KJK Reads

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Fantasy, Cozy Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is such a cute story and definitely deserves the title of cozy. Ashford does a great job of worldbuilding with really well detailed characters and settings, especially since he’s detailing many different magical creatures that I could picture really well from his descriptions. This is a really comforting read as even the plot point that needs to be overcome is cozy which is hinted to with the trigger list. I also loved the chapter titles which while a small thing really added to the overall feel of the book and Mitsi’s bent hat being the image on each page is a sweet touch. I fell in love with Mitsi instantly and there are so many more loveable characters in Marivell that I can’t wait for the sequel to check in with them all again. Favourite Quote: “Most folks don't find their calling until they've stumbled around a bit first.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction  Thoughts: This is a cute little read and a great way to get young children excited about Carnival. I liked that Molly was encouraged by many different people, showing the community spirit and kindness of Carnival and I liked the way in which resilience is promoted in a more subtle way for children to start building the essential life skill young. 

Rating: DNF  Themes: Romance, Holiday Romance  Thoughts: I usually avoid fiction written by celebrities or influencers as too often they rely on their name/status to sell books rather than the work itself but as someone I know was getting rid of it and I’d never read a Mills and Boon before I thought I’d give it a shot. First of all, I do enjoy reading a holiday romance and tend to find the settings particularly beautiful and this one was no different with the Caribbean backdrop. However, I found it incredibly grating that Gill repeated that its the Caribbean or Tobago at least once in every chapter, it made me feel like she was doubting the intelligence of her readers by needing to constantly remind us which ultimately put me off the book as I don’t want to read something by an author who thinks so low of her readers. I also found that despite the characters written to be diverse they were actually only diverse on the surface with a lot of them feeling 2 dimensional and selfi...

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction Thoughts: This is a great little book to help young children understand their anger and also parents and carers understand how to talk to their child about anger. I liked seeing the father being the main presence with Max since anger is sometimes being referenced as a masculine (by toxic spheres) emotion so the father and son working through it together feels more fitting. The strategies mentioned through the book are great and it’s helpful that they’re also repeated at the end to help both parent and child remember the helpful strategies.  Favourite Quote: “You're not bad Max, but it's important to take some time to cool down in a nice quiet place. You could be angry or sad or happy or blue. It won't matter to me, I'Il always love you.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction, Cancer  Thoughts: This is a great but also kinda heartbreaking book. The story itself is great and I’m sure it will help so many young children get their heads around someone they love getting cancer but it's also heartbreaking that children so young will need it. The illustrations are soft and gentle and help talk children step by step of what may happen in the cancer journey so they can feel more prepared and ultimately end happy to help reduce the children's worries. Favourite Quote: “It isn't anybody's fault. Cancer doesn't come because you have been naughty or cross with someone.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Autism Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. It was so interesting and kind of refreshing to see the approach to parenting, and especially parenting a child with Autism (the phrasing that Guttman uses himself) from the male and father point of view. The book was both hopeful and realistic as Guttman gives readers hope with bonding and understanding he and Lucas have been able to form but still realistic about Lucas’ struggles so as not to give false hope to parents reading. I think the short chapters were great for jumping in and out of and it will be especially useful for those with high needs autistic children themselves to be able to fit in around the child's needs. Favourite Quote “Autism doesn't end your world; it just opens the door to one you never knew existed. As for the challenges, they can be tough, but they're worth the trade-off and are completely manageable. In fact,...