Kaufman and Kristoff - you guys have done it again!
What an excellent sequel to Illuminae.
I love the way you write these books.
For those of you who haven't read them ; they're arranged as if they're a complied case file, a collection of evidence documents that are being reviewed in court. Rather than chapters the book is made up of message logs, transcriptions of CCTV camera footage, emails, journal entries and whatever else. It sounds like it wouldn't work but trust me, it makes for an unmistakably good story.
This is one of the few times I have enjoyed book #2 of a trilogy as much as I have enjoyed book #1. Sometimes as a reader I feel like the second book in a trilogy is a filler book and nothing more. Not the case with Gemina!
The story was fast paced and original, the plot so thick you can't see 3 feet in front of you. Although I really wasn't too sure about the characters upon first meeting them, I quickly fell in love with each of our heroes and heroines for this story.
Well, nothing else for it. I simply must go and make a start on Obsidio RIGHT NOW.

Okay, so this is a 5 star book but in my opinion it's not as 5 stars as Gemina was, so it's more like a 4.6.
I've done it. I've reached the finale of the Illuminae files. What am I supposed to do with my life now?
Obsidio takes on a slightly deeper tone than the other 2 books, there's more to read and more points of view. Characterisation of the Bad Guys, something I was not expecting. The story eases by slowly, gently, until suddenly you reach the climax and everything happens all at once.
These authors, though... these guys are going for your hearts. They know what they need to do to make a reader feel ALL the emotions. It's crafty. I like it.
I really don't want to say anything to spoil any of the story... but I will say that I liked it immensely. I will be recommending the Illuminae Files for a long time to come.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It feels like its been at least a few years since I last read a book from this series. I could remember almost nothing about the plot or anything. I thought it would be quite hard to get back into the series.
But what a pleasant surprise! This book was so easy to slide right into, it was like putting on a familiar coat.
Full of plot twists and heartwarming character developments, this book was just a constant delight. I love the fast-paced rhythm of the writing and the alternating points of view, it made it a very addictive read.
I particularly enjoyed seeing the characters interact with each other. They all have such different personalities and character flaws that stay pleasingly consistent throughout the story.
And after that ending of course I'm going to be reading Revenge of Seven straight away, as soon as I possibly can because I simply MUST know what happens next.
(That ending was insane. I was so taken aback but I also can't believe I didn't see it coming earlier. I feel intensely betrayed and I like it. Even though my heart has basically been ripped in two, I've got to respect that that was some good writing right there.)

I'm not gonna say anything about the plot - don't wanna spoil it for any of you guys.
I am thoroughly enjoying this series. This book actually had me staying up super late to finish it. That's a pretty good book that can manage to keep my eyes open when its clearly bedtime.
It's not the best writing I've ever read. But the characters are good, relatable, likeable (except the bad guys). The story is easy to follow and even easier to read. I am getting increasingly attached to all of the characters, and I want the best for all of them (except Setrakus Ra, of course. he can just hurry up and die already kk thanks).
If anyone needs me I'll be reading The Fate Of Ten (the next one).

Sarah Crossan is the kind of author who makes me even more grateful that I work in a library.
Because every single time I see one of her books arriving to a library for the first time, I can check it out to my library card before it has even hit the shelves. (is that abusing my power? oopsie)
I am incredibly glad that Toffee made it to the libraries before they all closed for Covid.
What a whole treat.
I don't know how Crossan so consistently weaves stories based around incredibly unlikely situations with unusual main characters and still makes it so wholly relatable.
But it doesn't matter how she does it - all that matters is that she's done it again.
This is a beautiful story about... a lot of things really. Healing. Friendship. Family. Empathy.
As with all of Crossan's books, it's written entirely as a series of poems. But that doesn't detract from the storytelling at all. Perhaps some characterisation is lost... but whatever it may lack in words, this storytelling technique makes up for with FEELS.
Surprisingly I made it through this book completely dry-eyed. I honestly thought I would be bawling because I know just how "cruel" of an author Crossan can be... but this book left me feeling far more renewed as my own person and also proud of these newfound characters than sad.
The message this book spreads is a positive one - about saving one's own self from a situation rather than waiting for a saviour. But that wasn't the only message. This is what makes Crossan's books so exceptional: the LAYERS. The depth.
It was also about truly paying attention to people. It was about hiding sometimes but always coming out to deal with an issue in the end. Also what it means to truly care for someone.
I don't have any family members suffering from dementia but I imagine that if I did then reading this book would be a positive kind to read on the subject. Sarah Crossan once again touches such a sensitive subject with all tenderness and kindness, showing sides of the matter that are often ignored.
Basically: Thank you Sarah Crossan - this book was quick, easy to read and beautiful in many ways, and gave me the reading boost I really needed.

I had never heard of this book before my mum pressed it on me, telling me that I had to stop whatever I was currently reading and read this instead. I've never read anything by Mike Gayle- in fact, I've not even particularly noticed his name as an author before. That's why this delight of a book came as such a wonderful surprise.
It's simply lovely.
This is the story of Danny and James.
I can't really think how to explain it without either spoiling the story or making it sound boring, so I'm not going to say anything more about it than just that. Just... go and read it. If you want something truly wholesome to read, then this is your next book.
It's not an action/adventure story. The amount of mystery is minimal. It's not fast paced or tense. But this book WILL make you smile, inside and out. I can guarantee it.

