KJK Reads

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Children's Fiction Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a cute way to look at different families and explain it to very young children. I liked that the two penguin dads were included as that not only links back to another book for further reading but is a great example they can see in real life too. Some of the animal mixes worked well like the pony and donkey which again can be seen in a mule or hinny in real life. However, some of them, though cute, were unrealistic like the otter and raccoon who are known to fight in the wild which means if kids start asking not everyone can be shown as real which can make the younger ones start questioning even more. The artwork itself is stunning and the poem like text makes it more fun for children.  Favourite Quote: “Although they are different, they're lovely to see. There's love at the heart of each family.”

Rating:  4 Stars Themes: Plays, LGBTQ+ Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I’m still quite new to plays but I think this is the closest to tears I’ve come with to with a play before. It is really emotional and shows the human impact of LGBTQ+ people in Nazi Germany and concentration camps. It shows the way in which human behaviour can be shaped by extreme circumstances with how Max’s relationship with Rudy changes. It also shows the limits to human capacity by the ending and the way in which Max, Rudy and Horst are shown by the end. Favourite Quote: “Well, for once, you're right. It is silly. There are queer Nazis. And queer saints. And queer geniuses And queer mediocrities. No better, no worse. Just people. I really believe that. That's why I signed Hirschfield's petition. That's why I ended up here. That's why I'm wearing this triangle. That's why you should be wearing it.”

Rating: 3.5 Stars Themes: Short Story, Trauma  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a really short but still really impactful read. It is quite difficult to read the way in which the father terrorised the household and the child only being 4 and a half at the beginning makes it even more brutal but I appreciate this is the realities of life for many children. The end did leave it a little sadder but again it’s the reality for quite a few who survive these kinds of childhoods.  Favourite Quote: “Aunt M tells me nobody realised what was happening. Nobody could know what was going on. People are suspicious, but people are unable to comprehend that an abnormal situation could exist. People do not want to become involved. People decided to ignore it.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, LGBTQ+ Thoughts: 23 Queer individuals span all the way back to 218 with Elagabalus to some people who are still alive. I liked that there was the Queer and There bits in the Introduction to address the attitudes towards Queer people before colonialism spread Christian values across the globe which is something not everyone knows or remembers. The images on the initial page for each person was quite well done and I could guess some from the cover alone. Having a tl;dr on that same page was novel to me but since it’s marketed at teens (which I didn’t realise until I’d already started) it does make sense as a way to speak to them on their level. The text itself is also handled in a way that speaks to teens without infantalising the topic and I’m sure this could be a great book to help Queer teens feel seen/represented in history which the classes skip. Favourite Quote: “Queer history is world history: the stories of every culture from every era. It is ...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, True Crime  Thoughts: This book does a great job of sticking to the facts without going over the top and glorifying the gore in the cases. It covers 11 cases in detail and then briefly mentions a few that didn’t properly fit in the epilogue. I like that it focuses on what happened in the perpetrators lives to seemingly trigger their choices to kill but it would be nice to know more about the victims themselves as humans since they are often, no matter how unintentionally, erased from their own stories. Overall, it’s a good book and great as a starting point to further research the areas/cases. Favourite Quote: “It’s not my intention to provide any excuses for these killers, though. I just hope that by uncovering their often sad and tragic lives, it might be possible to prevent others from evolving into being the psychopaths of the future.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. It’s interesting to read short stories that reflect the 1960s experiences of African Americans, written by someone with the same lived experience. It’s unfortunately just as relevant today as when it was published. There are only 8 stories but it covers many complex topics such as housing discrimination, addiction, and family secrets as well as the overt racism and institutional racism. Favourite Quote: “Goddamit to hell, I'm sick of it. Can't I get a place to sleep without dragging it through the courts? I'm goddamn tired of battling every Tom, Dick, and Harry for what everybody else takes for granted. I'm tired, man, tired! Have you ever been sick to death of something? Well, I'm sick to death. And I'm scared I've been fighting so goddamn long I'm not a person any more I'm not Booker T. Washington...