KJK Reads

Rating: 2 Stars Themes:  Romance, Short Stories, Dual POV Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I had high hopes for this book as I myself spent summers near the beach (although definitely nothing like in this book) so I was hoping for a sunny, nostalgic romance but this book unfortunately fell short of this. Firstly, I understand what the author was trying to do with the disability representation, it felt a little more like inspiration porn than genuine representation which, as a disabled individual myself, left me feeling kinda icky. Also there was very little actual romance in the book aside from hints in each POV that they liked each other so the ending felt rushed and maybe a little forced as they seemed to need more time for an actual romance. However, I did enjoy the actual setting of Sandstone Cottage and with the security team I think there’s definitely an opportunity for another series if it’s done longer so we can...

Rating:  5 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Disability, Self-Help Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is another amazing and helpful book from Stacey. I loved the colour sheets in each chapter and appreciated that the activities have “low”, “medium” and “better” battery options as it means regardless of the amount of spoons I have I can still work on a chapter if I’m mentally up to it. The book itself is split up into easily digestible chunks and the text at the beginning of each chapter isn’t too long or dense so it doesn’t drain my battery before I’m able to get to the activities. There are a lot of important exercises and messages, especially around self-image and support systems as that is something I myself had to go to therapy for in my illness journey. I loved the useful resources at the end for those who need it and was pleased to see the #NEISVoid in there as I know how useful they can be since they actually helped...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Christmas, Cookbook  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is absolutely stunning with some beautiful detailing and the colours compliment each other so well it adds to the decadent feel of the Gilded Age theme. The foreword and intro provide enough detail without being too long and the little Gilded Age facts scattered throughout add to it in a cool and not too text dense way. I like that New Years Eve and Hanukkah were thought of too with them both being important holidays in the ‘Christmas’ season too. The recipes are easy to follow and the photos are really appealing and make me think of trying a few recipes I wouldn’t have without the images of them. The recipe index is also really helpful making it easier to find a recipe I’m looking for without having to flip back through hunting for one.

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Non-Fiction, Political Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. There are so many different things flowing around my brain after reading this book but it’s so hard to put them into words that sound coherent. This is just such an important and poignant book with a great collection of different people’s essays, especially the first essay detailing the importance of those who aren’t targeted still speaking up. Overall, this is another great collection from Lori and I’m sure she’ll have more to come in the future.  Favourite Quote: “Putting this book together made me really understand that there is no one way to resist. We all resist every day in every way.”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Poetry, Mental Health  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is both beautiful and haunting at the same time. It was interesting to see the interweaving of struggle and hope in different poems throughout. I personally really appreciated the disclaimer and note at the beginning from the author to support the readers through the deep and distressing themes to come. It did throw me a little at first like as the table of contents has titles to indicate which page a poem is on but poems themselves don’t. Favourite Quote: “just because someone's battle scars are self-inflicted does not make them any less valid.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Historical Fiction, Short Story Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was such an important and impactful story. As a Brit I think it is important to acknowledge and learn about the atrocities committed under the flag so I really appreciated the historical note from the author and think I’ll look into Rai’s other books mentioned there. Arjan is such a strong and brave young boy and I was glad to go on the journey with him and those he met along the way and am glad there was a happy ending for the most part although it’s horrible he had to lose the only home he’s ever known in the name of colonialism.  Favourite Quote: “I only had a vague sense of the time. But I knew enough to realise that it was running out. Both for my father and for me.”