DNF.
Yes, you read that right.
I did not finish this book.
*le gasp*
I hardly ever do this. It's extremely rare that I won't stick with a book until the bitter end, whatever it may be.
But honestly, Jacqueline Wilson, you just had me really bored. I'm sorry to say it so bluntly, but I really do need to explain my highly questionable action of not actually finishing a book.
When I was younger, Wilson's books never appealed to me for some reason. I read 1, or maybe 2, I can't really remember. I do remember that I was thoroughly bored by the books back then, too.
SO WHY were you reading a Jacqueline Wilson book at the ripe old age of 19, Sarah?
Well, my job as a librarian has many, many perks. One of which is that I get to take home damaged books with me to keep, sometimes. This one was marked as decidedly doomed and its library days were over. So, I took it home. I like to stay reasonably up-to-date with children's fiction so I can give genuine recommendations.
But honestly, it turns out that I am still as little of a Jacqueline Wilson fan as I've ever been. I love to read exciting, interesting, moving stories. These books (from the few I've read) seem to be repetitive and unimaginative. They're just too real.
If you would like to read a story about a young girl who goes to school and has exactly 1 best friend at school and then has to deal with social issues at school and then comes home to deal with family issues at home, then Jacqueline Wilson is your gal.
Maybe it's because I've always been homeschooled. Maybe it's because I tend to enjoy reading about extraordinary things rather than ordinary things. Whatever it is, I am not going to bother finishing this book. And I'm not even sorry.

A very good book.
I really like Karen M. McManus' easy writing style that makes you feel so very close to her characters. The dialogue between characters flows naturally. I thoroughly enjoy alternating POVs, and each individual main character has their own distinct inner monologue. I was impressed how quickly she got me to care about these brand new characters - especially considering I went into this book wanting mostly to read about the characters from the last book (I am overjoyed to tell you that there are updates on all your favourite characters from One Of Us Is Lying).
However - I don't quite feel that this book deserves a whole 5 stars. Don't get me wrong, I love this story and it was so enjoyable to read. I just don't think there's enough of a thick plot to merit the whole 5-star-shebang. I found the mystery incredibly easy to work out, and Maeve as a main character annoyed me a little. However, Knox is such a precious individual that it totally made up for Maeve's irritating qualities.
Here's my fav quote from Knox: "I hate department stores. They're too bright, too loud, and too crammed full of junk that nobody needs. Whenever I'm forced to spend time in one I start thinking about how consumer culture is just one long, expensive, planet-killing distraction from the fact that we're all going to die eventually."
This is a satisfying and feel-good follow on, if you enjoyed One Of Us Is Lying. Would recommend.

Many people have been urging me to get on and read the rest of the Alex Rider series for a long time now. I kinda wish I had listened to them sooner.
When I read Point Blanc, years ago now, I remember thinking that the writing was cold and Alex was an uninteresting main character. Now, I can see that this is simply a style of writing I was not accustomed to.
Skeleton Key did not disappoint. Please keep in mind though, that this book is aimed at a younger age group. The story is simplistic. The plot- easy to work out. However, that doesn't make this read any less enjoyable.

It's not terribly often that you get the opportunity to read a fictional book about a pandemic during an actual real life pandemic. I wasn't about to miss that opportunity, no sir.
AND OH MY this book was terrifying.
Written in 2014. Just an imagined future - a possible future that could end this world's civilisation in a matter of days.
Reading this book right now was a surreal experience. Not only is it the beautiful kind of writing which changes the way you look at the world around you, but it also made me realise how incredibly fortunate our current situation is. How delicate.
I'd never heard of Emily St John Mandel before, but she has well and truly gained my respect with this book. I only picked it up, almost ironically, because we'd just heard that libraries were closing until who knows when and I couldn't bear to think of all these books just sat, with no hope of being read, for the foreseeable future. I grabbed as many as took my fancy. This one I should have been shelving, but after a quick glance of the blurb it went straight onto the pile to take home.
This book is not terribly large, but I really did take my time in reading it. It was more like a life-altering experience than your average story.
I was in constant amazement of the world building - the author at first seems to be jumping around in her points of view, from one random stranger to another. But the correlation is always there. And so incredibly quickly, I found myself caring for each and every character in the story. Usually with alternating points of view, I find at least one least favourite character whose parts I can rush through, in order to get back to my favourites. That was not the case at all with Station Eleven. Every word felt relevant. Every character felt so real, so layered, so personal. Relatable.
As mentioned, I don't know this author at all. There's something slightly nervewracking when you're not mentally prepared for an author's writing style, for how emotionally crippling the story is going to be. It's a readers very real and raw vulnerability.
But I was not at all disappointed with this book, at any point. Emily St John Mandel starts off strong, weaves the story pieces together beautifully, and finishes strong again. It's wonderful. This is writing at its finest.