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No Name in the Street by James Baldwin

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Memoir, Non-Fiction, Classics Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was an interesting tale of Baldwin's life. I did feel like it was jumping about a bit but the fragmented history did add more to the story as we met people and events when they fit together rather than chronologically, like the suit just after he got successful to show the difference in how he was treated by family and close friends rather than when it actually happened when it wouldn’t have as much of an impact. It did feel a little weird hearing Baldwin discussing the attitudes to Arabs in Europe with how he was used to being treated himself in America but he conveys it like he shares in the oppressive views. Overall, it’s a powerful read and a great choice if you’re interested in the other works of James Baldwin for context. Favourite Quote: “It was strange to find oneself, in another language, in another country, listening to...

Generation Zombie by Charlotte Armitage

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction Thoughts: I was quite conflicted with this book. On the one hand, Armitage does a great job of simplifying psychological concepts for the general public and it is great that the problem of devices in parenting is being addressed. However, I did feel like she was repeating herself, especially with highlighting things in the introduction, then in the age specific topic and then again in the case study. While I know repetition can be key to learning, it started to lose my interest when I was reading the same thing again and again. I did like the stopping the negative cycle and creating your own device management plan at the end as it gives parents and readers hope but it should be addressed that sometimes mental illness and neurodivergence is biological and/or inherited so not everything can be fixed by taking screens away. Favourite Quote: “Education surrounding how devices and social media impact our psychological health extends to anyone who is unfam...

An A-Z Of Just Being by Maria Sarkar

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is a gentle an easy introduction to the self-help genre and positive psychology as a general. There is an inclusive tone for the most part but in some parts it not only forgets the presence of disabled people but can be unintentionally harmful like the way in which health is handled. This is especially difficult as those who are newly disabled are likely to turn to self-help books or therapy to help them adapt and reading that “health is a gift and a responsibility" may do the opposite and make them feel worse. I did like the key takeaways at the end of each letter to recap the important parts as it can be used when flipping back for a quick refresher. The create your own A-Z at the end was a great touch as I’ve never seen something like that in an A-Z before. Favourite Quote: “The essence of it all is that we are first and foremost, human be...

My Friend Kim Jong Un by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Graphic Novel Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This story threads the author's personal narrative with the history of Kim Jong Un and the U.S., North Korea and South Korea relationships. It was interesting to hear Kim Jong Un’s childhood and education contrasted with a Korean citizen such as the authors. Although having both lines meant there wasn’t a ton of detail, it was a great touch having people who had actual experiences either in North Korea or with the Kim Jong family interviewed and that being included. The illustrations themselves are great and the muted colour palate made sure that the illustrations don’t overshadow the text. Favourite Quote: “Seventy years since the Korean war armistice and the cycle goes on and on.”

Pier Pressure by Cynthia Gunderson

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Romance Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a simple, cute and easy read. The bet and fake dating are fairly low stakes with them both knowing what they were getting into from the off and overall it wasn’t too tense but there were some cute moments like the earring. I liked that Macy’s friends were focused on getting her to be able to stand up for herself more, especially when Noah joined in. The character growth for both of them was also quite good and the ending with each port being one chapter was like a montage in writing. Favourite Quote: “When your life starts to fall apart, you second-guess everything, including your own version of reality. Your own sense of self. It's easy to believe that if everything else is wrong, maybe I'm wrong. I need some stable ground to work from.”

Why Aren't You Dead Yet? By Ella T. Holmes

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Short Stories, Disability Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I got suggested this anthology after having read and enjoyed Casper E. Falls’ Survival and Other Surprises last year so I went in with a few predictions and I wasn’t let down. The opening essay ‘Dystopia: A Crip Genre Essay’ by Ella T. Holmes is the only piece of non-fiction in the collection but opens it up really well with what we can expect to encounter throughout the different stories. As with all short story collections, some felt stronger than others but in a collection like this it’s natural that we’ as readers will feel a stronger connection to the stories we feel represented in. I liked that there was a story focusing on shortsightedness as the disability as it’s something we often don’t think about when discussing disability day to day but in those kinds of situations they’d struggle just as much as the rest of us. There were a...