KJK Reads

Rating: DNF Themes: Non-Fiction, Feminism, Classics, Politics, Essays Thoughts: This is a seminal piece of feminist literature. I was struggling with the wording with it being such an old book written in a more old fashioned style so I couldn't finish it but I still respect it for the feminist prose and what I could read.

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Politics, Classiscs, Short Story Thoughts: Thought provoking. It's actually somewhat disappointing how much of these thoughts still applying about 70 years later with radical nationalism becoming more of a problem and leading to worse attrocities and attacks than when Orwell was writing.  Favourite Quote: "Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception. Every nationalist is capable of the most flagrant dishonesty, but he is also - since he is conscious of serving something bigger than himself - unshakably certain of being in the right."

Rating: 5 Stars  Themes: Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Rare Illness, Adult Thoughts: This book keeps you guessing until the end. Douglas managed to write really complex and dark but still compelling characters with a great story with loads of twists and turns. As someone from the Rare Disease community I really appreciate the representation for rarer conditions and the research that went into using the correct terms (especially ME instead of CFS), even if it did end up being as a result of factitious disorder.  Favourite Quote: "Aren't we all shaped by the events that take place during the course of our lives? As though our souls - if they exist - are made of Plasticine to be remoulded over and over again."

Rating: DNF Themes: Thriller, Espionage, Crime, Mystery Thoughts: I read the previous book and felt like it was a little too into descriptions and not enough substance but hopes it was building to this book. I must say I was extremely dissapointed, not only did it feel like Jennings failed to further develop the interesting characters but it also continued to focus too much on descriptions, especially things such as guns and bullets. It also read a little too much like a teen boy fanfic to me with the constant descriptions of breasts of the main characters. The TV show writers definitely weren't paid enough to make this book into a good show. 

  Rating: 3 Stars  Themes: Crime, Thriller, Espionage, Female Led Thoughts: Vilanelle is an interesting character. She is no doubt a psychopath (using Hare's checklist) but reading the ways in which she sees the world through manipulation and transactions makes her interestingly complex in a way most of us aren't used to.  Eve, on the other hand, is supposed to represent a normal (non-psychopathic) person to us. But, we can already see her starting to slip into an obsession with Vilanelle herself.  This book has very long chapters and in some ways feels like a build up story, leading to something bigger in the next instalment. I struggled through this book, finding it dry and over-descriptive in some areas but I persevered hoping the rest of the series will be better after all the groundwork has been laid in this one. Favourite Quote: "We see the world for what it is. A place where there's only one law: survival."

Rating: 3 Stars  Thoughts: Psychological Fiction, Black Stories by Black Voices, Coming of Age, Thought Provoking, Immigrant Experiences, First Generation Canadian-Jamacian, Mother Daughter Relationships Thoughts:  An important coming of age story for many to read.  This book shows Kara's struggles as a first generation Canadian-Jamacian in a way many of us cannot comprehend, such as being considered basically Canadian and therefore too white/not Jamaican enough by the other kids on her Jamaican block. It also demonstrates the struggle to earn an income and become better educated through the housing Kara moves through and also the time her and her mother spent living with nana.  There is also a strong theme of mother daughter relationships with Kara feeling a strained one with her mother through the pressure to succeed and focus on school to earn a better life. But also through Kara's mother and nana's strained interactions such as spending the bare minimum time ther...