KJK Reads

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Historical Fiction, Crime, Novella Thoughts: This short story helps dramatise and contextualise the murder of David Rizzio  (private secretary to Mary Queen of Scots). It is an emotive book showing the helplessness of Mary during this episode in her life and also that of those who get pulled along in the plot but realise it isn’t going to end in favour for them either. 

Rating: 2 Stars Themes: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Music, Young Adult Thoughts: I really struggled with this book. The two main characters are unnecessarily messy and it essentially tries to romanticise emotional affairs and makes the characters terribly unlikeable. I also hated the way that Ridge treated Maggie both by emotionally cheating and also infantilizing her due to her disability despite Maggie (who should be the expert on her own condition and how it impacts her) feeling she is able to handle a thesis’ and internships and other things that help her feel more like others and productive, he nags her to give it up and just be looked after so much she no longer feels able to talk to him about it which makes him such a bad boyfriend even before Sydney comes into the picture.  Favourite Quote: "Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective."

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Nonfiction, Disability, Biography, Activism, History, Middle Grade, Mental Health Thoughts: This book works hard to tread the fine line between providing inspiration to the young disabled people who read the book and shaming those who are reasonably limited by their disability or encouraging them into becoming inspiration porn for ableists.  It is well researched and provides not only a glossary to explain conditions and terms that many outside of the disability (and medical) community may not understand but helps explain alongside the individuals how their condition comes to affect them individually.  Favourite Quote: "We all have the power to shine our own light. Everyone deserves to live in an inclusive and accessible world and feel like they belong. A world that embraces difference rather than tries to hide it, and a world where every person's story is valid."

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Contemporary Fiction, World War II, Adult Fiction Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I thought Sage’s affair, whilst morally inexcusable, showed how little she thinks about herself and the morally complex nature she is used to which makes it easier for her to consider Josef’s request. Overall, this book tackles forgiveness in a multifaceted way with Sage being asked to forgive Josef for his past crimes while also needing to forgive herself as she feels responsible for the death of her mother (who forgave her just before her death). The addition of Leo and his views on hunting war criminals adds another position of forgiveness. Minka’s story/past adds the heartwrenching details of what happened to her  family during the Holocaust and contextualises exactly what crimes it is that Josef is asking for forgiveness for.  Favourite Quote:  "Forgiving isn't something you do for someone else. It's something you do for...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, History, War, Comics, Historical, Politics Thoughts: This is such a short but important read. With the extremist terror attacks and press coverage on refugees, many among us lack the reasons that cause refugees to flee their country of origin and why they don’t just stop in the first country. This shows us in depth why these things occur both with the text details and such detailed illustrations.   Favourite Quote: "How can we live here, in tents, in the middle of a forest, when it is so cold and muddy? ... I don't feel safe or at peace at all. I am always tired and angry ... It took me two months to get used to the idea that this was our life now, that we are truly refugees."

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, British Literature, Detective Thoughts: I love that Matheson doesn’t shy from tackling issues of race and religion that many other authors tend not to highlight. The initial victim is Caleb Annan who is a black man and a pastor killed in London which already makes the case a potentially charged case which is not helped by a local MP intervening and insinuating that Henley is essentially a race traitor for spending time to identify the tortured to near death white man also found at the scene. Henley, Pellacia, and Ramouter can all be seen struggling and coping with the mental health issues and trauma arising from their encounters with Olivier in the previous book in different ways to also highlight mental illnesses further (on top of the handling of the illnesses of some of the victims in the case). 

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Dark Thoughts: This is a weird book for me. It is supposed to be a slow burn as the book spans across a few years but the majority of that time is skipped. However, despite that I could feel the growing tension and definitely see why Bridget started falling for Rhys. Rhys’s father was predictable for me although since it didn’t change things initially it didn’t really matter too much to me.  Favourite Quote: "There's no such thing as just a story. Every story is important. Including yours."

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Thriller, Scandinavian, Crime, Horror, Nordic Noir Thoughts: I found this Scandinavian thriller really entertaining, there were lots of twists and turns to keep us entertained and make the mystery harder to predict early on. Thulin and Hess had a relatable relationship starting off frosty and warming to being like family at the end which gave a more compassionate element to the book and small respites from the horror and gore of the Chestnut Man’s crimes.  Favourite Quote: "Hess had long thought of death with indifference. Not because he hated life, but because existence was painful."

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Historical Fiction, LGBT, Race, Literary Fiction, African American, Civil War Thoughts: A really important book to read. Prentiss and Landry were written in such a way that we as readers can’t help but feel for everything they’ve been through and hope for the future (despite knowing what is likely ahead due to knowledge of history). I also really liked the character of George as he was able to support and mostly protect Prentiss and Landry without seeming to have a hero complex and whilst genuinely appreciating their work.  Favourite Quote: "...perhaps that was the great ill of the world, that those prone to evil were left untouched by guilt to a degree so vast that they might sleep through a storm, while better men, conscience-stained men, lay awake as though that very storm persisted unyieldingly in the furthest reaches of their soul."

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Dark, New Adult, Contemporary Fiction Thoughts: I loved this romance, the tension between Ava and Alex is evident early on and their forced proximity burns this sexual tension until it erupts. The sexual connection and romance built at a realistic pace and some scenes were hot as hell. The characters were fully realised humans though with backstories and traumas which led to the third act breakup but I wasn’t mad as it seemed so true to the characters and where the story would naturally go. However, the way Alex essentially stalked Ava around London was kinda creepy to me and romanticism toxic behaviours but overall I loved them together and their journey for the most part. Favourite Quote: "I still owned DVDs the same way I still owned paperback books. There was just something so magical about holding your favourite items rather than seeing them onscreen."