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Psychological Fiction, Short Stories, Romance Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a cute short book although I didn’t feel it quite fell under the themes it’s advertised as. I saw the saving of the chocolate shop as a sweet domestic or psychological fiction tale but the romance mainly happened off page so it felt a little more flat to me. Favourite Quote: “It made him feel welcome for the first time in years. That's what he wanted: to truly belong somewhere, with someone who wanted him just for who he was”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Short Story, Mystery, Christmas Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is actually such a cute Christmassy mystery, it’s so sweet someone decorating the trees and definitely more warm and fuzzy than the usual murders I see for Christmas mysteries. The characters gelled so well with each other and it was cool to see the whole family getting involved in unloading the Christmas trees in the first chapter which instantly left me with a warm and fuzzy feel which continued when I discovered what our mystery in the story was. There is also a slight romantic element with Molly and her husband and 2 of the teenage workers which added to the feel good factor. Overall, a sweet cozy read that won’t fill your holiday season with death and horror.  Favourite Quote: “I don't know. If it wasn't one of us, it's almost like a prank, but a nice prank. A reverse prank? And if they didn't leave a note, I w...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Short Stories Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a quick and fun read for anyone who is young in heart and mind. The folktales give us an insight into African stories while teaching some similar moral values as some of the British stories I grew up with. The illustrations were also well done and a great addition to the book.

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Short Story, Enemies to Lovers Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a cute short romance that’s great if you only have a little time or want a pick me up. The enemies to lovers feels real with both hating each other due to bestie loyalties but the breaking down of the walls is effective, especially with how fast it happens. It’s great to see a character like Megan who’s fierce in the defending of the worth of her friends while still doubting her own as it makes her feel more like a character I can relate to.  Favourite Quote: “She'd been holding onto a grudge that wasn't even hers, trying to protect someone else's heart, and almost ruined something priceless in the process”

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Short Story, Workplace Romance, Fake Dating Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is such a cute short story and I think a great introduction to the Well Space series. I loved how realistic Henry felt, a sweet man who gets a little flustered and clumsy around the woman he has feelings for and the way he behaved on the dates showed a true gentleman underneath his nerves. I also enjoyed seeing the perfect obsessed Sophie realise that maybe perfect isn’t always what she needs and accept her love life may not need to be perfect after all, just perfect for her.  Favourite Quote: “We can all do things we're bad at, and still enjoy them.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Horror, Slasher, Short Story Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I could not put this book down, apparently the running joke if you start a book before bed you finish it applied well to this book. I instantly took a liking to Susan, Kevin and the kids so there was some instant tension for me hoping the characters I liked would make it to the end and I must admit I thought instantly that Charles deserved to die so maybe he could be the sacrifice. Jack is a twisted character but the first chapter with his backstory shows just how easy it is for someone to get so twisted. I appreciated the authors note at the beginning with the correct pronunciation of Samhain and the jokey do with that what you will so it didn’t feel like a lecture but offered the option to use the Celtic term properly. The epilogue also creeped me out as the way in which it was left means that there could totally be another if the author...

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Short Story, Thriller  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I was so impressed with this book, especially for its length. Not only did it manage to keep me engaged and keep the sense of danger right until the last sentence but it feels especially eerie in today's climate where I feel like it could genuinely happen in our lives too.  Favourite Quote: “Maybe people are happier with a simple life. After all, everyone here seemed happier than everyone in the city.”

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Cook Book, Non-Fiction Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The dedication at the beginning of this book is so sweet and the inclusion of all the family photos in the introduction are such a sweet and loving touch giving us the family feel of these recipes. The introduction and part 1 of the book was a bit long but I’m glad that there was an Asian Cuisine Fundamentals and Shopping and Stocking Your Pantry section as a newbie to some of the asian cuisines and ingredients (especially fish sauces and types of vinegar) so I didn’t get so confused when I looked at the recipes. I liked that both the English and correct language name for the dish for each recipe were provided and personally I love the way in which the recipe is broken up as it’s best for how I work (and I often change other recipes to look similar). There are some great food photos throughout the book that show just how appetising they are and ...

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Poetry, Classics  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is split into the introduction by Jason Allen-Paisant and the poem of Return to My Native Land. As much as the introduction can feel long and I did consider skipping it at one point as I wanted to get to the poem I am glad I persevered as it helped provide some essential context for the time the poem was written such as Partir and colonial alienation. The poem itself is extremely emotive and conveys the marginalised perspective in anti-colonial domination that is essential for us to learn about, accept and understand in order to better understand cultural differences and compassion today. Favourite Quote: “Despite the energetic way they both have of drumming on his cropped skull, neither the teacher in his classroom nor the priest at catechism can get a single word from this little half-asleep black child because his famished voice has ...