KJK Reads

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, LGBTQ+, Self-Help Thoughts: I may not be an aspiring drag queen but I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community and thought this book would be a fun read and I was not disappointed. There are some great tips for confidence and self-esteem in here that apply to anybody accompanied by the sass expected from a Queen. I liked that there were so many of our beloved Queens represented and that they represented different countries and not all just one too. Overall, this is a fun little book for working on your self worth and feeling more fearless and there’s a few messages that will stay with me. Favourite Quote: “It's time to accept that being pretty isn't actually the whole kit and caboodle. Being bold, being fearless, being a badass who knows what she wants in life is a whole lot more desirable and attractive than just being a pretty painted face.”

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Poetry Thoughts:  I have mentioned previously that I am a proud Smoggie but this little collection gave me another interesting way to look at Teesside and the towns/villages around me. It was sweet that poems from different schools around the area were included as it gives a fresher eyes approach, especially the one on Hartlepool as a brilliant place to be with the monkey verse. The illustrations themselves are also beautiful and add to the beautiful simplicity of the book.  Favourite Quote: “Our Tees Valley librarians are quiet super heroes changing our world for the better one book at a time, powered by paper clips and tea.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction, LGBTQ+ Thoughts: I saw this one on a stand in my local library and the cover looked so cute that I just had to check it out. It is such a cute and age appropriate way to introduce the topic of pride and a little about its importance without getting too heavy, especially since it can seem like a party to kids that young. I liked that the illustrations were so diverse, promoting trans rights on banners and making sure different races, styles, and disabilities were included in the images of different villagers. Overall this is a sweet little read great for kids to understand the LGBTQ+ people in their lives and pride itself. Favourite Quote: “Pride is like a giant party where we celebrate the wonderful diversity of our communities, and share the message that everyone should be treated with equality and respect - no matter who they love or what gender they are.”

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Short Stories, Mystery Thoughts:  I love reading these quick reads as a way of dipping my toe into a new authors writing and this is a great intro to Braithwaite’s writing and I will check out her longer books as I like her style. This one despite being short was very twisty and kept me guessing right until the end. I found the males mentioned in this book insufferable, especially with their attitudes towards women but it just added to the more complex characters involved and helped touch on the behaviour between the women in a better context.

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Cookbook Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I’m not really sure about the marketing of healthy living, as if protein is the be all and end all of a healthy diet since fiber is such an essential part of a balanced diet and has more health implications than a lack of protein, it can feed into the misunderstanding of its priority in diet that is prevalent online at the moment. However, I myself sometimes struggle with getting enough protein in my diet so I thought this book would be great for meal ideas on the days where I need to prioritise protein. The book has quite a long beginning before getting into the actual recipes (over 90 pages) but it is great that they explained the importance of protein and strategies for incorporating it in the beginning (although I’m guessing most of those who pick this sort of book up already know all that). The recipes themselves are easy to follow and there’s so many di...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Romance, Short Stories  Thoughts: I have to admit that I may have forgotten the intricacies of West Side Story so I may have been going into this a little more of a blank slate than many readers. I understood early on that Sapphire would be our FMC but it did take me a minute to accept Apollo as the MMC, but the way in which they interacted made it make more sense. The story did develop quite fast but this is a short story and they are both just 20 so whirlwind romances are much more common and acceptable in that age group. I didn’t see the way the fight scene played out coming, but it led to a great ending. I think Carty-Williams’ idea of taking the older story and applying it in a way younger people can relate to is a great idea, especially handling the topic of gangs and knives which are both horrifically prevalent at the moment. Favourite Quote: “I just want to thank you, you know. Yeah, I ended up in hospital, but the path I was on wasn't a good one. I ...