinct look and the warm colours make the setting feel homely and magical.

A perfect graphic novel for those who love magic and discussions on change and gender roles.

Breaking one of the scared rules of reading, I most definitely originally picked up this book because of its beautiful cover. Then I read the first few pages and was engrossed. A comprehensive compilation of toxic plants and their properties and associations, Inkwright has put together a fantastic reference for those interested in the world of poisons.

- The introduction was well written and eased me into the book before beginning the alphabetical reference section. However, the book ends after the last plant entry and it did feel rather abrupt. Possibly a summary or conclusion would have more smoothly finished off the book.

- The entries are well thought-out, contain anecdotes, scientific evidence and mythology about a variety of plants. I was pleasantly surprised by how well referenced the book is and it added to the information within the pages.

- Some of the entries were funny, others serious and others incredibly morbid. One of my big takeaways is how many poisons were historically given to soothe restless babies... No wonder infant mortality was so wretchedly high!

Thorough, engrossing and well thought out. Perfect for those with an interest in botany, mythology and legends, the darker side of nature and the appalling ability of humans to kill themselves and others with bits of plant.

Seeing all the hype on bookstagram about this series and with the Netflix series being a thing, I decided to check out Heartstopper. Cute, bittersweet and full of positive LGBTQ+ rep, I read this volume in one sitting.

TW/CW: homophobia, sexual harassment.

- Heartstopper tells the story of Charlie and Nick and how they navigate crushes, misunderstandings and the difficulties of being gay in a not very accepting environment.

- The graphic novel format is perfect and allows a level of connection with the characters that I think would be lost in prose. 

- Whilst only lightly touched upon, the way this book handled harassment and attempted assault was sensitively and well done. I like that it didn't shy away from the difficulties of being out in society and the problems faced by many gay individuals.

A sweet little comic and I'm looking forward to the next one. Recommended for those who enjoy sweet romances, easy to digest graphic novels and positive queer rep.