KJK Reads

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Short Stories, Psychological Fiction Thoughts: This book is surprisingly cute. It shows the random meeting between Timothy Flowers and Charlie and the friendship that develops over the day. Timothy himself suffered child abuse which led to his brain working differently so others look at him like he’s strange but isn’t treated like there’s something wrong with him and it does make me feel protective towards him. I did notice that Charlie seemed to be using Timothy’s size and strength to his advantage a little more than necessary as it starts as a suggested teamwork situation but Timothy ends up doing nearly all the heavy lifting and manual labour that day. I thought the ending was sweet with the possibility of acceptance for Timothy and the chance of being able to feel like he’s helping and since his mother was there when Timothy got home he’s likely to be protected from being exploited going forward too. Favourite Quote: “You should learn. All men should know se...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Short Stories, Thriller Thoughts: I was on edge almost from the beginning of this book until the last page. The paragraphs were extremely short and switched between Kate and Jack which only added to the unease I had reading. I had a feeling I knew where Jack was staying early on but I had no clue what he was capable of. This book feels even scarier than it actually is considering how many people actually experience this kind of behaviour after a break up in reality and knowing just how easily it could be you in Kate’s shoes. 

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Short Stories, Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary  Thoughts: This is my first Rainbow Rowell book and I thought something short and sweet would be a great introduction. I found the first story soo cute. It’s interesting to only meet the characters on a new year's eve and it makes the slow burn feel more intense knowing a year has passed and seeing how their relationship has developed. I also thought the ending was soooo cute as it ended as it began, with just the two of them and some chex mix. The second story was also interesting with the different personalities of the three of them in ‘The Line’ and especially with Elena being the only girl there and the protectiveness of the boys. I had to laugh at the way it ended in the cinema and found the ending really cute. The thought of those 2 developing a genuine friendship/relationship from that is cute and also somewhat what Elena was hoping from her line experience. The illustrations are also really good and a...

Rating: DNF  Themes: Mystery, Audiobook  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Unfortunately I have been unable to finish this book. It’s very slow to start and almost feels like it’s dragging with lots of monologues and tangents. I also really struggled with the male narration of the audiobook which is the main reason for my DNF as not only is the narration quite monotonous but I can hear a thudding from the mic on male narrator when listening (with earphones) which is very distracting and was starting to get on my nerves. 

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Poetry  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This poetry collection took me a while to get into as the first few felt quite basic and generic. However, once we got into those touching on a more political topic and those on Stewart’s Navy career I felt more like I was getting more personal and connected. Some personal favourites were ‘This Country I Served’, ‘Let Us Build the Audacity’, ‘The Ends Did Not Justify the Means’, ‘I Remember’, and ‘The Haunting’. Favourite Quote: “Let us build the next generation of daughters Who don't stop to wonder where the Audacity can be found Because it is in their bones”

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Short Story, Thriller, Mystery Thoughts:  It’s interesting that the book is called The Motive when the motive itself seems consistent but the perpetrator is the one in question. I found Jay an interesting, almost morally grey character as although he is a drug dealer and thus a criminal he does what he can to help the situation as soon as the stabbing happens. Idris himself is much more of a straightforward character but I felt his conflict with his partner’s potential racism, especially when deciding which one should stay with the victim or question certain suspects. The dynamics of their friendship felt so relatable although there were definitely a few conflicting elements that I’m sure will come up again later in the series. I found the racist elements of the story really well timed/placed as a Brit myself, some of the country did take that approach following the Brexit referendum and with the riots a few years ago this is unfortunately still timely...